Empires Will Fall

EMPIRES WILL FALL ~by~ Alan McDermott Also by Alan McDermott Gray Justice Gray Resurrection Gray Redemption Gray Retribution Gray Vengeance Gray Salvation Gray Genesis Trojan Run and Hide Seek and Destroy Fight to Survive When Death Strikes Motive Fifteen Times a Killer The Sokolov Agenda Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Epilogue Chapter 1 Tuesday: Orlando ‘Oh, Daddy, that one! Please, please, please!’ Tom Gray looked up at the rollercoaster that stretched into the sky, then down at Melissa, whose eyes pleaded with him. His heart told him to give in to her request, but his stomach didn’t think it could take another topsy-turvy ride. ‘Are you sure?’ Gray asked her. ‘It looks scary.’ ‘That’s the best part!’ There was no way she was backing down. Gray smiled and nodded. ‘Okay, we’ll go on that one next. But after that, it’s time for dinner.’ ‘Yay!’ Melissa took her father’s hand and dragged him to the queue. Gray didn’t resist. ‘Can we have hot dogs?’ Melissa asked as she pulled him toward the Expedition Everest ride. ‘Again?’ Gray joked. ‘That’s four days in a row. You’ll get spotty.’ He knew she was unlikely to develop acne at nine, but he thought the warning might deter his daughter. Melissa let go of his hand and pulled her long blonde hair away from her face. ‘I won’t. Look. Not one zit.’ Gray smiled. ‘Give it a week and you’ll look like a pizza, believe me.’ For the last six days, all they’d eaten was junk food. Burgers, hot dogs, pancakes with bacon and maple syrup for breakfast, chocolate for snacks. Gray rubbed his own belly and knew he must have put on a couple of kilos himself. It was worth it, though. He hadn’t seen Melissa so happy in…he didn’t know how long. She wasn’t yet ten years old, but she’d barely survived an arson attack that claimed her mother’s life, been kidnapped twice, and spent the last few years running from the most powerful people on the planet. In the past fortnight, those men had shown that hiding was a waste of time. Just when Gray thought he’d evaded them, they’d picked him up and forced him to kill for them. And they would do so again. They’d told him they’d be back, and he didn’t doubt them. With that threat hanging over him, Gray decided to stop being overprotective when it came to Melissa’s diet. She had enough energy to burn the extra calories, and in a week or so, once the vacation was over, he’d wean her back on to healthier meals. For now, though, she could eat whatever the hell she wanted. When they reached the rollercoaster, Gray showed the VIP passes that let them cut the queue. It was bad enough having to go on all the rides with his daughter, but there was no way he was willing to stand in line for an hour for the privilege. They climbed into the second carriage in the train. Gray might have looked forward to the ride in younger times, but as he approached his forty-eighth birthday, such desires had waned. In his SAS days he’d been on many a turbulent flight, riding into battle with bullets pinging off the undercarriage. That was a lifetime ago. These days, fun for Gray was having a beer and watching an action film on TV, not being turned upside-down and inside-out. Mercifully, the ride lasted barely three minutes. Melissa whooped with delight throughout, while Gray concentrated on keeping his lunch down. ‘Again! Again!’ ‘Maybe tomorrow,’ Gray told Melissa. ‘Right now, it’s time to eat.’ Food was the last thing he wanted, but it signaled an end to their time in the amusement park. After dinner, they would take in a couple of shows, then head back to their condo to do it all again the next day. Melissa guided Gray to her favorite restaurant—not the term Gray would have used—and plonked herself in a booth before studying the menu. It took her all of five seconds to decide. ‘I’ll have two hot dogs with extra onions and cheese,’ she said, handing Gray the menu. ‘Plus a side of fries and a chocolate milkshake.’ Two weeks earlier, she would have asked tentatively for such a meal, but now she was in full junk mode. Gray went to the counter to place Melissa’s order, adding a loaded burger for himself. Minutes later, Gray returned to the booth with a tray laden with calories. Melissa tied her hair up in a ponytail using a scrunchy, then put her phone aside. Gray might have eased off on her diet, but he remained firm on the no-phones-at-the-table rule. Melissa bit into a hot dog and licked cheese from her lips. ‘Where are we going after we leave here?’ she asked. The bubbly girl he’d spent the day with was gone. She now seemed sullen. Gray chewed the question over. He hadn’t thought about where to settle once this vacation was over. He wanted to get Melissa back into school as soon as possible, so that would influence any decision as to their next destination. ‘Where do you want to go?’ Gray asked her. Melissa’s head dropped, and she hunched her shoulders. ‘I dunno. Anywhere.’ It wasn’t the answer he’d expected. Melissa always had a long list of places she wanted to visit, and he was now ready to tick them off. Disney World had been the first, and she’d enthusiastically mentioned the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park. Now, she didn’t seem so keen