Ghost Ship: A Sigma Force Short Story
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About this ebook
From New York Times bestselling author James Rollins comes an electrifying short story, in which the battle over a lost treasure leads to murder, betrayal, and the revelation of a shocking mystery hidden aboard the . . . Ghost Ship
The discovery of a burned body sprawled on a remote Australian beach shatters the vacation plans of Commander Gray Pierce. To thwart an ingenious enemy, he and Seichan are pulled into a centuries-old mystery surrounding a lost convict ship, the Trident. The vessel—with a history of mutiny and stolen treasure—vanished into the mists of time, but nothing stays lost forever. A freak storm reveals clues scattered across the Great Barrier Reef, but following those clues will lead to bloodshed and savagery, for where this ghost ship is hidden is as shocking as the mystery behind its disappearance. It will take all of Gray’s ingenuity and Seichan’s deadly skills not only to survive—but to stop an enemy from destroying everything in his path.
Included with this short story is a sneak peek at the upcoming Sigma Force novel, The Demon Crown, where events here lead to Sigma’s most harrowing adventure to date.
James Rollins
James Rollins is the author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd pleasers” (New York Times) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (People magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets—and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight. He lives in the Sierra Nevada.
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Book preview
Ghost Ship - James Rollins
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Contents
Ghost Ship
What’s True, What’s Not
The Demon Crown
Prologue
About the Author
Card Page
Copyright
About the Publisher
Ghost Ship
January 21, 9:07 a.m.
Queensland, Australia
Now you don’t see that every day . . .
From the vantage of his horse’s saddle, Commander Gray Pierce watched the twelve-foot saltwater crocodile amble across the beach. A moment ago, it had appeared out of the rainforest and aimed for the neighboring sea, completely ignoring the trio of horses standing nearby.
Amused and awed, Gray studied its passage. Yellow fangs glinted in the morning sun; a thick-armored tail balanced its swaying bulk. Its presence was a reminder that the prehistoric past of this remote stretch of northern Australia was still very much alive. Even the rainforest behind them was the last vestige of a jungle that once stretched across the continent, a fragment dating back some 140 million years, all but untouched by the passage of time.
As the crocodile finally slipped into the waves and vanished, Seichan frowned at Gray from atop her own horse. "And you still want to go diving in those waters?"
The final member of their group—who was acting as their guide—dismissed her concern with a wave of a darkly tanned hand. "No worries. That particular salty bloke is a mere ankle biter. Quite small."
Small?
Seichan lifted an eyebrow skeptically.
The Aussie grinned. Some of the males can grow to be seven meters or more, topping off at over a thousand kilos.
He nudged his horse and led them across the beach. But like I said, not much to fret about. Salties generally only kill two people a year.
Seichan cast a withering look at Gray, her emerald eyes flashing in the sunlight. She plainly did not want to fill that particular quota today. She tossed the length of her black ponytail over a shoulder in obvious irritation as she set off after their guide.
Gray watched her depart for a breath, appreciating the grace of her movements. The sight of her almond skin glistening in the sweltering heat drew him after her.
As he joined her, she glanced to the rainforest. We could still turn back. Spend the day in the lodge’s spa, like we’d planned.
Gray smiled at her. What? After we came all this way?
He wasn’t just referring to the trail ride to reach this isolated stretch of beach.
For the past half year, the two of them had been slowly circumnavigating the globe, part of a sabbatical from their work with Sigma Force. They had been moving place to place with no itinerary in mind. After leaving D.C., they had spent a month in a medieval village in France, then flew on to Kenya, where they drifted from tent camp to tent camp, moving with the timeless flow of animal life found there. Eventually, they found themselves amid the teeming sprawl of Mumbai, India, enjoying humanity at its most riotous. Then over the past three weeks, they had driven across the breadth of Australia, starting in Perth to the east, traversing the dusty roads through the Outback, until finally reaching Port Douglas on Australia’s tropical northeast coast.
Seichan nodded to their guide. Who knows where this guy is really taking us?
I think we can trust him.
Though the two of them had been traveling the globe under false papers, Gray had never doubted that Sigma was covertly keeping track of their whereabouts. This became self-evident last night, when upon returning from a day hike into the Daintree Rainforest, they had stumbled upon a familiar figure holed up in their hotel’s lounge, belting down a whiskey, trying to act inconspicuous.
Gray eyed the broad back of their rugged Aussie guide. The man’s name was Benjamin Brust. The fifty-year-old Australian happened to be the stepfather of Sigma’s young intelligence analyst, Jason Carter. The Aussie had also helped Sigma resolve a situation a year or so ago in Antarctica.
So to find the man seated in their hotel bar . . .
Ben had tried to dismiss the chance encounter as mere coincidence, quoting Casablanca