‘Asshole,’ she said in the sweetest way, beaming at him.

A luxurious government car – black of course – sped them into London, where they quickly managed to escape from the suits and made their way to an upmarket bar in the heart of Soho. Madison got her promised beer in a tall frosted glass. Ben ordered a triple Laphroaig, fifteen years old, no ice, no water, the way it was meant to be drunk. They sat at a corner table, relaxing for the very first time in a long while, and Ben lit up a cigarette from his new pack. Let the management come and throw him out, if they dared.

‘A little different from Afghanistan,’ she said, gazing around her at the glitzy decor and the bustling traffic outside.

‘Missing it already, are you?’

She smiled. ‘Oh, you never know, one day I might go back there to rediscover what we found.’

‘If there’s anything left of it.’

‘But in the meantime, there’s so much else out there waiting for us,’ she said. ‘No more war zones, I swear.’

He paused with his glass halfway to his lips. ‘Who’s us?’

Madison shrugged. ‘I figured you might like a change of scene. Be fun to have you along. Partners. Fifty-fifty.’

Ben shook his head. ‘I already have a job, thanks. All this travelling around wears me out. And I miss my dog.’

She laughed. ‘You always were the boring stay-at-home type.’

‘Yup. That’s me all over.’

‘You’ll change your mind.’

‘I doubt that.’

‘Still,’ she said, raising her glass. ‘A girl can always live in hope.’ They clinked.

‘Cheers, Ben.’

‘Cheers, Madison.’

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank ‘Soldier X’, a.k.a ‘Bawbag’ for the military weapons and tactical advice that proved invaluable in writing this book. Your generous help made Ben’s adventure feel all the more real to me, and, I hope, to the readers too.

Special thanks also to my wonderful editor Genevieve Pegg and the rest of the team at HarperNorth, where the Ben Hope series has found its happy new home.

About the Author

GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES

Scott Mariani is the author of the worldwide-acclaimed action-adventure thriller series featuring ex-SAS hero Ben Hope, which has sold millions of copies in Scott’s native UK alone. His books have been described as ‘James Bond meets Jason Bourne, with a historical twist’. The first Ben Hope book, The Alchemist’s Secret, spent six straight weeks at #1 on Amazon’s Kindle chart, and all the others have been Sunday Times bestsellers. Scott was born in Scotland, studied in Oxford and now lives and writes in a remote setting in rural west Wales. You can find out more about Scott and his work on his official website: www.scottmariani.com

Other Books By

Ben Hope series

The Alchemist’s Secret

The Mozart Conspiracy

The Doomsday Prophecy

The Heretic’s Treasure

The Shadow Project

The Lost Relic

The Sacred Sword

The Armada Legacy