Rex Dalton Thrillers: Books 1-3 (The Rex Dalton Series Boxset Book 1) Read online

  THE REX DALTON SERIES

  ___________________________________________________

  BOOKS 1-3

  JC RYAN

  Your Free Gift

  As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, I’m offering you a free eBook if you join my newsletter here: JC Ryan Books

  Rex Dalton and his dog, Digger, visited the island of Olib in Croatia.

  A girl was murdered.

  The police said it was her boyfriend who stabbed her to death, but Rex and Digger had no doubt they were making a big mistake.

  Dalton decided to conduct his own investigation and bring the real killer to justice.

  A thriller with a quirks and twists that will keep you guessing until the end.

  Click here - http://dl.bookfunnel.com/9frvkrovn5 to get it now.

  Copyright

  This book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the author as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  Dedicated to my good friend Mitch Pender, a military dog trainer, for giving me the idea for this series and guiding me through the intricate and amazing capabilities and psychology of those majestic four-legged soldiers.

  Mitch has a lifetime of experience and exceptional depth of knowledge as a military dog handler and trainer.

  About the books

  The Fulcrum

  Life is a chain of defining moments that determine our choices, change us, and shape us. Sometimes they fly by us in a blur or a series of blurs, barely marked or remembered. But every so often, a moment comes along that is so forceful, it becomes a fulcrum that sets us on a new course.

  Such an event happened for Rex Dalton on March 11, 2004 at Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain.

  Power of Three

  Rex Dalton was sent on a mission to Afghanistan to gather information about the opium trade. His mission brief was to find out who were the key players, the trade routes, and to follow the money trail from the producers, distributors into the coffers of Taliban and other terrorist organizations. Before long he had opened a can of worms revealing spine chilling deceit and corruption that reached into the highest hallways of power in Afghanistan, America, and Europe.

  His submissions to his superiors to take action to wipe out the drug stores, labs, and the drug lords, fell on deaf ears.

  Eventually, the deliberate inaction and ineptness of US politicians drove Dalton to take unsanctioned action and it stirred a hornet’s nest which even he, one of the world’s most lethal assassins, might not survive.

  Unchained

  Rex Dalton and his new friend, the military dog, Digger escaped from Afghanistan and made their way into India where they started a new life.

  Within a few weeks, Dalton had a new name, a new passport and no worries about money. He and Digger were on their way to Kapal Mochan, India, where Rex intended to dip his hand into a sacred spring.

  But then Digger started shifting around in the front passenger seat and looking at him as if to say, “So, when are you going to stop and give a dog a chance to go to the toilet?”

  CONTENTS

  Your Free Gift

  Copyright

  Dedication

  About the books

  THE FULCRUM

  Chapter One

  Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain, March 11, 2004 7:30 a.m.

  Chapter Two

  Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain, March 11, 2004 7:36 a.m.

  Chapter Three

  Sandy Hook, Newtown, CT February 12, 2005

  Chapter Four

  Sandy Hook, Newtown, CT February 14, 2005

  Chapter Five

  Seven hours earlier

  Chapter Six

  MCRD Parris Island, February 16, 2005

  Chapter Seven

  MCRD Parris Island, March 11, 2005

  Chapter Eight

  Edson Range, Weapons Field Training Battalion, March 18, 2005

  Chapter Nine

  Parris Island, SC to Ft. Bragg, NC, April 21, 2006

  Chapter Ten

  Ft. Bragg, NC June – November 2006

  Chapter Eleven

  Fayetteville, NC, December 7, 2006

  Chapter Twelve

  Arizona, December 2006 through November 2007

  Chapter Thirteen

  San Diego, California. November 2007

  Chapter Fourteen

  Arizona Headquarters of CRC, December 2007

  Chapter Fifteen

  The US Southern Border, December 13, 2007

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mumbai, India, December 1, 2008

  Chapter Seventeen

  Europe 2010

  Chapter Eighteen

  2011 The Mediterranean

  Chapter Nineteen

  Arizona Headquarters of CRC, 2011

  Rome 2011

  Chapter Twenty

  Rome

  Naples

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Naples

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The art of dealing in ancient artifacts London, 2012

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The assessment, Arizona, 2012

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The Afghan Mission Kabul, June 2013

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Phoenix Unlimited Compound June 2013

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kabul, Afghanistan, June 2013

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Kabul, Afghanistan, June 2013

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kabul, July 2013

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, August 2, 2013

  Chapter Thirty

  Kabul, Afghanistan, early September 2013

  Chapter Thrity-One

  Kabul, Afghanistan November 2013

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kabul, Afghanistan January 2014

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Kabul, Afghanistan March 2014

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Laghman Province, Afghanistan April 2014

  Rex Dalton’s Next Adventure

  THE POWER OF THREE

  Chapter One

  The Phoenix Compound, Kabul, Afghanistan May 2014

  Chapter Two

  Kabul, Afghanistan June 2014

  Chapter Three

  The Phoenix Compound, Kabul, Afghanistan June 2014

  Chapter Four

  Near the city center, Kabul, Afghanistan June 21, 2014, 8:00 a.m.

  Chapter Five

  Outside Kabul, Afghanistan, June 21, 10:00 a.m.

  Chapter Six

  Manhattan, NY, NY June 21, 2014, 2 am

  Chapter Seven

  George Bush Center, CIA headquarters, Langley, Virginia, 2010

  Chapter Eight

  Bethesda, MD, June 21, 2014 2:30 a.m.

  Chapter Nine

  CRC Headquarters, Arizona, June 21, 1:00 a.m.

  Chapter Ten

  Phoenix Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan, 1:30 p.m.

  Chapter Ele
ven

  Market District, Kabul, Afghanistan, 5:00 p.m.

  The Phoenix compound

  Chapter Twelve

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan

  Chapter Thirteen

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan, 11:45 p.m.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan 1:13 a.m.

  Chapter Fifteen

  CRC Headquarters, Arizona, June 22, 11:30 a.m.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan June 23, 2:23 a.m.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan June 23, 2:59 a.m.

  Chapter Eighteen

  CRC Headquarters, Arizona, June 22, 5:30 p.m.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan June 23, 3:45 a.m.

  Chapter Twenty

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan June 23, 8:30 p.m.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Koh-e Shir Darwaza, Kabul, Afghanistan June 24, 3:30 a.m.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, 3:00 p.m., June 24

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, 10:15 p.m., June 24

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, 10:30 p.m., June 24

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, 6:30 a.m., June 25

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ghazni, Afghanistan, June 24, 9:15 a.m.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Langley, Virginia, 7:12 p.m., June 24

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Quetta, Pakistan, June 25, 9:00 a.m.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Washington, DC, 9:37 p.m., June 24

  Chapter Thirty

  Pakistan-India Border, 3:14 a.m., June 26

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Langley, Virginia, June 25, 11:49 p.m.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  New Delhi, India June 27, 2:15 p.m.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Washington, DC, June 30, 10:00 a.m.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  New Delhi, India, June 30, 5:00 p.m.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Washington, DC, July 1, 2014 8 a.m.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport, July 2, 3:15 p.m.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  New Delhi, India July 4, 2014

  Rex Dalton’s Next Adventure

  UNCHAINED

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Rex Dalton’s Next Adventure

  Sideswiped

  More Rex Dalton and Digger

  Also by JC Ryan

  The Rossler Foundation Mysteries

  The Carter Devereux Mystery Thrillers

  The Exonerated

  Your Free Gift

  The Fulcrum

  A Rex Dalton Thriller

  Book 1

  By JC Ryan

  Chapter One

  Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain, March 11, 2004 7:30 a.m.

  REX DALTON LAUGHED at Jessie’s attempt to order the coffee in Spanish. The barista was the picture of confusion after Jessie botched the number and tried to correct it. Plus, Mom wanted a latte, and Jessie had forgotten café con leche. She’d ordered either forty-five or fifty-four Americans and a café con latte. She was adorable, he thought, as he stepped forward and in flawless, unaccented Spanish apologized for the confusion and ordered correctly, “Cinco cafes, uno café con leche y azúcar a los otros, por favor.” It was to be a pleasant day, with the temperature headed for a perfect seventy degrees. But at fifty-five just after sunrise, the air was cool enough for coffee to hit the spot.

  “Sorry, Jess. I know you want to learn, but we’ll miss the train if we don’t hurry,” he said to his girlfriend of two years. His dark brown eyes apologized for the laughter, though he was still chuckling.

  “I’m just lucky you’re here. The poor barista looked as if he was about to have a heart attack!” Jessie laughed.

  “Yeah well, I guess ordering fifty-four Americans instead of five Americanos will do that to a man.”

  As they waited for their coffee order, he dropped a swift kiss on her upturned lips. Yes, she was the one. The future mother of their children, if she said yes when he popped the important question to her in Paris in a week’s time. Rex put his hand in his pocket and grasped the little box holding the ring he’d been carrying there for the past several days, to assure himself he still had it.

  He felt as if his life up until now was just a prelude to his real life, the one he’d been working toward since he was a young boy. The year before, he’d graduated at the top of his class with a double major in history and linguistics. He’d immediately entered a Master’s program in political science, hoping to stand out when it came to applying for entry into the US Foreign Service, as if fluency in Spanish, French, Italian and German wouldn’t meet that goal by itself.

  The culmination of his plan came two weeks ago, when he’d been awarded the Master’s degree. He’d already begun the process of applying to become a Foreign Service Officer by registering for and taking the mandatory FSOT test just before they were due to leave for Spain. He was informed that his results would be available three weeks from the date of the test, and that if he passed, he’d be invited to take the QEP, or Qualifications Evaluation Panel as the next step. Three weeks was just enough time to take the family vacation everyone in the family had been saving for to celebrate his graduation.

  Today, they were taking a commuter train to Barcelona. Mom, Dad, and the brats, his facetious reference to his brother and sister, respectively four and six years his junior, were waiting on the platform. Rex didn’t want to miss this train. The beautiful coastal city, the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, Barcelona, the sixth-most-populous urban area in the European Union with almost five million people, was a historian’s dream. It boasted a checkered history stretching back to 5000 BC. The name, it was said, was the subject of two different legends. The first attributed it to the mythological Roman strongman and god, Hercules. The second credited it to the Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who supposedly named the city Barcino after his family.

  Chapter Two

  Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain, March 11, 2004 7:36 a.m.

  AS SOON AS the barista handed over a cardboard tray with the six coffees and four packets of sugar, he and Jessie turned and hurried toward the train station, two blocks away.

  They hadn’t taken more than a dozen steps when suddenly everything went deathly quiet, as if time had stopped. Hundreds of pigeons fluttered into the sky, and then an ear-splitting BOOM rent the air. Rex dropped the cardboard tray and clapped his hands over his ears. Two more gut-wrenching explosions followed in quick succession. He jerked his head toward Jessie, whose mouth was wide open in a scream he couldn’t hear. As he watched, she folded into an upright fetal position, crouched on the cobblestone street with her head tucked into her knees and her arms thrown over her head. The noise had s
eemed to come from everywhere at once, but a plume of smoke was rising in the direction of the train station.

  Rex grabbed one of Jessie’s wrists and yanked her to her feet. “Come on!” he shouted. But he couldn’t even hear himself, so he doubted she’d heard, either. Dragging her a few feet, he realized she wasn’t capable of running. He thrust her onto a bench and left her there, now running by himself toward the station. In moments, he was surrounded by people running in the opposite direction, toward him and beyond.

  He sprinted into the station building and flew up the steps three at a time, pushing the people streaming down out of his way, up to the platform where his family was waiting. The scene that greeted him slowed him down. The people he was seeing now were injured. No one was running away. Hundreds were staggering blindly around or lying bleeding on the platform as far to his left and his right as he could see, some bent over them and tending to their wounds. His steps slowed. The closer he got to where he’d last seen his parents and siblings, the ghastlier the wounds among the people he saw. And the blood and the dead with glazed over eyes staring at nothing.

  His mind refused to accept what he was seeing. Bodies missing their limbs. Limbs missing bodies. His stomach rebelled, and he turned aside to empty it over the side of the platform onto the tracks below. His hearing began to come back, but he wished it hadn’t. Wails of the injured mixed with the weird wee-wah, wee-wah of sirens approaching.

  Psychological effects of sirens on humans boiled down to three things. The strident sounds get people’s attention, cause a distressed feeling, and alert of a crisis or danger or death and destruction or all the above. The clamorous sirens at 7:42 AM on March 11, 2004 at Atocha Station, Madrid, invoked it all, at once.

  “Mom! Dad!” he shouted. He’d come to the place where he thought he’d left them, but it was hard to tell. The station platform and building had been damaged, and the train sat canted on the tracks, three of the cars demolished.

  Rex wandered, dazed and in shock, stumbling among the injured and dead, hoping to find his family and at the same time hoping not to. Maybe they’d gone inside the station? He ran to the building, but by that time the policía were there, and he was turned away, not allowed to go inside.

  “My family…” he said weakly.