Chronicles of Gabriel, page 1
Chronicles of Gabriel
Kerrigan Memoirs, Volume 5
W.J. May
Published by Dark Shadow Publishing, 2022.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
CHRONICLES OF GABRIEL
First edition. September 15, 2022.
Copyright © 2022 W.J. May.
ISBN: 979-8201805968
Written by W.J. May.
Copyright 2022 by W.J. May
THIS BOOK IS LICENSED for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
All rights reserved.
Chronicles of Gabriel
Book 5 of the Kerrigan Memoirs
Copyright 2022 by W.J. May
Cover design by: Book Cover by Design
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
WAIT – Guess What’s Coming?
Author note: I have loved writing Gabriel’s story so much, I am going to come back to the Kerrigan Kids, along with Gabriel and Devon as part of the storyline!!
Stay tuned for more details...
Kerrigan Memoirs Series
The Chronicles of:
Devon
Angel
Julian
Molly
Gabriel
Rae
Have You Read the C.o.K Series?
The Prequel series is a Sub-Series of the Chronicles of Kerrigan.
The prequel on how Simon Kerrigan met Beth!!
Download for FREE:
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN: PREQUEL –
Christmas Before the Magic
Question the Darkness
Into the Darkness
Fight the Darkness
Alone in the Darkness
Lost the Darkness
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN
Book I - Rae of Hope is FREE!
Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gILAwXxx8MU
Book II - Dark Nebula
Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca24STi_bFM
Book III - House of Cards
Book IV - Royal Tea
Book V - Under Fire
Book VI - End in Sight
Book VII – Hidden Darkness
Book VIII – Twisted Together
Book IX – Mark of Fate
Book X – Strength & Power
Book XI – Last One Standing
Book XII – Rae of Light
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN SEQUEL
Matter of Time
Time Piece
Second Chance
Glitch in Time
Our Time
Precious Time
The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel
Learn about Gabriel’s story, if you haven’t already read it!
Living in the Past
Present for Today
Staring at the Future
Kerrigan Chronicles
Book 1 – Stopping Time
Book 2 – A Passage of Time
Book 3 – Ticking Clock
Book 4 – Just in Time
Book 5 – Time in the City
Book 6 – Ultimate Future
The Kerrigan Kids Series
Book 1 - School of Potential
Book 2 - Myths & Magic
Book 3 - Kith & Kin
Book 4 - Playing With Power
Book 5 - Line of Ancestry
Book 6 - Descent of Hope
Book 7 – Illusion of Shadows
Book 8 – Frozen by the Future
Book 9 – Guilt of My Past
Book 10 – Demise of Magic
Book 11- Rise of the Prophecy
Book 12 – Deafened by the Past
Find W.J. May
Website:
https://www.wjmaybooks.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149
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Chronicles of Gabriel
GABRIEL ALDEN WAS LIVING the fairytale... after a nightmare.
He'd replaced his childhood ghosts with a lovably neurotic family. The shadows that chased him were finally laid to rest. He'd adopted a son and was about to marry the girl of his dreams.
So why did he keep waiting for the other shoe to drop? Probably because it always does.
After a prison break from the heart of the Privy Council, the supernatural community is shaken to its core. Despite Carter's insistence that everything is business as usual, agents are still being targeted, Barnes' forces are growing, and it's impossible to know who to trust.
In the days leading up to his wedding, Gabriel finds himself questioning all kinds of things he'd believed to be certain. Can a person with his history make a decent father? Can he learn to operate within the same ethical boundaries as the others? Will his compass ever point true north, or will it always be a little skewed?
Sometimes happily ever after is only the beginning...
Contents
Kerrigan Memoirs Series
Have You Read the C.o.K Series?
The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel
Kerrigan Chronicles
The Kerrigan Kids Series
Find W.J. May
Chronicles of Gabriel
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
The Chronicles of Rae
JULIAN’S COVER QUESTION
Kerrigan Memoirs Series
The Kerrigan Kids Series
TUDOR COMPARISON:
Find W.J. May
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
PREQUEL –
SEQUEL –
The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel
More books by W.J. May
Chapter 1
Gabriel Alden stood rigid as a statue, staring at the man in front of him.
His muscles were tense and his hands were ready, but the rest of him was strangely calm. He had been in this situation before. Many, many times. This was familiar territory.
Come on...blink.
The security had been dismissed, and the room was empty, save for the long counter in between them. No cameras, witnesses. Upon that counter, lay upwards of fifty million pounds.
The man was sweating. The air conditioner was turned up to full blast.
“Is that really how you want to answer?” Gabriel asked softly.
Unlike the rest of the people in the building, he’d brought no weapons. Even the trusty blade he carried in the hollow of his shoe had been left beside the bed. Of course, he didn’t need to bring weapons. He didn’t need anything other than his bare hands. But there was no need to advertise that now.
Anytime...blink.
The man swallowed hard, but stood his ground.
He’d probably been in this situation almost as many times as Gabriel. He was also at an advantage. He was only the intermediary for the arrangement. The terms of the exchange had already been set.
“I’m afraid”—he caught himself at the look in the assassin’s eye—“I’m afraid there’s nothing more that can be done. We have reached the end of my purview. The decision is not mine to make.”
Really.
Gabriel’s lips curved, and the temperature jumped another ten degrees. “Your hands are tied, there’s nothing more than can be done.” His gaze deepened, holding the man in perfect suspension. “Can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that.”
The clock struck high noon. The man flinched.
“I suppose I could make a call...”
Victory.
Gabriel held out his hand with a genuine smile. “Give me the diamond.”
The tension shattered as the man reached behind the glass, carefully extracting a velvet cushion topped with a trio of glittering bands. Two of them were immediately set back amon
“Are you sure, sir? You wouldn’t prefer the sapphire?”
Gabriel stared for a brief moment, holding it to the light.
“Best to keep things matching, George. But I appreciate the consideration.” He slipped it into his pocket and pulled out a card. “And don’t bother with the call. I’m happy to pay full price.”
The man paused in surprise, already reaching for his mobile. “Are you certain, Mr. Alden? You seemed quite—”
“I just like to play with you, George.” Gabriel smiled again, fiddling obsessively with the ring as the man rang him up. “Keeps the blood flowing, doesn’t it?”
There was a cheerful ding, and the card was passed back to him.
“We should do this more often, sir.”
The two men shook hands, then went their separate ways. One vanished into the storeroom for a strong hit of espresso followed by an Ambien, while the other strode into the sunlight, fishing the ring from his pocket and balancing the glittering diamonds in the palm of his hand.
Only the once...
HAVANA WAS SWELTERING that time of year, but Gabriel decided to walk—peeling off his English blazer and blending into the rest of the locals with nothing but a white tee shirt and jeans. It was still early, not even noon, but the streets were already sizzling with coquitos and jasmine.
He walked straight up the center of the road, driving back the scooters and motorcycles with a wave of pedestrians. The first time he’d come to Cuba, he’d been nine years old. Cromfield had been incredibly strict thus far in allowing him to leave the country, but he’d been learning Spanish for the last two years and there was allegedly a conjurer living on the island. When the jet had flown, he’d flown along with it. Then they’d landed...and he’d spent the entire visit on the beach.
It was unprecedented, what had happened. Utterly surreal. He didn’t have anything to compare it to. For the first time, he was simply not needed. The mission had enough lookouts and guards, his tatù hadn’t yet manifested, and he wasn’t even tall enough to bind the prisoner’s arms.
He was dismissed. And he loved every second of it.
So many times he’d replayed the memory, he could recite every frame. The way the air had smelled of salted mangos and suntan oil. The way the sand had felt between his toes. He hadn’t even gone into the water, didn’t get that far. He was still making his way towards it when one of the drivers had been sent to get him. The man felt so sorry, they’d stopped for tacos on the way back.
Maybe we could forget an English wedding and do the whole thing here. Fly over a little group of people, have everyone walk down to the beach. Natasha wouldn’t mind, she’s never been to Havana...
His face stilled with a wistful smile. Then he thought it a little further.
Limited extradition, with an untested catering staff. Molly wouldn’t like that.
He thought a little more.
...Angel would.
He turned away from the beach and lifted his hand to the street. They were in a quieter part of town, but a winding frontage road stretched the length of the island. A taxi stopped in seconds.
“Sí, señor?”
He saw the brim of a hat, the flash of a smile. “Aeropuerto, por favor.”
The car took off as he slid across the leather, if not for a handy bit of magic, he wouldn’t have been able to shut the door in time. His gaze drifted with a smile over the seat to the driver. His head bobbed along to nonexistent music. One hand was permanently embedded in a bag of chips.
Yeah, Natasha would love this...
His eyes clouded at the same time.
...but I’m not sure about Jason.
It was a phrase he’d been looping a lot more often, the closer they drew to the big day. All the progress the two had been making, all those little steps that Gabriel had built to mountains in his mind...it was like they were in a chapter belonging to someone else. Despite having bonded, despite having lived almost two full years together, the two were suddenly brand new in each other’s eyes.
It wasn’t the same with Natasha. She and Jason were close as they’d ever been.
“You flying back to London?”
Gabriel flashed a look towards the driver, catching his eyes in the rearview mirror. “See, I spoke to you in Spanish. What makes you question me in English? For all you know, I could be from here. I look exactly the same as everyone else wandering that beach.”
He knew this for a fact. He had studied relentlessly just to make sure. And yet, it had taken the man all of about two seconds to peg him as English. A cursory glance, between crisps.
The driver chuckled, swerving dangerously close to a scooter. “You mean besides your pasty English face?”
He means your golden radiance.
“Plenty of guys like that on the island.” Gabriel tilted his head with a grin, aware he’d already lost the argument several blocks back. “I’m serious...what gives me away?”
It was one of the things he liked most about the country—none of his tricks seemed to work quite as well as anywhere else. People had a scent for authenticity. The man who’d picked him up when he landed had been the same way. So was the old woman who’d cooked him dinner.
“It’s your walk.”
Gabriel leaned forward with interest. “My walk?”
The man nodded, his eyes glued to the road. “You walk like you have somewhere to be. Around these parts, people get to places when they’re good and ready. There is no...no pressing need for it. You also wear a watch.”
There was a pause.
“I don’t wear a watch.”
“Your walk implies one.”
Fair enough.
Gabriel’s eyes drifted out the window, absently counting the industrial buildings as they passed by. It had been three days he’d been on the island, and ironically enough, there hadn’t been some pressing place for him to be. He’d been wandering the streets like everyone else, breathing in the salted air, drinking rum and basking in the sunsets. It was almost like a vacation.
“Actually, could you pull over here for a minute?”
The driver glanced back in surprise before steering them onto the curb. Gabriel jumped out, but purposely left his jacket, calling over his shoulder as he jogged across the street.
“Thanks, I’ll just be a sec.”
Most of the buildings on the edge of the city were refineries of some kind. Many were for sugar, others processed and packaged pharmaceuticals. A few of them even housed the small planes that drug-runners used to get on and off the island. But those were of little concern to Gabriel. He’d come there for a specific purpose. Apparently, that purpose had leaked into his walk.
He leapt the chain-link fence and cooed at the guard dogs, tossing them the remains of his breakfast as he jogged briskly around to the opposite side of the building. There were large windows on every floor, but they were calcified to the point of losing all functionality.
He swept right past them, knocking twice, before pulling open the door.
Four men glanced up immediately, seated around the same card game. Four guns were propped beside them. They blinked in astonishment as he flashed them a bright smile.
“Sorry to interrupt. Is one of you guys Cal?”
They stared a split second, then pointed in unison to a man in the middle. Gabriel flicked his fingers and each of their guns lifted into the air, firing four rounds straight into Cal’s chest.
“Perfect—thanks!”
A chorus of shouts erupted behind him as the others staggered away from the table and sprang to their feet. They reached for their weapons, only to find them floating almost tauntingly towards the ceiling. They rounded on the golden-haired assassin a second later, only to glimpse him already jogging back towards the street. The dogs licked at his shoes when he passed.
He hopped the fence, then deliberately slowed his gait to something less hurried, looking quite pleased with himself for the effort. At the same time, the table collapsed and a cloud of blood-splattered playing cards fluttered slowly to the ground. Only then did they discover his parting gift.
