Captured

By David Callinan

Delaney is an avenger with the soul of a Zen master

A woman on the run from a ruthless cyber gang sees Mike Delaney on the street. In desperation she drops something into his pocket and snaps him on her cell phone.

From that moment the ex-US assassin, ex-Hong Police enforcer and ex-monk is sucked into a war against an enemy that will stop at nothing to get it back. Whether he likes it or not, Delaney is now an accomplice and must track down the woman and bring the gang to justice.

Then he comes face-to-face with Mammoth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Callinan
• Release date: May 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463267097

David Callinan

David Callinan is a novelist and musician/songwriter. He is the author of the sci-fi classic 'Fortress Manhattan' and has recently released the first of a thriller series featuring ex assassin, ex cop and ex monk, Mike Delaney titled 'The Immortality Plot'. Other near-the-knuckle thrillers include: 'Knife Edge'; 'An Angel On My Shoulder' and 'Bodyswitch'. He has re-released the bestselling holistic guide to health, wealth and happiness 'The 10-Minute Miracle'. He also writes for young adults and children. The first of his scientific/magical, dystopian trilogy 'The Kingdoms Of Time And Space' has been published' 'Kingdom Of The Nanosaurs' and also the first in a chapter book series for 7-10 year olds 'The Weather Kids And The Rainbow Superhighway'. David Callinan is Anglo-Irish, born into a family from Limerick in the west of Ireland who grew up in the UK. After busking all over Europe he rediscovered Irish music and formed The Spalpeens playing all over the UK, Europe and Ireland touring with The Dubliners, Sweeney's Men, The Chieftains and many others. He appeared in films such as The Lion In Winter (Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn) and Sinful Davey (John Hurt) and scores of television advertisements (was even directed by the late, great John Huston). Later, he formed Urban Clearway, touring and performing with artists such as Elton John, Billy Connolly, Rod Stewart and Long John Baldry. He co-wrote a Celtic rock opera for the Edinburgh Festival. 'Pucka-Ri' starred a young Pierce Brosnan and became one of the hits of the Fringe, before transferring to the Arts Theatre in London. Latterly, an earlier spacey, folk-rock album, 'Freedom's Lament', recorded by Callinan-Flynn, has emerged as a highly sought after title on the Internet - and new wave Irish chanteur Sean Tyrrell has recorded a number of his songs on recent albums. All David's books are available via his website as are downloads of recent music tracks and earlier, 60s, material. Print this

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CAPTURED

by David Callinan

Mike Delaney thriller

Novella

TABLE OF CONTENTS

START OF BOOK

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A crazed escapee and child abuser kidnaps Mike Delaney’s wheelchair-bound friend and 15-year old daughter. The ex-assassin, ex-cop and ex-monk is faced with a demon from his past. Will Delaney sacrifice his life for theirs? He has just four hours to save them.

CHAPTER 1

They were watching for her.

The woman had secreted herself in the shade offered by a group of palm trees just off West Grand Avenue at Grover Beach. The noontime California sun beat down on the tarmac on a day when nothing moved at any speed, especially the hands on her wristwatch.

She shaded her eyes from the glare, made doubly powerful when reflected from the nearby ocean.

The huge dark blue station wagon was parked two blocks away, across from her hiding place. There were two sets of lights controlling traffic from two intersections.

The woman wiped sweat from her forehead and groped in her pocket to reassure herself it was still there.

It was.

It was small and innocuous, the kind of everyday object that wasn't worth a second glance. And yet, it held her life in its plastic shell.

Ryker and his team of professional killers would do anything and risk anything, to get it back. She shuddered in the midday heat when she remembered how Mammoth had nearly caught her. If had done he would have folded her in half and crushed her bones.

Traffic was light and people ambled at a slow pace casting long shadows that rippled along the sidewalk. A few cars and trucks rolled by obeying the speed limit. Not far from her location was a diner called Lucy Belle's. Around the corner from the diner, two blocks along was where her car was parked. The problem was, to get to the car she would put herself in full view of the men in the parked station wagon.

She agonised. She was fit and she worked-out regularly. And she had been a good two hundred meter sprinter at high school. But, would she make it to her car before the station wagon caught up with her? It all depended on the sequence of the lights. If both sets hit red simultaneously it might give her a minute or so head start. That's if they obeyed them. She had been watching the lights and timing the changes.

She saw a tall man walking toward the diner. He was making his way along the sidewalk with a fluent, loose stride. Something about the man filled the woman with confidence. How quickly we make up our minds about first impressions, she remembered thinking later.

She couldn't make out his features clearly but they looked craggy, lived in, a man who had experienced a lot. And he looked as though he could handle himself.

She had to act. She couldn't hide in this spot forever. Sooner or later some of the men would get out of the car and begin searching for her on foot. It was only a matter of time. She came to a decision. She took her cell phone from her pocket and held it in her right hand. In her left she held the small yet precious object.

She watched the lights and she watched the tall man and she sucked in her breath.

Now.

She ran full pelt out of the shadows and into the sunlit day. She sprinted along the sidewalk heading for the corner diner. She didn't dare look at the station wagon with the tinted windows. The big guy, and she realised as she ran just how big he was, watched her but carried on walking toward Lucy Belle's.

Mike Delaney noticed an attractive, olive skinned woman running towards him. And she wasn't just running but sprinting as though her life was in danger. His instincts kicked in on autopilot and he looked around at the pleasant suburban environment on a hot day with the palm trees hardly waving their fronded leaves.

The only thing he saw that caused his danger antenna to vibrate was a large, dark blue station wagon over revving at the red lights two intersections away with smoke writhing from its exhaust. Someone's impatient, he thought. And the lights would change soon. Something about the vehicle and about the woman's expression set his teeth on edge.

The woman was ten feet from him when he heard the station wagon roar away from the lights. The woman heard it to and her face cracked into an grimace of panic.

Delaney