1. Max Hunter: The Hunting Begins

By H.S. Rehman

When Elizabeth Hunter, the greatest private detective in the world, is killed along with her unborn baby in a mysterious hotel fire and her case is closed, Max Hunter, her husband and an ex-SAS soldier, is forced to become a detective and use the skills taught by her to find her murderer.
But as he probes, he learns that everyone he knows is a suspect, the world’s most feared criminal organisation is involved and something strange known as the Dragon’s Nest is at the heart of everything. Who murdered his wife and unborn baby? What is the Dragon’s Nest? As Max hunts for the truth, he finds himself in a race against time to discover it and harrowing secrets unfold, which change his life forever.

~ An action-packed crime thriller that will keep you guessing until the end ~

~ Fans of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne, Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider and James Patterson's Alex Cross, will enjoy this Max Hunter action crime-thriller ~

~ More details and updates of upcoming series can be found on my social media:

•Website: www.hsrehman.com
•Instagram: h.s.rehman
•Twitter: hs_rehman

• Language: English
• Publisher: H.S. Rehman
• Release date: Jul 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005910600

H.S. Rehman

My name is Hammad Saud Rehman and I’m an aspiring author. I was born and raised in London, United Kingdom and I’ve studied a Bachelors and Masters in English from King’s College London.I currently teach English to a group of amazing teenagers, who just like all teenagers on a bad day, drive me absolutely bonkers and crazy!In my spare time I write novels; I’ve been writing for ten years. After numerous rejections, I decided to self-publish my novels as eBooks online for free, so people can enjoy reading them. You can find out more about my first set of novels in my Max Hunter crime thriller series by visiting my website www.hsrehman.comThank you for reading and thank you to everyone for their amazing support so far. Please wish me well on my journey and dream of becoming a successful and established author!Best wishesH.S. Rehman.

Book preview

Max Hunter

The Hunting Begins

By H.S. Rehman

Copyright Information

Please note that this story book is a work of fiction and any content is either fictitious or if real is used fictitiously and any resemblance to people or events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2021 by H.S. Rehman (Hammad Saud Rehman). Max Hunter and its rights and all rights are reserved and owned by the author H.S. Rehman

First Published, 2021, London, United Kingdom.

Thank You

Dear Reader,

Thank you for choosing my debut crime-thriller. I really hope you enjoy reading it. If so, please do kindly leave a short review online afterwards and tell others about it!

You’re also welcome to follow me for the latest news on social media:

Website: www.hsrehman.com

Instagram: # h.s.rehman

Twitter: @ hs_rehman

Thank you so much once again!

H.S. Rehman.

A huge thank you to Allah (God) for giving me the ability to write this story!

Chapter One

Alone

One often feels alone in the dark.

That’s how Max Hunter felt as he sat on his bed with a bottle of red wine in his hand. He couldn’t sleep. In fact, he hadn’t slept peacefully for the past week since the death of his pregnant wife. She had died in a fire inside a hotel room. There were no witnesses, no video footage and no suspects, except a faulty fridge wire.

But Max knew she had been murdered.

She was Elizabeth Hunter; the greatest private detective in the world. She had enemies and one had taken revenge. But who killed her? The thought tossed and turned inside his mind like the wine in his hand as he shook it and swigged it down. He stared out the window. The cracks of the moonlight filtered through the dark clouds over London and disappeared and the sun rose above the horizon.

He dragged himself out of bed. Pictures of his wife lay on the table, empty bottles of wine were scattered on the floor and his clothes were sprawled across the radiator and cupboard doors. His room was a mess, just like him.

He gazed into the mirror at the tired eyes, which looked back and neatened his straggled ash brown hair. He was tall and strong with a chiselled jaw. But he no longer felt that way as he feebly clutched the side of the mirror and pulled.

Behind it was a small door.

His wife had built secret compartments around the house, so she could hide things that were important. There was something inside this one, which meant the world to him. He slowly punched in the code on the fingerprint numbered port. Each number scanned the friction ridges lined around his index finger and flashed green. He turned the handle and opened the door.

In front was a framed photograph.

He gently picked it out. It was himself and Elizabeth laughing at the camera in their dark suit and white wedding dress six months ago. It was the happiest day of their lives. He remembered her blue eyes twinkling in delight when he had placed the cream and cherry part of the cake in her mouth and had playfully tipped some onto her nose. She returned the gesture by smothering it around his face before they had laughed and kissed.

And the wedding night was memorable too.

They had conceived their first child together that evening. Elizabeth had left the pregnancy kit at the bottom of his favourite box of J’Adore caramel chocolates a few weeks later. Max remembered blinking in surprise, his mind freezing for a moment; then his insides twisting and churning with excitement as he jumped and grabbed her in his arms and kissed her. She had wanted four children; two boys and two girls and their first was going to be a girl. It was the beginning of an inseparable bond between them.

The night was also memorable because he had carried her up the stairs and accidentally trodden on the train of her wedding dress and ripped it. Elizabeth angrily shrieked and sulked. But her mood didn’t last. She could never be angry with him for long. She loved him too much and often teased it was only because of his handsome looks and six-pack; one day when he grew old with wrinkles and a belly she would leave him for a younger man.

But they both knew that wasn’t true.

The twinkle in her eyes, her giggles and her warm jovial smile when she gazed at him always gave it away. She loved his kindness and loyalty and had promised to love him forever… and Elizabeth never broke her promises.

And Max loved her too; more than anything in this world. He loved her sweet voice when she had hummed, him rubbing his nose against hers and tickling her until she begged him to stop. He even loved it when she went neatened his hair and stroked his face and kissed and cuddled him before she fell asleep.

But now that was all gone; it had disappeared in the blink of a moment.

He pictured the smoke smothering Elizabeth and their baby. Elizabeth choking on the fumes and clawing and crawling towards the door as confirmed by the forensics. The scorching flames wrapping around her and burning her alive. Her screaming in pain and grabbing her stomach to protect their baby and crying out his name.

He choked and jolted; the picture fumbled from his hands and dropped to the floor. He carefully picked it up and wiped it on his shirt, making sure there was no dirt on there. He placed it back inside the compartment and shut the door.

Then he closed his eyes.

He loved Elizabeth so much. He wished he could have her back, even if it was for a moment. Just one moment… that’s all he bloody wanted. He threw the bottle on the floor; it was empty like his life. He headed down the stairs through the hallway and into the cold dark kitchen.

Shaker kitchen cabinets were lined across the walls with an oven and a large fridge next to the wine rack and a round table with chairs in the middle. On the table, were several envelopes that had been opened. They were unpaid bills for his gas, electricity and water. Fortunately, Elizabeth had paid off the house and Max would soon pay the bills, once he found a job.

But right now he didn’t care.

He wanted to forget about everything and pretend the past week was a nightmare. He pulled out another wine bottle from the rack, sat down and stared at the table, his mind numb and devoid of emotion. His gaze fell on a black toy bug with round eyes, stick antennas and a shiny dotted back sitting on an envelope next to a sweet wrapped in gold foil.

He remembered what Elizabeth had said about them last week and smiled at the thought. He picked up the bug. Behind its large eyes was an ultra-pixel high definition camera with infrared vision, which could see in the dark as if it was daylight. The dotted shell on the bug’s bag was a highly sensitive speaker that could hear any sound within a ten-metre radius. It was a device that could be planted in any room to eavesdrop and spy on someone.

The gold sweet was similar to the bug. It wasn’t a sweet; it was a memory stick. It could be unwrapped and inserted into any computer. Inside was a special trojan horse virus that bypassed the computer’s security systems and downloaded all its contents.

Elizabeth had often used gadgets to help her with her investigations and Max had always wondered where she had got them from. He always asked. But Elizabeth had said she couldn’t tell him and had made him promise he wouldn’t tell anyone about them either.

The bug was synched to a watch sitting on the hallway table and they along with the memory stick were spares. Elizabeth no longer needed them last week and had left them behind. Max continued to stare. His heart coiled and twisted into a tangle of thorny knots. They reminded him of her. He wished she was here. He gripped the bottle of wine.

The doorbell rang and cut through his thoughts.

He didn’t want to answer it. He just wanted to be left alone with his memories of Elizabeth. It rang again and again and echoed inside his empty mind. He reluctantly let go of the bottle and stood up and walked down the hallway. He recognised the crimson dyed hair of the person standing behind the frosted glass panels of the front door. It was Amber Snow, Elizabeth’s close friend and the Chief of Wimbledon Park Police Station next door. He knew why she was here. It was to do with the investigation of Elizabeth’s death. She was probably here to ask more questions again. He opened the door. Her sweet rose perfume rushed onto him.

‘Good morning, Max!’ said Amber. Her bubbly voice was a stark contrast to her pale lifeless skin.

‘Good morning,’ said Max. ‘Please come in.’ He ushered inside with his hands.

Amber entered. Behind was her deputy, Fox. He looked tired and weary just like the suit he was wearing. He drew a final puff from his Marlboro mint cigarette. Elizabeth often joked that Fox smoked so much, Marlboro may as well sponsor him. He threw the butt onto the floor, neatened his curly afro and followed inside with his burnt minty odour around him.

Max led the way into the kitchen and sat at the table again. ‘Please sit down. I’m sorry, but I don’t have any breakfast to offer you.’

‘That’s not a problem,’ said Amber. She drew open the blinds. A shaft of sunlight poured in. Max squinted and Fox quietly sat down.

Amber glanced at the suit Max was wearing; it had creased and folded into pieces like him. She muttered. ‘You’re still dressed in the same clothes from the funeral yesterday afternoon.’ She leaned forward and gazed worriedly at his face. ‘You’ve been awake the whole night again, haven’t you?’

Max ignored and grabbed the bottle of wine. His suit was the least of his worries.

‘You never used to drink like this,’ said Amber.

‘I never had a reason to,’ said Max, thinking about Elizabeth’s death.

Amber gently squeezed Max’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry, but that wine’s not going to bring her back.’

‘I know,’ said Max, pushing the corkscrew inside the bottle with his finger. ‘But it will numb the pain a little.’

‘It’s always better to use a corkscrew and take the cork out, instead of pushing it into the bottle and letting it mix with the wine.’

‘I don’t care,’ said Max. He took a gulp, hoping it would make him forget about everything.

Amber sighed and sat down. ‘You stopped drinking when Elizabeth was here. She wouldn’t want you to start again.’

Max shrugged his shoulders and bitterly replied. ‘Well, she’s not here anymore.’ He swigged the bottle; the wine swished and glugged down his throat.

Amber gazed at Max again. Her voice helplessly fluttered. ‘Are you… are you drunk?’

Max shook his head. ‘Not yet.’ He took a few more gulps as Amber and Fox stared and suddenly felt guilty. He didn’t have breakfast to offer. But he could still make them some coffee or tea. ‘Would you two like something to drink?’

‘Yes, please,’ said Amber. ‘I’ll have a black coffee without sugar.’

‘A tea with one spoon of sugar,’ said Fox in his depressingly dull voice.

Max turned the kettle on.

Amber picked up the bug and played with its antennas and murmured. ‘Is this some kind of toy?’

Max thought about explaining. But he remembered the promise he had made to Elizabeth and shrugged his shoulders. ‘I’m not sure. It’s one of Elizabeth’s things.’

He poured their drinks and sat down and watched as they sipped. He had first met them five years ago shortly after he had met Elizabeth. She had helped them to solve the most difficult cases. Despite Amber’s bubbly voice, he wondered back then if she had any life in her at all. She looked like a skeleton who had just woken up inside a morgue and walked straight out. And now she looked even worse.

‘The coffee’s nice,’ said Amber, forcing a warm smile.

Fox sipped and nodded to agree. He rarely spoke and when he did it was always short and to the point. He didn’t look as withered as Amber. But with all the cigarettes he smoked every day, he was only a few years behind.

‘I do like this,’ said Amber, turning the bug over and inspecting every part of it. ‘I’m sure one of our specialists could plant some sort of hidden camera inside it.’

Max mumbled to agree. He wasn’t concerned about the bug right now. There was only one thought on his mind. He wondered about Elizabeth. That’s why Amber and Fox had visited a few days ago to ask questions and he was sure they were here again for the same reason. He was desperate to find out. But he bit his lip and waited for the right moment for Amber to stop playing with the bug, so he had her full attention. Finally, she placed it neatly back onto the table.

Max took a deep breath. ‘Do you have any news on my wife’s death?’

Amber slowly put her cup down and Fox stopped sipping. Max understood; it wasn’t good news.

‘I’m afraid I do,’ said Amber. ‘As you know, the coroner decided the faulty fridge wire was to blame for Elizabeth’s death. But I was close to her and insisted on investigating further.’ Amber paused and hesitated for a moment. ‘But we haven’t found anything. There are no witnesses, no cameras at the hotel and the staff didn’t see anyone enter or leave the premises.’

Max’s stomach nervously churned. He knew what Amber was going to say next.

‘That’s why, Sir James Crow, the Commissioner of Police for the London Police Force has asked us to close this case and focus on other cases. He said we can’t spend any more time and resources when the evidence points to a faulty fridge wire… he’ll be visiting me in half an hour to discuss this and the other cases.’

Max burned inside; the anger rushed to his cheeks. He sprang from his chair. ‘But it’s only been a week. How can they close the case so bloody soon?’

Fox nervously shifted; he knew what Max was capable of.

‘I’m so sorry!’ said Amber, looking unmoved and gently squeezing Max’s arm. ‘I’ve tried my best to convince him otherwise, but he’s made his decision and there isn’t much we can do.’ She glanced at Fox for support.

‘It’s true,’ said Fox.

‘This is ridiculous.’ Max pointed his finger. ‘Elizabeth helped you and Sir James so many times. The least you can do is find who murdered her!’

‘That’s the problem,’ said Amber, her voice calm. ‘We have no evidence to show she was murdered.’

‘Of course, she was. You know she bloody was!’

‘But unfortunately, we don’t, I’m afraid.’ Amber gazed sympathetically at him. ‘All we know is that she had last visited McKenzie’s Construction to speak to the owner, Connor McKenzie, to find out about the materials his plant processed. We even interviewed him afterwards and searched his office and found nothing suspicious. Then Elizabeth returned to the hotel and her room caught fire.’

‘And do you think that fire appeared by accident?’ asked Max, his voice rising. ‘The coroner told us the fire ignited so quickly, it instantly engulfed the room. How could a faulty fridge wire do that?’

‘It was an old room and the fire spread quickly,’ said Amber, glancing at Fox who nodded.

‘No!’ said Max, gritting his teeth. ‘She was investigating something and someone killed her and we must find out who.’

‘We have no leads and no clues and the coroner has confirmed it was a faulty fridge wire.’ Amber slowly shook her head. ‘I’m ever so sorry, but there’s absolutely nothing we can do.’

Max stared at the floor. His thoughts spun in a daze. They had to keep searching. They couldn’t give up. It had only been a week and they would find a lead soon. He looked up, half despondent and half hopeful, and weakly asked. ‘How can we convince Sir James to change his mind?’

Amber gazed sympathetically again. Her eyes filled with pity and a sense of helplessness spread across her face. ‘I’m… I’m so sorry Max, but we can’t, I’m afraid. He’s made up his mind.’

Silence filled the room. Max took deep breaths and tried to take in what Amber had said. They had abandoned Elizabeth; they had abandoned him too. He was now alone and he couldn’t believe it. Fox nervously shifted and coughed to clear his throat.

Amber grabbed Max’s hands and gently rubbed them. ‘I know this isn’t much consolation. But as the faulty wire’s to blame, you can pursue some compensation from the hotel.’

Max pushed Amber’s hands away. ‘I’m not interested in the bloody compensation.’ He sat down and folded his arms across his chest.

Amber looked at her watch and slowly stood from her chair. ‘I’m ever so sorry but I hope you don’t mind. We really must be off for our meeting.’

Max understood and nodded. He grabbed the bottle of wine.

Amber headed for the door; then stopped and hesitated and turned around. ‘Max… please don’t do anything crazy.’

Max wasn’t sure what Amber meant. ‘Like what?’

Amber hesitated again. ‘Like the time you disobeyed the commanding officer’s order to retreat in an Iraqi SAS expedition and single-handedly tackled the opposing squadron. Or the time you jumped out of a plane into a helicopter to save the Afghanistan President’s wife from a hostage-taker. Or the time you beat the information out of a Russian chemical scientist –‘

‘I understand, ‘said Max, snapping. ‘But what’s this got to do with Elizabeth?’

‘You’re an ordinary citizen now.’ Amber’s face was serious; her voice stern. ‘In the SAS, you were one of the best they had ever had and a trained fighter. They kept giving you chances and covering for you because you were so good. But in the end, they had to dismiss you. In the real world, you won’t get that many chances. I fear you’ll search for information regarding her death and do something silly or crazy and end up inside prison.’

Max understood. Amber was right. But he didn’t care. He would do every crazy thing possible to find who had murdered Elizabeth if he had to. He lifted the bottle of wine in the air and sarcastically replied. ‘Cheers for letting me know. I’ll bear that in mind!’

Fox’s eyes widened in surprise. Amber shook her head in disappointment. Max swigged a few gulps and grinned.

Amber opened her mouth to explain once more and stopped and sighed in frustration. There was no point in continuing. Max would never listen. ‘If you ever need to speak to me, you’re welcome to pop in next door or call me anytime.’

‘Thank you,’ said Max, lifting the bottle in the air again. ‘That’s good to know!’

Amber and Fox quietly waved goodbye and left. Max swigged another gulp and tried to think about everything Amber had said. But his mind had numbed once more and his thoughts had drained away into a deep black hole. He slumped back onto his chair and stared at the gadgets sitting on the table.

They had closed the case. They had given up. But he couldn’t do the same. He had to do something. Anything. He had to keep looking for him and Elizabeth and their baby. He continued to stare and an idea hit him. He jerked into life and put the bottle down and grabbed the gadgets.

Amber was right; he was thrown out of the SAS for breaking the rules and doing crazy things. But he had made the correct decisions. When he had tackled the squadron, the rest of the SAS unit were able to successfully capture the base. When he had jumped into the helicopter, he had taken the hostage-taker by surprise and saved the life of the President’s wife. And the information prized from the Russian scientist had stopped the creation of a

Reviews for 1. Max Hunter

[thomas rea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really started pout a little slow but after you get into it a great mystery

[Ray2000 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great crime-thriller. I loved the character of Max Hunter who is similar in some ways to Jack Reacher. Would definitely recommend!