Praise for "Ripper"
Praise for the novels of David L. Golemon
"Primeval: "
"Golemon knows how to make readers turn the pages, and "Primeval" will only further enhance his reputation." --"Booklist"
"Ancients: "
"A mix of the James Rollins action-heavy adventure, the military gadgetry of Tom Clancy, the pacing of the television series "24", and the conspiracy theories devoured by fans of the radio show Coast to Coast AM." "-Booklist"
"Legend: "
"A tale worthy of the giants of the genre like Clive Cussler, James Rollins, and Matthew Reilly."
--Megalith.com
"Golemon can write action sequences with the best of them, and he lands a solid uppercut with this book. The depth of the science fiction lies under the surface for the most of the work, but is surprising and ingenious none the less." --SFSignal.com
"Event: "
"A promising debut sure to satisfy fans of "The X-Files . . . "the plotting and hair's-breadth escapes evoke some of the early work of Preston and Child, and the author's premise offers a rich lode of materials for inevitable sequels." "--Publishers Weekly""
""A flat-out adrenaline rush." "--New York Times" bestselling authors Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
[A]n explosive combination that features the author s immense imagination. It s difficult to ground such fantastic science and weirdness in reality, but Golemon makes it look effortless tense, terrifying and worth the investment. Readers not familiar with the Event Group will find this book the perfect place to start. "Associated Press"
The latest suspenseful Event Group thriller (see Legacy) is an exciting action-packed tale that deftly links Ripper to the contemporary war on drugs fans will enjoy this engaging entry filled with action and a thrill seemingly around every corridor and cave. "The Mystery Gazette"
Golemon knows how to make readers turn the pages, and "Primeval" will only further enhance his reputation. "Booklist on Primeval"
A mix of the James Rollins action-heavy adventure, the military gadgetry of Tom Clancy, the pacing of the television series "24," and the conspiracy theories devoured by fans of the radio show Coast to Coast AM. "Booklist on Ancients"
A tale worthy of the giants of the genre like Clive Cussler, James Rollins, and Matthew Reilly. "Megalith.com on Legend"
Golemon can write action sequences with the best of them, and he lands a solid uppercut with this book. The depth of the science fiction lies under the surface for the most of the work, but is surprising and ingenious none the less. "SFSignal.com on Legend"
A promising debut sure to satisfy fans of "The X-Files . . . "the plotting and hair's-breadth escapes evoke some of the early work of Preston and Child, and the author's premise offers a rich lode of materials for inevitable sequels. "Publishers Weekly on Event"
A flat-out adrenaline rush. "New York Times bestselling authors Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens on Event""
Praise for the novels of David L. Golemon
"Ancients: "
"The latest suspenseful Event Group thriller (see Legacy) is an exciting action-packed tale that deftly links Ripper to the contemporary war on drugs fans will enjoy this engaging entry filled with action and a thrill seemingly around every corridor and cave." -"The Mystery Gazette""
A tale worthy of the giants of the genre like Clive Cussler, James Rollins, and Matthew Reilly.
Praise for "Ripper"
"[A]n explosive combination that features the author's immense imagination. It's difficult to ground such fantastic science and weirdness in reality, but Golemon makes it look effortless... tense, terrifying -- and worth the investment. Readers not familiar with the Event Group will find this book the perfect place to start." -"Associated Press"
"The latest suspenseful Event Group thriller (see Legacy) is an exciting action-packed tale that deftly links Ripper to the contemporary war on drugs... fans will enjoy this engaging entry filled with action and a thrill seemingly around every corridor and cave." -"The Mystery Gazette"
Praise for the novels of David L. Golemon
"Primeval: "
"Golemon knows how to make readers turn the pages, and "Primeval" will only further enhance his reputation." --"Booklist"
"Ancients: "
"A mix of the James Rollins action-heavy adventure, the military gadgetry of Tom Clancy, the pacing of the television series "24", and the conspiracy theories devoured by fans of the radio show Coast to Coast AM." "-Booklist"
"Legend: "
"A tale worthy of the giants of the genre like Clive Cussler, James Rollins, and Matthew Reilly."
--Megalith.com
"Golemon can write action sequences with the best of them, and he lands a solid uppercut with this book. The depth of the science fiction lies under the surface for the most of the work, but is surprising and ingenious none the less." --SFSignal.com
"Event: "
"A promising debut sure to satisfy fans of "The X-Files . . . "the plotting and hair's-breadth escapes evoke some of the early work of Preston and Child, and the author's premise offers a rich lode of materials for inevitable sequels." "--Publishers Weekly""
""A flat-out adrenaline rush." "--New York Times" bestselling authors Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
"Event: "
"Legend: "
"Primeval: "
"A mix of the James Rollins action-heavy adventure, the military gadgetry of Tom Clancy, the pacing of the television series "24," and the conspiracy theories devoured by fans of the radio show Coast to Coast AM." "-Booklist"
YOU KNOW THE NAME. YOU'VE HEARD THE STORIES.
In 1887, the British Empire contracted brilliant American professor Lawrence Ambrose to create a mutant gene―and turn an ordinary man into an aggressive fighting machine. But all too quickly, Ambrose was found to be behind a streak of vicious murders, and in a cover-up of massive proportions, Queen Victoria gave an order to have the project, and Ambrose, terminated. Thus the legend of Jack the Ripper was born…
NOW IT'S UP TO THE EVENT GROUP TO LAY THE LEGEND TO REST―AND PUT AN END TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST VIOLENT ENEMIES.
The killings stopped as suddenly as they had begun, though not because Ambrose was caught. Instead, he escaped and returned to America, where he and his work faded into history…until 2012, when a raid against a Mexican drug lord uncovers a small cache of antiquated notebooks that appear to have belonged to the mad genius. Enter Col. Jack Collins and the Event Group, who are desperate to put a stop to one of history's most notorious enemies. Or die trying…
"The event group continues the tradition of mixing history with page-turning suspense." ―Booklist
About the Author
DAVID L. GOLEMON grew up in Chino, California. He raised three great children and now makes his home in New York. Ripper is the seventh book in his Event Group series.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
1
STATE OF TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO,
THIRTY-FIVE MILES SOUTH OF NUEVO LAREDO
(PRESENT DAY)
Geologist Sarah McIntire studied the cave’s lower passages but could see little in the klieg lighting that had been placed by the students from Baylor University. She was accompanied by three undergraduate kids that knew nothing of Sarah’s real employer, and that was the way it would be kept. Not even the professor, or even the doctor from the University of Mexico and his twenty students, had any idea just who Sarah really was and who she was employed by.
The Event Group had placed Sarah on the field expedition not long after the joint venture was announced by the two universities to explore and document one of the many excavated caves that had been used as small armories and hideouts at the turn of the century by none other than Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary. The stash of weapons, food, and horses were placed inside the natural cave formations by the bandit before raiding into the Texas border towns across the Rio Grande River. Sarah and her two-man security team were there to document not the bandit’s secret hideaways, but the ancient cave paintings that everyone outside of the higher fields of learning seemed to ignore. If she found them to be authentic, and she could tell this by the geological makeup that the paintings were depicted upon, she would then authorize further study by the Event Group and their anthropological division.
The small man stepped up to Sarah and whispered as he squeezed past her in the narrow cave passage.
“Not exactly Carlsbad Caverns is it?”
Sarah smiled at Jason Ryan who was part of her two-man security team. She half turned and shined the small flashlight into his face.
“We can’t have everything, Mr. Excitement. And as a matter of fact I’m beginning to think this could be quite a find for the Southwest. I think these were made by Southern Cheyenne Indians, and not the Apache people like the good professors believe. We do need to get a team down here from the Group; it looks like some of the theories that have been floating around by the Anthropology Department may be true about the Southern Cheyenne having led raids against the Apache this far south. This may be the proof they need.”
Jason kept his face expressionless and then yawned as wide as he could.
“Asshole,” she said as her light went from him to a space that was void of pictograms. The spot was hollowed out, as if a piece of the granite had been sliced out by a power tool.
“Yeah, well this asshole could have been playing football today, but Director Compton thinks you need a babysitter on this gig. Why am I—”
“This is wrong; some idiot has cut into this wall and taken…,” she stopped speaking and shined the flashlight farther down the cave wall. “Damn it! Someone’s stealing this stuff.” She moved the light back to Jason who had his own light out and was looking at the ground.
“Yeah, well whoever they were wore U.S. Army–issue combat boots, and one,” he pointed to a smaller set next to the larger, “ladies, or midget male, designer Timberland work boots,” he said as his light picked up several more footprints in the loose soil of the cave floor. “You know, for the past two days, starting across the border in Laredo, I’ve had the feeling we were being followed. I wrote it off as just being paranoid about everything lately.”
“This is criminal. Hell, no one’s supposed to know about this place. You think someone knew we were coming here and followed us?”
“I don’t know, but Sarah, Mexico is a convenience store for antiquity theft, you know that. Hell, I bet when we head back through the border you can pick up a piece of this wall at the flea market in Nuevo Laredo.”
“It’s sickening. Come on, let’s get these kids back to the cave opening,” she said as she shined the light on her wristwatch. “I promised to meet Jack and his mother for dinner in Laredo at seven.”
“And I better get you there on time for the big meeting—scared?” Jason asked with a smirk.
Sarah didn’t answer as she moved the light over at least six areas where the cave paintings had been removed by modern power tools.
“I asked if you’re scared meeting the colonel’s mom.”
Sarah finally looked over at her friend. “Absolutely terrified, now shut the hell up about it.”
Jason smiled and started to follow Sarah out of the lower passages of the natural cave system, shouting at the students in English and Spanish for them to head back to the surface.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about his mother. I mean the colonel’s a nice guy isn’t he? Someone had to have taught him right. I’m sure they are just like one another. Hell, you may even find out that he cried when he was a kid when he saw Bambi’s mother got killed.”
“That isn’t helping Ryan!”
* * *
In the bright sunlight Sarah placed her sunglasses on as the first of the two buses of students pulled out, heading north to the border. The second bus filled with university students from Mexico City would head south to a cheap hotel that was rented for them. Sarah waved at the bus as it passed by. She then glanced over at her security escort of two men. Ryan was bent at the knees and was examining something in the dirt. Jason straightened and moved to follow the academic team toward where Sarah was standing.
“I would like to thank you for your excellent evaluation of the geological deposits surrounding the pictographs, Miss McIntire. I must send a letter of appreciation to your employer.”
Professor Salvador Espinoza, dean of anthropological studies at the University of Mexico, was smiling and holding out his hand. Next to him were three professors from that department, and bringing up the rear was the lone professor from Baylor University, Dr. Barbara Stansfield. Jason Ryan brought up the rear, and that was when Sarah noticed Jason raise his sunglasses and then point to the ground next to the American professor’s boots. He then lowered the sunglasses when he saw Sarah had indeed noticed her footwear.
“Yes, I agree,” the American professor added, “excellent job. Where should we send that letter Miss McIntire, was it the National Geographic Society?”
Sarah slowly released Professor Espinoza’s hand after shaking it and then looked the American woman in her sunglass-covered eyes. She held out her hand and the two shook as Sarah sized the woman up, even though young Sarah was far shorter than her counterpart.
“No, I was sent by the Texaco Corporation. They’ve had dealings here before and they knew I was an expert on the formations that make up the surface area of most of Tamaulipas, and the vice president of the company is a graduate of Baylor,” she said as she removed her gloved hand from Stansfield’s own. Sarah had stuck to her cover story, with her bosses at the Event Group supplying the information about her fictitious employment history, so she knew the part about the Texaco VP was true.
“My mistake, Texaco it is,” Stansfield said as she removed her sunglasses and looked closely into Sarah’s. McIntire then removed her own sunglasses so the professor could get a better look. “I was just wondering because I overheard your two men over there call you lieutenant.”
Sarah smiled as she looked at Ryan and Marine Lance Corporal Kyle Udall. It was Ryan who rolled his eyes and looked away first.
“Yes, well I used to be in the army, that’s where I received my degree, and my military title stuck after it became known throughout my department at Texaco.”
“I see,” Stansfield said and was going to ask another question when three vehicles came into view over the crest of the small hill that fronted the cave system.
Ryan and Udall moved to separate. Udall moved toward the cars that were waiting for the academic teams, while Ryan moved toward one of the lean-tos where he had a large backpack.
Sarah saw their movement and immediately became alert to danger herself. She spied the three vehicles. One was a new Cadillac Escalade; the other two were fairly new Range Rovers. They looked to be full of men.
“Who is this?” Stansfield asked as she raised a hand to shield her eyes.
“Professor Espinoza, were you aware that more than just a few of the pictographs were removed from the cave system prior to our arrival here?”
“No, I was not,” the Mexican professor said as his eyes went from the three SUVs to those of Sarah McIntire. “What do you mean removed?”
“Cut straight from the stone by mechanical means. Several hundred thousand dollars worth if I know the black market well enough.” Sarah chanced a glance down once more to the boots worn by Professor Stansfield. She confirmed they were women’s Timberlands, approximately size five. “Maybe these late arrivals can explain what happened. They seem to be driving fast enough toward us and they do look like men with a purpose.” Sarah looked at the American anthropologist. “Doctor Stansfield, you claimed that you had never been in the lower galleries of the cave system before, so can you explain why your boot prints were there?” Sarah said as she smiled, not looking at the American professor but keeping her eyes on the three cars as they came to a sliding halt, creating a dust cloud that covered Jason Ryan as he removed a nine-millimeter Berretta from his backpack.
“I assure you this is the first day that I have had an opportunity to study the system, I—”
Sarah turned from watching the three cars dislodge their passengers of fifteen salty-looking characters.
