The Palindrome Cult: A gripping, page-turning, crime suspense thriller, its fast pace takes you from London to New York, via Dubai and the Virgin Islands. (Hedge & Cole Book 1) Read online

  About the Book

  Blackmail is a dangerous game. But when the British Prime Minister and the US Ambassador are caught up in it, the situation becomes deadly.

  The Palindrome Cult members are fanatical. They will stop at nothing to achieve their aims. But who are they? And who is their elusive leader?

  Hedge and Cole must hunt them down, before the government is fatally damaged, and before more people have to die.

  This is the first instalment in the Hedge & Cole thriller series.

  Cole is a tough, ex-military man. He’s the sort of person that trouble and danger seem to follow, wherever he goes. He can be ruthless when he needs to be. And he often finds the need.

  Hedge is a reluctant hero. He is a victim of circumstance, plagued with anxieties and haunted by flashbacks.

  You are invited along for the ride, but will you be able to unravel the secret of the Cult before the ultimate, shocking, twist in the tail?

  Kevin Bradley shows how to mix fast paced action, with suspense and intrigue. This novel will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

  This book would sit well alongside your Lee Child and Michael Connelly favourites!

  The Palindrome Cult story concludes in this book, but the main characters are set to return in future exploits.

  What people are saying about The Palindrome Cult

  “A fantastic book, with many twists and turns. I was gripped from start to finish.”

  “This is a great read, one I couldn't put down. Kevin Bradley is up there with the likes of Scott Mariani, Mark Dawson and Stephen Leather. Plenty of drama, suspense, twists and turns. Don't make me wait too long for the next one.”

  “Riveting. Great characters, great writing, great story. Excellent use of facts and geographic backdrop. Totally enjoyed it.”

  “I can definitely recommend this book. If you manage to predict the twist in the story, then you have a better imagination than me!”

  “An enjoyable book with some unexpected and interesting events in the storyline. I wasn’t sure where it was going, but the end did surprise me. I will definitely be reading the next books in the series.”

  “There’s a touch of Lee Child about this.”

  About the Author

  This is the first book in the Hedge & Cole series by this compelling writer.

  The author has lived and travelled all over the world, and he brings many of his own personal observations into his novels.

  He is passionate about storytelling, and does not shy away from occasionally tackling difficult, real-life issues. His ultimate focus is to deliver an exciting and unforgettable experience to his readers.

  When not writing, Kevin enjoys running, cycling and hiking, although eating cake is probably his favourite activity!

  He is a husband, father of two boys, and lives in Suffolk, England.

  The author is happy to receive correspondence and feedback from his readers, and he can be emailed at [email protected]

  Books by Kevin Bradley

  The Palindrome Cult

  (Hedge & Cole / Book 1)

  “A cracking good read, fast and furious, unputdownable”

  The Terminate Code

  (Hedge & Cole / Book 2)

  “A fantastic story, breathtaking and full of intrigue, unforgettable”

  The Transamerica Cell

  (Hedge & Cole / Book 3)

  “A gripping, tense thriller, you’ll be on the edge of your seat”

  The Cuba Cage

  (Hedge & Cole / Book 4)

  Due December 2017

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  The Terminate Code - $1.31 (£0.99)

  (Hedge & Cole / Book 1)

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  The Transamerica Cell - $2.64 (£1.99)

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  The Palindrome Cult

  Kevin Bradley

  Table of Contents

  About the Book

  About the Author

  Books by Kevin Bradley

  Special Offer!

  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

  Chapter Thirty One

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty One

  Chapter Forty Two

  Chapter Forty Three

  Chapter Forty Four

  Chapter Forty Five

  Chapter Forty Six

  Chapter Forty Seven

  Chapter Forty Eight

  Chapter Forty Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty One

  Chapter Fifty Two

  Chapter Fifty Three

  Chapter Fifty Four

  Chapter Fifty Five

  Chapter Fifty Six

  Chapter Fifty Seven

  Chapter Fifty Eight

  Chapter Fifty Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty One

  Chapter Sixty Two

  Epilogue

  THE END

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  Chapter One

  The man holding the cut-throat razor was known simply as The Shaver. The blade he held was sharp. It had to be. There was a lot of work to be done.

  He didn’t know who the young woman standing in front of him was. That wasn’t important though. He had his instructions, and he was being well paid for the job. The
location had shocked him, but he had quickly recovered his composure. That was essential. A steady hand was needed for the delicate work that was required.

  He slowly approached the naked woman. She was young. Maybe nineteen or twenty years old, he guessed. She was attractive, about medium height, and with very pale skin. She was standing on a thick, plastic sheet. That was good, he thought to himself. The carpet in the office looked expensive. It would be a shame to spoil it.

  He picked up a large tube, and squeezed out some shaving foam onto his hands. Then he coated her head with it. She didn’t have much hair to shave off, as most of it had already been cut off with scissors. He carefully ran the blade over her head until it was completely smooth.

  Next, he told her to hold up her arms, and he shaved underneath them. He then rubbed the shaving foam over the surface of her arms, legs, and back, and shaved these areas in turn. He had been working for thirty minutes already, and his hand was aching.

  The girl stood silent and still. Her face showed no expression. Like him, she was being well paid. What was required of her had been fully explained.

  The Shaver asked her to part her legs, and he knelt down and shaved the area covered by her pubic hair. He took his time. Being a perfectionist was something he was proud of.

  Finally, he stood back to admire his work.

  His face suddenly showed a look of horror. How could he have forgotten? Moving back towards the girl, he put a small amount of foam on each of her eyebrows, and shaved them off.

  He nodded to himself. His work was done. Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he quickly made a call.

  ‘All finished,’ he said.

  A few moments later the door of the office opened. A slim looking woman walked confidently in to the room. She was older than the girl, maybe ten years older. The Shaver tried not to look at her for too long. The only thing he noticed about her was that her eyes looked slightly oriental. She walked over to where the girl was standing on the plastic sheet, and studied her carefully.

  ‘That’s good work,’ she said. ‘Lift your arms please.’

  The girl obeyed.

  The older woman nodded.

  ‘Would you bend over for me? That’s it. See if you can touch your toes.’

  The girl didn’t offer any resistance. She leaned forward, her fingers almost reaching the plastic sheet.

  The older woman ran her middle finger up the back of the girl’s right thigh. She carried on towards the region in between her legs, and then stroked the area along her backside, passing her finger across the girl’s anus.

  ‘That’s very good work indeed. I don’t think we’ll get any complaints.’

  She reflected on the specific requirements of her customer. There must be no bodily hair at all. That was critical. She didn’t want to let the man down. They didn’t come any more important than him.

  The woman turned to the girl. ‘Go and shower. Please be back here in ten minutes.’

  The Watcher couldn’t believe his eyes.

  He had started to record what was going on in the room as soon as the naked girl had shown up on his screen.

  ‘Oh my god,’ he whispered to himself.

  He had continued to follow the events as they unfolded before his eyes. The man with the razor had left the office. The young girl had showered and returned. The older woman had come back. She was followed closely by a middle aged man. He was formally dressed but without a jacket. He turned and locked the door of the office. The Watcher recognised him instantly. The older woman sat down on an easy chair in a corner of the room.

  The middle aged man walked over and stood next to the girl. He ran his hands slowly down her arms, across her back, and then between her legs. Next, he turned her around and leant her over his glass-topped desk. He carried on touching her, slowly and deliberately.

  After a short while, he undid his trousers, and let them fall around his ankles. Then he pulled down his underwear.

  The Watcher carried on staring at the screen for the next three minutes, and then it was all over. The two people near the desk were clearly visible on the screen. He would have liked to have had a better view of the older woman’s face, but the camera in the room was miniature and so had limited capability. It wasn’t able to zoom in. Therefore, it couldn’t make out what the four words were tattooed on the older woman’s forearm.

  He pressed a button on the keyboard in front of him and the words ‘Recording Saved’ appeared in the middle of the screen.

  The Watcher picked up the telephone on his desk and pressed a button on the handset.

  After a few seconds he spoke into it. ‘You won’t believe what I have just seen, and in his own office.’

  There was a pause as the person on the other end spoke.

  ‘Yes I have,’ said the Watcher, ‘all safely saved to the master drive, with full encryption. It will make interesting viewing for whoever sees it next.’

  He clicked a button on the telephone and placed it back on the desk.

  He didn’t know it at the time, but the piece of film he had just recorded would never be seen by anyone else.

  Chapter Two

  Blood was pouring down the side of the young boy’s face. It was coming from a deep gash on the top of his head. It looked like someone was tipping raspberry sauce over him, and the crimson liquid was staining the upper parts of his shirt.

  The boy’s face was scrunched up in agony, and he was crying.

  He would have been screaming if he were able to. But he wasn’t. In fact, he couldn’t even breathe.

  He was panic stricken.

  If he had been older, he might have realised how close to death he was. But he was just a small boy. He didn’t understand these things.

  Just a few minutes earlier, Hedge had started to eat his lunch. He looked up from his meal and noticed the lady enter the cafe and sit down at the table to the left of his. She was accompanied by two young boys, presumably her children. She ordered a coffee and the boys ordered milkshakes. They also requested a large ham and mushroom pizza to share between them. The food and drinks arrived shortly after, and the boys started to demolish the pizza with surprising speed. They were both laughing, and the mother was kept busy trying to keep them under control.

  The two boys had started racing to see who could eat a whole slice of pizza in the shortest possible time. The eldest son, who Hedge thought might be around six years old, had pushed a large piece into his mouth and was seemingly trying to swallow it straight down. The mother and youngest boy were laughing at him, but as Hedge was watching them, he suddenly realised that the older boy appeared to be in some distress. He was desperately trying to cough up the food but couldn’t get it out of his throat. He was attempting to get the attention of his mother, but she still thought he was playing. The boy now had tears in his eyes and was clearly struggling for breath. The mother’s mood changed instantly as she realised what was happening.

  ‘Spit it out,’ she shouted to him, as she jumped from her seat to help him.

  The boy suddenly fell off his chair and cracked his head on the floor. Blood was streaming down his face and tears were flooding from his eyes. He had his hands around his neck and was desperately trying to cough out the food, but seemingly it was lodged firmly in his throat.

  The mother picked him up and turned him around. She slapped her hand hard on his back to try and dislodge what was blocking his airway. She repeated this action several times but to no avail. The boy had now gone quiet and was hanging limply in her arms. The younger son was crying and had a scared look on his face. He sat in his seat, not moving, watching what was happening to his older brother.

  Several people in the cafe had now become aware of the young boys distress. The mother was screaming for help and an elderly man with greying hair rushed over to her table. He tried to open the boy’s mouth and attempted to get some of the food out from the back of the youngster’s throat using his fingers, but he was unsuccessful - it was lodged in tight.
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  ‘We need to apply pressure around his chest, like a bear hug,’ he said.

  With that, the elderly man grabbed hold of the boy and turned the child’s body to face away from him. The man squeezed the boy tightly and applied pressure in quick violent movements. He did this several times but the youngster still hung limp. His throat remained blocked and he was still not breathing.

  Even to this day Hedge couldn’t quite explain what happened next. It seemed so out of character for him. Some people would say he was a bit quiet, even shy. He was not generally a confident person, and he would avoid being the centre of attention if he possibly could. He certainly wasn’t someone who would walk away from danger, but he typically kept himself to himself and so rarely got involved in other people’s problems.

  But this was the day when Hedge became a hero.

  He jumped from his seat with a sense of urgency.

  ‘Someone phone for an ambulance’, he shouted. ‘Tell them a young boy is choking and needs immediate help. They need to get here in the next few minutes otherwise it will be too late.’

  Several of the cafe customers reached for their cell phones.

  Hedge was already grabbing hold of the boy and laying him across the table. He was still not breathing and his face had started to turn a pale shade of blue. Hedge estimated that it was now around one minute since the boy had fallen off the chair.