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  THE RESURRECTION TABLET

  A JAMES ACTON THRILLER

  J. ROBERT KENNEDY

  About the James Acton Thrillers

  "James Acton: A little bit of Jack Bauer and Indiana Jones!"

  Though this book is part of the James Acton Thrillers series, it is written as a standalone novel and can be enjoyed without reading the other installments.

  What readers are saying about the James Acton Thrillers Series:

  “A great blend of history and current headlines.”

  “You stop breathing from the first page.”

  “If you like Indiana Jones then you will love these stories.”

  “The Acton series is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable series I have read.”

  “Non-stop action that is impossible to put down.”

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  BOOKS BY J. ROBERT KENNEDY

  Please click here for the intended reading order.

  * Also available in audio

  The Templar Detective Thrillers

  The Templar Detective

  The Templar Detective and the Parisian Adulteress

  The Templar Detective and the Sergeant's Secret

  The Templar Detective and the Unholy Exorcist

  The Templar Detective and the Code Breaker

  The Templar Detective and the Black Scourge

  The Templar Detective and the Lost Children

  The James Acton Thrillers

  The Protocol *

  Brass Monkey *

  Broken Dove

  The Templar’s Relic

  Flags of Sin

  The Arab Fall

  The Circle of Eight

  The Venice Code

  Pompeii’s Ghosts

  Amazon Burning

  The Riddle

  Blood Relics

  Sins of the Titanic

  Saint Peter’s Soldiers

  The Thirteenth Legion

  Raging Sun

  Wages of Sin

  Wrath of the Gods

  The Templar’s Revenge

  The Nazi’s Engineer

  Atlantis Lost

  The Cylon Curse

  The Viking Deception

  Keepers of the Lost Ark

  The Tomb of Genghis Khan

  The Manila Deception

  The Fourth Bible

  Embassy of the Empire

  Armageddon

  No Good Deed

  The Last Soviet

  Lake of Bones

  Fatal Reunion

  The Resurrection Tablet

  The Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers

  Rogue Operator *

  Containment Failure *

  Cold Warriors *

  Death to America

  Black Widow

  The Agenda

  Retribution

  State Sanctioned

  Extraordinary Rendition

  Red Eagle

  The Messenger

  The Delta Force Unleashed Thrillers

  Payback

  Infidels

  The Lazarus Moment

  Kill Chain

  Forgotten

  The Cuban Incident

  Rampage

  Inside the Wire

  The Detective Shakespeare Mysteries

  Depraved Difference

  Tick Tock

  The Redeemer

  The Kriminalinspektor Wolfgang Vogel Mysteries

  The Colonel’s Wife

  Sins of the Child

  Zander Varga, Vampire Detective Series

  The Turned

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Table of Contents

  The Novel

  Preface

  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

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Acknowledgments

  Don't Miss Out!

  Thank You!

  About the Author

  Also by the Author

  For my daughter, who came through for me when I needed her most.

  “When he arose, his eyes were drenched with blood, a pathetic and pitiable sight that made everyone who saw it cry uncontrollably.”

  Michael Attaleiates Official Roman Chronicler, c. AD 1072

  “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”

  Luke 24:1-3

  PREFACE

  Those with at least a casual familiarity of history will have heard of the Byzantine Empire, or Byzantium. All but the most closeted will have heard of the Roman Empire. What many don’t realize is that they are two halves of the same whole, and that if one were to travel back in time and meet a Byzantine citizen, they would have never heard the term, and would refer to themselves as Roman, or Romanian.

  At its peak, the Roman Empire was simply too vast to effectively rule solely from Rome, and in AD 330, with the troubles in western and northern Europe, Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople, the renamed and rebuilt city of Byzantium. Over the years, the empire effectively split into the Western Roman Empire, ruled from Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire, ruled from Constantinople.

  By the late fifth century, the power and influence of the Western Roman Empire was negligible, and it faded into insignifican
ce then oblivion. Yet the Eastern Roman Empire thrived for another thousand years. Constantinople was the most populous city in Europe for centuries, was the center of arts and culture, and contained the largest cathedral ever constructed for over 1000 years. But as most empires do, it eventually began its own decline.

  One man tried to change all that, to save the empire he loved, by becoming emperor in a most unusual way. His first attempt was traditional, but his coup failed. Yet he still managed to become emperor without a single sword drawn.

  Ultimately, he failed to save the empire he loved, abandoning his prudence in battle and instead making reckless decisions that made little sense at the time. For what those except his most trusted advisor didn’t know, was that he had made a monumental discovery that could destroy the very foundations of the empire, and rock the world a millennium later.

  The Resurrection Tablet.

  1 |

  Istanbul, Turkey Present Day, Three Weeks From Now

  “It should be directly ahead.”

  Retired Lt. Colonel Cameron Leather, former British Special Air Service, readied his illegal weapon. They were in Turkey, and none of his men were licensed to carry here, but this might be their only chance to rescue their client, Archaeology Professor James Acton. The man had been held captive for hours now, but their CIA contacts had located him and it had been decided they had to act.

  Their local contact, Vasif Irmak, driving their SUV to the scene, had provided them with weapons, the man an old friend who understood how the world really worked, though none of them were sure what was going on here today.

  Acton had just committed several crimes, including assault and theft, and was wanted by the Turkish authorities for acts of terrorism. If Leather’s team didn’t rescue the man before the police found him, he’d be dead in a shootout. They needed to retrieve him and get him either out of the country, or safely into the hands of the authorities with a believable explanation for his actions today.

  “On your right, twenty meters.”

  Leather readied himself as they slowed. “You’re sure he’s still inside?” he asked the voice over the speaker.

  “Negative. We have footage of him entering, but there could be other ways out that aren’t covered.”

  “Understood.” He spotted something. “Stand by.” He pointed at two men emerging from the restaurant. “They look like our guys, don’t they?”

  “Affirmative,” said one of his men. “It looks like they might be getting ready to leave.”

  An SUV pulled up and the men opened the doors on the passenger side. Three more men from inside the café stepped into the sunlight and Leather recognized Acton right away.

  “I’ve got eyes on the target. Moving to intercept.”

  Irmak hammered on the gas and surged past the SUV, cutting it off as they all jumped out. But it was too late. As they approached, they were spotted and Acton had been shoved into the back seat, the others jumping in after him. The SUV backed up then angled around them, the rear window rolling down as it passed. Acton leaned out and Leather sprinted toward him to pull him free, but instead a gun appeared and Acton opened fire.

  Emptying the mag at those who were supposed to protect him.

  What the hell is going on?

  2 |

  Great Palace of Constantinople Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire AD 1067

  This wasn’t supposed to be her life. Eudokia Makrembolitissa had married a powerful man from an even more powerful family with the full knowledge he could become emperor of Rome. It meant she would become empress. She had no problem with that, and in fact, had enjoyed it immensely. The power and prestige of being the woman behind the man who ran the most powerful empire in the world was intoxicating, and when her husband, Constantine X was alive, life had been good.

  In fact, it had been fantastic.

  But he was dead, and on his deathbed, she had sworn to never remarry. Her reason was partly for love—she couldn’t imagine giving her heart to another man, though it was also for their sons, specifically Michael, too young yet to rule. Co-regents had been appointed, yet they were fools, and she had managed to push them aside.

  She was Megalē Basilis tōn Romaiōn, the Great Empress of Rome, or so said the coins she had ordered minted with her likeness and that of her two sons. No one could doubt her power, though many could not abide by the idea that a woman now led the Roman Empire. In fact, it enraged many.

  While she usually didn’t concern herself with men’s egos, today she was forced to. Before the Senate stood Romanus Diogenes, son of Constantine Diogenes, and a thorn in her side. His family was from Cappadocia, both powerful and wealthy, and his relations included the blood of previous emperors.

  He was a force to be reckoned with. A military commander of note, today he was being tried for an attempted coup—he had failed to overthrow the rightful rulers of the empire.

  Her sons.

  “Do you deny the charges?” asked one of the senators, whom, she didn’t care. They were of no consequence to her. An emperor or empress humored the Senate—should she wish it, she could order them all killed and replaced with sheep. Yet all leaders tolerated them, for they could serve a purpose.

  Romanus, in full dress, every bit the Roman soldier, stood proud and addressed the man. “I deny nothing. The actions I undertook were for the good of the empire, not for personal profit or gain.”

  Eudokia leaned on the arm of her throne, taking in the man, his booming voice demanding attention. He exuded confidence, despite facing certain death—no one attempted to take over the throne and lived. He was a handsome man, in fact, he was stunning. His body, much of it revealed by the armor he wore, exposed muscles that rippled with every thrust of his arm as he spoke, his words lost on her.

  He could be the solution to her problem.

  “You expect us to believe that?”

  “I care not what you believe. The empire has grown weak and its enemies are at its gates. City after city is sacked, and we do nothing about it. The empire is vulnerable, its armies a shadow of their former selves, its citizens begging for someone to protect them, to restore the glory that was once Rome. Rome fell centuries ago from the same complacency. The barbarians threatened our gates and we gave in, ceding a little more territory each time, until finally they were no longer at our figurative gates, but our literal gates. They broke down the gates of Rome, swarmed her streets, slaughtered her citizens, and now Constantinople is all that stands. We have built a city as great as Rome, greater even, and have brought peace and stability to our lands.

  “Yet the barbarians are once again at our gates. This time it isn’t the Germanic tribes from the north, but the Turks and the Muslims. They want what we have, and we sit back and give it to them. It is time for a military ruler to take over, rebuild our armies and defeat our enemies, lest what happened to Rome happen to Constantinople. This is why I did what I did, not for the glory of one man, but for the glory of the empire, and its thousand-year history.”

  Someone clapped, a single smack of the hands ringing out before whoever delivered it thought better of it and sat on his hands. But she didn’t care. Her mind raced at his words, for he was right. The armies had been left to wither over the centuries, with the empire now relying far too heavily on mercenaries whose loyalties went to the highest bidder. Romanus was correct in that the armies needed to be rebuilt, and their enemies taught a lesson. Yet she couldn’t do that. Not on her own. And her sons were no warriors, too young to command the respect of not only the soldiers under their command, but their enemies.

  But a man such as this would command that respect. He could lead armies of men who would rally to his cry, he could strike fear into the heart of their enemy and defeat them on the battlefield. He was the solution to the empire’s problem, which meant he was the solution to her problem, for if she didn’t solve this soon, the next coup attempt might just succeed.

  Yet she couldn’t simply hand the man power. Power had to remain in her han
ds, and those of her sons. There was only one solution she could think of, and it would require many to be convinced after the vow she had made.

  “Romanus Diogenes, you are hereby found guilty of treason and attempting to usurp the throne from its rightful heirs. You will be held in chains until the Empress confirms your sentence, which can only be death.”

  Romanus remained silent, his jaw squared as he took the news as only a brave soldier could—with dignity. There was no pleading for his life, no begging for forgiveness. He reacted exactly as a leader should. If captured on the battlefield, and threatened with torture or execution, he would act the same, she was certain. He would die bravely, setting an example for those who followed him, perhaps rallying them to his banner with his death, ultimately bringing his army victory.

  And his death now could lead to the same thing, turning him into a martyr to be rallied behind, encouraging more attempts to overthrow her and her sons.

  It couldn’t be tolerated.

  It wouldn’t be tolerated.

  She rose and strode from the room swiftly, the entire Senate coming to a halt and rising in deference as her entourage rushed to catch up. There was much to think about, much to discuss, much to plan.

  For she could think of only one solution to save the empire.

  She had to marry Romanus Diogenes.

  3 |

  Dig Site Kınalıada Island, Turkey Present Day, Three Weeks Earlier

  “Steady!”

  “Sorry, Professor!”

  Professor Deniz Boran shook his head as he swung from the rope, his team overhead failing to control his descent properly, the five-foot drop he had just suffered sending his heart racing as well as his body toward the floor below. He should have waited for the proper equipment to arrive from the university, but he was too eager to see what they had found. If it were what he expected, it could be the find of a lifetime, and certainly the find of his career so far.