Reign of Evil

Weston Ochse REIGN OF EVIL

To Jon D. Carte, who was there at the very beginning

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It took a battalion of professionals to create the book you’re holding or viewing or listening to and I owe them all a sincere thanks. Thanks again to Brendan Deneen, Peter Joseph, Pete Wolverton, Nicole Sohl, and the whole Thomas Dunne team. Thanks to Cath Trechman and the wonderful folks at Titan Books. Thanks of course to my agent, Robert Fleck, for being on the front lines of publishing so that I can concentrate on writing. Shout-out to the bands QOTSA, the Beastie Boys, Heavy D, and the Metermaids, for keeping me on edge as I combat-rolled through this novel. And thanks most of all to Yvonne, without whose support, wisdom, and love none of this would be possible.

Special shout-out to Jon Carte, for being there at the real beginning of things and to whom this book is dedicated. Jon and I were in training together back in 1984 and have maintained our friendship. Thanks also to Dave Lake, Brian Wallenius, Barb and Dirk Foster, Hal and Gene, Paul and Shannon, and Eunice and Greg Magill. Thanks also to all of the men and women of ISAF, who welcomed me and watched my back last year while I was in Afghanistan. Thanks again to Brian K and Tommy H, for introducing me to Herb and Diane Harmon and the serenity of Cedar Lodge. And of course thanks to Herb and Diane, for being two of the most special people.

And thanks to you—the readers, reviewers, and bookstore workers—for making SEAL Team 666 such a huge success. I’ve had e-mails from fans from New Zealand, Croatia, Thailand, and Hawaii, where tourists were buying copies to take out to the beach.

Lots of fan letters. Lots of new friends. I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to write, e-mail, Facebook, tweet, or simply high-five me during a book signing. If you want to reach out to me about this book or anything else, I can be found on Facebook and Twitter under my name and you can always find me at www.westonochse.com.

PROLOGUE

STONEHENGE. NIGHT.

This was about the coldest holiday Jen had been subjected to in a long time. While she appreciated her old college friend Missy Brautigan taking her to visit Stonehenge, they could have done it when the weather was warmer, or at least during the day. Alas, Missy, who’d always been interested in other religions, hence her Religious Studies degree at Bard College, wanted Jen to witness the Winter Solstice ceremony and the killing of the Oak King by the Holly King.

“It’s all pageantry and showmanship, I know,” Missy had said during the drive up. “But it’s really something special, something you should see in person. I’ll make it up to you afterward by filling you with hot toddies and some Yule cookies.”

And that was why Jen was standing in the middle of Stonehenge with twelve other strangers while the chants of men in scarlet robes filled the night. The night was frigid cold. She wore one of Missy’s wool coats and a pair of gloves, but Jen’s face and nose felt as if they might fall off at any moment. Her breath came out in heavy clouds. She brought her gloved hands to her face to warm her skin and wished she were back in San Diego with the love of her life, Jack Walker.

Missy elbowed her. The cold had done absolutely nothing to quench her excitement. “I’ve never seen them put so much effort into it. You really have come on a special night.”

The group of lucky invitees stood in a clutch inside Stonehenge’s circle. They’d been asked not to touch anything, not that Jen wanted to touch anything as cold as those monolithic stones had to be. Yet, despite the misery of the cold, she couldn’t help but be impressed. Generator-powered lights lit up the exterior and interior of the monument like high noon, casting shadows here and there that were as deep as any darkness. She could almost imagine ancient Britons skulking within them, afraid to taste the modern lights. Scarlet-robed men stood in the center and at places around the circle. They were druids or priests of the wood… Missy had been speaking so fast and dumping so much information, Jen couldn’t exactly remember. All she knew was that the Oak King, who ruled over the warm months, from the Summer Solstice to the Winter Solstice, was about to be slain by the Holly King.

“Previous years, they’ve had mock battles. Once they even had a duel and you could tell they knew how to hold swords. It was almost realistic. They keep trying new things. I think that’s what I appreciate so much—their inventiveness and creativity and willingness to try anything.”

“What are they trying to do?” Jen had asked.

“I think they’re just trying to get the ceremony right.”

“But why? What does it matter?”

Then Missy had given Jen a shocked look. “For historical accuracy. It’s important that they get it right, Jen.”