*****
*****
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| Terror In Cyprus - Circa 1950s |
When Lucky
answered the door and found Jim standing
there he almost started crying.
Jim looked at
him, eyes full of worry and said, “I heard what happened and came right over.
Are you okay, Lucky?”
“I’m fine,” he replied,
keeping his voice under control. Then he couldn’t help but blurt, “It was
awful, Jim!”
Jim came in, saw
the large Christmas tree in the corner, and gave a sad smile. “A poor way to
greet Christmas,” he said. Then he glanced around and asked, “Are your parents
home?”
“My mother’s
lying down with my little brother,” Lucky said. “She was pretty upset about
what happened and didn’t sleep all night.”
“And your
father?” Jim asked, taking a seat on the couch.
“He came home,
but he had to go back to the embassy,” Lucky said. Actually, his father was at
the CIA base, dealing with an endless series of Yuletide crises. Lucky sat in
an armchair across from Jim. “I don’t think they were after me or my friends,”
he said. “That’s what my father thinks, anyway. He said the café was a ‘target
of opportunity,’ or something like that. It’s a popular place for Europeans and
businessmen with European customers.”
Jim looked
closely at him. “And what do you think, Lucky?”
The boy was
still in shock. The blood, the screams, the gunfire. But it was the smell of
the spilled kerosene that got him most – everyone trying to scramble across
glass-strewn floor to escape the spreading fire. His own home reeked of
kerosene from all space heaters going full blast to warm the house, which made
it harder to keep the images at the café at a bearable distance.
He tried to be
calm and adult, but his voice shook as he said, “They hurt a lot of people
Jim.”
The casualties
had been severe, according to Lucky’s dad who had checked with Keith Digby’s
father. Scores were injured - mostly local business people and some vacationers
from India. One British citizen – a pensioner entertaining his Cypriot mistress
– had been injured, but that was being covered up for form’s sake. Incredibly, only one person was killed –
a middle-aged Cypriot man. A busboy.
When Lucky heard
that it seemed even more tragic. The terrorists’ intended target were the
wealthy British customers. In the end, they killed one of their own.
“I knew the
busboy pretty well,” Lucky said. “He was clumsy, always dropping things and I’m
sure the only reason he had the job is because he’s the manager’s nephew. But
he was a really nice guy, always sneaking us extras.” He trailed off and his
eyes became moist.
“I’m sorry for
your friend,” Jim said. “But I’m happy that my own friend escaped unharmed.”
Lucky nodded, afraid to speak. Jim smiled and said, “I’m sure people have told
you that however sad and frightening this event might be, that in the end it
will make you stronger.”
Lucky grinned
despite himself. “My mom always says when things get tough that it’s God way of
making us stronger,” he said. “But it doesn’t seem fair to the people who get
in the way.”
“God didn’t do
this,” Jim said. “Men did.”
Lucky nodded.
“General Grivas, to name one,” he said. “We were talking about Grivas just
before the attack. He sounds like the worst thing that could happen to Cyprus.”
Jim sighed.
“People are frustrated,” he said, “so it’s hard to blame them for being
attracted to a man like Grivas.”
Lucky was
aghast. “You mean you agree with the terrorists?”
“I didn’t say
that,” Jim replied. “You know I detest violence. It’s against my principles. I
admire Mr. Ghandi. Unfortunately, at the moment there is no Cypriot Ghandi. The
British won’t listen to reason – they won’t even throw us a bone – some gesture
we could take back to people and say, ‘Here, see. The British are serious about
independence. We have to be patient because of the usual reasons… the Turks…
The Greeks… and so on. With such a statement of intent, I might even be able to
convince Grivas himself to stay his hand.”
Lucky’s skin
prickled. “Do you know him?”
Jim started to
speak, then shook his head. “I said too much, Lucky. Please don’t repeat it.”
“I won’t,” Lucky
said. He hesitated, then asked, “What’s going to happen, Jim? Is it going to
get worse?”
Jim forced a
smile. “Don’t worry, Lucky,” he said. “They aren’t going to come to your
house.”
“They did in
Pallouriotissa,” he said.
Jim had no
reply.
***
The Christmas
season was the usual whirlwind of parties, but even so, the memory of the
events at Metaxa Square were always at the edge of Lucky’s mind.
At the embassy
party, Donna burst into tears and threw herself into his arms when she saw him,
much to the consternation of her mother. They spent the whole time huddled in a
corner, ignoring the others, talking about the incident.
“It’s a good
thing you went home early,” Lucky said, “or you would have been there when it
happened.”
“I’ve thought
about that a lot,” Donna said. “And I don’t know if I’m happy to have missed
it, or upset because I wasn’t with you.”
Lucky shook his
head. “You don’t want to ever see something like that,” he said with feeling.
“My father says
things are going to get worse from here on out,” Donna said. She paused, then
added, “He wants us to go back to the States, but Mom says she won’t unless he
comes with us.” She sighed. “But you know my father,” she said. “In the end he
always gets his way.”
Lucky’s heart
skipped. This was terrible news. Just when he’d gotten Donna back she was being
sent away. But that was selfish thinking. No, it was better if Donna and her
sister were out of harm’s way.
“At least you’ll
be safe,” he said.
Tears welled in
Donna’ eyes. “We might not ever see each other again,” she said. “When my
father’s duty is up we could be sent… well, anywhere.”
“I know,” was
all Lucky could say. Brief friendships and even briefer romances were facts of
life for an Agency brat.
“Maybe you’ll be
sent back too,” Donna said. “Then at least we could see each other in
Washington.”
“Sure,” Lucky
said. “That’d be great, wouldn’t it?” However, in his heart of hearts he
thought it would be awful. Sure, he’d get to see Donna. But that would mean
leaving Cyprus forever.
And that would
be hard to bear.
NEXT: BLOWN COVER
*****
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Here's what readers say about Lucky In Cyprus:
- "Bravo, Allan! When I finished Lucky In Cyprus I wept." - Julie Mitchell, Hot Springs, Texas
- "Lucky In Cyprus brought back many memories... A wonderful book. So many shadows blown away!" - Freddy & Maureen Smart, Episkopi,Cyprus.
- "... (Reading) Lucky In Cyprus has been a humbling, haunting, sobering and enlightening experience..." - J.A. Locke, Bookloons.com
*****
NEW: THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF
THE HATE PARALLAX
THE HATE PARALLAX: What if the Cold War never ended -- but continued for a thousand years? Best-selling authors Allan Cole (an American) and Nick Perumov (a Russian) spin a mesmerizing "what if?" tale set a thousand years in the future, as an American and a Russian super-soldier -- together with a beautiful American detective working for the United Worlds Police -- must combine forces to defeat a secret cabal ... and prevent a galactic disaster! This is the first - and only - collaboration between American and Russian novelists. Narrated by John Hough. Click the title links below for the trade paperback and kindle editions. (Also available at iTunes.)
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THE SPYMASTER'S DAUGHTER:
A new novel by Allan and his daughter, Susan
After laboring as a Doctors Without Borders physician in the teaming refugee camps and minefields of South Asia, Dr. Ann Donovan thought she'd seen Hell as close up as you can get. And as a fifth generation CIA brat, she thought she knew all there was to know about corruption and betrayal. But then her father - a legendary spymaster - shows up, with a ten-year-old boy in tow. A brother she never knew existed. Then in a few violent hours, her whole world is shattered, her father killed and she and her kid brother are one the run with hell hounds on their heels. They finally corner her in a clinic in Hawaii and then all the lies and treachery are revealed on one terrible, bloody storm ravaged night.
BASED ON THE CLASSIC STEN SERIES by Allan Cole & Chris Bunch: Fresh from their mission to pacify the Wolf Worlds, Sten and his Mantis Team encounter a mysterious ship that has been lost among the stars for thousands of years. At first, everyone aboard appears to be long dead. Then a strange Being beckons, pleading for help. More disturbing: the presence of AM2, a strategically vital fuel tightly controlled by their boss - The Eternal Emperor. They are ordered to retrieve the remaining AM2 "at all costs." But once Sten and his heavy worlder sidekick, Alex Kilgour, board the ship they must dare an out of control defense system that attacks without warning as they move through dark warrens filled with unimaginable horrors. When they reach their goal they find that in the midst of all that death are the "seeds" of a lost civilization.
*****
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TALES OF THE BLUE MEANIE
NOW AN AUDIOBOOK!
 |
Venice Boardwalk Circa 1969
|
In the depths of the Sixties and The Days Of Rage, a young newsman, accompanied by his pregnant wife and orphaned teenage brother, creates a Paradise of sorts in a sprawling Venice Beach community of apartments, populated by students, artists, budding scientists and engineers lifeguards, poets, bikers with a few junkies thrown in for good measure. The inhabitants come to call the place “Pepperland,” after the Beatles movie, “Yellow Submarine.” Threatening this paradise is "The Blue Meanie," a crazy giant of a man so frightening that he eventually even scares himself.
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