The Ninth Orphan (37 page)

His only regret was his mentor and surrogate father, Tommy Kentbridge, was no longer a part of his life. Nine knew much of his freedom was down to Kentbridge.

Emerging from a stand of palm trees, Nine arrived at the island bungalow he’d built. Its open living design suited him down to the ground. What he loved best about it – and about life in general – was he had the woman of his dreams to share it with.

After tracking Isabelle down in Paris, he'd asked her to accompany him to his island. To his relief, she’d agreed, pointing out that now her parents were dead there was nothing to keep her in France. Thinking of Isabelle made him quicken his stride.

He slowed as he neared the bungalow. Isabelle was tidying up at the kitchen window. She hadn't seen him. Nine stopped to admire her.
Island life agrees with her
. She looked radiant. Her shiny, black hair had grown almost down to her waist and her caramel skin looked even more beautiful in the tropical sunlight.

Isabelle finally saw Nine and ran outside to greet him. They kissed. Then she told him she’d had morning sickness and
had developed a sudden craving for certain foods
. It took Nine a few moments to register that Isabelle suspected she was pregnant – and even more astoundingly, he could soon be a father.

As a product of the Omega Agency, he’d never imagined fatherhood would ever be a possibility for him. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Having a family with Isabelle and bringing their children up on Vahine gave him a warm feeling.

Nine pulled Isabelle close to him and looked into her dark, shimmering eyes. She was pleased to see how happy he was about the idea of fatherhood. Nine’s face registered total contentment.

As they held each other close, Nine noticed a colorful bird hovering in the sky high above them. The bird was a rare Marquesas Kingfisher, an endangered species. It swirled in the air currents. With its wings outstretched, the kingfisher looked down at the lovers embracing then flew off toward the sea where it would hunt for prey.

Nine watched the kingfisher as it flew away. The airborne miracle of Mother Nature seemed to mirror his own inner emotional state. He now felt as free as a bird.

THE END

If you enjoyed the writing in this book
you may care to read the
historical
adventure novel
Fiji
, also written by
father
-and-son writing team Lance & James Morcan.

Fiji: A Novel

As the pharaohs of ancient Egypt build their mighty pyramids, and Chinese civilization evolves under the Shang Dynasty, adventurous seafarers from South East Asia begin to settle the far-flung islands of the South Pacific. The exotic archipelago of Fiji is one of the last island groups to be discovered and will remain hidden from the outside world for many centuries to come.

By the mid-1800's, Fiji has become a melting pot of cannibals, warring native tribes, sailors, traders, prostitutes, escaped convicts and all manner of foreign undesirables. It's in this hostile environment an innocent young Englishwoman and a worldly American adventurer find themselves.

Susannah Drake, a missionary, questions her calling to spread God
’
s Word as she
’
s torn between her spiritual and sexual selves. As her forbidden desires intensify, she turns to the scriptures and
prayer
to quash the sinful thoughts
–
without success.

Nathan Johnson arrives to trade muskets to the Fijians and
immediately
finds himself at odds with Susannah. She despises him for introducing the white man
’
s weapons to the very people she is trying to convert and he pities her for her naivety. Despite their
differences
, there
’
s an undeniable chemistry between them.

When their lives are suddenly endangered by marauding
cannibals, Susannah and Nathan are forced to rely on each other for their very survival.

* * *

Fiji
is a spellbinding novel of adventure, cultural
misunderstandings, religious conflict and sexual tension set in one of the most exotic and isolated places on earth.

Fiji
is published by Sterling Gate Books and available now for purchase.

If you enjoyed
The Ninth Orphan
you'll love books two and three in the
Orphan
Trilogy...

The Orphan Trilogy

The Ninth Orphan
is the first novel in the
Orphan
Trilogy. Written by James & Lance Morcan, the first book sets the stage for a new thriller franchise.

The
Orphan
Trilogy includes a prequel,
The Orphan Factory
, and a sequel,
The Orphan Uprising
. Books two and three in the series are coming in 2012.

Are you wanting more of Nine, Isabelle, Seventeen, the other
orphans
and the sinister Omega Agency? Are there questions left in your mind after reading
The Ninth Orphan
? Questions such as...

These questions and more will be answered in the prequel and sequel. Books two and three are as action-packed as
The Ninth
Orphan
,
containing a clever balance of thrills, romance and intrigue.
The Orphan Factory
enlarges on the back story of the first novel.
The Orphan Uprising
picks up where the first novel ended, moving straight into fast action sequences with life-and-death
situations
.

In reading the
Orphan
Trilogy, you will get to know all of Nine
’
s fellow orphans from The Pedemont Project. You will follow their adventures as the orphans grow up with Nine in the prequel then hunt him down in the sequel.

The Orphan Factory
and
The Orphan Uprising
will
both be published by Sterling Gate Books in 2012.