Russell Blake
Emerald Buddha
Books by Russell Blake
THE EYE OF HEAVEN
THE SOLOMON CURSE
FATAL EXCHANGE
THE GERONIMO BREACH
ZERO SUM
THE DELPHI CHRONICLE TRILOGY
THE VOYNICH CYPHER
SILVER JUSTICE
UPON A PALE HORSE
DEADLY CALM
RAMSEY’S GOLD
EMERALD BUDDHA
KING OF SWORDS
NIGHT OF THE ASSASSIN
RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN
REVENGE OF THE ASSASSIN
BLOOD OF THE ASSASSIN
REQUIEM FOR THE ASSASSIN
JET
JET II — BETRAYAL
JET III–VENGEANCE
JET IV — RECKONING
JET V–LEGACY
JET VI — JUSTICE
JET VII — SANCTUARY
JET VIII — SURVIVAL
JET IX — ESCAPE
JET — OPS FILES (prequel)
JET — OPS FILES; TERROR ALERT
BLACK
BLACK IS BACK
BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK
BLACK TO REALITY
AN ANGEL WITH FUR
HOW TO SELL A GAZILLION EBOOKS
(while drunk, high or incarcerated)
About the Author
Featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Times, and The Chicago Tribune, Russell Blake is The NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels, including Fatal Exchange, The Geronimo Breach, Zero Sum, King of Swords, Night of the Assassin, Revenge of the Assassin, Return of the Assassin, Blood of the Assassin, Requiem for the Assassin, The Delphi Chronicle trilogy, The Voynich Cypher, Silver Justice, JET, JET — Ops Files, JET — Ops Files: Terror Alert, JET II — Betrayal, JET III–Vengeance, JET IV — Reckoning, JET V–Legacy, JET VI — Justice, JET VII — Sanctuary, JET VIII — Survival, JET IX — Escape, Upon a Pale Horse, BLACK, BLACK is Back, BLACK is The New Black, BLACK to Reality, Deadly Calm, Ramsey’s Gold, and Emerald Buddha.
Non-fiction includes the international bestseller An Angel With Fur (animal biography) and How To Sell A Gazillion eBooks In No Time (even if drunk, high or incarcerated), a parody of all things writing-related.
Blake is co-author of The Eye of Heaven and The Solomon Curse, with legendary author Clive Cussler. Blake’s novel King of Swords has been translated into German, The Voynich Cypher into Bulgarian, and his JET novels into Spanish, German, and Czech.
Blake writes under the moniker R.E. Blake in the NA/YA/Contemporary Romance genres. Novels include Less Than Nothing, More Than Anything, and Best Of Everything.
Having resided in Mexico for a dozen years, Blake enjoys his dogs, fishing, boating, tequila and writing, while battling world domination by clowns. His thoughts, such as they are, can be found at his blog: RussellBlake.com
Prologue
Birdcalls echoed through the hidden valley as the jungle awakened to a new day. Twenty Khmer warriors stirred to life on the riverbank, blinking in the dense fog that had seeped through a nearby pair of towering karst formations overnight. A team of fatigued oxen grazed a dozen yards from the water, where a ranking member of the royal court sat atop a wooden cart, deep circles shadowing his eyes from many sleepless hours on the long journey into the uncharted wilds.
Inside the ungainly conveyance rested chests containing the Khmer Empire’s treasure — holy relics, gold cups and icons, and gems of immeasurable value. But the most priceless possession was wrapped in a thick blanket: the legendary Emerald Buddha, whose smaller twin resided with the royal family in Thailand, now at war with the Khmers.
The Khmer Empire had been no match for its rival from the south, and only weeks ago the elaborate temple complex of Angkor Wat had fallen to the Thai army, which had sacked it and taken its inhabitants captive. King Ponhea Yat had made a summary decision when he’d heard from his spies that the Thais were approaching the beloved landmark, and had entrusted the nation’s riches to his deputy, Chey, as the rest of the Khmer court retreated north to safety.
A tall man in battle-scarred armor stood and approached the cart, a perpetual frown creasing the hard lines of his face. Sihanouk was one of the fiercest fighters in the entire kingdom, and clearly resented having been assigned to this duty when there was battle to be joined against the Thai invaders. It had not been his choosing to skulk around in the jungle like an old woman. But orders were orders, and he had followed them, whatever his feelings. He had escorted Chey, the royal appointee, deep into unfamiliar territory, and they’d finally arrived at a suitable location, where they would hide the king’s riches until it was safe to return it to the royal court.
“This valley is as well concealed and desolate as any I’ve seen,” Sihanouk began. “But I’m not sure that the treasure will be any safer at the end of the earth than it would be at home, surrounded by loyal warriors.”
“Our job was to find an auspicious location. From here it is out of our hands,” Chey said.
“Fate has been kind to us so far,” Sihanouk agreed. “Let’s hope that the cursed Hill People leave us be until we’re able to finish our work.”
“Have faith that all will turn out well.”
Sihanouk eyed Chey skeptically. “While I appreciate your optimism, I’ll still keep my sword close at hand.”
Chey nodded. “I would expect nothing less.”
There was no love lost between Chey, widely considered by the soldiers to be a schemer and sycophant, and Sihanouk, who had distinguished himself with valor. The king’s choice of confidants was irritating to the warrior, but in the end Sihanouk served at the king’s pleasure, and if he had to comply with Chey’s instructions, he would. But the slimy royal court eel gave Sihanouk doubts, and he would be glad when this mission was over and he could defend his people honorably.
“Do you have a location in mind?” Sihanouk asked.
Chey offered a sly smile. “I have some ideas.”
“We will be hard-pressed to find anything in this soup.”
“It will lift before long. Have the men do something useful while we wait. Set out lines and see if there are fish to be had for breakfast. We will go in search of a suitable spot after we’ve filled our bellies.”
The fog burned off by late morning, and Chey led Sihanouk along the river’s course in search of an auspicious cave. As he’d hoped, there were several; though the water’s erosion of the limestone had been inconsistent over millions of years, and all but one proved too shallow for their purposes. But the final depression was perfect — a narrow opening practically impossible to see from the river’s present course, with a passage into a larger cavern that fed into several smaller chambers.
A month went by, the days long as the men carved the soft stone to suit their needs. On the final morning, Chey supervised the unloading of the cart and the placement of the chests inside. The last item to be situated in the newly created temple was the Emerald Buddha, which glowed in the torchlight, its golden robe dazzling even in the dim light of the cave.
The following morning the soldiers retraced their steps. The cart had been dismantled and its beams sent adrift down the river to obliterate any trace of their passage. Chey followed the column rather than heading it; he’d discharged his obligation and found a haven for the treasure, and was happy to trail the men as Sihanouk led the way.