The Knights Victorious. William Speir

      The Knights Victorious

      Book Six of the

      Knights of the Saltire Series

      The Knights Victorious

      Book Six of the

      Knights of the Saltire Series

      By

      William Speir

      No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

      Text Copyright © 2016 William Speir

      All rights reserved.

      Published 2016 by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press, LLC, www.progressiverisingphoenix.com

      ISBN: 978-1-944277-69-7

      *

      Printed in the U.S.A.

      Cover Photo: “Team squad of special forces in action in the desert among the rocks covered by smoke screen under cover of darkness” ID: 729181411 by Getmilitaryphotos. Image used under license from Shutterstock.com.

      Illustration “The Arms of the Order of the Saltire” and “The Map of Suriname” by William Speir

      Cover design by William Speir

      Visit: http://www.williamspeir.com

      Formatting by Polgarus Studio

      Visit: http://www.polgarusstudio.com

      Introduction

      I first began writing The Knights of the Saltire in 2010. At the time, it was intended to be a stand-alone book, but before the first draft was completed, ideas for the next two books in The Order of the Saltire Trilogy had come to me. By the time The Knights of the Saltire was first published, I had already started writing the sequel trilogy, The Sentinels of the Saltire. This was followed by Legacy of the Grand Master, which was originally intended to be the first book in The Children of the Saltire series but remains a stand-alone novel.

      In 2012, I took the opportunity to revise the first three books and release the trilogy in a single hardback edition. This was followed by a release of the first and second trilogies in ebook format. I have since written several other novels, and as my writing improved, I felt dissatisfied with the quality of the Saltire series. So in 2015, I made the decision to revise all seven books in the series and release new editions.

      This book continues the Order’s conflict with the new enemy. The first five chapters of this book, under the Section Title “Transition of Power,” follow the same structure as in the first two books of the trilogy, but the action picks up immediately where the previous book ends. This is different from the other books in the series, but it made the most sense to the story.

      I’d like to thank my wife, Lee Anne, for her tireless support of my writing career. She encourages me and helps keep me focused and grounded. Without her love and support, I could accomplish nothing. I also want to acknowledge my children: Sonya and her husband Tom, and Brad and his wife Susie and son Colten. They are my inspiration.

      I’d like to thank my sister Linda Speir for her valuable edits, critiques, and suggestions. I am grateful for the time and effort that she has put into helping me with my writing.

      A final thanks goes to my fans, who show their appreciation daily by buying my books and encouraging others to do the same. I hope that you enjoy the revised series. This is for you.

      William Speir

      April 2015

      To my sister Linda, who has helped me to become a better writer.

      Table of Contents

       Transition Of Power

       A Daring Move

       Counter Offensive

       The Few, The Proud

       Homecoming

TRANSITION OF POWER

      1

      Saturday, November 9, Afternoon

      Paramaribo Commandery

      “Check upstairs,” the Corporal in charge of the rebel soldiers said to three members of his squad.

      The Corporal looked around the first floor of the Commandery. The building was inside his patrol area. He had been assigned to take command of this area once the capital was secured and the Legion started its withdrawal to the south of the city. He normally wouldn’t have entered the building at all, but the presence of so many vehicles inside a walled compound made him curious. He had knocked on the door, and he made the decision to search inside when no one answered.

      When he led his squad through the front door, he wondered why there were so many cars parked outside of an empty building. He made his way cautiously through the foyer and saw the stairs leading to the second floor. After he ordered three of his soldiers to check the second floor, he motioned for the rest of his soldiers to spread out and finish searching the first floor.

      The Corporal felt uneasy as he searched the darkened building. There were no signs of anyone inside the building, but the presence of so many cars outside wasn’t easy for him to explain. He had just finished searching a large open room in the rear of the building when the three soldiers he sent upstairs returned.

      “There’s no one up there,” one of the soldiers reported.

      “Are you sure? No one’s hiding anywhere up there?” the Corporate asked.

      “Not that we saw,” the soldier responded. “We checked every room and every door. It’s deserted.”

      “Maybe they heard the gunfire, ran out to see what was happening, and got picked up by another patrol,” another soldier offered.

      “And maybe there’s a hiding place around here we haven’t found yet,” the Corporate stated angrily. “Spread out and search everything again. If someone’s hiding in this building, I want to know where they are.”

      The soldiers nodded and went back upstairs. The Corporal walked back to the foyer and looked around again. He noticed a niche that he had seen when he first walked in, but when he went over to it, he realized it was actually an opening to another small room. Cautiously, he stepped through the opening.

      The antechamber just off the foyer was about ten feet square. As the Corporal entered, he saw that it served as a coat closet. There were long rods along the left and right walls with coat hangers on them, and on the back wall was an oversized, full-length mirror. The Corporal walked forward, looked around, and turned to walk back to the foyer.

      Just behind the mirror, the Knight from the Paramaribo Commandery silently exhaled. He had been holding his