The
Crusaders of the Saltire
Book Two of the
Knights of the Saltire Series
The
Crusaders of the Saltire
Book One 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 © 2010, 2012, 2015, 2019 William Speir
All rights reserved.
Published 2015 by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press, LLC, www.progressiverisingphoenix.com
ISBN: 978-1-944277-57-4
**
Printed in the U.S.A.
Cover Photo: “Group of security forces in Combat Uniforms with rifles, lined in the face of danger. Facing enemy, they stand boldly and ready to protect the nation. Studio contour silhouette shot, backlight” ID: 632066909 by Getmilitaryphotos. Image used under license from Shutterstock.com.
Illustration “The Arms of the Order of the Saltire” by William Speir
Cover design by William Speir
Visit: http://www.williamspeir.com
Formatting by Polgarus Studio
Visit: http://www.polgarusstudio.com
The Crusaders of the Saltire was originally published as The Crusaders of the Saltier in 2011 (ISBN: 978-1-61204-197-1) and as part of The Order of the Saltier Trilogy Special Edition in 2012 (ISBN: 978-1-62212-593-7).
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.
The first five chapters of this book, under the Section Title “A Change In the Wind,” set the stage for the central conflict of the story. Even though the “experts” say that you must introduce your main character in Chapter 1, I felt that it was important to provide context so the book makes sense to the reader. I hope you’ll forgive me for breaking the “rules” of writing.
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 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 you enjoy the revised series. This is for you.
William Speir
April 2015
To Dr. Stephen O. Glosecki who first encouraged my writing and inspired me to express myself on paper.
Table of Contents
1
January 20, Noon
Washington, D.C.
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
It was a sunny but bitterly cold day in Washington, D.C., and the crowd that had been gathering around the Capitol since Monday morning didn’t seem to mind a bit. The cheering was so loud that most of the attendees couldn’t hear the bands play the traditional four ruffles and flourishes followed by “Hail to the Chief.” No one, though, had any difficulty hearing the 21-gun salute fired by the Presidential Guns Salute Battery, 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) – perhaps the only sound that could be heard over the celebrating masses who were witnessing the inauguration of a new President.
It had been a long and strange Presidential campaign. Lester Wallace Hampton, whom many had considered to be a long-shot, won the popular vote in November by the largest landslide in history. Hampton was considered a “man of the people.” Rather than starting his career as a lawyer, he had been a successful businessman and entrepreneur with a talent for making his business partners very wealthy and his customers happy. He had a gift for bringing people with different perspectives and opinions together to build something that no one could accomplish on his or her own.
After getting fed up with the ineffectiveness of his local government, he had decided to run for City Council and won easily. From there, he was elected to his state’s Senate and eventually to the Governor’s mansion. After two terms as Governor, he had the opportunity to run for the United States Senate, but turned that down in favor of the United States House of Representatives. When asked why he preferred to serve in the “lower house,” he replied: “Representatives work for a living; Senators party for a living. I prefer to work.”
When he announced that he’d be running for President of the United States six years later, no one thought that he had a chance. His own party gave him little assistance, preferring to focus its resources on more “bankable” candidates. However, when he won the first three primaries easily, his party had to scramble to catch up to what