#fiction #shortstory #adventurethriller
A chance discovery at a local bookshop catapults history professor Dr. Wallace Jones into a deadly game of pursuit and peril. When he stumbles upon a worn leatherbound book filled with alchemical symbols, Jones is shocked to find it contains the very formulas he needs to heal his own failing health and that of his wheelchairbound niece.

But the book has also caught the eye of a ruthless criminal mastermind who will stop at nothing to harness its power.

After a heartpounding chase through the historic streets of St. Augustine, Florida, Jones must grapple with an impossible choice destroy the knowledge that could heal his ailing body and that of his wheelchairbound niece, or allow it to fall into the hands of those who would use it for devastating effect.

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You can read this story at https://gladysstrickland.com/thebook...

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This story was initially inspired by a visit to Saint Augustine, Florida in 2023. It was overcast and misty for a couple of days, and the atmosphere lended itself to this story of a man running through the Old Town to retrieve a stolen book.

You can read more of my short stories, as well as learn about my novels at https://gladysstrickland.com/fiction/