The Story Behind Encounter by Hep Aldridge

 Encounter the culminating volume in the Sunken Treasure Lost Worlds trilogy. This story finds Dr. Colten X. Burnett, an amateur archeologist and serious adventurer, and his Risky Business Ltd. team heading back down to Ecuador continuing their search for the legendary Golden Library. Leaving legal entanglements over their recent discovery and recovery of treasures within a Spanish Galleon, behind, they unknowingly jump headfirst into the most dangerous and most amazing part of their adventure.

Local zealots trying to keep the library from outside discovery and foreign mercenaries working for none other than a faction within the Vatican, stand in their way. Both with orders to eliminate Colt’s team. The mystery of whom they can trust grows. The only things they know they can rely on are each other, their own wits and the mysterious “Uncle Harold,” a Navy ex-pat with a CIA, or other alphabet soup covert agency background. His loyalty, and dependability, has served them well in past expeditions.

The team’s foray into the mountains is fraught with dangerous encounters and amazing discoveries as they go in search of the lost city of the gods, their first step in finding the library. This step leads them into an amazing world of mans’ ancient history, hundreds of thousands of years old, and face to face with the origin of some of the “true” ancient ancestors of Earth.

What started out as a hunt for underwater treasure, in book 1, (Sunken Treasure Lost Worlds) grew into a mystery of astronomical proportions in book 2, (Revelations) and culminates in book 3, Encounter a life and Earth changing tour de force.

Colts team is made up of long-time trusted friends, and colleagues, he purposely chose to become part of Risky Business Ltd., his treasure hunting company, because of their skills and personalities. Each brings their own talents and expertise to the team. They include:

Dimitri Sokolov –His crazy right-hand man, born and bred in United States with a Russian heritage, love for Vodka, guns and things that go boom. Scuba diver and Ex-Army MP.

“Doc” Ryan Greene– Coast Guard Academy, rescue swimmer (diver), paramedic and now, after a mid-life career change, a respected and internationally known linguistics expert.

Joe Sebastani – An electronic wizard, machinist with master’s degrees, in Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Main area of focus acoustics. Work experience contractor for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, working on sonic weaponry. Left the rat race and lives on a sailboat in Merritt Island Florida. Certified Scuba diver.

Dr. Lawrence Goodson – Lawyer, wine connoisseur, ladies-man, and diver.

Col. Duncan Fitzsimmons (ret.) – President Acme Inc. Aeronautical R&D firm, Bithlo, Fl. Helicopter pilot Viet Nam Black Stetsons, industrial millionaire, and covert tech support for Colt and RBL. Specializes in making the impossible, possible via the latest technologies.

Shannon O’Reilly – Ex-CIA operative, analyst, and extraordinary chopper pilot for Fitz before moving over to RBL. To work on Colt’s team. Clever, daring, and tough.

Regina Simpson (Reggie) – Army brat and Vet. Action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Expert marksman, Black belt Karate, and Kung Fu, and Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do style of fighting. Owner/operator of Expeditions Extreme.

Augustus Falconetti (Gus) – Captain of the Falcon, the recovery vessel hired by Colt to work on the Galleon recovery. The ultimate, salty, loyal, and experienced seaman. Ex-Navy UDT.

Dr. Colten X. Burnett (Colt)-Founder and leader of the Risky Business Limited crew. Spirited and often daring, Colt’s background as an Air Force Special Forces’ Ranger, his lifelong interest in treasure hunting, historical legends, space exploration, numerous archaeological trips to Central and South America, diving, motorcycle racing, capped by years as a college administrator, make him a natural “leader of the pack.”  Modeled after many of the life experiences (and daydreams!) of the actual author of this series, Hep Aldridge, known among friends for natural story-telling abilities, this trilogy, brings Colt and crew to life. Most significantly, the books imbue the fantasy and reality of Hep’s favorite past-times and experiences, with warmth, wit and wonder for a broad cross-section of readers to enjoy.

Hep Aldridge is the author of the new book Encounter

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