Razi Imam - Masters of the Broken Watches

Masters Of

The Broken Watches

R AZI I MAM

Masters Of The Broken Watches

by Razi Imam

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locations and

events are either a product of the authors imagination, fictitious or

used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any event, locale or person,

living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2020 Razi Imam

No portions of this book, except for book reviews, may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form

by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Cover Designer: Maegan Beaumont - MW Designs

Cover photograph provided by: Depositphoto

Interior Design and Formatting: Deborah J Ledford - IOF Productions Ltd

Issued in Print and Electronic Formats

Trade Paperback ISBN: 979-8616971159

Manufactured in the United States of America

All rights reserved

Praise For

MASTERS OF THE BROKEN WATCHES

Masters of the Broken Watches is an incredibly self-aware 21st century global science fiction thriller. Its profoundly universal themes of family, love, determination and discovery are woven within an accessible yet fast-paced plot with incredibly relatable and captivating characters. - Farhad Asghar

This book is jam-packed with action, adventure and magic! It takes you on a fantastical journey filled with descriptive imagery from start to finish. One of my favorite lines from the book is: Gleaming beauty of the illogical moment.which to me, perfectly surmises much of what the very real characters experience. A page turner for sure! - Hina Khan

Masters of the Broken Watches envelopes the reader in a world of adventure, science, mystery, and heart! It perfectly intertwines proven science with imagination that leaves you wishing the world in MOTBW could be a reality. An absolute page turner that is so vividly written that it feels like you are pausing a movie when putting the book down. - Zoha Imam

MOTBW is one of those books that is hard to put down and once you have finished it, it makes you desperate for the sequels. It has a theme that touches upon the deepest mysteries of the universe that have mystified humankind since the beginning. - Sobia Ahmad

Fast paced, gripping and entirely plausible. The length and depth of scientific research is commendable. Looking forward to the next episode, the twists and turns and the direction the story takes. - Arif Hasan

I found the story quite compelling and the book was difficult to put down. The science fiction was extremely imaginative and the characters believable. - Arnold Shoulder

Masters Of The Broken Watches is one of those books that completely drag s you in, and makes you fall in love with its characters. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. I love the way the author mixed adventure, action and commonplace everyday life occurrences. Like the wonderful mouth watering recipes from around the world, which tempt you into the kitchen to try them out for yourself! In newspeak Double Plus good cant wait for the sequel! - Atiya Hasan

A fascinating read that will make you question how we think and perceive time. Written in a pacy and punchy style, the broad arch of the story will leave you thinking about the possibilities for the future. The core concept is a unique take that combines an action thriller with science and philosophy.

- Kashif Hasan

I was absorbed from the first page and couldnt put it down! Such colorful & vivid writing of a great action story interwoven with scientific facts and theory. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters and look forward to their further adventures! - Lynne Zapadka

As an avid reader, finding a book that is wondrously unique is like finding a rare gem. Masters of the Broken Watches is such a book! This science fiction thriller is an action-packed paged turner featuring exceptional and well-developed characters ( some youll love; some youll love to hate! ) and a plot thats unlike any Ive come across before. Its comprised of all the things that make up a masterful story. The level of research the author had to perform in order to write this book is impressive to say the least. You will not want to put MOTBW down, and youll be left aching for a sequel. I highly, excitedly recommend! - Ruth Netanel

A rousing adventure. I finished MOTBW last night and thought it was excellent! I found it to be filled with so many clever, creative ideas and interesting characters who were constantly thrust into difficult situations I didnt know how they were going to escape. For all the grandness of the story, it was the details included (the food, the technology, the settings) that really grabbed me and pulled me in. Its a truly impressive work. - Shad Connely

The author has masterfully created a fantastic adventure while weaving in details predicated on scientific principles. The reader is empowered to vicariously experience this stimulating journey through the eyes of the protagonists. This novel is a captivating page-turner that is hard to put down. - Andy Mecs

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

Wave:

A wave brings energy, motion and power.

It shapes the shores, carves rocks and creates structures.

It brings balance, and rejuvenation.

It brings life.

This book is dedicated to my wife Saman, the wave of my life.

Your reality is not what you see, feel or live.

It is what you think, wonder and dream.

~ R azi I mam

MAP 1

MAP 2

MAP 3

PROLOGUE

The Red Mist

Yucatn Peninsula - 300 A.D.

THEY ARE TAKING my child away! Itzel cried, looking out of her hut at two approaching military guards. The red mist behind them blurred through her tears.

Itzel, Quiche law is clear, her husband Sachihiro answered softly. When the war chief summons for a familys baby, he must be handed over. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he held their ten-month-old boy in his lap. The baby reached his hands up to his fathers face, cooing.

They are taking him into the red mist! Itzel shouted. I will miss his entire childhood. She gazed at her child, stroking his forehead.

One of the guards barged in and took the child from Sachihiros arms. Itzel followed him out, crying and pleading, Dont take my child! Please, please, dont take my child! Other villagers stood outside their huts, watching the traumatic separation.

Itzel and Sachihiro hung close to the guard as he approached the mist. A second guard pointed his obsidian spear, warning them not to follow. They collapsed to the ground in despair as the guard and their baby disappeared into the wall of glowing red particles.

Three days later, a young man approached their hut. Itzel stepped outside and smiled as the man bowed. She traced her hands across his face. Sachihiro, she called, her voice trembling, our son has returned.

CHAPTER ONE

The Su Vang Fish

Dont be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.

~ Rumi

PHAM KAI STEPPED into his front yard. His house was tiny, a single room with a small area for a kitchen. The walls were made of coarse cement with a thin corrugated sheet of tin for a roof. The floor was a packed mixture of mud and red clay that gave off an earthy scent when water was sprinkled on it. It was a clean house. His front yard was a small piece of land no bigger than a dinner table. An old wooden bench sat under a blue tarp stretching out from the house, supported by two bamboo sticks. He sat down, admiring the changing shades of the dusky sea.