Gene, a truth seeker, possesses an insatiable desire to prove to himself and others whether or not the Bible is truly inspired by God or manufactured by powerful, manipulative men. He gains knowledge of secretly held manuscripts that could unveil the truth. His contact is an alluring female and a free-loving spirit. Allison, a seductive temptress and dealer in fine art, learns of a talented and mysterious artist she must locate to introduce to the art world. She is assisted by a handsome, Spanish, conquistador of women. Gene and Allison meet, love consumes them, and they journey to the Costa del Sol in Spain, where both of their treasures await. A Breath of Truth By Marlin Peters Balboa Press Copyright © 2015 Marlin Peters All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-5043-2839-5 CHAPTER 1 Gene Dixon tried to sneak into his own house. Late afternoon, in the early spring of 1973, Gene hoped the WD-40 he previously sprayed on the hinges of the side door had done its job. He grasped the knob, turned it slowly, and pushed his weight into it. "Where've you been?" Julia's taut voice cut at him from the kitchen. Gene headed for the stairs. After five years of marriage to Julia, he couldn't remember when her voice sounded less than angry. "Be right there," he sing-songed in answer as he leapt three steps at a time to his bedroom upstairs. From his jacket pocket he pulled out the fragile plastic bag stuffed with a quarter-ounce of what he considered to be one sweet-smelling herb. "Daddy, what's in the bag?" Gene jumped when he heard his four-year old daughter's voice. "Hey there, Ann, honey. Were you in your room playing?" She persisted, "Daddy, what's in your bag?" "Only tomato seeds, Ann. We'll plant some in our garden as soon as it gets warmer." "Can I help?" "Of course you can. Now go see if supper is ready. Tell your Mom I'll be down in a minute." Gene felt a familiar twinge of self-loathing. He enjoyed smoking a little pot occasionally, but he hated always having to sneak, hide, and lie about it. None of his close friends did drugs. Neither his nor Julia's family would even think of considering doing illegal drugs. His conscience gnawed at him as he wrapped the bag in an old pair of socks, tucking it into the back of his drawer. He followed the smells of dinner down the stairs. "Tomato seeds? What ridiculous lie will you come up with next?" Julia took a deep breath, filling her lungs with retribution to spew at her husband. But then, to Gene's great surprise, she glued her lips together in a straight line and exhaled a slow, controlled breath through her nose. Gene felt instantly wary. Usually these fights lasted for hours. Especially the ones about his drug use, because that was an easy gateway to all of Julia's other complaints: his lack of ambition, his independent streak, his attraction to communing with nature, his disregard for most anything Julia wanted him to be. He watched as she finished setting the table. "Let's just sit down and eat," she said. "I made your favorite dessert." Gene was certain now that Julia wanted something from him as she endeavored to keep him in a good mood. He didn't know the reason for this unexpected change, but happily he decided to sit down to enjoy what promised to be a peaceful meal. After supper, he retired to the living room to do a little reading. Julia joined him after she finished cleaning up the dishes. "I'd like to get your opinion on something," she said. "Check out this book and tell me what you think." "Is this one of those Witness books? I already told you I'm not interested in your religion." Gene grimaced remembering how Julia embraced the faith of her father's family shortly after Ann was born, causing yet another source of tension between the couple. "I only want your opinion on the book. I'm not asking you to become a Witness. I thought maybe you'd be interested because you're always reading stuff. Besides, I thought you wouldn't mind knowing more about it now that Ann is getting a little older." Gene considered this for a moment. Of course he wanted to be a good father, so he shrugged and said, "Sure, I'll check it out." He paused as he received the book from Julia, fingering the smooth blue cover. "You can believe I'll tell you exactly what I think of it." He pretended to be stubborn, setting the book down on the end table next to him while going back to the book he'd been reading. With his curiosity piqued, he waited until Julia went to bed, then he picked up the little blue book Jehovah's Witnesses referred to as the "Truth Book". He glanced through the table of contents noticing with interest a chapter referencing the cross Jesus was supposed to have been crucified on. He remembered how his mother always wore a necklace with a cross and Jesus nailed to it. Not that she was much of a Christian, he vaguely thought. The crucifix seemed to him as good a place to start as any. He felt himself being drawn in as he learned that, according to the book,