Book ExcerptCeltic Run©Sean VogelChapter1Jake clenched his fists. Zach wassauntering down the airplane aisle as if he were the best thing since the iPod.Everyone has an archenemy, Jake thought. Luke Skywalker has DarthVader. Harry Potter has Voldemort. Me? I have Zach.Zach plopped into the seat in frontof Jake and poked his head around to talk.“Hey, twerp, having a good flight?”Just my luck. Five and a half hoursto Ireland behind the goon of the eighth grade. “I’d be having a better flight if you’d test the emergencyexit.”Zach’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, Spanky,you’ll pay for that with your leg room.” He stuffed his duffle under his ownseat until it infringed on Jake’s space. “Oh, wait, you’re only three feettall, so my bag won’t bother you.” Zach chuckled and turned back around towatch a movie on his LCD television screen.Instinctively, Jake stretched hislegs to see if he could reach the duffle with his feet. Shorter than theaverage student, he felt like a dwarf compared to Zach’s football-playerphysique. He glanced at Zach’s seatmate, Julie. Why doesn’t she ever seethis? Jake’s heart pinched as Julieadjusted her position to rest her head on Zach’s shoulder. Her blonde hair laydraped between the seats, its strong berry scent sending a slight tinglethrough Jake’s body.Jake and Julie had grown uptogether. They’d been friends from hide-and-seek to Guitar Hero, which made itthe ultimate blow when she started going out with Zach. Why can’t she seehim for the jerk he is? Jake kicked Zach’s bag out of anger. Good thingno one’s sitting next to me. Then, grinning, he bent forward and slowlyopened the zipper.The first thing he found was a stackof papers. A cover sheet said “The Visitors, by Zachary Maguire.” Laughinginwardly at his good fortune, Jake tucked the manuscript into the seat pocketin front of him for future retrieval. Never pass up good blackmail material.Next, he found Zach’ssecurity-compliant bag of liquids. Jackpot! All that bragging about beingthe only eighth grader to shave is going to haunt him. He pulled out thetravel-sized can of shaving cream and some dental floss and then pried the taboff his empty soda can.He knew Julie wouldn’t approve ofwhat he was about to do. Like a referee who flags the guy returning a punch,she had a knack for seeing only Jake’s retaliations and not Zach’s instigatingoffenses.After jamming the metal tab into thetight gap behind the button, he gingerly pulled forward on the makeshift lever.Mint-scented goo dribbled out. Perfect. Next, he strategically placed acouple of airline blankets inside the duffle to hold the shaving cream can uptoward the opening of the bag. He zipped it closed as far as he could, leavingjust a little access for his fingers. Using a fisherman’s knot, he tied thefloss to the metal tab, pulled the slack out, and tied the other end to thezipper.He bit his lower lip as he pulledthe knot tight. Probably the last time I’ll tie that knot since we no longerhave a boat. The feeling of loss that he experienced on the day his dadsold their sailboat to pay the medical bills had been monumental. He slid theduffle back under the seat and glanced up at the movie. Seen it. Withhis dad laid up, watching movies was about all they could do together now.* * *Hours later, the pilot announcedtheir descent into Ireland. Jake finished scanning the “Trace Your Heritage”homework instructions and folded them into his backpack. He hadn’t wanted toleave New York for the entire summer, but his dad had urged him to go on thisschool trip, saying it would be good for him to see where their family camefrom.Jake tossed his backpack onto theempty seat next to him and peered between the seats as Zach wrapped up thecords of his expensive headphones. Showtime. Pretending to sleep, Jakewatched through slits in his eyes as Zach pulled out his bag.Zach tugged at the zipper. It didn’tbudge. He grunted, tightened his grip, and yanked again. A greenish geyser ofminty foam erupted from the bag, lathering Zach from head to waist.“Argh!” Zach’s arms flailed as hestruggled to wipe the slime from his face. He stopped and blinked severaltimes. Then he stood up, turned, and fixated on Jake.Uh-oh. At ten thousand feet, options for escape were slim.An attendant spoke into theintercom. “Sir, please sit down. We’re making our descent.”Temporarily thwarted, Zach pointedat Jake before making a fist and smacking it into his other palm.“Zach!” Julie scolded.“But look at what he did!” Zachremoved the cream from his face with the last dry part of his shirt.“Well, what did you think he’d do ifyou put your bag there? You know he can’t resist a practical joke!”Jake’s heart pounded. Shenoticed. There is hope.“And Jake, you’ve got to stop withthe pranks.” Jake looked down, not wanting to gaze into her disapproving blueeyes. She’d once confided to Jake that Zach had some insecurities and issueswith his dad, but Jake didn’t think that gave him the right to be a bully.Once the plane landed in Shannon,the group of ten students made their way through customs and baggage claim.They purchased some cookies and drinks at the café and then walked outside intothe mid-morning sun to eagerly await their sponsors. Although most of thestudents would be going to different villages, such as Ballyferriter andCastlegregory, Jake knew that Zach, Julie, and he would be staying in the townof Dingle.He remembered the glint in Julie’seyes when she talked about her dad pulling strings to keep them all close toeach other. She wants me to be friends with her boyfriend? No way.Jake’s name was called. He turned tosee a man in faded pants and a colorful sweater
bounding toward him. The powerful energy in his trim frame was clearly evident.“Dia daoibh, Jake. Mo ainmGerald O’Connell,” he said, warmly extending his hand.Zach stopped dabbing the shavingcream from his clothes. “Whoa, I thought they spoke English here.”“We do.” A girl with long red curlsand a china-white complexion stepped out from behind the man. “Hello. My nameis Maggie O’Connell, and this is my ‘da,’” she said with a charming brogue.Jake recognized her from the photoshe’d sent when they exchanged introductory e-mails. He remembered she wasfifteen, only a year older than he was.Mr. O’Connell inclined his head.“Welcome to Ireland.”Not wanting to pass up theopportunity to upstage Zach, Jake said to Maggie, “That was Irish that yourdad—uh, da—was speaking, right?”Maggie beamed. “That’s impressive.Most Americans would have called it Gaelic.”“My dad drilled me on Irish knowledge.He didn’t want me to bring shame on the McGreevy name.”Maggie smiled in appreciation.“Speaking of names, remember you wrote to ask if there were any McGreevyslisted in our area? Well, I was able to find a few near Killorglin—just aboutan hour away.”“Go raibh mile maith agat.”Jake hoped he’d pronounced the Irish translation for “thank you” correctly.“Nice.”“’Fraid that’s all I’ve learned sofar,” Jake grinned.When Julie’s and Zach’s names werecalled, two well-dressed couples approached them. Jake noticed that as eachperson shook Zach’s hand, his or her nose twitched, probably trying to figureout where the minty smell was coming from. Jake snickered and Zach mouthed athreat at him.In the parking lot, the O’Connellsled Jake to a beat-up hatchback. Mr. O’Connell pounded on the latch to open itand began loading Jake’s bags. As Zach’s and Julie’s sponsors packed theirluggage into their respective luxury cars, Zach called to Jake, “Hey, twerp.Want me to upgrade you to a donkey cart?”Maggie squinted at Zach, as if tobetter understand what he’d just said.Jake turned to her. “What’s Irishfor caveman?”She giggled, mischief sparkling inher eyes. “Try fear pluaise.”“Catch you later, fear pluaise!”All the sponsors laughed. And whenZach’s face deepened to a dark shade of red, Jake could barely conceal hispleasure. I am definitely going to like it here.The car’s exterior may have beendilapidated, but its engine fired right up. Jake struggled to keep his stomachsteady as Mr. O’Connell sped along the highway for the two-and-a-half-hour tripsouth. Their lively conversation made the time fly. It didn’t take long forJake to get used to their accents, but much to his embarrassment, a few timeshe found himself unconsciously mimicking their inflections.“When we get home, you can call yourmum and da and tell them you’re here,” Maggie said.Jake stared out the passengerwindow. “Just my dad. My mom died when I was young.”Maggie twisted in her seat to reachout and touch his arm, hesitated, and then put her hand back by her side. “Tábrón orainn. I mean, I’m so sorry.”“So this is your first time inIreland, right, Jake?” Mr. O’Connell said, gently changing the subject.“Yes. My dad and I have sailed to afew places on our schooner, but we’ve never made it this far.”“Where have you been?” Maggie asked.“Caribbean mostly. The sea downthere is amazing.”“I’ll bet. Well, my da and the othersponsors thought you might enjoy seeing a bit of scenery before settling in.We’re now on Slea Head Drive. Very soon you’ll be able to get your firstglimpse of Blasket Sound, okay?”“Of course.” Jake inched forward inhis seat for a better view.As they rounded the next corner,Maggie stretched her arm out the window and said, “Welcome to Dingle.”Jake’s jaw dropped as the infiniteocean unfolded before him. Soaring cliffs hugged the coastline to stand guardover white-capped waves racing toward the shore like wild horses.“It’s awesome,” Jake said, hoping hedidn’t sound too corny.“The National Geographic Travellerguidebook proclaimed it ‘the most beautiful place on earth,’” Maggieadded with pride.“I can see why.”Thankfully, Mr. O’Connell sloweddown a bit to make the curvy ride more enjoyable. Jake glanced back andsaw that Zach’s and Julie’s sponsors were managing to keep pace with Mr.O’Connell. After twenty minutes, everyone pulled into a small parking lot onthe western tip of the peninsula.Several families were gathered atthe overlook, all taking pictures of the breathtaking view. The sight of the wateroverwhelmed Jake, and he swallowed hard, suppressing memories of his father’ssailboat and better days. Maggie guided the group to the best vantage point.Unlike some of the spectacular cliffs they had passed on the way, this sectionof the peninsula was only fifteen feet above the ocean. The water appearedcalm, but Jake recalled his dad’s many lectures on strong currents and suddenwaves.He looked around at the othertourists and caught sight of a toddler dressed in a thick pink sweater andmatching pants. She tottered after a butterfly, swinging her arms in an attemptto catch it. The insect fluttered away from the throngs of people, toward theedge of the cliff, with the child still in pursuit.Jake swiveled his head around. Nobodyis paying attention to her. He took off toward the girl, screaming forsomebody to stop her, but before anyone could move, the child vanished over theedge. At full speed, Jake shed his shoes and plunged off the cliff.
About Sean VogelGrowing up in a small town inMichigan during the 1980s, Sean was provided with an excellent garden forcultivating his writing career. With only a few simplistic video games andthree television channels, he became an accomplished daydreamer and a creativeoutside adventurer.A son of a garbage truck driver,Sean often received “gently used” items from his father’s route. With a bit ofimagination and a little tinkering, these items were reborn as tools forbattles against backyard bandits. These childhood experiences would later serveas the foundation and inspiration for Jake McGreevy’s gadgetry expertise.Seeking his own adventures, Seanjoined the Army via an ROTC scholarship at Colorado State University. Living inGermany for several years gave him the opportunity to travel extensively inEurope. During his time in the Army, he served in the Field Artillery andSignal Corp, rising to the rank of Captain and receiving the Bronze Star Medal forhis service in Iraq.Sean started drafting novels out ofboredom during long deployments in the military; a pen is easier to carry thana guitar. But he soon fell in love with the frustrating, yet satisfying sciencecalled writing and has been hard at work ever since.When he’s not helping his maincharacter Jake get out of tangles, Sean is a department manager for a largeaerospace company. He lives in Denver with his wife and their two dachshunds.www.seanvogel.comwww.facebook.com/seanvogelauthor
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