Book 1
The Alchemist’s Hotel.
At rock bottom, broke, in debt, and running out of options—Simon travels alone to La Paz.What begins as an attempt to rebuild his life becomes something far more dangerous.
Navigating an unreliable world of suppliers and shifting loyalties, he forms an unlikely
partnership with Sofia, a knitwear manufacturer whose work sparks an idea.From a quiet hotel room, Simon develops a method that allows him to move unnoticed
between worlds.Each success draws him deeper. Each mistake carries a cost.
And once the game begins, it is very hard to stop.
Book 1
Chap 1
Alchemist’s Hotel
The eye of the story
We arrived at Alejandro Velasco Astete International at 6 a.m. for our flight from Cusco to Lima. Dozens of Europeans and North Americans milled around in walking boots and cagoules, many carrying rucksacks in what looked like a hikers’ convention. In contrast, locals gathered in family groups to say their goodbyes, while businesspeople carried their trademark briefcases.
Notorious for pickpockets and baggage thieves, the airport set my nerves vibrating like cricket legs. For the third time, I checked my jacket for my wallet and passport. The familiar leather lump wasn’t there.
Cold sweat chilled my torso.
The man in a grey suit beside me shifted away from the queue. I grabbed his arm. Most of my cash was in the suitcase, but the British passport was irreplaceable. He stopped dead, my grip unrelenting.
‘Helen, get the cops. He’s got my wallet.
’My wife looked at me as though I’d gone mad.
‘Simon, he can’t have. I’ve got it. You gave it to me at check-in.’
I blushed as my core temperature rose ten degrees. The poor man yanked his arm free and swore at me in Spanish while I apologised profusely in English, neither of us understanding the other. The words ‘loco’ and ‘gringo’ bridged the divide.
I blushed as my core temperature rose ten degrees.
