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What Others Are Saying
About R.J. Patterson
“R.J. Patterson does a fantastic job at keeping you engaged and interested. I look forward to more from this talented author.”
- Aaron Patterson, bestselling author of SWEET DREAMS
“Patterson has a mean streak about a mile wide and puts his two main characters through quite a horrible ride, which makes for good reading.”
- Richard D., reader
“Like a John Grisham novel, from the very start I was pulled right into the story and couldn’t put the book down. It was as if I personally knew and cared about what happened to each of the main characters. Every chapter ended with so much excitement and suspense I had to continue to read until I learned how it ended, even though it kept me up until 3:00 A.M.
- Ray F., reader
DEAD SHOT
“Small town life in southern Idaho might seem quaint and idyllic to some. But when local newspaper reporter Cal Murphy begins to uncover a series of strange deaths that are linked to a sticky spider web of deception, the lid on the peaceful town is blown wide open. Told with all the energy and bravado of an old pro, first-timer R.J. Patterson hits one out of the park his first time at bat with Dead Shot. It’s that good.”
-Vincent Zandri, bestselling author of THE REMAINS
“You can tell R.J. knows what it’s like to live in the newspaper world, but with Dead Shot, he’s proven that he also can write one heck of a murder mystery.”
- Josh Katzowitz,
NFL writer for CBSSports.com
& author of Sid Gillman: Father of the Passing Game
DEAD LINE
“This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I didn’t really want to put it down. R.J. Patterson has hooked me. I’ll be back for more.”
- Bob Behler
3-time Idaho broadcaster of the year
and play-by-play voice for Boise State football
DEAD IN THE WATER
“In Dead in the Water, R.J. Patterson accurately captures the action-packed saga of a what could be a real-life college football scandal. The sordid details will leave readers flipping through the pages as fast as a hurry-up offense.”
- Mark Schlabach,
ESPN college sports columnist and
co-author of Called to Coach
Heisman: The Man Behind the Trophy
Other titles by R.J. Patterson
Ed Maddux thriller series
King of Queens
To Catch a Spy
Whispers of Treason
Brady Hawk series
Dead Shot
Dead Line
Better off Dead
Dead in the Water
Dead Man's Curve
Dead and Gone
Dead Wrong
Dead Man's Land
Dead Drop
Dead to Rights
Dead End
James Flynn Thriller series
The Warren Omissions
Imminent Threat
The Cooper Affair
Seeds of War
Brady Hawk series
First Strike
Deep Cover
Point of Impact
Full Blast
Target Zero
Fury
State of Play
Siege
Seek and Destroy
Into the Shadows
Hard Target
No Way Out
Two Minutes to Midnight
Against All Odds
NO WAY OUT
A Brady Hawk Thriller
R.J. PATTERSON
For John Moore, a great friend
and an even better man
CHAPTER 1
Cuevita, Colombia
BRADY HAWK PULLED UP on a low-hanging branch and ascended the acacia tree with relative ease. Locating a sturdy limb three-fourths of the way up the trunk, he set up his perch. He pulled out his binoculars to make sure he had a clear line of sight on where the alleged deal was supposed to occur. Once he confirmed his position was optimum, all he could do was wait for darkness to settle over the jungle and Al Hasib agents to engage with the arms dealer pedaling an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Hawk glanced at his right hand steadying him on the branch and watched as an ant crawled nearby. The insect almost seemed disinterested in the presence of a human as it meandered across Hawk’s hand—right up until he felt the searing pain of a bite. Hawk flicked the ant away and turned his attention back toward the meeting place. The area remained devoid of people and any activity.
“Are you sure the intel is good on this one?” Hawk asked over his communication device.
“Getting bored out there?” Alex Duncan asked. “You’re only in one of the most beautiful jungles in the world.”
“Tell that to my itching hand.”
“Mosquitoes?”
“Ants. They look like little ninjas, and their bites pack quite a punch.”
“If only there was something I could do,” Alex said, sarcasm dripping in her voice.
Hawk grunted. “Just trying to make small talk and stay focused. Staring at a clearing in the jungle for several hours isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“I’m not sure anyone ever said—”
“Wait,” Hawk said. “I think I see some movement.”
He peered through his binoculars and saw a large transport truck rumbling across the forest floor.
“Is that it?” Alex asked.
“I’ve got eyes on the target.”
“Well, get ready because they’re going to want to point that thing at somebody after they figure out what we did. If you’re the closest target . . .”
Hawk didn’t need Alex to explain the situation any further. He knew just how dangerous his mission was, which ranged anywhere from captured by extremist Muslim terrorists to annihilated by a missile. No outcome seemed satisfactory to Hawk, except for the one he went to Colombia to achieve: Stop the sale of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) to Al Hasib and return to the U.S. with one of the men associated with German arms dealer Dietrich Oberfelk.
The thrum of insects and sounds of other nocturnal animals filling up the night air paused briefly due to the grumbling diesel engine that invaded the territory. The brakes squeaked as the monstrous vehicle slowed to a stop. After a few seconds, the doors to the truck’s cabin swung open and a half dozen armed men spilled out. Moving with precision, they circled the truck and inspected the weapon.
Hawk shook his head in disbelief that a weapon that size had found its way into the jungle without a pursuing entourage.
“How did they get that thing in here?” Hawk asked aloud.
“You’re in Colombia,” Alex answered. “Grease a few palms, customs agents look the other way.”
“But they had to
