SIGN UP for R.J. Patterson's newsletter and stay up to date on all new releases, deals, and special projects: Click here to sign up 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 Any Means Necessary AGAINST ALL ODDS A Brady Hawk Thriller R.J. PATTERSON For Cal Powell, for great friendship and seemingly infinite inside jokes CHAPTER 1 Venice, Italy HAWK ALWAYS IMAGINED snorkeling with his wife on his honeymoon, just not in the murky canal waters of Venice. This excursion wasn’t part of the all-inclusive resort. Instead of coral reefs and colorful fish, his flashlight illuminated petrified wooden pilings and trash still making its way to the bottom of the water. “You doing okay back there?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. Alex flashed him a thumbs up. Will she ever let me live this down? Going on a mission on our honeymoon? I’ll never hear the end of it. Hawk took a hard right and rolled over onto his back. The blue sky beaming down on them from above was still faintly visible. Seconds later, it vanished, covered by a gondola lazily moving along. However, there was still just enough light for Hawk to see an oar slice through the water near his head. He rolled away from the boat and waited until it eased down the canal and the overhead light returned. “Almost there,” he said. Alex didn’t say anything, and Hawk wasn’t sure what that was a sign of. He suspected it wasn’t good. When women go silent, he was preconditioned to believe he’d done something wrong. But Alex? She could be an enigma at times, instead caught up in contemplating something quietly. There was an equal chance that she was stewing over something he’d said during lunch or admiring the architectural brilliance of creating a city in the water out of nothing but wood. Hawk checked his GPS coordinates and followed them to his left, leading right into the boat garage of Andrei Orlovsky, known Russian arms dealer. After surfacing for air, Hawk scanned his surroundings for a dock. He spotted it just on the other side of a sleek motorboat that contained far more horsepower than necessary on its outboard twin engines. As he swam around, he waited for Alex to appear. A few seconds later, her head bobbed out of the water with barely a splash. Operating stealthily was of utmost importance on this operation. When Blunt called and requested Hawk and Alex go on a short mission, Hawk was hesitant. But Blunt made a strong case that they may not have a chance like this again. According to intelligence reports from the CIA, Orlovsky was in Venice on business for a few days and always took his laptop with him. The nearest operatives couldn’t get to Venice and get outfitted before Orlovsky would be gone, disappearing again off the grid. To his credit, Hawk asked Alex if she wanted to go. Her response was less than enthusiastic. “How can we say no?” she said. Hawk wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but it signaled her willingness. He promptly conveyed the message to Blunt, who had equipment at their hotel room less than an hour later. With Orlovsky scheduled to meet an African drug lord for lunch, Hawk and Alex seized the opportunity to go after the coveted intel: Orlovsky’s contact list. The CIA had attempted to acquire the list in the past but failed when Orlovsky discovered the list had been stolen.
