Down Range
Page 30
Garrett hated to think Asadi had to return at all. But if that’s what it took to make the government officials behind the massacre pay for their crimes, then that’s what they’d do. And he’d be by the boy’s side every step of the way. Although it wasn’t the fix he wanted, Garrett would take what he could get.
“And after he testifies, you’ll look into a permanent solution?”
“Not making any promises. But I will say that if I do get this done, you need to understand one very important thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Next time I need a bull in a china shop, you’re my first phone call.”
Garrett didn’t ask what that meant because he already knew. Conscription was a no questions asked kind of deal. Kim had plans to make him a domestic operator, her black bag soldier back in the homeland. It wasn’t just bending the rules, it was shattering them to pieces. But to save Asadi from the hell to come he’d do that and a whole lot more.
Apparently, Garrett had more in common with Ike Hodges than he cared to admit. Given his newfound arrangement with the CIA, he was willing to accept that the law could be a little hazy sometimes, particularly when the lives of loved ones were concerned.
Kim’s demeanor relaxed further with her next question. “You want to see him?”
He didn’t even have to answer, his expression said it all.
Kim moved to the door, ducked her head out, and waved Asadi inside. His first steps were a bit timid, but when he saw Garrett, a big smile crept across his face. He ran to him so fast he nearly lost his balance and slammed into the bed.
Garrett winced a little as the skinny arms flew around his neck, but he didn’t mind it at all. Every bit of the boy’s warmth and affection was worth the pain.
In three days’ time, Garrett had gone from white hat to black hat, until settling on a nice shade of gray. He’d always been partial to a silverbelly anyhow, so the look was about right.
In Asadi’s tight embrace, Garrett pondered what on earth would possibly come next. But among the many uncertainties, one thing was for sure. On top of making this boy his own, he’d devote himself to blood, soil, and paying back his debts. Ghosts be damned. This cowboy was home and he intended to stay.
Acknowledgments
Many believe writing a novel is a solitary endeavor. While there are long, lonely hours, the reality is that it’s far from a solo affair. To my friends, family, and mentors who’ve been there every step of the way, I offer my deepest gratitude.
To my agent, John Talbot, I will forever be grateful for your faith, guidance, and vision, without which, none of this would be possible. To my editor, David Highfill, I thank you and William Morrow/HarperCollins for inviting me to join the most talented authors in the world. I’m honored and humbled to be on your team.
To esteemed writers Bruce Edwards, Linda Broday, and Jodi Thomas, without your mentorship and guidance I would not be here. Not only are you the best critique partners a writer could ask for, I’m proud to call you my friends. I also want to thank authors John R. Erickson and Bethany Claire. Without your encouragement and advice, I would not have taken this great leap of faith. Thank you to all above for your belief in me as a writer.
To pilots Jason Abraham, owner of the Mendota Ranch, and CW4 Boyd N. Curry (Ret.), U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, thank you for your expertise on helicopters. By pushing some boundaries, we definitely came up with something fun, unique, and exciting.
To my longtime friend Cade Browning, I thank you for both your legal and equine knowledge. To friends Sam Pender, Sergio Alcantera, and Ed Hesher, I appreciate your petroleum and geological expertise.
For ensuring historical accuracy, I thank Alex Hunt, Vincent/Haley Professor of Western Studies, Director of the Center for the Study of the American West (CSAW), West Texas A&M University; and William Elton Green, Curator of History, Emeritus, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) for their efforts. Both CSAW and PPHM do a fantastic job preserving and showcasing the region’s rich heritage and we are very lucky to have them.
To the International Thriller Writers and the ThrillerFest staff and volunteers, thank you for representing our genre and for putting on one of the best events in the business. I can’t express how much ThrillerFest has meant to me as a venue to grow, network, and cultivate lifelong friendships.
To the military, intelligence, and law enforcement personnel who will go unnamed, I thank you for helping me to create an authentic experience for the reader. More importantly, I thank you for your service and sacrifice for this great country.
To my parents, Robert and Holly Moore, and my sister, Allison Jensen, I offer my sincerest thanks for a lifetime of love and encouragement. Thank you for a wonderful upbringing and helping me become the man I am.
It is to my beautiful wife, Diana, and our precious children, Bennett and Maddie, that I owe the biggest debt of gratitude. Without their trust, support, and sacrifice becoming a novelist would still be a dream. Diana, you and the kids are my inspiration, my greatest blessing from above, and my reason to reach for the stars. My love for you is beyond measure.
About the Author
TAYLOR MOORE is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up on a farm and ranch northwest of Houston. He is a former CIA intelligence officer who worked in both analysis and operations and later consulted for the Department of Defense in Theater Security Cooperation, Force Protection, and Counternarcotics. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle with his wife and two children, where he is a full-time author and speaker. Down Range is his debut novel, and the first in a series featuring Garrett Kohl.
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Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
down range. Copyright © 2021 by Robert Taylor Moore. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
first edition
Title page photo © Menyhert/stock.adobe.com
Title page illustration © gerilya/stock.adobe.com
Cover design and illustration by Patrick Kang
Cover photographs © MW Collaboration/Arcangel Images (man); © Shane White/Shutterstock (hair); © Tinxi/Shutterstock (hat); © Guy J. Sagi/Shutterstock (rifle, scope); © Silvio Ligutti/Shutterstock (mountains); © MSPT/Shutterstock (sky); © Matt Gibson/Shutterstock (grass)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Moore, Taylor, author.
Title: Down range: a novel / Taylor Moore.
Description: First edition. | New York, NY: William Morrow, [2021] | Series: Garrett Kohl; vol 1
Identifiers: LCCN 2020055124 (print) | LCCN 2020055125 (ebook) | ISBN 9780063066502 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780063066519 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780063111578 | ISBN 9780063090187 | ISBN 9780063066526 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Suspense fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3613.O5685 D69 2021 (print) | LCC PS3613.O5685 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020055124
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020055125
Digital Edition AUGUST 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-306652-6
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-306650-2
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