by Ponzo, Gary
THRILLING THIRTEEN
Thirteen Best Selling Thrillers
Thrilling Thirteen Synopses
A Touch of Deceit, Gary Ponzo
Russian Hill, Ty Hutchinson
Arctic Wargame, Ethan Jones
Look For Me, Traci Hohenstein
The Last Horseman, Frank Zafiro
The Diplomat, Ethan Jones
The Recruiter, Dani Amore
Mark Taylor: Genesis, MP McDonald
In the Shadow of El Paso, Frank Zafiro
Don’t Close Your Eyes, Lawrence Kelter
Quicksilver, Toni Dwiggins
Least Wanted, Debbi Mack
Absence of Light, Zoe Sharp
Thrilling Thirteen Copyright © 2014
The included works are copyrighted by their respective authors.
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Except for the use in reviews, the reproduction or utilization of these works in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, or by any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission from the copyright holders and doing so constitutes copyright infringement.
This book is comprised of works of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writers’ imaginations or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
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Thrilling Thirteen Synopses
A Touch of Deceit
FBI agent Nick Bracco can't stop a Kurdish terrorist from firing missiles at random homes across the country. The police can't stand watch over every household, so Bracco recruits his cousin Tommy to help track down this terrorist. Tommy is in the Mafia. Oh yeah, it gets messy fast. As fast as you can turn the pages.
Russian Hill
A killer is loose in San Francisco, and he's collecting body parts. SFPD has no witnesses and no suspects, but FBI Agent Abby Kane believes a dead hiker found ten miles north of the city is the key to solving those crimes. The detective involved with the case thinks Abby might be chasing a ghost down a rabbit hole, but the more Abby digs, the more she begins to think the killer is playing a game and there's an audience cheering him on.
Arctic Wargame
Canadian Intelligence Service Agent Justin Hall—combat-hardened in operations throughout Northern Africa—has been demoted after a botched mission in Libya. When two foreign icebreakers appear in Canadian Arctic waters, Justin volunteers for the reconnaissance mission, eager to return to the field. His team discovers a foreign weapons cache deep in the Arctic, but they are not aware that a spy has infiltrated the Department of National Defense. The team begins to unravel a treasonous plan against Canada, but they fall under attack from one of their own. Disarmed and stripped of their survival gear, they are stranded in a remote location. Now the team must survive the deadly Arctic not only to save themselves, but their country.
Look For Me
Three-year-old Mallory Scott has disappeared from her home in the exclusive Bal Harbour neighborhood of North Miami. With no eye witnesses and very few clues, Rick and Rachel Scott have experienced every parent’s worst nightmare. After weeks of looking for their daughter, Rachel’s hopelessness and desperation has grown out of control at the lack of leads in her daughter's case. When another toddler vanishes in a nearby city, Rachel begins to wonder if there is a connection. She leaves her socialite life and high-profile real estate career to help find him. As the search for Mallory and the missing toddler continues, Rachel uncovers a startling secret that will change her life forever--and she discovers just how far she is willing to go to find her own daughter.
The Last Horseman
Sandy Banks is the last of The Four Horsemen, a vigilante group of ex-cops determined to right the injustices of a broken court system. But now the project is disintegrating, putting him in the middle of chaos. Betrayed by his final partner, blackmailed by the project head and pursued by federal agents bent on busting the case wide open, Sandy scrambles to escape this mayhem with his soul intact.
The Diplomat
Justin Hall is in Lagos, Nigeria, to handle the exchange of a Canadian diplomat who has been taken hostage for ransom by local rebels. The dangerous exchange goes sideways, and Justin wonders if he can trust his team. He turns to an old asset, a woman working for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. With her help and after the arrival of Carrie O’Connor, Justin’s partner in the Canadian Intelligence Service, they discover the unexpected truth about the diplomat’s kidnapping. With time running out and no one else to turn to, Justin and Carrie are thrust into a game of shadows as they devise a clever plan to turn the tables on the kidnappers.
The Recruiter
What would happen if a military recruiter refused to take no for an answer? In this gripping thriller, Samuel Ackerman has one dream: to become a Navy SEAL. But after dropping out of the legendary unit's training program known as Hell Week, he is forced to become a recruiter in his small hometown. In order to earn a return trip to SEAL training, he must have a successful turn as a recruiter. As he soon proves, he will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Mark Taylor: Genesis
Mark Taylor's life changes forever when he finds an antique camera in an Afghan bazaar. Back home in Chicago, he discovers that the camera has a strange and unique ability--it produces photographs of tragedies yet to happen. Gifted with powers to change destiny, what drives him to risk his life for others? And when presented with photos of 9/11 a day before it happens, what else can he do but attempt to save lives and thwart catastrophe? In this prequel to No Good Deed, find out how Mark Taylor was gifted with powers to change destiny. What drove him to risk his life for others, and why did everything go so wrong on that fateful September day?
In the Shadow of El Paso
Carl is a Yankee cop in a small Texas border town. Isabella is a beautiful Mexican woman that everyone in town loves, including the hapless Pete and the wealthy, powerful Jack...but most of all, Carl. Part romance, part police procedural, IN THE SHADOW OF EL PASO contains two short stories. Both stories explore love, race, class and the ambiguity that exists on the southern border.
Don’t Close Your Eyes
Three very different women have been murdered and NYPD Detective Stephanie Chalice wants to know why. Her case begins on the Roosevelt Island tram. The conductor has been shot, but lying next to him is the real mystery: a woman who might appear to have died of natural causes if not for the handwritten note stuffed in her mouth that simply reads "Look back!” When a second woman is found dead with a rag in her mouth and another cryptic note found nearby, Chalice realizes that a psychopath is stalking Manhattan, on the prowl for a very special type of woman. Part of the murderer’s twisted game is leaving intentional clues for the police, clues designed not only to taunt, but also to do something much worse. Chalice will uncover startling truths about who she really, but will it help her to discover the killer’s real purpose before another woman dies?
Quicksilver
A young man disappears in the wilderness of the California mother lode. He leaves behind a gold-flecked rock and a vial of liquid mercury. He is a misfit in the modern world, a throwback to the Gold Rush days. A venture capitalist--whose gold country is Sili
con Valley--hires forensic geologists Cassie Oldfield and Walter Shaws to track his missing brother. Following one of the 'lost rivers' of California, Cassie and Walter plunge into the dark history of the legendary lands, into the dark past of the brothers, into a poisonous sibling feud that threatens both lives and the land. And the question then becomes: which brother is on the hunt?
Least Wanted
Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae's busy, but orderly life as a Maryland lawyer takes a chaotic turn when two clients are accused of murder. A poor, black girl is accused of killing her mother. A young man suspected of embezzlement is accused of murdering his boss. The cases collide in a bizarre way involving girl gangs and computer pornography. Sam ventures into the heart of DC's suburban ghettos to find answers. A maniacal killer who'll do anything to hide them stalks her. After a nearly disastrous confrontation, Sam must do business on the run. As the body count grows, Sam races to learn the truth and clear her clients before she becomes the next victim.
Absence of Light
A major earthquake sees ex-Special Forces soldier-turned-bodyguard Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Fox on a transport plane headed for the scene of devastation. The way things are coming apart at home with Sean Meyer, she welcomes the chance to get away. Tasked as security advisor to the specialist team at the centre of relief efforts, Charlie knows it won’t be easy. The team members are willing to put themselves in constant danger as a matter of course. But what kind of other risks are they prepared to take? As Charlie soon discovers, it’s not just the ground beneath her feet that cannot be relied on. Her predecessor died conveniently while investigating rumours that the team were on the take, Charlie’s been instructed to quietly uncover whether his death was as accidental as the official verdict suggests. If it was an accident, why are they so obviously lying to her? Charlie must move with care through a shifting landscape to find the answers before there are more than just earthquake victims buried in the rubble. And when disaster strikes she will learn not only whom she can trust, but whether she can survive the darkness that comes with a total absence of light.
A TOUCH OF DECEIT
By
Gary Ponzo
A Touch of Deceit Copyright © Gary Ponzo 2010
All rights reserved.
Website: garyponzo.com
Blog: strongscenes.com
This book is a work of fiction and the creation of author Gary Ponzo.
To Jennifer, Jessica, and Kyle. All that matters.
Chapter 1
There was a time when Nick Bracco would walk down Gold Street late at night and young vandals would scatter. The law was present and the guilty took cover. West Baltimore was alive with crime, but Gold Street remained quarantined, reserved for the dirtiest of the dirty. That’s how Nick remembered it anyway. Before he left for the Bureau to fight terrorists. Now, the narrow corridor of row houses felt closer to him and the slender strip of buckled sidewalk echoed his footsteps like a sentry announcing his presence. It wasn’t his turf anymore. He was a foreigner.
Nick scrutinized the landscape and searched for something out of place. The battered cars seemed right, the graffiti, even the shadows seemed to darken the proper corners. But something was missing. There were no lookouts on the concrete stairwells. The ubiquitous bass line of hip-hop was absent. The stillness reminded him of jungle birds falling silent in the prelude to danger. The only comfort came from the matching footsteps beside him. As usual, Matt McColm was by his side. They’d been partners for ten years and were approaching the point of finishing each other’s sentences.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Matt said.
“Did I mention that I don’t have a good feeling about this?”
“Uh huh.” Matt tightened his collar against the autumn chill and worked a piece of gum with his jaw. “That’s your theme song.”
“Really? Don’t you ever get a bad feeling about a call?”
“All the time.”
“How come you never tell me?”
“I’m going to feed the flames of paranoia?”
They walked a little further in silence. It got darker with every step. The number of working streetlights dwindled.
“Did you just call me paranoid?” Nick said.
Matt looked straight ahead as he walked. His casual demeanor caused him to appear aloof, but Nick knew better. Even at halfmast, Matt’s eyes were alert and aware.
“Maybe paranoid is too strong a word,” Matt said.
“I would hope so.”
“More like Mother-henish.”
“That’s better,” Nick said. “By the way, did you eat your broccoli tonight?”
“Yes, Dear.”
Their pace slowed as they got deeper into projects. Low-lying clouds gave the night a claustrophobic feel.
“This guy asked for you specifically?” Matt said.
Nick nodded.
“That bother you a little?” Matt asked.
“No,” Nick said. “That bothers me a lot.”
Up ahead, a parked car jostled. They both stopped. Neither of them spoke. They split up. By the book. Years of working together coming into play. Matt crouched and crept into the street. Nick stayed on the sidewalk and gave the car a wide berth. In seconds Matt became invisible. The car maintained a spastic rhythm. It was subtle, but Nick understood the familiar motion even before he flashed his penlight into the backseat and saw a pair of young eyes pop up through the grimy window. They were wide open and reacted like a jewel thief caught with a handful of pearls. The kid’s hair was disheveled and his shirt was half off. His panting breath had caused the inside of the window to fog up. He wasn’t alone. A pair of bare legs straddled his torso.
From the other side of the vehicle, Matt emerged from the shadows and charged the car with his pistol out front. He was just a few yards away when Nick held up his hand and said, “No.”
Matt stopped dead, seeing the grin on Nick’s face and realizing the situation. He slowly holstered his Glock and took time to catch his breath.
Nick heard the kid’s voice through the closed window. “I ain’t doing nuthin’, man.”
Nick clicked off his penlight and slipped it back into his jacket. He smiled. “It may be nothing, but you sure worked up a sweat doing it.”
When Matt fell back in step with his partner, Nick said, “You seemed a little . . . uh, paranoid?”
Matt returned to nonchalant mode. “Kids that young shouldn’t be doing the nasty out in the street.”
“Consider their role models,” Nick said. “You can’t change the tide with an oar.”
“Pardon me, Professor Bracco. Who said that one—Nietzsche?”
“I just made it up.”
“It sounded like it.”
They slowed their pace until Nick stopped in front of an old brick building with a worn, green awning above the entrance. He gestured down a dark flight of stairs where a giant steel door stood menacingly secure. “There it is.”
Matt nodded. “You bring me to all the best spots.”
When he was certain of their solitude, Nick descended the stairs. Matt followed, keeping an eye on their rear. In the darkness, Nick barely made out Matt’s silhouette.
“Listen,” Nick said, “it’ll be easier if we don’t have to use our creds, but let’s see how it goes. I don’t want to say any more than I have to, and you say nothing at all. Just be the silent brute that you are. Capisce?”
“Understood.”
“If we get lucky, I’ll see a familiar face.” Nick raised his fist, hovered it in front of the door, then stopped to sniff the air. “You wearing aftershave?”
“A little.”
“You have a date after this?”
“Uh huh.”
“When?”
“Midnight.”
“Who makes a date with you at midnight?”
“Veronica Post.”
“First date?”
“Yup.”
“At midnight?”
“She’s a waitress. She do
esn’t get off until then.”
In the murky darkness, Nick sighed. He turned to face the door, and just like a thousand times before, he said, “Ready?”
He couldn’t see the response, but he heard Matt unfasten the flap to his holster. Matt was ready.
Nick used his wedding band hand to pound on the metal door. He shifted his weight as they waited. Nick heard Matt chewing his gum.
Nick said, “Midnight, huh?”
A rectangular peephole slid open allowing just enough light through to see a dark face peering out. The face was so large the opening supported only enough room for one of his eyes.
“Yeah?” the man grunted.
Nick leaned close to the opening so the man could see his face. The opening quickly slid shut.
They stood in the silence while Nick thought of his next move.
“He seemed nice,” Matt said.
The clang of locks unbolting was followed by the door squeaking open. It reminded Nick of an old horror movie.
The large black man wore a large black shirt that hung over his jeans and covered enough space to hide a rocket launcher. The man ignored Nick and gave Matt the once over.
Matt gave him the stone cold glare of a pissed-off FBI agent. No one did it better.
Then the man turned his attention to Nick. His head was round and clean-shaven. His expressionless face seemed to be set in cement.
Nick spread open his hands and raised his eyebrows. “Well?”
The man’s face slowly softened, then worked its way into a full out smile. “Where the fuck you been, Bracco?” He engulfed Nick into a giant bear hug, momentarily lifting him off of his feet.
Nick patted the beast a couple of times on the back and slid down to face him. “I can’t believe you still work here.” He gestured to Matt, “This here is Matt McColm. Matt, this is Truth.”
