by Sharp, Zoe
My brain was revving in time with my pulse.
“Until he asks the question . . . I don’t know what my answer will be.”
I moved across to the wall near the window, leaned my shoulder against it and folded my arms as I regarded him. “It was close,” I admitted. I lifted my chin, looked my boss, my friend, straight in the eye and ignored the stab in my heart. “Sean’s undergone a change in mindset, certainly, but his reactions are still fast and his instincts are sound.”
Parker continued to frown. Then he nodded, a little sadly. “That’s . . . good,” he said. “I’m happy for him.”
Parker knew, I realised. I wanted to go to him, but how did I explain the unexplainable? That—as Morton had pointed out—I may have got only half of Sean back, but he still had all of me.
And somehow it seemed like he needed me now more than ever before. Even if he didn’t really know it.
“I’m sorry,” I said at last. The words seemed hopelessly inadequate.
Parker, to his credit, managed to raise something that resembled a smile. “Don’t be,” he said. “I’m happy for you both.”
By supporting Sean, I realised, I had almost certainly burned my bridges with Parker. I remembered Autumn Sinclair’s offer, if I ever decided to go out on my own. I never expected to be giving it serious consideration.
At that moment I heard Sean’s key in the front door. He appeared in the hallway, still breathing hard and sheened with sweat from the exercise. He looked as though he’d pushed himself to a punishing pace.
“Hi, Sean,” Parker said. “I just called by to check you guys made it home OK. But I won’t cut into your personal time any longer.” His glance took in both of us. “I’ll see you in the office later.”
“No, I’m glad you’re here,” Sean said. “I guess you two have been talking about me.”
Parker said nothing, which in itself was a confirmation.
Sean nodded as if he’d spoken. “I’ve been doing some heavy thinking,” he said. His eyes met mine and I was surprised to see a lack of conflict there. The dark depths were almost tranquil.
“Sean—”
“I don’t know what Charlie’s said about the way things went down,” he said. “But I really don’t think I’m cut out for this job any more . . .”
From the Author’s notebook
One of my favourite movies has always been the old Bruce Willis/Alan Rickman classic, Die Hard. I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to do an homage, if you like, to that movie, where the Bruce Willis character was running around during a hostage situation, doing his best to inconvenience Rickman’s bad guys, but with the handicap of bare feet and no weapon except what he could scrounge or improvise.
I wanted to put Charlie in that kind of situation, with no weapon of her own, no real outside assistance, and some kind of bare feet handicap – metaphorical if not literal. The enclosed setting of a riverboat on a night trip on the Mississippi around New Orleans came about after I’d visited the city and witnessed first-hand the devastation from Hurricane Katrina that still haunts many parts of it. The strongest stories, I always feel, are the ones where the place is so integral to the plot that it becomes another character. So it was with New Orleans.
And once that decision was made, the choice of title – a combination of Die Hard in The Big Easy – became an obvious one. This seemed like a good time to break from the numerical title sequence requested by one of my former publishers. As this started at FIRST DROP, which was actually book four, and then bypassed ROAD KILL: Charlie Fox book five, before hopping to book six, SECOND SHOT, I hope it all makes a little more sense now!
The character name Tom O’Day is taken from a real person – as is his wife, Marie. The couple made the winning bid at the charity auction held at Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe, New Mexico in March 2011, to benefit non-profit literacy agency, ReadWest Inc. And Charlie’s client, Blake Dyer, was first seen in ‘Served Cold’ from FOX FIVE: a Charlie Fox short story collection.
Acknowledgements
As always, although writing may seem like a solitary occupation, it could not be done without the help and support of other people.
In no particular order, therefore, I would like to thank fellow author and firearms expert, Tony Walker, for providing valuable information about Stress Under Fire courses; SWAT team leader Luke Causey for great insights into SWAT training; fellow author Kate Kinchen, and her husband Ben, for letting me into the Secret Ways of Ninjitsu; fellow author John Billheimer for sharing his knowledge of baseball; Phil Shuter for letting me know which golf clubs make the best real clubs; Murderato Allison Davis for New Orleans and legal info; Jane Hudson at NuDesign for the brilliant eBook cover; and to the wonderful Toni McGee Causey and her husband Carl for giving me the guided tour of the bits of New Orleans not usually seen on the tourist trail. Oh, and the crawfish!
Retired pilot Andrew Neal provided such terrific detail on how to crash a helicopter—most of which he knows from personal experience—that the least I could do was allow him to fly my fictional helo in this book.
My test-readers worked tirelessly, as always, to dig up the plot-holes. I am forever indebted to Peter Doleman, Claire Duplock, Derek Harrison, Sarah Harrison, Kate Kinchen, P.D. Martin, Caroline Moir, and Tim Winfield for reading through the first draft with such care and attention. And also all the members of the Brewhouse Writers Group in Kendal, who gave their input as I went along. A special thank you to eagle-eyed John Dowling, who set me straight.
My US publishers, Pegasus have been unfailingly enthusiastic in their support. I would very much like to thank Claiborne Hancock—the only person I know in the publishing industry who replies to email at weekends—as well as Jessica Case, and my careful and attentive editors, Maia Larson, Pat Sims and Liz Hatherell, who have undoubtedly worked towards making this a far better book than it might otherwise have been. Dosier Hammond, Director of Library Sales and Marketing at distributor WW Norton also deserves special mention. Thank you all.
And finally, I was honoured and delighted to be able to include Tom and Marie O’Day as characters in this novel. Tom made the winning bid at the charity auction held at Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe, New Mexico in March 2011. The auction benefits ReadWest Inc, a non-profit literacy agency.
If you’ve enjoyed DIE EASY, why not try Zoë Sharp’s Other Works:
the Charlie Fox crime thrillers
KILLER INSTINCT: book one
RIOT ACT: book two
HARD KNOCKS: book three
Books one, two and three are available as an e-boxed set:
A TRIPLE SHOT of Charlie Fox
FIRST DROP: book four
ROAD KILL: book five
SECOND SHOT: book six
Books four, five and six are available as an e-boxed set:
ANOTHER ROUND of Charlie Fox
THIRD STRIKE: book seven
FOURTH DAY: book eight
FIFTH VICTIM: book nine
DIE EASY: book ten
Short stories
The Night Butterflies
Last Right
Tell Me
Across The Broken Line
FOX FIVE: Charlie Fox short story collection
A Bridge Too Far
Postcards From Another Country
Served Cold
Off Duty
Truth And Lies
Buy the Books
KILLER INSTINCT
Charlie Fox book one
‘Susie Hollins may have been no great shakes as a karaoke singer, but I didn’t think that was enough reason for anyone to want to kill her.’
Charlie Fox makes a living teaching self-defence to women in a quiet northern English city. It makes best use of the deadly skills she picked up after being kicked out of army Special Forces training for reasons she prefers not to go into. So, when Susie Hollins is found dead hours after she foolishly takes on Charlie at the New Adelphi Club, Charlie knows it’s only a matter of time before the police co
me calling. What they don’t tell her is that Hollins is the latest victim of a homicidal rapist stalking the local area.
Charlie finds herself drawn closer to the crime when the New Adelphi’s enigmatic owner, Marc Quinn, offers her a job working security at the club. Viewed as an outsider by the existing all-male team, her suspicion that there’s a link between the club and a serial killer doesn’t exactly endear her to anyone. Charlie has always taught her students that it’s better to run than to stand and fight, But, when the killer starts taking a very personal interest, it’s clear he isn’t going to give her that option . . .
‘Charlie looks like a made-for-TV model, with her red hair and motorcycle leathers, but Sharp means business. The bloody bar fights are bloody brilliant, and Charlie’s skills are both formidable and for real.’ Marilyn Stasio, New York Times
‘Sharp deserves a genre all her own – if you are just discovering Zoë Sharp then you are in for a real treat.’ Jon Jordan, Crimespree Magazine
‘Charlotte (Charlie) Fox is one of the most vivid and engaging heroines ever to swagger onto the pages of a book. Where Charlie goes, thrills follow.’ Tess Gerritsen
RIOT ACT
Charlie Fox book two
“I am a violent man, Miss Fox,” Garton-Jones said, without bravado or inflection. “I can – and will – do whatever is necessary to control this estate. Remember that.”
A self-defence expert with a motorbike and an attitude, Charlie Fox doesn't need to go looking for trouble. It generally finds her. House-sitting for a friend seems like an easy favour at first but the house in question is in the Lavender Gardens estate. Teenage gangs are running riot and Charlie's desperate neighbours have been forced to employ an expensive – and ruthless – security firm to apply rough justice where the legal kind has failed. The situation gets even uglier when a young Asian boy is fatally wounded in what appears to be a racially motivated shooting.
Caught in the middle of an urban battlefield, Charlie's more than able to take care of herself but then she comes face to face with a spectre from her army past. As the tensions rise, lives will depend on Charlie working out just who she can really trust . . .
‘Sharp's first novel, Killer Instinct was a good read, but within the first few pages of Riot Act she surpasses herself. She succeeds in bringing the characters alive and Charlie Fox makes a powerful and attractive heroine. Equally, her other characters work well and she succeeds in creating snappy dialogue and mixing it well with action.
'At times, Riot Act feels slightly reminiscent of Minette Walters' 'Acid Row'. . . (Sharp) takes her Lancashire setting, throws in a great deal of action and creates a fast-paced novel that is guaranteed to build on the reputation created by her debut novel and make her known as an up-and-coming talent in the crime world.' Luke Croll, Murder & Mayhem Book Club
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HARD KNOCKS
Charlie Fox book three
'Perhaps if the army had known what was inside me, what I would eventually turn into, they might not have been so keen to let me go.'
Charlie really didn't care who shot dead her traitorous ex-army comrade Kirk Salter during a bodyguard training course in Germany. But when old flame Sean Meyer asks her to go undercover at Major Gilby's elite school and find out what happened to Kirk she just can't bring herself to refuse.
Keeping her nerve isn't easy when events bring back fears and memories she's worked so hard to forget. It's clear there are secrets at Einsbaden Manor that people are willing to kill to conceal. Some of the students on this particular course seem to have more on their minds than simply learning about close protection. Subjects like revenge, and murder. And what's the connection between the school and the recent spate of vicious kidnappings that have left a trail of bodies halfway across Europe?
To find out what's going on, Charlie must face up to her past and move quickly before she becomes the next casualty. She expected training to be tough, but can she graduate from this school of hard knocks alive?
'If you only know Charlie Fox from First Drop, Second Shot, and Third Strike, you don't know Charlie. What you've got in your hands is a rare and special treat. It’s like finding some lost Jack Reacher novel or a couple of non-alphabet Kinsey Millhones that nobody knew existed. Don't let anyone tear it from your hands without drawing their blood.
'Think of these as the early years of Charlie Fox − she’s lethal and relentless, but still raw from the military experience that made her the kick-ass, take-no-prisoners bodyguard that she’s become.
'But there’s more going on in these books than breakneck action and adventure. Charlie has heart, maybe too much for a woman in her profession . . . and it’s that caring, that humanity, that makes her much more than a killer babe on a motorbike. These books are your chance to discover Charlie Fox as she discovers herself, her strengths and her weaknesses, and sustains the scars to her body and soul that make her such a unique and compelling character.' US crime author and TV producer, Lee Goldberg
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FIRST DROP
Charlie Fox book four
'The guy in the passenger seat was closest. He got out first, so I shot him first. Two rounds high in the chest.'
Nominated for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel.
It should have been an easy introduction to Charlie Fox's new career as a bodyguard. In fact, it should have been almost a working holiday. She just has to look after the gawky fifteen-year-old son of a rich computer programmer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Trey Pelzner is theme park mad and in theory all Charlie has to do is baby-sit him on the rollercoasters.
The last thing anyone expected was a determined attempt to snatch the boy, or that Trey's father and their entire close protection team – including Charlie's boss, Sean Meyer – would disappear off the face of the earth at the same time.
Now somebody out there wants the boy badly and they're prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way. Evading them, in a strange country, takes all the skill and courage Charlie possesses.
As she soon discovers, once you've hit the first drop there's no going back, and you'd better hang on tight because you're in for a wild ride.
‘Sharp's aim is dead on in her stunning US debut, the fourth book to star ultra-cool biker chick Charlie Fox. The no-nonsense, 26-year-old Charlie, a former British Army soldier (and survivor of a gruesome gang rape) has joined the protection agency of her ex-lover, Sean Meyer. On her first assignment, Charlie finds herself on a too thrilling roller-coaster ride in Florida, guarding geeky 15-year-old Trey Pelzner, son of Keith, a computer whiz working for a small software company specializing in accounting and data manipulation. After an attempt is made on Trey's life, Charlie calls for backup that turns out to be anything but and soon discovers that Keith − the developer of a faulty stock indicator program − has vanished, as has Sean. Action-packed, tightly plotted and with an irresistible first-person narration, this crisp, original thriller should win Sharp (Hard Knocks, etc.) plenty of American fans.’ Publishers Weekly starred review
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ROAD KILL
Charlie Fox book five
“If you stay involved with Sean Meyer you will end up killing again,” my father said. “And next time, Charlotte, you might not get away with it.”
Still bearing the emotional scars from her traumatic first bodyguarding job in the States, Charlie Fox returns to her former home to try and work out both her personal and professional future.
Instead of the peace for which she's been hoping, Charlie is immediately caught up in the aftermath of a fatal bike crash involving one of her closest friends. The more she probes, the more she suspects that the accident was far from accidental – and the more she finds herself relying on the support of her troubled boss, Sean Meyer, despite her misgivings over the wisdom of resuming their relationship.
And Charlie's got enough on her plate trying to work out who suddenly wants her dead. The only way to find out is to infiltrate a group of ille
gal road racers who appear hell-bent on living fast and dying young.
Taking risks is something that ex-Special Forces soldier Charlie knows all about, but doing it just for kicks seems like asking for trouble. By the time she finds out what's really at stake, she might be too late to stop them all becoming road kill . . .
‘After the traumatic events that took place in First Drop, Charlie Fox is back in England to recuperate. But then an old friend is seriously injured after a motorbike accident (that kills the driver) and Charlie's lethal instincts kick in to find out what the real story is, and who the true target was. It's really quite impossible to put this book down, but what really makes this (and the whole series) shine is how Charlie's kickass skills are rooted in her own femininity and character.’ Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind
