Fence Jumper

PRAISE FORFENCE JUMPER “Fence Jumper is everything you want in a novel—compelling characters, timely wit, and fast-paced action woven throughout. As a US Secret Service special agent, Mark Brandenburg brings rare authenticity, drawing from real-life insights into the machinations of Washington, DC’s, power structure. A riveting and entertaining political thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”—Evy Poumpouras, Former US Secret Service Special Agent, Author of the Bestseller Becoming Bulletproof “Fence Jumper is a page-turning thriller written by veteran US Secret Service special agent Mark Brandenburg, who brings wry humor and a Washington insider’s knowledge and experience to every page. Fence Jumper will hook you from the very first moment.”—Gary Edgington, SAS/CT-Task Force Commander CA DOJ (ret.), Author of Outside the Wire“In Fence Jumper, Mark Brandenburg draws his readers into an entertaining, page-turning political thriller about James Ford, a suspended Secret Service agent battling his own demons and insurmountable odds against the power brokers of Washington, DC. Filled with compelling characters, detail, and action, this unique story is a must-read. Few stories capture modern Washington, DC, with such clarity and wit.”—Jonathan Wackrow, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, Former US Secret Service Agent MARK J. BRANDENBURG Fence Jumper by Mark J. Brandenburg© Copyright 2023 Mark J. BrandenburgISBN 978-1-64663-895-6All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the author.This is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The names, incidents, dialogue, and opinions expressed are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.Published by3705 Shore DriveVirginia Beach, VA 23455800-435-4811 Dedicated to my father and mother, Fred and Patricia Brandenburg.Also dedicated in loving memory tomy wife’s father and mother, William and Louann Maley,my sister, Brenda Brandenburg,and my brother-in-law, Lawrence “Ted” Pearson. PrefaceI created James Ford when I was in second grade. That might sound made up, but it’s true. James Ford was a cowboy I’d scribble little stories about. He was a good guy, damn near perfect. I’ve always loved stories, and my imagination was exceptionally active, even by grade-school-boy standards. I’d write words like BANG and POW to describe the action as my idealized cowboy protected the weak and made the bad CHAPTER 1Tuesday, March 1THE CAR STOPPED. From the trunk, Kat heard the fat one hurling a litany of Southern-twanged insults at his partner. She inhaled the metallic odor of the duct-tape across her mouth as she wriggled her bound wrists and ankles in the darkness. They must have shut the lid on her hair; her scalp ached from the strands yanked out when she rolled onto her side.“Goddammit, Cornhole, you was supposed