The Bad Man

THE BAD MAN JORDAN QUEST FBI THRILLER SERIES BOOK 9 GARY WINSTON BROWN GET YOUR FREE COPY OF JORDAN QUEST! Have you read Jordan’s backstory? You can get your free copy of the series prequel right here by subscribing to my newsletter! A tragic accident brings with it an incredible gift. But is the price too high? When a young Jordan Quest is discovered lying on the bottom of the pool at her family’s stately mansion she is pulled out of the water and pronounced “vital signs absent” by the attending paramedics. Unwilling to give up on the girl, Jordan is rushed to the hospital in a desperate attempt to revive her. Teetering on the brink of death, aware of her surroundings but unable to communicate with the trauma team working frantically to save her life, a strange and mysterious presence makes itself known. In that moment, Jordan’s life is changed forever. She calls it The Gift, and her newly discovered abilities will have a profound influence on the world’s understanding of psychic phenomenon. Hers is now the voice of the dead. And law enforcement is listening. Helping the authorities locate and bring to justice killers who have long evaded capture, Jordan soon discovers an unsettling truth: Is her astounding ability really a gift? Or is it a curse that brings with it unimaginable consequences. Tap here to visit my website, subscribe to my no-spam-ever newsletter, and receive your FREE copy of JORDAN QUEST CONTENTS Get your free copy of Jordan Quest! Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Get Your Free Copy of Jordan Quest! Also by Gary Winston Brown About the Author “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” FRANCIS OF ASSISI PROLOGUE PERCIVAL CRAMER SAT on the third tier of the prison yard bleachers, observing his fellow inmates. While some men worked out with weights, others engaged in a lively game of basketball. Those disinterested in taking advantage of the mandatory hour of daily exercise walked the yard or clustered together in cliques, wary of others around them, continually observing the yard, watching for signs of brewing trouble. He spoke to his friend. “So, tomorrow’s the big day, huh?” Antonio Berio nodded. “And not a day too soon.” “I’ll bet you’ll be glad to see the last of this place.” The convicted weapons trafficker smiled. “Fucking right, I will. Five years is long enough.” “I’ve got a little going away present for you,” Percival said. “A reminder.” Berio scanned the yard, checked out the patrolling guards and tower sentries. None were looking in their direction. He dropped his hand, took the piece of balled-up toilet paper Percival offered him. “You gonna read it?” Percival asked. “We’ve gone over it a million times,” Berio replied. “I already know what it says.” “Humor me. Make it a million and one.” Berio hid the note in his hand as he unrolled it and read it aloud. “Conejo. The asylum. SCL4M12. The box. Judge Nicole Maynard. Evelyn and Charlotte Corbett. Got it.” “I want them to suffer.” “They will.” “They better. I saved your fucking life in here more than once, Antonio. You owe me.” Berio thought two weeks back to the day of the failed attempt on his life and how he most certainly would have been killed had Percival not intervened, grabbed the man’s arm as he raised the makeshift knife to stab him, then turned the shiv on his attacker and shanked him twenty-seven times before the guards finally managed to disarm him. “I know,” he replied. “Don’t worry. I’ll return the favor.” “You’ve got what you’ll need?” Berio nodded. “I can get it. It won’t be a problem.” “Good.” “By the way, I gotta ask. How did you find out about your transfer? I thought around here that kind of information is top secret.” Percival smiled. “Who else? Fiddler.” Berio shook his head. “Fiddler. How that fucking guy ended up working as an administrator’s assistant in here is beyond me.” “I know,” Percival said. “The moron can’t keep his mouth shut. He owes me his ass too, so he talked.” He smiled. “In retrospect, ventilating the prick who tried to kill you turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It got me sent upstate to Pelican Bay. Think they’ll let me take in the sights along the way?” “Sights?” Berio laughed. “Good luck, my friend. They’ll lock your ass up in a not-so-comfy windowless armored vehicle.” Percival nodded. “I know. Nothing but the finest in inter-prison transportation for me.” Berio smiled. “In your case, I think their preferred mode of transportation has more to do with your impressive resume than anything else, thus your transfer to a Supermax facility.” Percival laughed. “You think so?” “Are you kidding?” Berio scoffed. “Taking out thirty-six families in as many months and not getting caught for three years? Correct me if I’m wrong, but in serial killer circles, that makes you a fucking rock star. And to the state, one hell of a security risk.” “It’s true. I have my fans.” “I’ll bet. So, tell me. After you’ve taken care of business on the outside, then what?” Percival contemplated his response. “My resume needs updating. I think I’ll start there.” The yard siren sounded. The exercise break had ended. The guards instructed the prisoners to exit the grounds and return to their cells. The men