Private Moscow, page 29
I thought back to my unfinished highball at the Library bar in the Nomad Hotel and searched for a reply, but was distracted by the scene on the other side of the gate. A Gulfstream G550 waited at a stand, and there were four vehicles parked beside it: three town cars and another Nissan Rogue, this one in red.
“A powerful friend insisted we fly private,” Justine revealed.
A crowd of people stood near the airstairs, and I recognized some of the faces. Mo-bot and Sci were there, along with Jessie Fleming, the head of Private New York, and Rafael Lucas, our legal counsel. They were talking to Eli Carver, the Secretary of Defense. His Secret Service detail stood a few paces away, and kept a close eye on him and his surroundings.
The gate guard checked our credentials, and waved us through. When we pulled up by the aircraft, Secretary Carver came over to greet us.
“Jack Morgan,” he beamed. “I wanted to thank you in person.”
He wore a silk scarf tucked into his shirt collar, no doubt to conceal the scar that encircled his throat.
“I appreciate it, Mr. Secretary,” I responded. “But you didn’t have to.”
“It was the least I could do, and please call me Eli,” he said. “I owe you my life. If that doesn’t put us on first-name terms, I don’t know what will.”
“You don’t owe me anything, sir,” I began, but I registered Carver’s raised eyebrow, “Eli, I mean,” I continued without skipping a beat, “I did what anyone in my situation would have done.”
“Well, let’s just agree to disagree about that,” Carver said with a smile. “If there’s ever anything you need, you call me.” He handed me a card. “My cell number and my private line.”
“I appreciate it, Eli,” I replied.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to Washington. We’re still dealing with the fallout from this thing,” he said, moving toward the convoy of town cars.
“You take care, Mr. Secretary… Eli,” I corrected myself.
I joined Mo-bot, Sci and the others as Secretary Carver and his detail got in their cars and drove away.
“Thanks for everything,” I said to Jessie and Rafael.
“Just doing our jobs,” the lawyer replied.
“We’ve got our weekly call next Wednesday,” Jessie reminded me.
I smiled, grateful for a return to the mundane. “I look forward to it,” I said.
“Have a safe trip,” Rafael responded.
He walked toward the red Nissan, and Jessie took the black one Justine and I had arrived in.
“Shall we?” Mo-bot asked, gesturing at the airstairs.
“After you,” I said, and she and Sci headed into the aircraft.
I took Justine’s arm, and gently pulled her toward me.
“I owe you an answer,” I said, when Mo-bot and Sci had climbed aboard. “I’m not a fan of confusion, but I am a fan of forgiveness. If I’ve treated you badly in the past, I apologize and I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Jack,” she began, but I hadn’t finished.
“I hope we can start fresh.”
“I’d like that,” she replied.
She hesitated.
“We never got a chance to finish our drink,” she said.
“No, we didn’t,” I remarked as we walked toward the jet. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”
She replied with a smile that brightened my day, and we boarded the aircraft that would take us back to Los Angeles.
We were heading home.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We’d like to thank our editor, John Sugar, and the team at Cornerstone for their wonderful work on this book. We’d also like to thank you, the reader, for coming on this adventure. We hope you’ll join us for the next one.
Adam would like to thank his wife, Amy, and children Maya, Elliot and Thomas for their support, and his agent, Hannah Sheppard, for her sound advice.
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COUNT TO TEN
I admit it: I put Private investigator Santosh Wagh through the wringer in his first outing. A combination of personal setbacks and a harrowing case almost did him in. Then I started wondering—is there something that can push him over the edge?
Santosh is ready to quit as the head of Private India. Except Jack Morgan, the global leader of Private, wants to open an office in Delhi, and Santosh is the only person he can trust. Still battling his demons, Santosh accepts and the agency takes on a case that threatens to destroy them. Plastic barrels containing dissolved human remains have been found in the basement of a house. But this isn’t just any house. This property belongs to the state government.
With the crime scene in lockdown and information suppressed by the authorities, delving too deep soon makes Santosh a target to be eliminated.
PRIVATE
I’ve always been a curious person. It’s one of the many reasons why I’m a writer. Something I always asked myself was: “What happens if a ‘one percenter’ gets into trouble?” The answer: Jack Morgan and PRIVATE. On Jack Morgan’s agenda in his debut outing is investigating a multimillion dollar NFL gambling scandal and solving a series of schoolgirl slayings. Then, the unthinkable—his former lover turned best friend’s wife is murdered. One thing you should know about Jack is that beneath his Lamborghini-driving, red-carpet-event-attending surface, he’s a very smart guy. And he takes no prisoners. Just wait till you get to the end of PRIVATE. You’ll see what I mean.
PRIVATE: #1 SUSPECT
Over the years, I’ve learned that reputation is everything when it comes to business. While Private’s Jack Morgan has a reputation for being effective and discreet, he’s also known for being quite the lady killer. But when an ex-lover shows up dead in his bed and all evidence points to him, Jack realizes someone wants to kill more than just his good name. To make things worse, another event threatens Private’s stability, and Jack suddenly finds himself with his back against the wall. Characters will do the most shocking things when they have no other options, especially characters like Jack who are used to being in control. I won’t tell you what happens, but I will say it’ll blow your mind.
PRIVATE L.A.
If you’ve ever wondered what celebrity power couples do behind closed doors, you can stop all of your conjecturing—they’re all in PRIVATE LA. America’s most popular celebrity couple has made an exit… from their lives. No one knows where they went or why, and it’s up to Jack and his Private team to breach the walls of security and hordes of paparazzi to find the power couple. But when has anything good ever come from a pile of secrets buried under miles of genius PR? Jack’s about to find that out, up close and personal, and he’s in for the shock of his life. Because in the city of big dreams, nothing is what it seems. Especially if I’m involved.
PRIVATE BERLIN
Every now and then, I find myself wanting a big change in scenery. Don’t get me wrong. Jack Morgan and the Private team are great fun, but sometimes a little taste of the foreign makes life a bit more exciting. And by “exciting,” I really mean dangerous. At Private’s German headquarters, Chris Schneider—superstar agent—has gone rogue. He’s the keeper of quite a few pieces of sensitive information, but one in particular could have earth-shattering consequences. Hang on tight and don’t blink. This one is a roller coaster of tension that’ll leave you reeling.
About the Authors
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Effing Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Princess Diana, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson, and received an Edgar Award, nine Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Adam Hamdy is a British author and screenwriter who works with studios and production companies on both sides of the Atlantic. He is the author of the Pendulum trilogy, an epic series of conspiracy thriller novels. Pendulum was a finalist for the Glass Bell Award for contemporary fiction, was selected for BBC Radio 2 Book Club and chosen as book of the month by Goldsboro Books. Adam’s most recent novel, Black 13, has been described as a scorching contemporary espionage thriller. Keep up to date with his latest books and news at www.adamhamdy.com
For a complete list of books, visit JamesPatterson.com.
RAVES FOR JAMES PATTERSON
“PATTERSON KNOWS WHERE OUR DEEPEST FEARS ARE BURIED… THERE’S NO STOPPING HIS IMAGINATION.”
—New York Times Book Review
“JAMES PATTERSON WRITES HIS THRILLERS AS IF HE WERE BUILDING ROLLER COASTERS.”
—Associated Press
“NO ONE GETS THIS BIG WITHOUT NATURAL STORYTELLING TALENT—WHICH IS WHAT JAMES PATTERSON HAS, IN SPADES.”
—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series
“JAMES PATTERSON KNOWS HOW TO SELL THRILLS AND SUSPENSE IN CLEAR, UNWAVERING PROSE.”
—People
“PATTERSON BOILS A SCENE DOWN TO A SINGLE, TELLING DETAIL, THE ELEMENT THAT DEFINES A CHARACTER OR MOVES A PLOT ALONG. IT’S WHAT FIRES OFF THE MOVIE PROJECTOR IN THE READER’S MIND.”
—Michael Connelly
JAMES PATTERSON IS THE BOSS. END OF.”
—Ian Rankin, New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Rebus series
“JAMES PATTERSON IS THE GOLD STANDARD BY WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE JUDGED.”
—Steve Berry, #1 bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series
“THE PROLIFIC PATTERSON SEEMS UNSTOPPABLE.”
—USA Today
“PATTERSON IS IN A CLASS BY HIMSELF”
—Vanity Fair
James Patterson, Private Moscow
