Number Four is the story of a man simply known as Number Four. He's known to his employers as Number Four because he operates by four concrete rules at all times. He's known by reputation as Number Four because he's the clean-up man, just like the fourth batter in a baseball lineup. He is the clean-up man of the contract killing world. If a contract goes awry, a target gets away or somebody is seen, he's the man that's called to control the situation. Ruthless, efficient and believed by some to be little more than a myth, Number Four is the kind of man nobody ever wants to have to use twice. Ten years before Theo Mavetti, head of an independent crime syndicate in Boston employed Number Four. Trying to save a few dollars Mavetti crossed Number Four and very nearly lost his family for it. Now a new situation has presented itself and as it begins to close in on Mavetti and his way of life, he has no choice but to again make the call. As high ranking officials and public personas begin turning up the victims of perfect crimes, the Boston Police press harder and harder on the case. Dern Beckett, an intense and rugged man from the mountains of Wyoming, leads the investigation and begins unraveling the connections that reach from offices on Capital Hill to billion dollar industries to the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Number Four focuses on the three different sides and the high stakes game of cat-and-mouse each must play.
Author
I originally hail from the midwest, growing up in the heart of farm country, and still consider it, along with West Tennessee, my co-home. Between the two, I have a firm belief that football is the greatest of all past-times, sweet tea is really the only acceptable beverage for any occasion, there is not an event on earth that either gym shorts or boots can't be worn to, and that Dairy Queen is the best restaurant on the planet. Further, southern accents are a highly likeable feature on most everybody, English bulldogs sit atop the critter hierarchy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Saturday night spent catfishing at the lake. Since leaving the midwest I've been to college in New England, grad school in the Rockies, and lived in over a dozen different cities ranging from DC to Honolulu along the way. Each and every one of these experiences has shaped who I am at this point, a fact I hope is expressed in my writing. I have developed enormous affinity for locales and people of every size and shape, and even if I never figure out a way to properly convey them on paper, I am very much grateful for their presence in my life. To sum it up, I asked a very good friend recently how they would describe me for something like this. Their response: "Plagued by realism and trained by experiences/education to be a pessimist, you somehow remain above all else an active dreamer." While I can't say those are the exact words I would choose, I can't say they're wrong. I travel, live in different places, try new foods, meet all kinds of different people, and above all else stay curious to a fault. Here's hoping it continues to provide us all with some pretty good stories...
