DAWN TREADER PRESS Kindle Edition Copyright © 2010 Joshua Graham This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictiously. Any resemblance to actual locales, events or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions. Coming May 2012 DARKROOM a thriller by Joshua Graham (Simon & Schuster/ Howard Books) Praise for Joshua Graham’s debut novel BEYOND JUSTICE Winner of the 2011 International Book Award Barnes & Noble #1 Bestselling legal thriller (nookbooks) Barnes & Noble #1 Bestselling Christian Thriller (nookbooks) Best of 2010 Suspense Magazine “…A riveting legal thriller…. breaking new ground with a vengeance… demonically entertaining and surprisingly inspiring.” ~PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “…hits the ground running…handled by a deft hand.” ~Adrian Phoenix, IN THE BLOOD (Pocket Books) “This tense, fast-paced story of outrageous injustice, insidious evil, and looming disaster has everything the savvy reader should expect, and more. [Graham] belongs to a new, emerging wave of writers who dare to color outside conventional lines. And he does so with style!” ~Glen Scorgie, THE JOURNEY BACK TO EDEN (Zondervan) “…a genuine page-turner with a twist that makes it stand out from most thrillers and legal dramas.” “…What sets this thriller apart is the deft handling of religion.” “…When Graham turns to courtroom drama, the writing is tense; when he’s inside Sam’s mind, the emotions are wringing.” ~Author Magazine “This book was so much more than a mystery novel; it was an exercise in faith, understanding, joy and mercy in their purest forms.” “…twists, turns and surprises to be found here.” “…filled with so much in the way of emotion.” “…Take the time to read this book. You will not be disappointed.” ~Suspense Magazine “A MASTERFUL LEGAL THRILLER …A book worthy of a feature length Hollywood movie… …Graham has intricately woven together these elements of cyberspace and our criminal justice system in a way that keeps avid mystery readers spellbound. …Graham’s BEYOND JUSTICE is the best mystery novel that I have ever read. …a plot worthy of Hollywood, told by a fantastic author with a deft touch and feel for intrigue! …a fitting climax in true John Grisham form. …a powerful testament to faith and religion, woven into a masterful murder mystery. ~East County Magazine “This is not a tame Christian book, it’s full of heart wrenching scenes that will make you shudder. There’s one surprise after another and it’s a “can’t put down” thriller…the ending was brilliant! “This is Joshua Graham’s first book and it is a doozy!! I can’t wait to read more from this very talented author.” ~ReadingAtTheBeach.com “…a riveting legal thriller that has heart and a fabulous message.” “…really intense suspense!” “ I was…balled up with emotions and intense suspense from start to finish.” “…a great legal thriller…” “… great drama and romance as well. “…tied together with a fabulous message of love and redemption.“ ~A Life in Review “…Superbly done!” “…a legal suspense thriller beyond any other.” “…Filled with page turning, edge of your seat twists.” “…most definitely a 5 star novel by an incredible author” “… this suspense novel will pick you up in one place, carry you through thrilling turns and emotional rides, and will set you down at an unexpected place, all the while leaving you with a powerful message that will set your mind to thinking. About life. About loss. About justice. About everything.” …Joshua Graham has become an author who I will be collecting books by for a long time to come and has made me anxious for his next book! ~Reviews by Molly D. Edwards “…an edge of your seat thrill ride from beginning to end.” “…a brilliant thriller filled with unforeseen plot twists and character behaviour changes unlike any other.” “…I quite literally was unable to set this book down…” “…Joshua Graham is definitely a name to keep an eye on, for he is one talented writer…” ~ Rundpinne “…the Best book I have read and reviewed this year.” “…this book isn’t just about law and criminal justice, it is about faith and realizing that everything happens for a reason.” “…I HIGHLY recommend Beyond Justice as a must read! ~The Winfields-7 Book Reviews “…right up there with the best.” “…will tug your heart. Don’t be surprised if a tear finds its way down your cheek.” “…more than just a mystery, more than just thriller, it’s in a word terrific!” “If you love a good thriller then pick up this book, you will not be disappointed.” ~Reading, Reading & Life …fair warning before you pick up Beyond Justice by Joshua Graham–the next 24 to 48 hours of your life will be utterly consumed by this book. …[had] my unconditional and unwavering attention from page one to the conclusion. …draws you in from the first page and literally does not let go of you or your emotions until the rollercoaster conclusion. …a powerfully gripping legal thriller …I was absolutely captivated …mesmerizing would be a gross understatement. …absolutely nothing short of an act of God or nature would have stopped me from finishing this book. …unbelievably powerful and spellbinding …the story will stay with you long after you finish it. …Do not hesitate. Rush to get your own copy of Beyond Justice. PsychoticState.net Connect with Joshua Graham at: http://www.joshua-graham.com http://www.facebook/J0shuaGraham http://www.twitter/J0shuaGraham THE ACCIDENTAL HERO Joshua Graham IN ALL THE YEARS I’ve spent here at Salton Sea State Penitentiary, I swear I never met a scarier man than Big Pete. Ain’t no one in this place—in this world —like Big Pete, you feel me? Man, one look at him and you don’t start peeing yourself just a bit, you better go and get your pulse checked cuz you’re probably dead. If you know the stuff he did before he came here, you’d be too scared to even breathe the same air as him. When Big Pete first arrived here at Salton’s death row, everyone said to me, “Yo, B! (my name’s Brian, but that ain’t so cool, so all my brothers calls me “B” instead) What’s it like being Big Pete’s cellie? You scared he gonna kill you in your sleep?” I just smiled and let them guess. It gave me some respect with the other inmates that I was a brother sharing a cell with the big, white, killing machine—and was still alive every morning. But they didn’t know Big Pete like I do. And I’m sure gonna miss him when he’s gone. Far as I know, Big Pete’s story began like this: Five years ago, in the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, two men wearing black sunglasses, pastel Polo shirts, and khaki Dockers met with Big Pete by the Koi Pond. These clean cut looking guys weren’t what you’d expect. They were businessmen who were worse than any of the Bloods or Crips I ever met—and believe me, I met more than a few of them in my life. These men hired gangstas on a regular basis to do crap for them. But when they needed a real important job done? They called the best. Big Pete. “So, you okay with this,” Bill Dawson said to Big Pete, who was sitting on a bench, not even looking at them. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Pete clicked his tongue. Tom, a guy who owned three Beemers, a Benz and a Ferrari, sat down next to Pete. “You don’t have a problem taking out a man of the cloth?” Pete shrugged, spit out a toothpick into the pond. “I ain’t religious.” “You sure?” said Bill. “You’re not going to get all superstitious about killing a minister, and bail at the last minute?” Without even standing up, Pete slipped his hand under his arm and jabbed the point of his knife straight into Bill’s side—just enough to puncture his pastel Polo and prick his skin. Bill leaped to his feet, holding his side. “Dammit, Pete!” Still staring out into the pond and never raising his voice, he scoffed. “That’s Big Pete to you, you weasely turd. I’ll gut and fillet you right here, right now and not even blink. You want me on this hit or not?” Tom stepped forward between them holding up a hand. “Okay, we get it. You’re the right man for the job. Ten thousand now, and the other ten when it’s done.” Pete finally turned his head and stared right into their sunglasses. The two homies didn’t even know they took a step back. “That’s not what we agreed to.” Bill elbowed his partner. “The hell, Tom?” “You trying to renegotiate terms, boys?” Big Pete stood slowly. His shadow covered both of them as he straightened out. He stood a head taller than both of them. Tom sputtered. “Twenty thousand seems a lot for one friggin’ pastor of a church.” “Are you crazy, Tom?” Bill muttered. “You wanna die? Huh? You wanna?” To Big Pete: “You gotta forgive my idiot brother here, Big Pete,” he glared at Tom, “he’s gone and lost his brains. Temporary insanity. Isnt’ that right Tom?” Tom shrugged. “Shut up.” Like the wimp he was, Bill pulled out a thick white envelop and handed it to Big Pete, who glared down at his hand and cocked an eyebrow. “You guys sure about this?” Tom huffed and twisted his lip to the side. “Oh, who’s getting soft now, Big —? OOF!” His brother Bill interrupted him with an elbow in the gut. “I’m just saying,” Pete said, “You two better not get cold feet and call this off because you went on and got religion or some crap like that. You do, and I’ll come for the rest of the money, cut both of your nuts off before I slice you into tender vittles for my cat.” The envelope was shaking in Bill’s hand now. “No, no. We aren’t going to back out. This Pastor Rick is killing us, killing our cash flow. We’re honest businessmen, you know? We provide a much needed commodity to the community. And just because some right-wing religious nut don’t think so highly of adult entertainment and literature, doesn’t mean he has the right to take away our business.” Big Pete didn’t care for porn any more than he cared for religion. He just cared about his reputation, doing his job and getting paid for it. “All he’s doing is standing on the corner of your smut shop, handing out flyers and talking to anyone who wants to talk. For this, you want him dead?” “You want this job or not?” Tom said, trying wisely not to appear too challenging. “Shut up,” Bill said. To Pete: “You think he’s just saying ‘Hi, howya doing?’ to those people? Since he started hanging out on my street, I’ve been losing thousands of dollars every month. Business is at its all time low! This stupid