CONTENTS About the Book About the Author Also by James Patterson Praise Title Page Prologue One Two Part One: A COP KILLING Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Part Two: A VIGILANTE KILLING 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 Part Three: MERCURY RISING 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 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Part Four: THE REGULATORS Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Part Five: A BLIMP RUNNETH Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91 Chapter 92 Chapter 93 Chapter 94 Chapter 95 Chapter 96 Chapter 97 Chapter 98 Chapter 99 Chapter 100 Chapter 101 Chapter 102 Chapter 103 Chapter 104 Chapter 105 Extract from Cross Kill Copyright ABOUT THE BOOK SHOTS RING OUT IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS IN THE SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON, D.C. WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS, A HIGH-RANKING COP LIES DEAD. Under pressure from the mayor, Alex Cross steps into the leadership vacuum to investigate the audacious killing. But before Cross can make any headway, a wave of murders erupts across the city. The victims have one thing in common – they are all criminals. And the only thing more dangerous than a murderer without a conscience is a killer who thinks he has justice on his side. ABOUT THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 325 million copies worldwide and he has been the most borrowed author in UK libraries for the past nine years in a row. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers. James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, House of Robots, Confessions and Maximum Ride series. James is the proud sponsor of the World Book Day Award and has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops. He lives in Florida with his wife and son. Find out more at www.jamespatterson.co.uk Become a fan of James Patterson on Facebook Also by James Patterson Have You Read Them All? ALONG CAME A SPIDER Alex Cross is working on the high-profile disappearance of two rich kids. But is he facing someone much more dangerous than a callous kidnapper? KISS THE GIRLS Cross comes home to discover his niece Naomi is missing. And she’s not the only one. Finding the kidnapper won’t be easy, especially if he’s not working alone … JACK AND JILL A pair of ice-cold killers are picking off Washington’s rich and famous. And they have the ultimate target within their sights. CAT AND MOUSE An old enemy is back and wants revenge. Will Alex Cross escape unharmed, or will this be the final showdown? POP GOES THE WEASEL Alex Cross faces his most fearsome opponent yet. He calls himself Death. And there are three other ‘Horsemen’ who compete in his twisted game. ROSES ARE RED After a series of fatal bank robberies, Cross must take the ultimate risk when faced with a criminal known as the Mastermind. VIOLETS ARE BLUE As Alex Cross edges ever closer to the awful truth about the Mastermind, he comes dangerously close to defeat. FOUR BLIND MICE Preparing to resign from the Washington police force, Alex Cross is looking forward to a peaceful life. But he can’t stay away for long … THE BIG BAD WOLF There is a mysterious new mobster in organised crime. The FBI are stumped. Luckily for them, they now have Alex Cross on their team. LONDON BRIDGES The stakes have never been higher as Cross pursues two old enemies in an explosive worldwide chase. MARY, MARY Hollywood’s A-list are being violently killed, one-by-one. Only Alex Cross can put together the clues of this twisted case. CROSS Haunted by the murder of his wife thirteen years ago, Cross will stop at nothing to finally avenge her death. DOUBLE CROSS Alex Cross is starting to settle down – until he encounters a maniac killer who likes an audience. CROSS COUNTRY When an old friend becomes the latest victim of the Tiger, Cross journeys to Africa to stop a terrifying and dangerous warlord. ALEX CROSS’S TRIAL (with Richard DiLallo) In a family story recounted here by Alex Cross, his great-uncle Abraham faces persecution, murder and conspiracy in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. I, ALEX CROSS Investigating the violent murder of his niece Caroline, Alex Cross discovers an unimaginable secret that could rock the entire world. CROSS FIRE Alex Cross is planning his wedding to Bree, but his nemesis returns to exact revenge. KILL ALEX CROSS The President’s children have been kidnapped, and DC is hit by a terrorist attack. Cross must make a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes in. MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALEX CROSS Robbery, hostages, terrorism – will Alex Cross make it home in time for Christmas … alive? ALEX CROSS, RUN With his personal life in turmoil, Alex Cross can’t afford to let his guard down. Especially with three bloodthirsty killers on the rampage. CROSS MY HEART When a dangerous enemy targets Cross and his family, Alex finds himself playing a whole new game of life and death. HOPE TO DIE Cross’s family are missing, presumed dead. But Alex Cross will not give up hope. In a race against time, he must find his wife, children and grandmother – no matter what it takes. CROSS JUSTICE Returning to his North Carolina hometown for the first time in over three decades, Cross unearths a family secret that forces him to question everything he’s ever known. A list of more titles by James Patterson is printed at the back of this book Why everyone loves James Patterson and Alex Cross ‘It’s no mystery why James Patterson is the world’s most popular thriller writer. Simply put: nobody does it better.’ Jeffery Deaver ‘No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent – which is what Jim has, in spades. The Alex Cross series proves it.’ Lee Child ‘James Patterson is the gold standard by which all others are judged.’ Steve Berry ‘Alex Cross is one of the best-written heroes in American fiction.’ Lisa Scottoline ‘Twenty years after the first Alex Cross story, he has become one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time, a character for the ages.’ Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child ‘Alex Cross is a legend.’ Harlan Coben ‘Patterson boils a scene down to the 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 Prologue A DEATH ON ROCK CREEK ONE HE CHANGED IDENTITY like many warriors do before battle. He called himself Mercury on nights like these. Dressed in black from his visor helmet to his steel-toe boots, Mercury had his motorcycle backed up into a huge rhododendron bush by the Rock Creek Parkway south of Calvert Street. He sat astride the idling bike and cradled a U.S. Army surplus light detection and ranging device. He trained the lidar on every vehicle that went past him, checking its speed. Forty-five miles an hour, on the money. Forty-four. Fifty-two. Routine stuff. Safe numbers. Boring numbers. Mercury was hoping to see a more exotic and inflated figure on the screen. He had good reason to believe a bloated number like that would appear before this night was over. He was certainly in the right place for it. Built in the 1920s, Rock Creek Parkway had been designed to preserve the natural scenic beauty of the area. The winding four-lane road ran from the Lincoln Memorial north through parks, gardens, and woods. It was 2.9 miles long and split in Northwest DC. Beach Drive, the right fork, headed northeast, deeper into the park. The parkway itself continued on to the left and curled back northwest to the intersection with Calvert Street. Forty-three miles an hour, according to the lidar display. Forty-seven. Forty-five. These numbers were not surprising. The parkway was on the National Register of Historic Places and was maintained by the National Park Service; it had a set speed limit of forty-five miles an hour. But the parkway’s meandering route was about as close to a Grand Prix circuit as you could find in or around the District of Columbia.