Steven F. Freeman

When Army Communications Captain Alton Blackwell takes a hit to the leg while on active duty in Afghanistan, his self-confidence and leg are equally shattered in the explosion. Assigned to a desk job while recovering, Blackwell nonetheless manages to prove his resourcefulness as he matches wits with Al-Qaeda operatives in the dangerous regions of Kabul. Unable to fully heal, he resigns himself to the abrupt end of his military career as well as any hope to win the affections of the beautiful and intelligent Lieutenant Mallory Wilson. Upon returning state-side, the quiet civilian life is quickly left far behind when Blackwell’s colleague Zach Lambert calls him from a weekend camping trip in the throes of a devastating illness with forbidding implications. In a story out of today’s headlines, Blackwell and now-FBI Agent Wilson explore the possible diversion of a biotech’s project to develop an improved vaccine, scouring leads at the CDC and biotec company, putting their Army and professional skills to the test, and narrowly escaping agents with a murderous agenda at every turn. The closer they come to the truth, the quicker the bodies pile up, along with the suspects. To get to the bottom of the sinister scheme, can Blackwell still use wits when his body has failed him? And will he survive long enough to tell his colleague of the feelings for her he has long kept secret?

A disabled ex-Army officer turned world-class cryptographer...a beautiful FBI agent...and a ruthless murderer on the loose in Atlanta. A heartless killer ambushes and guns down ex-mobster Jay Mancini. Days later, the killer disposes of Mancini's live-in girlfriend in cold blood. Desperate to identify the culprit, Jay's niece Chelsea convinces work colleague and amateur detective Alton Blackwell to help investigate the seemingly run-of-the-mill professional mob hits. Alton and his girlfriend, FBI Agent Mallory Wilson, race to sequester Chelsea away from wrathful mob gangsters intent on silencing anyone with knowledge of "family activities." But the investigation spirals out of control as a series of new events with no apparent mob connection serves to confound their efforts to identify the assassin. As Alton and Mallory struggle to make sense of scant evidence, unseen danger marches inexorably closer to them and Chelsea, who seems to lie in the vortex of the mayhem. Will Alton and Mallory unravel the mystery in time to avoid becoming the killer's next victims? And will their growing relationship survive the presence of the beautiful Chelsea Mancini? Combining edge-of-your-seat psychological thrills with a side of romance, RUTHLESS keeps readers guessing until the final clue is revealed.

A Prophecy...a Promise...a Project A chance encounter leads FBI agent Mallory Blackwell to investigate the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of her father, Cutter Wilson, years ago. Their only informant murdered, Mallory and cryptologist husband Alton lead an NSA team on a round-the-world quest to track down the perpetrator of a mysterious toxicological project. The sleuths must summon all their investigatory skills in a desperate bid to follow a trail of clues to the hidden truth of Cutter Wilson's death, a discovery exceeding their wildest expectations.

An anonymous note launches ex-FBI criminal profiler Decimus Farr into a nightmare. His fiancée has been kidnapped, and Farr is given only twenty-four hours to follow and solve a trail of ten hidden clues, or she dies. Identifying the abductor could provide Farr with a vital shortcut for locating his fiancée. But with each new clue connected to a different criminal from his past cases, which offender should he pursue? With the window closing fast, Farr must race the clock to rescue his love…or be consumed by the madness and violence he had thought left behind.

One speedboat crash...15 victims...and 30 seconds before you die A jet-boat crash sets in motion a frantic investigation to find the saboteur. But with 15 fatalities, simply identifying the intended victim among the crowd proves a challenge. As the search for the killer continues, other victims succumb to "accidental" deaths--including the lead New Zealand investigator. Left in the cross hairs, Alton and Mallory race to unravel the mystery before the murderer can strike again. But will the Blackwells, like each of the victims, have only thirty seconds to live?