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  “I don’t want to play anywhere but here next season!”

  “Look, I know you’re upset about this. But just calm down and let’s talk about it, OK?”

  Aaron’s phone buzzed with another call.

  “Fine. I’ve got another call coming in that I need to take. I’ll meet you at Jackson’s in half an hour.”

  Aaron switched over to the other line.

  “Hey. Are we meeting at the usual spot?”

  “Yeah,” came the voice on the other end. “See you there in ten minutes.”

  Aaron hung up and peeled out of the St. Mark’s parking lot. His greatest pain followed his greatest joy each week—picking up his performance enhancing drugs: PEDs. He laughed at the grandiose promise of the name. Performance enhancing. Ha! You still have to do all the work. What a joke!

  Aaron loathed putting anything in his body that wasn’t natural with the exception of lip-smacking smoked ribs slathered in barbecue sauce. That made his decision to go along with the Stars’ request to use PEDs that much more difficult. It wasn’t really a request, more like an ultimatum, the kind some grimy guy delivers who isn’t on the team’s official payroll. He even set up a clandestine rendezvous point in a warehouse parking lot to get his monthly supply.

  That’s where Aaron was headed as he veered north onto the 5 and shifted the car into a higher gear and mashed the gas. With each upward shift, Aaron jammed the stick with more force. How could they do this to me after all I’ve done for them? I don’t fit in their plans? I’ll show them!

  When Aaron finally arrived in the warehouse parking lot, he skidded to a stop and climbed out of his car. He stormed toward his supplier, kicking up dust and small rocks in his wake. He grabbed the handle on the driver’s door and yanked it open.

  “Get out now!” Aaron screamed.

  The supplier put his hands up in surrender. “Relax, Aaron. No need to be so aggressive.”

  “Oh, really. Do you know what’s going on?”

  “So, you’re upset that the team is moving on without you. I get that. But it’s no reason to go crazy.” The man began to slowly get out of his car.

  Aaron grabbed a fistful of the man’s shirt and flung him against his car.

  “Crazy?! Crazy?! I’m not crazy—I’m angry! I’ve been used by this organization. I’m done with this.” He released the man’s shirt. “It’s over for me, but it’s just starting for them.”

  Aaron turned and stormed toward his car. He grabbed the handgun he kept in his glove compartment. In his other hand, he clutched the pills. He got out of his car and stood near the driver’s side.

  Bam!

  The running back slumped to the ground, dead before he hit it. PED pills scattered around his body on the ground along with the empty bottle.

  ***

  To keep reading, purchase "Better Off Dead" here.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  We write in community and there have been plenty of people who have contributed to this project in one form or another.

  Many thanks must first go to my dad, who taught me how to tell a good story, leaving me on the edge of my bed wanting the next snippet of his creative bedtime stories, and my mom, who instilled in me the importance of good grammar to accentuate good written stories.

  I also want to thank Tim Booth, whose insights into Seattle sports scene helped craft the fine details in this manuscript.

  I appreciate the editorial assistance of Jennifer Wolf and her keen eye in making this book better than it was.

  And last but not least, I appreciate my wife for giving me the time to help make this book a reality.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  JACK PATTERSON is an award-winning journalist living in southeastern Idaho with his wife and three children. He likes enjoying the great outdoors of the Northwest and following sports. He also loves connecting with readers and would love to hear from you. To stay updated about future projects, connect with him over Facebook at facebook.com/JackPattersonAuthor, on the Internet at www.IamJackPatterson.com or on Twitter at twitter.com/MrJackPatterson

  Keep up to date with Jack Patterson's future project and special deals through his not-all-that-often newsletter by signing up here.

  DEAD LINE

  Electronic Edition Copyright © 2012 Jack Patterson

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-938848-13-1

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  First eBook Edition 2011

  Second eBook Edition 2014

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

  Cover Design by Dan Pitts

  Published in the United States of America

  Previously published as "Dead Line"

  Hangman Books

  PO Box 140654

  Boise, Idaho 83713