The author's homepage at JoeRogers.homestead.com features some mystery stories, plays, and excerpts from his other novels, Maiden of Orleans: a Bayou Thriller and The Snow Maiden: A Suspense Thriller
In this suspense thriller, two highly-skilled snipers go head-to-head against each other as the police and FBI attempt to stop a sinister conspiracy.
Surprising plot twists, endearing heroes, and a budding romance add to the fun of reading this exciting novel of good against evil.
Moonlight Warriors: A Tale of Two Hit Men is available in softcover, hardcover, and Kindle e-book editions  from Amazon.com and from BarnesandNoble.com (bn.com).
Excerpt 2:
At about ten o’clock on Saturday morning Dennis Sandhaven came out the front door of his Central West End home.  He picked up the morning paper and tossed it into the front hallway.
Marcus was waiting in his car parked near the corner.  Seeing Dennis step back out onto the front porch, Marcus placed his hand on the silenced pistol that was on the seat next to him.
However, Marcus was surprised when an eight-year-old boy dashed out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.  The child ran up to Dennis, and the father and son went over to their car in the driveway.
Damn, Marcus thought.  His right hand moved away from the gun and back onto the steering wheel.
He followed them as they drove along Lindell Boulevard.  Marcus hoped that Dennis was merely dropping the boy off somewhere, perhaps for a music lesson or at the house of one of the boy’s friends.
When Dennis and his son turned into Forest Park, though, Marcus sighed, realizing that the pair probably planned to spend the day together.  They parked in a lot near the zoo, and Marcus found a parking spot on the lane near the lot.
He pulled the cell phone out of his jacket pocket and called Elaine.
“Hello,” she answered promptly.
“I will not kill a man in front of his child.”
“I understand.  I’m sorry.   I didn’t know that Dennis was planning on taking him out today.”
“I might as well go home.”
“No!  I doubt that Dennis is going to spend the whole day with him.  Where are they now?”
“At the zoo.”
“They probably won’t stay there long.  Since Dennis has had a special project underway at his company, he usually goes into the office for at least a few hours on Saturday.”
“My time is valuable,” Marcus said.
“Yes, and that is why I am paying you very well!” Elaine snapped.  “I need this situation resolved as soon as possible!”  She paused and then added in a calmer voice, “Please stay with them.  If you are patient, Dennis will likely drop our son off at home and then head to the office by himself.  That will be your perfect opportunity.”
Marcus sighed.  “Very well.  I don’t have anything else planned, so I might as well follow them.”
“Thank you, goodbye,” Elaine said and hung up.
Because it was a Saturday and the weather was nice, the zoo was crowded, so Marcus was able to follow the father and son with little chance that they would notice him.
 
 
Excerpt 1:
In the conference rooms of a hotel in New York City, a biotechnology conference neared the conclusion of the afternoon's scheduled activities.  Biotechnology companies presented their latest products in order to persuade potential investors to purchase stock in their companies.
In the hotel's auditorium, Douglas Neldt addressed a crowded room.  “Recent advances in technology have made it possible for us to develop this wonderful artificial intelligence program. Our team of programmers has been working on this biotechnology software for almost three years.  When we demonstrate our Intelligent Agency program tomorrow morning, I guarantee that you will be amazed.  The program can create a perfect three-dimensional replication of every virus that exists or has ever existed.  It can then show the best way to destroy that virus.  The Intelligent Agency program will save millions of lives every year.”
A murmur went through the crowd upon hearing such a grandiose claim.  One man in the upper balcony of the auditorium, though, was barely listening to the speech.  From where he had been standing at the back of the room, he moved inconspicuously into a projection room that was not being used that afternoon.
He set his briefcase on the shelf next to the video projector, opened the case, and began to snap together the parts of his rifle.  Working with a calm efficiency,  he quickly assembled the rifle.  Each rifle part made a decisive clicking sound that assured him that the part was firmly in place. 
The man in the dark projection room rested his elbow on the ledge as he looked through the scope and took careful aim with the rifle.  He focused the crosshairs on Neldt’s forehead.  The man only planned to take one shot and wanted to be certain that shot would be fatal. 
Meanwhile, Neldt continued with his speech. “This program will provide our nation with a great defense against biological weapons.  In this age of terrorism, this is especially important.  If the terrorists attack us with a doomsday virus, Intelligent Agency can provide a cure.  If the terrorists attack us with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Intelligent Agency can design a drug that will kill the bacteria.
“The artificial intelligence of this program is truly amazing.  The program has the capability to improve itself;  if it’s  presented with some viral agent that it doesn’t recognize, the program will adapt itself so that it’s able to understand this new virus and determine the best way to destroy it.  Intelligent Agency will probably grow in ways that we have not imagined.  I’m certain that we can expect some surprises.”
Hearing this last comment, the man paused before firing.  He grinned slightly.  Here is your first surprise, he thought as he squeezed the trigger.
The gunshot resounded through the auditorium.  Douglas Neldt fell straight back as the bullet penetrated the center of his forehead.  As he toppled backwards, Neldt knocked over the American flag behind the podium.
 
This page was last updated: November 26, 2012