Pax West

Pax West was only four years old when he nearly killed another child. Extensive physical and behavioral testing revealed a unique genetic anomaly that might explain his extreme responses to external threats. Specifically, his ventromedial prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that governs emotions, morals, and ethics – was missing. Neurologists had never encountered such a condition. Most believed he wouldn't survive to adulthood. Some even suggested he should be locked up – or euthanized while there was still time. But Dr. Alan Kepler, a leading neurologist working with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, had a different idea. If Pax West could be tamed, he would become the perfect weapon – the very tip of the spear the CIA used to keep America safe. Could he be taught to override his impulses and develop an unwavering sense of duty to his country? By eighteen, Pax became a Navy SEAL. By twenty-four, he was recruited by a clandestine arm of the CIA to become a Ghost – a man who didn't exist. His honor and duty to his country were now hardwired into his very being. He lived to serve, finding purpose in his new moral compass: doing whatever it took to protect his country. But what happens when a mission goes wrong, and Pax discovers that the very man he's been taking orders from for years has betrayed the nation he's sworn to protect? Pax must do what he's always done: find and neutralize the threat. But what if saving this enemy's life is the only way to prevent World War III from erupting? If you're a fan of authors like Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Brad Taylor, or Lee Child, you will enjoy this thrilling new series from the bestselling author of the Sam Reilly series, Christopher Cartwright.

Pax West, a former CIA Ghost with no past and no future, alights an Amtrak train in Portland, Oregon. He wasn't there long before a detective arrests him for the murder of a local woman. The detective says he has him on CCTV. The woman was his niece, making this personal. The usual judicial rules didn't apply as far as he was concerned. Pax was thrown into Oregon State Penitentiary. It was a mistake, but it would get cleaned up in the morning. Inside, Pax witnessed another inmate – Elliot Brooks – getting beaten up. It was an uneven fight. Four, heavyset men on one skinny kid with glasses. Pax let it happen. It wasn't his fight. Then, when it looked like they were going to kill him, Pax intervened. Elliot cursed him for saving his life. He deserved to die. Two years earlier, Elliot had woken up at home with a baseball bat covered in blood. The blood's DNA was a match to his own daughter. They never found her body, but there was too much blood at the scene for her to have survived. Police found high levels of amphetamines in his system. He couldn't remember a thing about the night. But the evidence was clear – he'd killed his own daughter. The next morning, Elliot had a visit from his sister. She didn't say anything. Just handed him a photograph. The picture was taken at Sea World in San Diego, California. There was a picture of a dolphin performing some sort of trick. He barely registered the dolphin. Instead, his eyes landed on a girl, about four years old smiling into the camera. The sight took his breath away. She looked familiar. Not just familiar. Identical. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew in that instant, it was his Amy. She was two years older, but very much alive. For the first time in two years, Elliot wanted to live. Knew he had to escape Oregon State Penitentiary. It was the only way to get his daughter back. The question remained, was Pax West willing to risk everything to save a stranger?