Route of Evil

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When I came to write the third novel, I dismissed the notion of trying to shoehorn Tom Carter into the new idea. Instead I wanted to follow a $100 bill as it travelled around the world funding all sorts of criminal activity. The bill is known as a ‘Benjamin’ for its use of an image of Benjamin Franklin, so the project name as I wrote it had been One Benjamin, however during the course of writing it I changed this to Route of Evil.

SYNOPSIS – ‘Route of Evil’ by Bob Denton

Route of Evil features a series of revenges sought by different characters, little joy is achieved from each act of vengeance as these events follow the route of a marked $100 banknote around the world.

Kim-Ly’s story – In Bangkok Kim-Ly escapes from organ traders, the catalyst for a global chain-reaction. Bill Masters rescues her and investigates her life in Vietnam. She asks him to help her enter the USA illegally and he takes the opportunity to set up a DEA taskforce – a simple sting operation against a people-trafficker on the Arizona-Mexico border.

Bill is the linking protagonist, selfishly riding events to get back to the States, more witness than hero! Marking some $100 notes, Bill’s mission is set to take a week; his goal is in tatters within twenty-four hours! Kim-Ly has her own agenda – to avenge her sister’s murder by competitive drug-dealers.

A Brazilian sports agent, Vitor Ribeiro, manipulates a soccer star to throw a match for his betting syndicate to make millions. Kim-Ly confronts and kills the Brazilian’s two syndicate confederates. Bill witnesses the slaying of her sister’s killers but Vitor kidnaps her, evades Bill and escapes the States. Vitor proves to be rather more than a crooked sports’ agent.

Major Bentham has barely recovered from the loss of his wife when he learns he has a few months to live. A man of action, he decides to pursue his unique form of bucket list. His is not a catalogue of tourism and thrills, he decides to judge and execute eight evil individuals to make the world a better place. Pursuing his goals he unknowingly crosses with the $100 bill on two continents.

Jack’s story – South African, Jack van Buuren establishes his brother’s death in the Monaco Grand Prix was suspicious. He and his brother were both involved in attracting F1 back to Joburg. His brother, a successful driver, became the ‘cover-boy’ for the campaign and becomes a victim of the high-stakes Formula One venue-selection competition. Jack seeks revenge.

Vitor Ribeiro is expanding his criminal business into Africa but his local inexperience tells. He bribes his way out of Cabinda, Angola with the marked banknotes. Two mercenaries take the cash to Sun City for R&R and stumble upon one of Bentham’s hits. The marked bill passes to Jack.

Working from inside F1, Jack schedules his retaliation for the Istanbul race. While there he becomes smitten with Anoushka Chakraborty, a Bollywood actress. His reprisal complete, he follows her to Mumbai, right into the clutches of the surviving mercenary.

Anoushka’s story – Anoushka is aware that finance for the film studio comes from Raj Desai’s dubious organisation. Desai uses the Bollywood team to front his criminal activity while mounting a power-play against Ribeiro.

Jack is slain for a misunderstanding and Desai pushes the grieving Anoushka to accompany him to Burma; the studio plans Bagan to be the setting for a new movie. Desai’s plans to suborn members of Ribeiro’s network falter – not helped when the mercenary rapes Anoushka. Desai is killed.

Ribeiro spooked by the attempted ‘coup’ and Desai’s death, decides to clean up his network, starting in Mexico City. A botched showdown there sets up a chilling climax back full-circle at the Mexico-Arizona border! Kim-Ly’s father catches up with and kills those responsible for his daughters’ deaths.

The marked $100 banknote’s route pays silent witness to this catalogue of crime as it helps to unravel a sinister global criminal network.

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