Southbound by Jerry S. Drake

About the book

Kevin Mathias, an innocent young man is sentenced to life in prison. Abandoned by his family, divorced by his uncaring wife, his situation seems hopeless. Learning of a daring, rogue pilot, Bruno Cady, Kev, thinks of escape, wondering if Cady might fly him to South America. Brutally gang-raped, Kev's thought of escape becomes an obsession.

Working prison kitchen duty, Kev escapes in a garbage truck. Tumbled into a landfill dump in frigid weather, Kev is resourceful, finding a way to survive the bitter cold. He eludes the police, finds shelter and a hiding place in the attic of a house where he spends a week undetected. Facing other obstacles including a harrowing experience with teen-aged thieves and a close call with police, he heads south.

Near Baton Rouge, he finds Cady and ask his help to get him out of the country. Cady, a colorful scoundrel, agrees to fly Kev to Mexico. Kev doesn't know that Cady plans to make him the fall guy in a plan to cheat not only cocaine suppliers, but to keep the $2,000,000 purchase money from a US drug mob. Cady flies away with the money and cocaine, leaving Kev behind with counterfeit bills and very angry drug-traffickers led by a psychopath, Luis.

By luck and a quick wit, Kev escapes his captors, taking their SUV, their weapons and the suit case containing both real and phony money. Seeking a bogus passport in a seaport city, he is nearly caught again by the same thugs. Getting the upper hand, he finds that they have caught Bruno Cady, using torture to regain their drugs and money. Despite misgivings, Kev rescues Cady who promises to get Kev out of the country.

Cady's attractive daughter - with her detested name of Minnie -- arrives with a chartered yacht. Kev learns that father and daughter plan to sell the stolen cocaine to a new group of drug-dealers at a mid-ocean rendezvous. Overtaken by Luis and his men in a helicopter, Kev is wounded in a running gun battle although he and his companions destroy their pursuers. Later, a second group of smugglers try to steal the cocaine. Kev and Minnie survive the attack, but Cady is killed and the cocaine is lost in the sea. Minnie, consoled by $3,000,000, turns amorous and generous and promises half to Kev.

With Kev's condition worsening, the girl takes him to a shady doctor in Cozumel. Two days later, awakening from his fever, he discovers the girl has gone, taking all of the money with her. Kev, however, had anticipated her move and replaced half of the money with the counterfeit bills from her father's original scam.

With a large fortune in hand, Kevin finds his way to a new life and freedom.

About the author

Jerry Drake, born and raised in a small town in southern Missouri, served in US Army and later graduated from college with BA degree in English. Beginning his career as a writer-editor for a film company, he has worked in practically every audio-visual medium. He has written, directed and edited TV commercials, educational programs, corporate programs, etc. He worked for a large communications corporation, setting up and managing a corporate television studio. He has created well over 1000 film and video programs, primarily for major clients.

Southbound is a first novel although he has written two screenplays currently in the hands of producers seeking financing. He is currently working on a second novel. A member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers association, he meets regularly with other writers in critiquing sessions. Aside from an interest in writing fiction, he continues to work as a free lancer. An avid reader, his interests include still photography, videography, golf and travel.

Jerry lives in Westminster, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. Three grown daughters and their families live in Colorado.