There Are No Mountain Lions In New Jersey

By Ion Esimai

A big cat on the prowl. A boy on a mission. A killer in their midst.

 

A short story about a young boy's endeavor to put a smile on his widowed mother's face and prove her right, when her friends called her a liar.

 

Told against a backdrop of a foreign government conspiracy on American soil right in their backyard.

 

If you enjoy compulsive page-turners with constant tension and engaging twists and turns, then you'll love this intriguing, mysterious suspenseful thriller.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ciparum Press
• Release date: Jul 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781635897272

Ion Esimai

Ion Esimai is the author of The Sleeper’s Mole. An intriguing thriller that sets the stage for a head-on collision between the superpowers of Russia, China, and the US. He lives with his wife and children in Northern New Jersey.

Book preview

There Are No Mountain Lions In New Jersey

There Are No Mountain Lions In New Jersey

Ion Esimai

Ciparum Press

Copyright © 2020 by Ion Esimai

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

eISBN - 978-1-63589-727-2

Ciparum Press

270 Sparta Ave., Suite 104, PMB 152

Sparta, NJ 07871

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Editing by Lee Caleca - Caleca Editing Services

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

The Sleeper’s Mole

Excerpt from The Sleeper’s Mole

Prologue

Chapter 1

About the Author

Also By Ion Esimai

1

cat

The large cat prowled through the early morning forest, driven by its need for food. Its long muscular tail hung low as it walked over fallen logs and dry tree branches, its paws leaving no marks on the cushion of dead leaves and pine needles that lined its path. It raised its head and sniffed the air, then lowered it in disappointment—nothing in its immediate vicinity.

The predator’s ears twitched back and forth, then stopped. Among the big cats, evolution shortchanged it in the olfactory department but compensated it with excellent hearing and eyesight. Its keen ears had picked up the soft sound of another animal taking an early morning walk a hike away.

The powerful cat continued its morning vigil, this time with purpose, headed in the direction of the unsuspecting prey. Surprising its quarry was its main method of attack. The animal took its time as if it were in no hurry. To an observer, it would appear like the big cat was killing time.

2

Jude

The door to Jude’s room creaked open, letting in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. It was a sign that his mother was up and his extended stay on his Spiderman-themed twin bed and comforter would soon be over. He covered his face with his blanket and, right away, her footsteps approached his bed. She nudged him on his shoulder. Jude didn’t move. Then she poked him.

Wake up Jude!

Jude was eleven and in fifth grade. His mother doted on him, and he meant the world to her, but he could only push her so far, especially on Sunday mornings.

There wouldn’t be a third poke. If he doesn’t get up now, his blanket would be yanked away, the curtain pulled, and the window thrown open, bringing in the freezing January air.

Jude opened an eye, then the other. He was groggy; his mouth was dry and tasted as if a toad had died in it.

Sunday is a day of rest and for relaxing. It says so in the Bible. He sounded like a toad too.

His mother chuckled. Nice try. We don’t want to be late for service.

Jude exposed his head. All black hair and chubby cheeks. People said he was growing up to look a lot like his late father. But he had the same hair color and square jaw as his mother.

He ran his hand over an image of Spiderman on his blanket, caressing the fabric as if that would get Spiderman