When a group of law enforcement officers take matters into their own hands to avenge a well-meaning but ill-advised system of justice that allows criminals to walk the streets, a vigilante operation is born. When the first three criteria are satisfied, the offending felons are marked for assassination - The Fourth Criterion. If the terms and conditions of the first three criteria are satisfied, a sanction, a murder, is ordered by the Committee, and carried out by trained assassinations, operatives, who are mostly cops, men and women strategically located in key metropolitan areas around the country. You realize the seriousness of the allegations from a public standpoint, don't you?" Deputy Director Clayton Ainsworth asked Special FBI Agent Adrian Britain. "Bureau and CIA people involved in a vigilante operation!" "Yes, of course. That's why I was awaiting the return of Director Noble ... no offense meant. But it was he who-" "I understand, Adrian. God! This is explosive. Agents going around the country assassinating civilians! Christ, if that comes out it will set the Bureau back to the straight-jacket days right after Hoover! Agent Britain is unaware that the deputy director is behind and directs the vigilante operation, reporting to its head, the current vice president of the United States and soon-to-be Republican nominee for the presidency, William Danforth. Brian Curran is a Boston cop, being recruited by Agent Britain to work undercover in the hope he will be approached by the BPD's Captain in charge of detectives, Charles Danforth, the vice present's brother and a member of the vigilante Committee; Danforth wants to recruit Brian as a vigilante. Brian in an attractive prospect, and his several positive traits that made him attractive to Captain Danforth - what Danforth wanted Brian for, Brian would never do. Charles Danforth knew he had the right man; Curran would take some work. Walking a dangerous path between becoming a part of the vigilante operation and working undercover with Agent Britain is not enough of a tightrope for Brian. He is happily married to an adoring wife, Jessica, a physically attractive and able art teacher; a feminist without a stinger in her tail who enjoys being both a career woman and wife. The vigilante enterprise is funded through an art-forging operation. Its key person suddenly dies of natural causes. The NYPD investigates and discovers the art forgery scheme. Through a contact at the FBI, who is uninvolved with and unaware of Agent Britain's investigation, NYPD detective Mickey, who recruits art teacher and provenance expert Jessica Curran for an underground assignment to attempt to break into the art forgery operation in order to determine who is behind it. Neither Brian nor Jessica is aware they are working on the same investigation from different sides. Until Brian learns from his vigilante mentor there is a sanction on Jessica.

Author Biography

J.B. O'Ryan is a homebuilder, a former banker, a graduate of Brown University and an ex-Marine. He is the author of Journey to the Soul; God and Country, The Making of a Marine; Late for Her Own Funeral, as well as The Fourth Criterion.