Dirty White Boys by Stephen Hunter

This story follows escaped convict Lamar Pye and two others as they tear through Oklahoma, killing anyone who stands in their way. When they ambush highway patrol officer, Bud Pewtie and his partner, they leave one dead cop, but Pewtie miraculously survives the attack. Tracking down the murders becomes an obsession for Pewtie who is loaded for bear and ready to kill.

Hunter brings together a brutal, but realistic story that could come right out of the newspaper.