EPILOGUE. GLOSSARY. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

EPILOGUE

Athens, Greece

Kolonaki District

January

GENERAL QUSIM YEDID ADMIRED the young lithe body of his Russian “escort” for the evening, maybe more than a few evenings, if she was as good as he’d been promised. He’d requested a redhead and instead this blond Russian had been delivered. No matter, there were plenty of young Russian girls to keep him busy, and his future looked brighter than it had in quite some time. If this girl didn’t work out, he could order another tomorrow. He’d be sure to confirm they understood he wanted a redhead.

Just northeast of the Acropolis, the Kolonaki district was the place to shop for those with means in Athens. Bars, restaurants, and art galleries were spaced between high-end boutiques where jewelry, clothes, and shoes cost a small fortune. General Yedid noticed he wasn’t the only older gentlemen with arm candy looking young enough to be the daughter or, in some cases, the granddaughter of those they accompanied.

The shopkeepers didn’t seem to mind the tight black dress she wore that made her look more or less like what she actually was. If they did, the serious-looking man in sunglasses who followed the couple at a respectful distance kept them on their best behavior.

Yedid was able to afford the exorbitant prices for the clothes she admired, but he’d rather let her just look, to warm her up for what was to come. Some lingerie and shoes from Kalogirou should do the trick. He had already reserved a table at Cinderella nightclub, one of the trendiest clubs in the city, where patrons could dance to music from the seventies and eighties into the early hours of the morning. It was just down the street from their next stop in the ancient city heralded as the birthplace of democracy. He’d decided on seafood tonight and steered his companion toward the world-renowned Papadakis restaurant. He favored the kakavia soup to start, while finishing his vodka before switching to a nice bottle of Marquis de la Guiche–Le Montrachet to go with his main course, probably a grouper with truffles. Too bad the exquisite wine would be entirely lost on the young girl by his side.

It didn’t quite compare to the meals prepared by his private chef on the Shore Thing, but it would have to do for now. The yacht he usually rented was still impounded, but his American benefactors should have him back on the high seas soon enough; appearances had to be kept up, after all. In exchange for information, the CIA was allowing him to continue working in his past profession and even keep the money he earned from brokering teams of Syrian mercenaries around the globe to those willing to pay. In exchange, he was expected to feed the Agency information on all transactions. The Americans were even compensating him, albeit a small pittance, for his troubles. If the time came when he could pass them information that helped thwart a 9/11-style attack on their homeland that resulted in a blown cover, then they had a nice property waiting on him in horse country outside Washington, D. C., for his “retirement. ” He wondered, how hard would it be to find Russian hookers in Northern Virginia?

All in all, his was not a bad deal for someone who had hired the team that had successfully assassinated the Russian president and almost killed the American one. This was a high-stakes game, and Yedid knew that if he was discovered to be working for the Americans, he could expect to be skinned alive before his beheading as a warning to others who might be tempted to side with what the Iranians called the Great Satan. He felt fortunate he hadn’t ended up like his associate Vasili Andrenov, blown to bits by perpetrators yet unknown. He knew he was lucky to escape with his life after the American commandos had stormed his boat, and even luckier to have made a deal with that CIA doctor. He shuddered at the thought of the small academic-looking man with the Pelican cases, and he was smart enough to know not to press his luck.

The Agency had set up surveillance on Yedid for a month to establish his pattern of life, run countersurveillance and ensure that his tradecraft was polished enough to communicate with his case officer working out of the American embassy. Once they felt comfortable, they had backed off to allow him to continue to build his business while gathering intelligence for his new masters.

• • •

Mohammed Farooq waited patiently outside and just down the street from the Syrian general’s flat, the 1988 Mercedes G230 wagon blending in perfectly with the night’s light traffic going two and from the more popular night spots in Athens. The general had retired earlier than usual, just shy of 2 a. m. and had even opened the gate for his companion; this one looked to be about twenty. The large bodyguard followed, scanned the street, eyes coming to rest on Mo’s vehicle, before closing the gate, ensuring it was securely locked and walking up the steps to the front door.

Twenty minutes later the G-wagon’s passenger side door opened and a tall westerner in dark clothes slid inside.

“Thought we might be doing this another night, my friend, ” Mo said, turning to face the American.

“Nope. It happens tonight, ” James Reece replied. “Do you have what I asked for? ”

Mo reached into the backseat and handed Reece a leather satchel and a pair of black gloves.

“It’s in there. The pistol’s a bit on the antique side. If investigated, it will be traced back to a deceased Bratva enforcer, ” Mo said, referencing the Russian mafia. It certainly won’t be linked to anyone who will lead them to either of us. ”

After putting on the gloves, Reece reached inside and pulled out a small black pistol. Inspecting it, he looked at Mohammed with a questioning eye. “Will it work? ”

“It will work for your purposes. ”

Reece ejected the magazine from the Beretta M1934 pistol and pressed down on the top round with his thumb to ensure it was fully loaded, then inserted it into the weapon and racked the slide before engaging the safety. Chambered in the small 9mm Corto, known to Americans as. 380 ACP, it wouldn’t have been Reece’s first choice, but he was pleased that the old pistol was fitted with a suppressor. Stealth was an important component of tonight’s operation.

Reaching back into the bag, Reece extracted a small box and carefully cracked the hinge to find a bottle wrapped in an old rag.

“I wasn’t sure you’d be able to get this. How’d you do it? ”

“Reece, I am now one of the world’s most notorious terrorists, thanks to you and the CIA. My Nawaz-affiliated networks are still in place. I say the word, and it gets done. You’d be surprised at how deep these cells are embedded into both the Western and Eastern worlds, my friend. ”

Reece nodded.

“I know this is non-sanctioned, so I won’t ask too many questions, ” Mo continued. “There are easier ways for the CIA to liquidate their own asset than by sending you to Greece. Were it not for you, I’d still be working for Landry—may God curse him for eternity—so whatever you need, I shall provide. ”

“Thanks, buddy. Is your man inside? ”

“He is. With Yedid’s protective detail either dead or in a black-site prison, he needed someone with the right credentials—a Syrian, who just happens to work for me, ” Mo said with a sly smile. “The CIA will get their money’s worth out of me, I assure you. Pity the same cannot be said for our Syrian general. ”

“I know they will. And, I’m going to do what I can to get you out of this deal. I’ll need some time, but I’ll make it happen. ”

“Gratitude, my friend. Eventual freedom from indentured servitude, I believe you call it? ”

“Something like that. After tonight there are two more people I need to put in the ground: the men directly responsible for Freddy’s death. As far as I can tell, the CIA doesn’t know where they are yet. As soon as I use all assets at the Agency’s disposal to find them, I’m out. ”

“So, we shall work together once again at the behest of American intelligence, just like the old days in Iraq. ”

“Looks that way, ” Reece affirmed.

“Inshallah, one day we shall both be free. ”

“Inshallah, ” Reece responded.

Reece looked at his watch. “Let him know I’m coming. ”

Mo texted a single word via his cell phone and nodded to Reece. “He knows. I’ll be here if you need me. Allah yusallmak. ”

Reece exited the vehicle, pulled the satchel over his shoulder, and moved up the street, toward his target.

• • •

What was taking her so long?

She’d enjoyed dinner and downed her share of wine followed by champagne at the club; he hoped she hadn’t passed out on his bathroom floor. He liked watching her dance, turning down the advances of men much younger than he, returning to him when he’d beckoned. Back at his flat, she hadn’t been interested in the drugs, instead having a final drink before going to the washroom to change into the lingerie he’d purchased for her earlier in the evening. She seemed genuinely attracted to him, a result of the unnecessary but pleasant wining and dining. The sex was always better with these young ones if they thought it was more than just a business transaction. They still had hope.

A sharp rap at the door startled him.

“Maada turiid? ” He shouted angrily from his bed.

The door opened, and a man who was not his bodyguard entered the room, a black suppressed pistol in his outstretched hand.

“Where is she? ” the man asked in a tone that conjured images of death itself.

Yedid looked to the nightstand drawer, knowing he could never make it to his Makarov pistol in time, then nodded toward the bathroom.

Reece moved across the room, his eyes and pistol still trained on the overweight general in white boxers propped up against the throw pillows, and opened the door.

“Get your things, ” he said to the small blond girl whose eyes betrayed a mixture of fright and dismay, as he ushered her to the bedroom door and into the waiting hands of Yedid’s bodyguard, who would escort her away.

“Fucking traitor, ” Yedid spat.

“Do you know who I am? ” Reece asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

The general took a deep breath and eyed the intruder suspiciously in the dim yellow glow coming from a single lamp next to the bed.

“Well, you are American. That I can tell. You can’t be Agency, as they have other means to contact me. Ah, but this might be a test. The Central Intelligence Agency is famous for testing their sources to assess loyalty. ”

“I’m not Agency, and this is not a test. I’m here for information. Whether you live or end up like your buddy Andrenov depends on the quality of that information. Do you understand? ”

Yedid nodded slowly, digesting everything he’d just heard. He had not been a frontline soldier. He’d chosen an even more dangerous career path. He’d been a politician in uniform under Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad, before him. He was more adept at political maneuvering in a game during which one small error or lapse of judgment meant torture and death. He’d played the game well.

“I understand. What can I do for you? ”

“The sniper, Nizar Kattan, and Oliver Grey. I need to find them. ”

Yedid studied the bearded American, weighing his options.

“I’ve told my handler everything I know, that’s part of my deal, ” Yedid said, gesturing to the room. “I don’t believe you are not Agency. They are the only ones, how do you say it, privy to those names? ”

The small-caliber bullet entered General Yedid’s right knee just above the kneecap, breaking bone and tearing cartilage and ligaments along its path before terminating its flight halfway through the thick mattress. The general’s eyes opened wide in horror as he inhaled sharply at the pain, grabbing his leg, too shocked to even scream as his mind raced to catch up with what had just happened.

Reece covered the five steps to the bed in less than a second, whipping the pistol down and across the Syrian general’s face, careful not to impact the jaw or temple, instead shattering the cheekbone and leaving a nasty gash in its wake.

“Look at me, ” Reece hissed down at the terrorist he knew was part of the conspiracy that left his friend’s wife and children without a father and had helped almost unleash a nerve toxin on a civilian population, all for money.

Yedid looked up in a mixed state of shock and confusion. Who was this man?

“I told you, I’m not Agency, but I do want answers. ”

Reece stepped back and aimed the suppressed pistol directly at Yedid’s head.

“It’s too late for the leg. You’ll lose it above the knee. If you want to keep the other one, and your life, I better believe what you have to say. ”

“Yes, yes, ” the general panted, frantically trying to stem the flow of blood soaking his sheets.

“Nizar and Grey. I need to know what you didn’t tell the Agency. I need to know where they are now. ”

“I don’t know! I swear to the Prophet, I don’t, ” Yedid pleaded.

“The only prophet you worship is the god of money, ” Reece said, nodding toward an armoire set up as a bar with an assortment of drugs at the ready.

“Then what do you want? ”

“I want you to guess. And it better be a good one. I know Andrenov hired you to put the team together. And I know that Grey wanted to run this himself, which puts you at a severe disadvantage tonight. I need your best educated guess as to where they might go and who they might contact. ”

His leg in tatters and his face dripping blood, the American the very incarnation of death standing over him, General Yedid weighed his options. He thought once again about his pistol in the drawer a mere few feet away but decided that discretion was the better part of valor in this particular situation. He could talk his way out of this.

“It’s so painful. I need something for the pain. Please. ”

Reece walked to the armoire and eyed the selection of drugs and alcohol, giving General Yedid a moment to contemplate his pain and his future.

“Vodka? ” Reece asked.

“Please. Yes, vodka, ” Yedid responded through gritted teeth.

“Think carefully, Yedid. You don’t want this drink to be your last. ”

Reece kept an eye on Yedid in the mirror as he set his Beretta on the armoire and administered a healthy pour, taking a moment to empty the contents of a small bottle from his satchel into the liquid with his gloved hand. He picked up his pistol, turned back around, and approached the bloodied overweight man breathing heavily and still gripping his leg above what used to be his knee.

The general looked up and reached for the drink.

“Not yet, Yedid. First tell me where you think Grey and Nizar would go to ground. ”

“Okay, okay, ” the Syrian said in defeat. “As I told the CIA in my debrief, I don’t know. What I can tell you is that Andrenov is connected, both in D. C. and in Russia. Grey certainly can’t go back to the United States, and neither can Nizar, for obvious reasons, but they can go to Russia. ”

“Russia? But they assassinated the Russian president. Why would they go to Russia? ”

“I see, you do not understand Russia. You are too young. My guess from the looks of you is that you spent your time in Iraq and Afghanistan. ”

“Continue, ” Reece commanded, holding the drink a bit closer to the Syrian.

“Russia is a puzzle even more complex than the Middle East, ” Yedid continued, still gripping his leg. “Andrenov, although excommunicated from the echelons of power, still had supporters in the government who had hedged their bets in anticipation of his eventual return. But, more important, he had deep connections to Russian organized crime, the mafia. If I were to guess, I would speculate that the plan for this contingency was a fallback involving the Bratva, somewhere in Russia, or in a Russian mafia–controlled city. ”

“Who would they contact, exactly? ” Reece pressed.

“I don’t know. ” Yedid prayed. “How could I? That is Andrenov’s territory. ”

“Who? ” Reece ordered again, moving the pistol to the general’s one good knee.

“I don’t know! I swear to it. I don’t know! ”

Reece contemplated the man before him—shot, beaten, crushed—and lowered the gun.

“I believe you, ” Reece said, handing the general his drink.

Yedid reached for it with both bloodied hands and brought it to his lips, taking two huge gulps of the strong liquor, closing his eyes in momentary relief from the torture this man had wrought.

Something was wrong.

Instead of the expected respite, he felt an intense burning in his mouth, followed quickly by a pain, sharper than anything he’d ever experienced, attacking his lungs and stomach. His eyes moved questioningly to the man standing over him but were quickly torn away as they rolled back in his head, his back arching, the drink falling onto his chest, convulsions racking his body as the dose of Novichok liquid soluble precursor seized control of his musculoskeletal system and threw him into an exorcistic seizure. As fluid began to flow into Yedid’s lungs, his mouth filled with a white froth that leaked down his chin and out of his nose, his body deteriorating into a writhing mass of agony. His last vision, before his respiratory system shut down and his heart seized, was of the American tossing his pistol onto the bed, looking down at him without a hint of remorse.

• • •

Reece exited the building and made his way through the early morning darkness to the waiting Mercedes. He’d carefully removed his gloves and left them at the scene. One of Mo’s people would leave an anonymous message in Russian for Greek authorities that warned them of the contamination so that appropriate HAZMAT crews could respond; the flat would be uninhabitable for years to come.

Traffic was extremely light and none of the drivers paid much attention to the tall figure climbing into the passenger side of the older-model German vehicle.

He didn’t dwell on what he’d just done. The Syrian general had been at it long enough to know that eventually the reaper comes to call. Reece had gotten the information he needed. His sights were now set on Russia. It was time to hunt.

GLOSSARY

160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment: The Army’s premier helicopter unit that provides aviation support to special forces. Known as the “Night Stalkers, ” they are widely regarded as the best helicopter pilots and crews in the world.

. 260: . 260 Remington; . 264" /6. 5mm rifle cartridge that is essentially a. 308 Winchester necked down to accept a smaller-diameter bullet. The. 260 provides superior external ballistics to the. 308 with less felt recoil and can often be fired from the same magazines.

. 300 Norma: . 300 Norma Magnum; a cartridge designed for long-range precision shooting that has been adopted by USSOCOM for sniper use.

. 375 CheyTac: Long-range cartridge, adapted from the. 408 CheyTac, that can fire a 350-grain bullet at 2, 970 feet per second. A favorite of extreme long-range match competitors who use it on targets beyond 3, 000 yards.

. 375 H& H Magnum: An extremely common and versatile big-game rifle cartridge, found throughout Africa. The cartridge was developed by Holland & Holland in 1912 and traditionally fires a 300-grain bullet.

. 404 Jeffery: A rifle cartridge, designed for large game animals, developed by W. J. Jeffery & Company in 1905.

. 408 CheyTac: Long-range cartridge adapted from the. 505 Gibbs capable of firing a 419-grain bullet at 2, 850 feet per second.

. 500 Nitro: A. 510-caliber cartridge designed for use against heavy dangerous game, often chambered in double rifles. The cartridge fires a 570-grain bullet at 2, 150 feet per second.

75th Ranger Regiment: A large-scale Army special operations unit that conducts direct-action missions including raids and airfield seizures. These elite troops often work in conjunction with other special operations units.

• • •

AC-130 Spectre: A ground-support aircraft used by the U. S. military, based on the ubiquitous C-130 cargo plane. AC-130s are armed with a 105mm howitzer, 40mm cannons, and 7. 62mm miniguns, and are considered the premier close-air-support weapon of the U. S. arsenal.

Accuracy International: A British company producing high-quality precision rifles, often used for military sniper applications.

ACOG: Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight. A magnified optical sight designed for use on rifles and carbines made by Trijicon. The ACOG is popular among U. S. forces as it provides both magnification and an illuminated reticle that provides aiming points for various target ranges.

AFIS: Automated Fingerprint Identification System; electronic fingerprint database maintained by the FBI.

Aimpoint Micro: Aimpoint Micro T-2; high-quality unmagnified red-dot combat optic produced in Sweden that can be used on a variety of weapons platforms. This durable sight weighs only three ounces and has a five-year battery life.

AISI: The latest name for Italy’s domestic intelligence agency. Their motto, “scientia rerum reipublicae salus, ” means “knowledge of issues is the salvation of the Republic. ”

AK-9: Russian 9x39mm assault rifle favored by Spetsnaz (special purpose) forces.

Al-Jaleel: Iraqi-made 82mm mortar that is a clone of the Yugoslavian-made M69A. This indirect-fire weapon has a maximum range of 6, 000 meters.

Alpha Group: An elite Russian counterterrorist unit that is part of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Alpha Group units also exist in numerous nations of the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine.

AN/PAS-13G(v)L3/LWTS: Weapon-mounted thermal optic that can be used to identify warm-blooded targets day or night. Can be mounted in front of and used in conjunction with a traditional “day” scope mounted on a sniper weapons system.

AN/PRC-163: Falcon III communications system made by Harris Corporation that integrates voice, text, and video capabilities.

AQ: al-Qaeda. Meaning “the Base” in Arabic. A radical Islamic terrorist organization once led by the late Osama bin Laden.

AQI: al-Qaeda in Iraq. An al-Qaeda–affiliated Sunni insurgent group that was active against U. S. forces. Elements of AQI eventually evolved into ISIS.

AR-10: 7. 62x51mm brainchild of Eugene Stoner that was later adapted to create the M16/M4/AR-15.

Asherman Chest Seal: A specialized emergency medical device used to treat open chest wounds. If you’re wearing one, you are having a bad day.

AT-4: Tube-launched 84mm anti-armor rocket produced in Sweden and used by U. S. forces since the 1980s. The AT-4 is a throwaway weapon: after it is fired, the tube is discarded.

ATF/BATFE: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A federal law enforcement agency formally part of the U. S. Department of the Treasury, which doesn’t seem overly concerned with alcohol or tobacco.

ATPIAL/PEQ-15: Advanced Target Pointer/Illuminator Aiming Laser. A weapon-mounted device that emits both visible and infrared target designators for use with or without night observation devices. Essentially, an advanced military-grade version of the “laser sights” seen in popular culture.

Azores: Atlantic archipelago consisting of nine major islands that is an independent autonomous region of the European nation of Portugal.

Barrett 250 Lightweight: A lightweight variant of the M240 7. 62mm light machine gun, developed by Barrett Firearms.

Barrett M107: . 50 BMG caliber semiautomatic rifle designed by Ronnie Barrett in the early 1980s. This thirty-pound rifle can be carried by a single individual and can be used to engage human or vehicular targets at extreme ranges.

BATS: Biometrics Automated Toolset System; a fingerprint database often used to identify insurgent forces.

Bay of Pigs: Site of a failed invasion of Cuba by paramilitary exiles trained and equipped by the CIA.

BDU: Battle-dress uniform; an oxymoron if there ever was one.

Beneteau Oceanis: A forty-eight-foot cruising sailboat, designed and built in France. An ideal craft for eluding international manhunts.

Black Hills Ammunition: High-quality ammunition made for military and civilian use by a family-owned and South Dakota–based company. Their MK 262 MOD 1 5. 56mm load saw significant operational use in the GWOT.

Browning Hi-Power: A single-action 9mm semiautomatic handgun that feeds from a thirteen-round box magazine. Also known as the P-35, this Belgian-designed handgun was the most widely issued military sidearm in the world for much of the twentieth century and was used by both Axis and Allied forces during World War II.

BUD/S: Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. The six-month selection and training course required for entry into the SEAL Teams, held in Coronado, California. Widely considered one of the most brutal military selection courses in the world, with an average 80 percent attrition rate.

C-17: Large military cargo aircraft used to transport troops and supplies. Also used by the Secret Service to transport the president’s motorcade vehicles.

C-4: Composition 4. A plastic-explosive compound known for its stability and malleability.

CAT: Counter-Assault Team; heavily armed ground element of the Secret Service trained to respond to threats such as ambushes.

XXXXX: XXXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Cessna 208 Caravan: Single-engine turboprop aircraft that can ferry passengers and cargo, often to remote locations. These workhorses are staples in remote wilderness areas throughout the world.

CIA: Central Intelligence Agency

CIF/CRF: Commanders In-Extremis Force/Crisis Response Force; a United States Army Special Forces team specifically tasked with conducting direct-action missions. These are the guys who should have been sent to Benghazi.

CJSOTF: Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force. A regional command that controls special operations forces from various services and friendly nations.

CMC: Command Master Chief, a senior enlisted rating in the United States Navy.

CQC: Close-quarter combat

CrossFit: A fitness-centric worldwide cult that provides a steady stream of cases to orthopedic surgery clinics. No need to identify their members; they will tell you who they are.

CRRC: Combat Rubber Raiding Craft. Inflatable Zodiac-style boats used by SEALs and other maritime troops.

CTC: Counterterrorism Center; CIA office tasked with disrupting terrorist groups and attacks.

CZ-75: 9mm handgun designed in 1975 and produced in the Czech Republic.

DA: District attorney; local prosecutor in many jurisdictions.

Dam Neck: An annex to Naval Air Station Oceana near Virginia Beach, Virginia, where nothing interesting whatsoever happens.

DCIS: Defense Criminal Investigation Service

DEA: Drug Enforcement Administration

Democratic Federation of Northern Syria: Aka Rojava, an autonomous, polyethnic, and secular region of northern Syria.

Det Cord: Flexible detonation cord used to initiate charges of high explosive. The cord’s interior is filled with PETN explosive; you don’t want it wrapped around your neck.

DOD: Department of Defense

DOJ: Department of Justice

DShkM: Russian-made 12. 7x108mm heavy machine gun that has been used in virtually every armed conflict since and including World War II.

XXX: XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXXXX X

EFP: Explosively Formed Penetrator/Projectile. A shaped explosive charge that forms a molten projectile used to penetrate armor. Such munitions were widely used by insurgents against coalition forces in Iraq.

Eland: Africa’s largest antelope. A mature male can weigh more than a ton.

EMS: Emergency medical services. Fire, paramedic, and other emergency personnel.

EOD: Explosive Ordnance Disposal. The military’s explosives experts who are trained to, among other things, disarm or destroy improvised explosive devices or other munitions.

EOTECH: An unmagnified holographic gunsight for use on rifles and carbines, including the M4. The sight is designed for rapid target acquisition, which makes it an excellent choice for close-quarters battle. Can be fitted with a detachable 3x magnifier for use at extended ranges.

FAL: Fusil Automatique Lé ger: gas-operated, select-fire 7. 62 x51mm battle rifle developed by FN in the late 1940s and used by the militaries of more than ninety nations. Sometimes referred to as “the right arm of the free world” due to its use against communist forces in various Cold War–era insurgencies.

FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation; a federal law enforcement agency that is not known for its sense of humor.

FDA: Food and Drug Administration

FLIR: Forward-Looking InfraRed; an observation device that uses thermographic radiation, that is, heat, to develop an image.

Floppies: Derogatory term used to describe communist insurgents during the Rhodesian Bush War.

FOB: Forward Operating Base. A secured forward military position used to support tactical operations. Can vary from small and remote outposts to sprawling complexes.

Fobbit: A service member serving in a noncombat role who rarely, if ever, leaves the safety of the Forward Operating Base.

FSB: Russia’s federal security service; like the FBI but without all the charm.

FSO: Federal Protective Service; Russia’s version of the Secret Service.

G550: A business jet manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace. Prices for a new example start above $40 million but, as they say, it’s better to rent.

Game Scout: A wildlife enforcement officer in Africa. These individuals are often paired with hunting outfitters to ensure that regulations are adhered to.

Glock: An Austrian-designed, polymer-framed handgun popular with police forces, militaries, and civilians throughout the world. Glocks are made in various sizes and chambered in several different cartridges.

GPNVG-18: Ground Panoramic Night Vision Goggles; $43, 000 NODs used by the most highly funded special operations units due to their superior image quality and peripheral vision. See Rich Kid Shit.

GPS: Global Positioning System. Satellite-based navigation systems that provide a precise location anywhere on earth.

Great Patriotic War: The Soviets’ name for World War II; communists love propaganda.

Green-badger: Central Intelligence Agency contractor

Ground Branch: Land-focused element of the CIA’s Special Activities Division, according to Wikipedia.

XXXXXXXX: XXXXXXXXXX protective agents employed by XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXX to provide security to overseas personnel. See 13 Hours.

GRU: Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate. The foreign military intelligence agency of the Russian armed forces. The guys who do all the real work while the KGB gets all the credit, or so I’m told.

GS: General Schedule; federal jobs that provide good benefits and lots of free time.

Gukurahundi Massacres: A series of killings carried out against Ndebele tribe members in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, by the Mugabe government during the 1980s. As many as twenty thousand civilians were killed by the North Korean–trained Fifth Brigade of the Zimbabwean army.

GWOT: Global War on Terror; the seemingly endless pursuit of bad guys, kicked off by the 9/11 attacks.

Gym Jones: Utah-based fitness company founded by alpine climbing legend Mark Twight. Famous for turning soft Hollywood actors into hard bodies, Gym Jones once enjoyed a close relationship with a certain SEAL Team.

Hell Week: The crucible of BUD/S training. Five days of constant physical and mental stress with little or no sleep.

Hilux: Pickup truck manufactured by Toyota that is a staple in third-world nations due to its reliability.

HK416: M4 clone engineered by the German firm of Heckler & Koch to operate using a short-stroke gas pistol system instead of the M4’s direct-impingement gas system. Used by select special operations units in the U. S. and abroad. May or may not have been the weapon used to kill Xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

HK417: Select-fire 7. 62x51mm rifle built by Heckler & Koch as a big brother to the HK416. Often used as Designated Marksman Rifle with a magnified optic.

HUMINT: Human intelligence. Information gleaned through traditional human-to-human methods.

HVI/HVT: High-Value Individual/High-Value Target. An individual who is important to the enemy’s capabilities and is therefore specifically sought out by a military force.

IED: Improvised Explosive Device. Homemade bombs, whether crude or complex, often used by insurgent forces overseas.

IR: Infrared. The part of the electromagnetic spectrum with a longer wavelength than light but a shorter wavelength than radio waves. Invisible to the naked eye but visible with night observation devices. Example: an IR laser aiming device.

Iron Curtain: The physical and ideological border that separated the opposing sides of the Cold War.

ISIS: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Radical Sunni terrorist group based in parts of Iraq and Afghanistan. Also referred to as ISIL. The bad guys.

ISR: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

ITAR: International Traffic in Arms Regulations; export control regulations designed to restrict the export of certain items, including weapons and optics. These regulations offer ample opportunity to inadvertently violate federal law.

JAG: Judge Advocate General. Decent television series and the military’s legal department.

JSOC: Joint Special Operations Command. A component command of SOCOM, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxx XxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx xxxxxxx.

Katyn Massacre: Soviet purge of Polish citizens that took place in 1940 subsequent to the Soviet invasion. Twenty-two thousand Poles were killed by members of the NKVD during this event; many of the bodies were discovered in mass graves in the Katyn Forest. Russia denied responsibility for the massacre until 1990.

Kudu: A spiral-horned antelope, roughly the size and build of an elk, that inhabits much of sub-Saharan Africa.

Langley: The Northern Virginia location where the Central Intelligence Agency is headquartered. Often used as shorthand for CIA.

LaRue OBR: Optimized Battle Rifle; precision variant of the AR-15/AR-10 designed for use as a Designated Marksman or Sniper Rifle. Available in both 5. 56x45mm and 7. 62x51mm.

Law of Armed Conflict: A segment of public international law that regulates the conduct of armed hostilities.

LAW Rocket: M-72 Light Anti-armor Weapon. A disposable, tube-launched 66mm unguided rocket in use with U. S. forces since before the Vietnam War.

Leica M4: Classic 35mm rangefinder camera produced from 1966 to 1975.

Long-Range Desert Group: A specialized British military unit that operated in the North African and Mediterranean theaters during World War II. The unit was made up of soldiers from Great Britain, New Zealand, and Southern Rhodesia.

M1911/1911A1: . 45-caliber pistol used by U. S. forces since before World War I.

M3: World War II submachine gun chambered in. 45 ACP. This simple but reliable weapon became a favorite of the frogmen of that time.

M4: The standard assault rifle of the majority of U. S. military forces, including the U. S. Navy SEALs. The M4 is a shortened carbine variant of the M16 rifle that fires a 5. 56x45mm cartridge. The M4 is a modular design that can be adapted to numerous configurations, including different barrel lengths.

MACV-SOG: Military Assistance Command, Vietnam—Studies and Observations Group. Deceiving name for a group of brave warriors who conducted highly classified special operations missions during the Vietnam War. These operations were often conducted behind enemy lines in Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam.

Mahdi Militia: An insurgent Shia militia loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that opposed U. S. forces in Iraq during the height of that conflict.

MANPADS: MAn-Portable Air-Defense System; small antiaircraft surface-to-air guided rockets such as the U. S. Stinger and the Russian SA-7.

Marine Raiders: U. S. Marine Corps special operations unit; formerly known as MARSOC.

Mazrah Tora: A prison in Cairo, Egypt, that you do not want to find yourself in.

MBITR: AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio. A handheld multiband, tactical software–defined radio, commonly used by special operations forces to communicate during operations.

McMillan TAC-50: Bolt-action sniper rifle chambered in. 50 BMG used for long-range sniping operations used by U. S. special operations forces as well as the Canadian army.

MDMA: A psychoactive drug whose clinical name is too long to place here. Known on the street as “ecstasy. ” Glow sticks not included.

MH-47: Special operations variant of the Army’s Chinook helicopter, usually flown by members of the 160th SOAR. This twin-rotor aircraft is used frequently in Afghanistan due to its high service ceiling and large troop- and cargo-carrying capacity. Rumor has it that, if you’re careful, you can squeeze a Land Rover Defender 90 inside one.

MH-60: Special operations variant of the Army’s Black Hawk helicopter, usually flown by members of the 160th SOAR.

MI5: Military Intelligence, Section 5; Britain’s domestic counterintelligence and security agency. Like the FBI but with nicer suits and better accents.

MIL DOT: A reticle-based system used for range estimation and long-range shooting, based on the milliradian unit of measurement.

MIL(s): One-thousandth of a radian; an angular measurement used in rifle scopes. 0. 1 MIL equals 1 centimeter at 100 meters or 0. 36" at 100 yards. If you find that confusing, don’t become a sniper.

MIT: Turkey’s national intelligence organization and a school in Boston for smart kids.

Mk 46 MOD 1: Belt-fed 5. 56x45mm light machine gun built by FN Herstal. Often used by special operations forces due to its light weight, the Mk 46 is a scaled-down version of the Mk 48 MOD 1.

Mk 48 MOD 1: Belt-fed 7. 62x51mm light machine gun designed for use by special operations forces. Weighing eighteen pounds unloaded, the Mk48 can fire 730 rounds per minute to an effective range of 800 meters and beyond.

MP7: Compact select-fire personal defense weapon built by Heckler & Koch and used by various special operations forces. Its 4. 6x30mm cartridge is available in a subsonic load, making the weapon extremely quiet when suppressed. What the MP7 lacks in lethality it makes up for in coolness.

MQ-4C: An advanced unmanned surveillance drone developed by Northrop Grumman for use by the United States Navy.

MultiCam: A proprietary camouflage pattern developed by Crye Precision. Formerly reserved for special operators and airsofters, MultiCam is now standard issue to much of the U. S. and allied militaries.

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance created in 1949 to counter the Soviet threat to the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the alliance is commanded by a four-star U. S. military officer known as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).

Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU): A command that appears on the biographies of numerous admirals on the Navy’s website. Vice President Joe Biden publicly referred to it by a different name.

NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service. A federal law enforcement agency whose jurisdiction includes the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps. Also a popular television program with at least two spin-offs.

Niassa Game Reserve: Sixteen thousand square miles of relatively untouched wilderness in northern Mozambique. The reserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife as well as a fair number of poachers looking to commoditize them.

NODs: Night observation devices. Commonly referred to as “night-vision goggles, ” these devices amplify ambient light, allowing the user to see in low-light environments. Special operations forces often operate at night to take full advantage of such technology.

NSA: National Security Agency; U. S. intelligence agency tasked with gathering and analyzing signals intercepts and other communications data. These are the people who can listen to your phone calls.

NSC: National Security Council; this body advises and assists the president of the United States on matters of national security.

NSW: Naval Special Warfare. The Navy’s special operations force; includes SEAL Teams.

Officer Candidate School (OCS): Twelve-week course where civilians and enlisted sailors are taught to properly fold underwear. Upon completion, they are miraculously qualified to command men and women in combat.

OmniSTAR: Satellite-based augmentation system service provider. A really fancy GPS service that provides very precise location information.

Ops-Core ballistic helmet: Lightweight high-cut helmet used by special operations forces worldwide.

P226: 9mm handgun made by SIG Sauer, the standard-issue sidearm for SEALs.

P229: A compact handgun made by SIG Sauer, often used by federal law enforcement officers, chambered in 9mm as well as other cartridges.

P320: Striker-fired modular 9mm handgun that has recently been adopted by the U. S. armed forces as the M17/M18.

P365: Subcompact handgun made by SIG Sauer, designed for concealed carry. Despite its size, the P365 holds up to thirteen rounds of 9mm.

Pakistani Taliban: An Islamic terrorist group composed of various Sunni Islamist militant groups based in the northwestern Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan.

Pamwe Chete: “All Together”; the motto of the Rhodesian Selous Scouts.

Panga: A machete-like utility blade common in Africa.

Peshmerga: Military forces of Kurdistan. Meaning “the one who faces death, ” they are regarded by Allied troops as some of the best fighters in the region.

PETN: Pentaerythritol TetraNitrate. An explosive compound used in blasting caps to initiate larger explosive charges.

PG-32V: High-explosive antitank rocket that can be fired from the Russian-designed RPG-32 rocket-propelled grenade. Its tandem charge is effective against various types of armor, including reactive armor.

PID: Protective Intelligence and Threat Assessment Division; the division of the Secret Service that monitors potential threats to its protectees.

PKM: Soviet-designed, Russian-made light machine gun chambered in 7. 62x54R that can be found in conflicts throughout the globe. This weapon feeds from a non-disintegrating belt and has a rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute. You don’t want one shooting at you.

PLF: Parachute Landing Fall. A technique taught to military parachutists to prevent injury when making contact with the earth. Round canopy parachutes used by airborne forces fall at faster velocities than other parachutes, and require a specific landing sequence. More often than not ends up as feet-ass-head.

POTUS: President of the United States; leader of the free world.

PPD: Presidential Protection Detail; the element of the Secret Service tasked with protecting POTUS.

President’s Hundred: A badge awarded by the Civilian Marksmanship Program to the one hundred top-scoring military and civilian shooters in the President’s Pistol and President’s Rifle matches. Enlisted members of the U. S. military are authorized to wear the tab on their uniform.

Professional Hunter: A licensed hunting guide in Africa, often referred to as a “PH. ” Zimbabwe-licensed PHs are widely considered the most qualified and highly trained in Africa and make up the majority of the PH community operating in Mozambique.

Protocols of the Elders of Zion: An anti-Semitic conspiracy manifesto first published in the late 1800s by Russian sources. Though quickly established as a fraudulent text, Protocols has been widely circulated in numerous languages.

PSO-1: A Russian-made 4x24mm illuminated rifle optic developed for use on the SVD rifle.

PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder. A mental condition that develops in association with shocking or traumatic events. Commonly associated with combat veterans.

PVS-15: Binocular-style NODs used by U. S. and allied special operations forces.

QRF: Quick Reaction Force, a contingency ground force on standby to assist operations in progress.

Ranger Panties: Polyester PT shorts favored by members of the 75th Ranger Regiment that leave very little to the imagination, sometimes referred to as “silkies. ”

RFID: Radio Frequency Identification; technology commonly used to tag objects that can be scanned electronically.

RHIB/RIB: Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat/Rigid Inflatable Boat. A lightweight but high-performance boat constructed with a solid fiberglass or composite hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale (sides).

Rhodesia: A former British colony that declared its independence in 1965. After a long and brutal civil war, the nation became Zimbabwe in 1979.

Rhodesian Bush War: An insurgency battle between the Rhodesian Security Forces and Soviet-, East German–, Cuban-, and Chinese-backed guerrillas that lasted from 1964 to 1979. The war ended when the December 1979 Lancaster House Agreement put an end to white minority rule.

Rhodesian SAS: A special operations unit, formed as part of the famed British Special Air Service in 1951. When Rhodesia sought independence, the unit ceased to exist as part of the British military but fought as part of the Rhodesian Security Forces until 1980. Many members of the Selous Scouts were recruited from the SAS.

Rich Kid Shit: Expensive equipment items reserved for use by the most highly funded special operations units, usually part of XXXX.

RLI: Rhodesian Light Infantry; an airborne and airmobile unit used to conduct “fireforce” operations during the Bush War. These missions were often launched in response to intelligence provided by Selous Scouts on the ground.

Robert Mugabe: Chairman of ZANU who led the nation of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2017 as both prime minister and president. Considered responsible for retaliatory attacks against his rival Ndebele tribe as well as a disastrous land redistribution scheme that was ruled illegal by Zimbabwe’s High Court.

ROE: Rules of engagement. Rules or directives that determine what level of force can be applied against an enemy in a particular situation or area.

RPG-32: 105mm rocket-propelled grenade launcher that is made in both Russia and, under license, in Jordan.

SAP: Special Access Program. Security protocols that provide highly classified information with safeguards and access restrictions that exceed those for regular classified information. Really secret stuff.

SCAR-17: 7. 62x51mm battle rifle produced by FN. Its gas mechanism can be traced to that of the FAL.

Schmidt & Bender: Privately held German optics manufacturer known for its precision rifle scopes.

SCI: Special Compartmentalized Information. Classified information concerning or derived from sensitive intelligence sources, methods, or analytical processes. Often found on private basement servers in upstate New York or bathroom closet servers in Denver.

SCIF: Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility; a secure and restricted room or structure where classified information is discussed or viewed.

SEAL: Acronym of SEa, Air, and Land. The three mediums in which SEALs operate. The U. S. Navy’s special operations force.

Secret Service: The federal law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the POTUS.

Selous Scouts: An elite, if scantily clad, mixed-race unit of the Rhodesian army responsible for counterinsurgency operations. These “pseudoterrorists” led some of the most successful special operations missions in modern history.

SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape. A military training program that includes realistic role-playing as a prisoner of war. SERE students are subjected to highly stressful procedures, sometimes including waterboarding, as part of the course curriculum. More commonly referred to as “camp slappy. ”

Shishani: Arabic term for Chechen fighters in Syria, probably due to “Shishani” being a common Chechen surname.

SIGINT: Signals intelligence. Intelligence derived from electronic signals and systems used by foreign targets, such as communications systems, radars, and weapons systems.

SIPR: Secret Internet Protocol Router network; a secure version of the Internet used by DOD and the State Department to transmit classified information.

SISDE: Italy’s Intelligence and Democratic Security Service. Their suits are probably even nicer than MI5’s.

SOCOM: United States Special Operations Command. The Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Component Commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Armed Forces. Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.

Special Boat Team-12: The West Coast unit that provides maritime mobility to SEALs using a variety of vessels. Fast boats with machine guns.

Special Reconnaissance (SR) Team: NSW Teams that conduct special activities, ISR, and provide intelligence support to the SEAL Teams.

SR-16: An AR-15 variant developed and manufactured by Knight Armament Corporation.

StrongFirst: Kettle-bell-focused fitness program founded by Russian fitness guru Pavel Tsatsouline that is popular with special operations forces.

S-Vest: Suicide vest; an explosives-laden garment favored by suicide bombers. Traditionally worn only once.

SVR: Russia’s foreign intelligence service, formerly known as the KGB.

Taliban: An Islamic fundamentalist political movement and terrorist group in Afghanistan. U. S. and coalition forces have been at war with members of the Taliban since late 2001.

TDFD: Time-delay firing device. An explosive initiator that allows for detonation at a determined period of time. A fancy version of a really long fuse.

TIC: Troops in contact. A firefight involving U. S. or friendly forces.

TOC: Tactical Operations Center. A command post for military operations. A TOC usually includes a small group of personnel who guide members of an active tactical element during a mission from the safety of a secured area.

TOR Network: A computer network designed to conceal a user’s identity and location. TOR allows for anonymous communication.

TQ: Politically correct term for the timely questioning of individuals on-site once a target is secure. May involve the raising of voices.

Troop Chief: Senior enlisted SEAL on a forty-man troop, usually a master chief petty officer. The guy who makes shit happen.

TS: Top Secret. Information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security, that the original classification authority is able to identify or describe. Can also describe an individual’s level of security clearance.

TST: Time-sensitive target. A target requiring immediate response because it is highly lucrative, is a fleeting target of opportunity, or poses (or will soon pose) a danger to friendly forces.

UAV: Unmanned aerial vehicle; a drone.

UCMJ: Uniform Code of Military Justice. Disciplinary and criminal code that applies to members of the U. S. military.

UDI: Uniform Declaration of Independence; the 1965 document that established Rhodesia as an independent sovereign state. The UDI resulted in an international embargo and made Rhodesia a pariah.

V-22: Tilt-rotor aircraft that can fly like a plane and take off/land like a helicopter. Numerous examples were crashed during its extremely expensive development.

VBIED: Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device; a rolling car bomb driven by a suicidal terrorist.

VC: National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, better known as the Viet Cong. A communist insurgent group that fought against the government of South Vietnam and its allies during the Vietnam War. In the movies, these are the guys wearing the black pajamas carrying AKs.

VPN: Virtual Private Network. A private network that enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Considered more secure than a traditional Internet network.

VSK-94: Russian-made Sniper/Designated Marksman rifle chambered in the subsonic 9x39mm cartridge. This suppressed weapon is popular with Russian special operations and law enforcement units due to its minimal sound signature and muzzle flash.

War Vets: Loosely organized groups of Zimbabweans who carried out many of the land seizures during the 1990s. Often armed, these individuals used threats and intimidation to remove white farmers from their homes. Despite the name, most of these individuals were too young to have participated in the Bush War. Not to be confused with ZNLWVA, a group that represents ZANU-affiliated veterans of the Bush War.

WARCOM/NAVSPECWARCOM: United States Naval Special Warfare Command. The Navy’s special operations force and the maritime component of United States Special Operations Command. Headquartered in Coronado, California, WARCOM is the administrative command for subordinate NSW Groups composed of eight SEAL Teams, one SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Team, three Special Boat Teams, and two Special Reconnaissance Teams.

Westley Richards Droplock: A rifle or shotgun built by the famed Birmingham, England, gunmakers that allows the user to remove the locking mechanisms for repair or replacement in the field. Widely considered one of the finest and most iconic actions of all time.

Whiskey Tango: Military speak for “white trash. ”

Yazidis: An insular Kurdish-speaking ethnic and religious group that primarily resides in Iraq. Effectively a subminority among the Kurds, Yazidis were heavily persecuted by ISIS.

YPG: Kurdish militia forces operating in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria. The Turks are not fans.

ZANLA: Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army. The armed wing of the Maoist Zimbabwe African National Union and one of the major combatants of the Rhodesian Bush War. ZANLA forces often staged out of training camps located in Mozambique and were led by Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe: Sub-Saharan African nation that formerly existed as Southern Rhodesia and later Rhodesia. Led for three decades by Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe ranks as one of the world’s most corrupt nations on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

ZIRPA: Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army. The Soviet-equipped armed wing of ZAPU and one of the two major insurgency forces that fought in the Rhodesian Bush War. ZIRPA forces fell under the leadership of Josh Nkomo, who spent much of the war in Zambia. ZIRPA members were responsible for shooting down two civilian airliners using Soviet SA-7 surface-to-air missiles in the late 1970s.

Zodiac Mk 2 GR: 4. 2-meter inflatable rubber boat capable of carrying up to six individuals. These craft are often used as dinghies for larger vessels.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“There are only two plots in all literature: a person goes on a journey, a stranger comes to town. ” Though its original source is debated, this quote is often attributed to Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy, or American novelist and professor John C. Gardner. Throughout my life I naturally gravitated to books and movies that echoed those two narratives. In no small way was I influenced by Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which details the similarities in the hero’s journey across cultures. During my high school years, I became enthralled with Campbell’s work after watching his series of interviews with Bill Moyers which aired on PBS in 1988, called The Power of Myth. What many consider to be Campbell’s seminal work still occupies an honored place on my shelf. As a lifelong reader and student, I’ve always been captivated by the hero’s journey: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and The Aeneid. The reluctant hero, his journey, and resulting transformation resonated with me. Just as they have since time immemorial, those myths and their modern incarnations inspired me to undergo my own formative journey in the military. Did I emerge transformed? Perhaps. Wiser? One can hope.

I trace my life through the novels I was reading at various stages along the path. It may have all started in a hammock under the pines of the Sierra Nevada mountains. With a mother who was, and is to this day, a librarian, I grew up surrounded by books, imagining a day when I would enter the real world I was visiting on the written page. That literature would lead me into a twenty-year odyssey in special operations and eventually catapult me into the world of publishing.

I distinctly remember my parents reading Frederick Forsyth, Ken Follett, Robert Ludlum, John le Carré, Ian Fleming, and former British Royal Marine Commando John Edmund Gardner when he picked up the torch. I longed for the day when I could pull those books from the shelves of our old cabin and, truth be told, I’ve been training to write thrillers since I tipped that first spy novel from its perch.

As we entered the 1980s, I began my early education in storytelling. My professors in those formative years were David Morrell, Nelson DeMille, J. C. Pollock, Tom Clancy, Louis L’Amour, Mark Olden and A. J. Quinnell. I’d spend all day immersed in the pages of Centrifuge, Man on Fire, Oni, The Charm School, Last of the Breed, The Hunt for Red October, and what is now called the Abelard Sanction series. In fact, it was David Morrell’s classic espionage thriller The Brotherhood of the Rose that confirmed I wanted to serve my country as a SEAL and then follow his footsteps into the writer’s fray. That early reading, two decades in the SEAL Teams, time in combat, and an academic study of war, terrorism, and insurgencies now provide ample fodder for the pages of my political thrillers.

I started reading Tom Clancy in the sixth grade, and since his first appearance in The Cardinal of the Kremlin, I have been a John Clark fan. Without Remorse would hit shelves while I was in college, and, already having my sights set on the SEAL Teams, I was there to purchase it on publication day. That novel remains an old friend.

Just prior to enlisting in the Navy, I discovered the great Stephen Hunter, whose work continues to influence me today. In the days following 9/11, I rushed to print calling cards inspired by Point of Impact, pirating Steve McQueen’s famous line from The Magnificent Seven: “We deal in lead, friend. ” I had long been fascinated by the sniper, but it was Stephen Hunter’s personification of “Bob the Nailer” that cemented it as my future specialty in the profession of arms. The idea of the lone man with a rifle appealed to me: alone, outnumbered, behind enemy lines, only wits and skill with the great equalizer keeping him alive. The ultimate test. The Most Dangerous Game. For his magnificent work, for his inspiration and friendship, and for giving the world Bob Lee Swagger, I thank you.

My experience with the CIA in the pre-9/11 days was primarily informed by popular culture to include the three remarkable Daniel Silva novels I had read before my August 2001 CIA phone interview (I have since read them all and eagerly await the next installment in the evolution of Gabriel Allon). The world would change just a few weeks later, and after serving and fighting alongside the quiet professionals of CIA’s Ground Branch, they extended an invitation, though this time I decided to stay in the fight as a frogman. This very novel was inspired by events in Iraq in 2006 when I was attached to a CIA covert action program which ended up being one of the highlights of my time in uniform. The mission behind that inspiration will remain known only to the team that was there and those who read the classified cables. That experience, coupled with Peter Zeihan’s The Accidental Superpower, provided the basis for True Believer.

The events of September 11, 2001, ushered us into a new age of prolonged warfare, and as a young SEAL, I was in the thick of it. I wouldn’t emerge from a combat-focused posture for more than a decade, during which time I devoted myself to the study of war and of our enemy. I devoured books, articles, and interviews by and with counterinsurgency specialists Dr. David Killcullen, Dr. Kalev Sepp, Dr. John Arquilla, Dr. Hy S. Rothstein, Dr. Heather S. Gregg, Dr. Anna Simons, Ahmed Rashid, John A. Nagl, Thomas X. Hammes, Antonio Giustozzi, Eliot A. Cohen, Martin Van Creveld, H. R. McMaster, and the classics from David Galula, Robert Taber, T. E. Lawrence, Vo Nguyen Giap, Roger Trinquier, Mao Zedong, George K. Tanham, Che Guevara, Napolean D. Valeriano, Alistair Horne, Charles T. R. Bohannan, Bernard B. Fall, B. H. Liddell Hart, and Walter Laqueur. It was my responsibility to immerse myself in the word of asymmetrical warfare in order to make the best decisions possible under fire.

I pulled my head from the study of conflict to discover the late legendary Vince Flynn and read Term Limits on a plane to Afghanistan in 2003. Upon my return home I immediately caught up and read Transfer of Power, The Third Option, and Separation of Power. I haven’t missed one since, including the newest in the series, Red War, by Kyle Mills, who is doing an outstanding job keeping Vince’s legacy alive.

I snuck in my first Brad Thor novel on the way to Ramadi, Iraq, in 2005. I read The Lions of Lucerne on the flight into what was arguably the most dangerous city in the world at the time. The entire Task Unit had read it by the end of deployment, and we’ve all been Scot Harvath fans ever since. Little did I know then what a profound impact Brad would have on my life. Brad, thank you for breaching the door for me. Without you, none of this would be possible. I am forever in your debt.

More recently in my post-military life, I was introduced to Mark Greaney. If you have not read his Gray Man series, add it to the top of your list.

These incredible authors have created the iconic characters of Mitch Rapp, Scot Harvath, Gabriel Allon, Bob Lee Swagger, Jack Ryan, John Clark, and Court Gentry. Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world.

I remain a student of war, and that study continues to inform my writing, hopefully tempered by wisdom and the benefit of time and distance from the battlefield. I borrowed much of Reece’s Islamic studies teacher in Morocco from the real-life Maajid Nawaz and his fascinating book, Radical. The Grand Mosque seizure really did happen in Mecca in 1979. Unofficial estimates put the death toll at more than four thousand, not counting the sixty-plus rebels publicly beheaded in eight cities around the country in its aftermath. What would have happened between the West and Islam, had the House of Saud not taken a road toward increased authoritarianism while allowing religious conservatism to flourish in the wake of the siege? Would fifteen of the 9/11 hijackers have been sons of Saudi Arabia? Would The Kingdom still be the most significant source of financial support to terrorist groups around the world? We will never know.

Aside from the legendary authors who have led the way, I owe a debt of gratitude to a number of people who made this novel a reality. Their levels of knowledge and expertise certainly eclipse mine. Any errors on these pages rest with me alone.

On the Africa front, to the professional hunters and anti-poaching units I worked with in Mozambique and South Africa as both research for this book and to repurpose some of my old skills for a new cause, thank you for what you do day in and day out on the front lines to protect African wildlife. To Jumbo Moore, Jacques Hartzenberg, Ryan Cliffe, Louis Pansegrouw, Paul Wellock, and Darren Ellerman, you might recognize your contributions to the novel. To John Burrell and everyone at High Adventure Company for setting everything up and for always doing an exemplary job. To my friend Billy Birdzell for spearheading our trip to train an anti-poaching unit in the Kalahari focused on saving some of the last rhino on earth. To Tony Makris for always pointing me in the right direction. To Gus van Dyk for sharing your deep knowledge of conservation efforts in Africa and to former South African police officer Nic de Kock for answering all my questions on poaching syndicates and the black market trade in illicit wildlife. To “Hubert” for an incredible life story, one that will make it into fictionalized form in my next novel. To Shane Mahoney for all you do to defend the wild others. And, to Jeff Crane, Phil Hoon and PJ Carleton at the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation for fighting the legislative battles.

To those who live by the gun: Larry Vickers, Ken Hackathorn, Pat McNamara, “Goat, ” Eric Frohardt, Jeff Houston, Mickey Schuch, Sean Haberberger, Keith Walawender, D’Arcy Echols, Tim Fallon, Dave Knesek, Doug Prichard, Chip Beaman, Cory Zillig, Eddie Penny, Kyle Lamb, Mike Pannone, Tim Clemit, Bill Rogers, Joe Collins, Bill Rapier, Johnny Primo, Caylen Wojcik, Travis Haley, Mario Garcia, Clay Hergert, and everyone who puts in the time to responsibly train in defense of themselves and their loved ones.

To Clint and Heidi Smith of Thunder Ranch, thank you for inviting us in all those years ago, and for all you do for law enforcement, our military, and my family.

To “Biss”—great things on the horizon.

To James Yeager for everything you did to make The Terminal List such a success.

To Susan Hastings for the generous year-long loan of her collection of Rhodesian history books. I promise to return them soon.

To Shahram Moosavi for all the life lessons in the ring and on the mat. Training with you made BUD/S seem like a walk in the park.

To Dom Raso of Dynamis Alliance, thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family. Keep crushing!

To Daniel Winkler and Karen Shook of Winkler Knives, thank you for doing more than most will ever know for those who operate on the edge. It is appreciated more than any of us can express.

To Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brad Cavner, killed in a training accident on June 23, 2014. He left an indelible impact on the SEAL Teams and everyone who was fortunate enough to meet him. Thank you to the Cavner Family for allowing me to honor his memory by incorporating his toast into the novel.

To Andrew Arrabito and Kelsie Bieser of Half Face Blades for always saying an enthusiastic yes to my blade ideas and for always diving in to help.

To neurological spine surgeon Dr. Robert Bray for your service and sacrifice, what you continue to do for veterans, and for always patching me up after the scrapes that come with the territory. Your kindness and generosity are never far from my thoughts. Thank you to you and Tracey for making our post-military life possible. We couldn’t do it without you.

To Chris Cox, David Lehman, and Graham Hill for always being there.

To Rick and Esther Rosenfield for your love and support.

To Nick and Tina Cousoulis for your inspiration.

To all our friends who have been there every step of the way: Garry and Victoria Peters, Jim and Nancy Demetriades, Josh and Audrey Waldron, Larry and Rhonda Sheakley, Martin and Kelly Katz, Razor and Sylvia Dobbs, Mike Atkinson, Mac Minard, Mike Port, Jonny Sanchez, Alec Wolf, George Kollitides, Bob Warden, Wally McLallen, Nick Seifert, and Jeff Kimball.

To Jimmy Spithill and Jerome Sammarcelli for your assistance on the sailing portion of the story. One would think I would know a bit more about boats after twenty years in the Navy.

To Tuck Beckstoffer, your wine was a constant companion well into my late writing nights.

To Jeff Rotherham for once again guiding me through the world of IEDs and homemade explosives. I hope no one ever pisses you off.

To Jon Dubin for your time at the FBI, for Pineapple Brothers, for our past adventures and those to come.

To Trig and Annette French for your friendship and early enthusiastic support of The Terminal List.

To Andrew Kline, Frank Lecrone, Kevin O’Malley, and Jimmy Klein: Pals.

To Darren LaSorte for a lifetime of friendship and for everything you’ve done to support the cause.

To Scott Naz for answering all my fishing questions.

To Frank Argenbright for the opportunities.

To Shane Reilly for moving my family while I was deployed. I may have planned it that way.

To Hoby Darling, Erik Snyder, Mike Augustine, Brian Sudler, Jesse Mease, Jason Bertrand, Tom Brace and Paul Swedenborg for keeping me humble in our morning workouts.

To Scott Grimes and Jason Salata, let’s get back on a river soon.

To Craig Flynn for always dropping everything to come to the rescue. Someday it will pay off.

To Lacey Biles for all you do in defense of freedom.

To Michael Davidson, Adnan Kifayat and Ben Bosanac for your very early support.

To Damien and Jennifer Patton, you are poised to change the world.

To James Jarrett, soldier, horseman, professor, writer, gunman, and patriot. A graduate of the jungles and tall grass of Southeast Asia, his short story, “Death in the Ashau, ” is required reading. A brilliantly written piece that highlights the underlying disconnect between the operator in the mud and the starched-uniformed brass in the Pentagon, it’s a less-than-subtle critique of the McNamara-era numbers and data-driven war through a fixed ten-power scope and the business end of a. 308-caliber 168-grain International Match Boat Tail Hollow Point. You can hunt it down in De Oppresso Liber: A Poetry & Prose Anthology by Special Forces Soldiers published by Old Mountain Press.

To those who continue their work in the shadows and cannot be named, thank you for living at the tip of the spear.

To Jeff and Kristi Hoffman at Black Hills Ammunition for your support, technical expertise, and for making rounds that have put more than a few of our nation’s enemies in the dirt.

To the legendary Ross Seyfried for an education in African rifles and cartridges.

To Andy B. for your expertise in all things Russian intelligence.

To Jocko Willink and Jeff Johnston for lending a hand with the jiujitsu and combatives.

To Elias Kfoury for help on the tactical medicine front and for keeping our friends alive downrange in some of the worst situations imaginable.

To Dylan Murphy for all your help with the blade work—you are the reason I carry a gun.

Thank you to Brock Bosson and the team at Cahill Gordon & Reindell for being the equivalent of Tier One operators on the legal front.

Thank you to Mitch Langberg at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for your advice, counsel, and for always having my back. Don’t know what I’d do without you.

Thank you to the politicians, committees, attorneys, lobbyists, journalists and influencers who helped usher this novel through the “30-day” Department of Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review process. It truly was a team effort. . . all seven months of it.

To Ironclad Media for a next-level video trailer for The Terminal List. You certainly raised the bar.

To Dan Gelston for your time in uniform and for all your support. If things at L3 Technologies don’t work out, you have a bright future in copy editing. Thank you for all your help.

To Teddy Novin, Olivia Gallivan, Jason Wright, Hana Bilodeau, and “Mato” at SIG Sauer for treating me like one of the family. A SIG P226 was at my side on every deployment and remains my go-to pistol to this day.

To all those who took a chance by inviting me on your podcasts, radio shows, and TV programs, and to everyone who promoted the novel at the grassroots level—you made The Terminal List a success. I’ll never forget, nor take for granted what you did for me. Among many others, thank you to Andy Stumpf, John Dudley, Evan Hafer, Jarred Taylor, Marcus Torgerson, Mat Best, Porter Berry, John Barklow, Jonathan Hart, Max Thieriot, AJ Buckley, Neil Brown Jr., Justin Melnick, Hank Garner, Adam Janke, Amy Robbins, Tom Davin, Mike Ritland, Ryan Michler, Trevor Thompson, John Devine, Jason Swarr, Ben Tirpak, Mark Bollman, Maddie Taylor, Rick Stewart, and Rob Olive—author of Essential Liberty.

To Katie Pavlich for being there once again. This is starting to become a habit.

To Gavy Friedson for the future novel ideas. I’m looking forward to a research trip to Israel.

To Ryan Steck, aka The Real Book Spy, for all you do for the thriller genre and for all you’ve done for me. It is sincerely appreciated.

To Desiree Holt—you make me blush. Thank you for energy and enthusiasm.

To all the bookstores and booksellers, thank you for all you do and for always making me feel at home.

To Barbara Peters of Poisoned Pen, thank you for your guidance and for all you do for authors and readers.

To everyone at Dolly’s Bookstore in Park City, thank you for always making me feel right at home.

To Lucky Ones Coffee, thank you for employing and empowering people of all abilities and disabilities, and for keeping me fueled up throughout the writing process.

To K. J. Howe, thank you for making Thrillerfest a not-to-be-missed event and for putting together such an incredible assembly of authors. I’m looking forward to doing some additional damage to New York’s Guinness supply with Eric Bishop, A. J. Tata, and Brad Taylor. Eric, good luck with The Body Man. I can’t wait to read it.

To Lee Child and Steve Berry for your support of those of us new to the ranks and for welcoming us into the club of scribes.

To the staff at Bouchercon, thank you for bringing together authors and readers in such a special event. Being able to talk, exchange stories and build friendships among those with a collective love of books is invaluable. I am an author, reader, and fan, so getting to spend time with my friends and fellow authors Mark Greaney, Christine Carbo, Simon Gervais, and Josh Hood is almost too much fun.

To fellow author and Marine Matthew Betley for leading the way.

To Ray Porter, narrator of the audio version of The Terminal List and True Believer, thank you for knocking it out of the park.

To Mystery Mike, thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge, and for tracking down my new collection of first editions.

To Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO of Simon & Schuster. Thank you for taking a risk on an unknown and for always making time for me. I am all in!

To Jon Karp, president and publisher of Simon & Schuster. Thank you for being such a champion!

To Libby McGuire, senior vice president and publisher of Atria Books, thank you for all your support.

To Suzanne Donahue of Atria Books, your excitement is infectious, especially surrounding your favorite chapter in The Terminal List.

Thank you to the best publisher and editor in the business, the incredible Emily Bestler of Emily Bestler Books. Your leadership, insight, experience, and friendship mean more to me than you will ever know. Without you, James Reece would still be imprisoned on my hard drive. Thank you for everything!

To David Brown, publicist extraordinaire. Nobody does it better. Thank you for your expertise, energy, and direction and for keeping the Atria Mystery Bus charging full steam ahead. I owe you more than a few drinks. Much appreciated, my friend.

To Lara Jones for staying on top of everything and for keeping us all in line. Thank you for all your efforts!

To Al Madocs, the most understanding production editor on the planet. Thank you for your patience, expertise, and for making this all come together.

To Jen Long at Pocket Books for a fantastic paperback edition of The Terminal List. I absolutely love it!

To my agent, Alexandra Machinist, for your honesty and expertise. Maybe someday I’ll even get you to the range.

To Garrett Bray, your creativity and skill in the digital marketing domain are second to none. I can’t thank you enough.

To my parents for instilling in me a lifelong love of reading.

To Chris Pratt, thank you. And to Jared Shaw for connecting the dots. Who would have thought that a conversation all those years ago in my office in the SEAL Teams would have led us where it has. I’m fired up for what’s ahead!

To Brigadier General and Mrs. Kenneth Strong, and their amazing daughter, Emily Wood, thank you for welcoming me into your families and for all the time I spent in The Hill House; a better strategic and tactical position for both writing and defense would be hard to find.

To my writing partner in this venture, Keith Wood. Though his name does not grace the cover jacket, every part if this process is a team effort. The reader would be surprised at how much I learn about bullet weights, barrel lengths, and muzzle velocities from Keith’s capable mind. Keith, thank you for all you do to bring the story to life.

Thank you to the readers who have enjoyed these first two James Reece adventures. There are more to come!

Above all else, I want to thank my beautiful wife, Faith, for putting up with this crazy enterprise; late nights, research, copious amounts of Black Rifle Coffee, glass after glass of my favorite Mockingbird Blue, more than a few whiskeys, days spent locked in the library, trips to Africa to immerse myself in the illicit world of poaching, and revisiting memories from the battlefield best left in the dust. Thank you, my love. And, to our three children who put up with Dad going into lockdown for the final phases of editing, you are always in my thoughts.

And finally, to those who continue to hold the line and run to the sound of the guns, I am eternally grateful.

⇐ Предыдущая 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 9798