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Jack Ryan Books 7-12

Page 252

by Tom Clancy


  “Second, your prisoners will be treated in full accordance with international convention, and also the stern and admirable laws of hospitality which are part of your Islamic faith. Your prisoners will be returned as soon as you deliver to the United States the living bodies of every single person who had a role in preparing and delivering those weapons to our country, and those behind the attack on my daughter. On that there will be no compromise.

  “Third, we will give your country a week to comply with this requirement. If you do not, then America will declare and wage unlimited war. You have seen what we can do, what we have done. I assure you that, if we have to, we can do more still. The choice is yours to make. Choose wisely.

  “Finally, and I say this to all nations who may wish us ill, the United States of America will not tolerate attacks on our country, our possessions, or our citizens. From this day forward, whoever executes or orders such an attack, no matter who you are, no matter where you might hide, no matter how long it may take, we will come for you. I have sworn an oath before God to execute my duties as President. That I will do. To those who wish to be our friends, you will find no more faithful friend than we. To those who would be our enemies, remember that we can be faithful at that, too.

  “My fellow Americans, it has been a hard time for us, for some of our allies, and for our enemies as well. We have defeated aggression. We have punished the person most guilty for the cruel deaths in our land, and we will have a reckoning also with those who followed his orders, but for the rest, let us now recall the words of President Abraham Lincoln:

  “ ‘With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds ... to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.’

  “Thank you, and good day.”

  EPILOGUE:

  PRESS ROOM

  “... AND FINALLY, I AM SUBMITTING to the Senate the name of Dr. Pierre Alexandre to fill the post of Surgeon General. Dr. Alexandre, after a distinguished career in the United States Army Medical Corps, then joined the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as an associate professor in the area of infectious disease. He was very helpful to me during the Ebola outbreak. Dr. Alexandre is a brilliant clinician and researcher who will initiate and oversee several new programs, including basic research in rare infectious diseases, and will also head up a new federal oversight commission to coordinate AIDS research. This will not be bureaucratic,” the President said, “there’s enough of that. The idea here is to set up a new system by which physicians and other research scientists can more easily exchange research data. It is my hope that the Senate will see quickly to confirmation of his appointment.

  “That concludes my opening statement.” Jack pointed. “Yes, Helen?”

  “Mr. President, your opening remarks on China—”

  “I thought I made that clear. We have had private discussions with the Republic of China and concluded that the restoration of full diplomatic relations is in the best interests of both our countries. It is not the policy of the United States to discourage countries with freely elected governments. The Republic of China is such a country, and merits our full respect and recognition.”

  “But what will mainland China think of this?”

  “What they think is their affair. We are both sovereign nations. So is Taiwan, and it’s time we stopped pretending otherwise.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the shoot-down of the airliner?”

  “That matter is still under investigation. Next?” Ryan pointed.

  “Mr. President, the new Iranian provisional government is reportedly seeking to establish full diplomatic relations with our country. Will we entertain that request?”

  “Yes, we certainly will,” Jack replied. “If there’s a better way to turn an enemy into a friend than by open discussion and trade, I don’t know what it is. They have been very cooperative, and we still have an embassy building there, but I suppose we’ll have to change the lock on the front door.” There was general laughter. “Yes, Tom. Nice tan, by the way. Welcome home.”

  “Mr. President, thank you. Regarding the destruction of the germ-warfare lab outside Tehran, the only journalists who ever got in there were those two Russians that their embassy drafted for the purpose. How can we be sure—”

  “Tom, the Russian experts who supervised the neutralization of the facility were indeed experts. We have video of their procedures from the reporters, and both I and my consultants on this matter are fully satisfied. Ed?”

  “Mr. President, the prisoner exchange is now concluded. How will we respond to Iranian and Iraqi requests for credit?”

  “Secretaries Adler and Winston will be flying to London next week to discuss this with representatives of both governments.”

  “Sir, a follow-up, will this mean preferential prices for imported oil, and if so, for how long?”

  “Ed, those are subjects for negotiation, but I suppose they will offer us something in return for the credit approval they desire. The exact details will have to be worked out, and we have two very good men to handle that for us.”

  “What about good women?” a female reporter asked.

  “We have a lot of those around, Denise, including yourself. In case you haven’t heard, Special Agent Andrea Price”—POTUS gestured toward the door at his right—“has accepted a proposal of marriage. It will be a mixed marriage, however, as her fiancé, Inspector Patrick O’Day, is a special agent in the FBI. I wish them the very best, even if it means I may need a new bodyguard. Yes, Barry,” he said, pointing to the senior CNN reporter. “So the big question that nobody has asked yet today, Mr. President—”

  Ryan held up his hand. “There is so much—so many things yet to be done just to get the government fully functional again after all we’ve been through—”

  “Sir, we’re not going to let you off the hook.”

  A smile. A sigh. A nod. A surrender. “The answer to your question, Barry, is, yes, I will.”

  “Thank you, Mr. President.”

  It is now the moment when by common consent we pause to

  become conscious of our national life and to rejoice in it, to

  recall what our country has done for each of us, and to ask

  ourselves what we can do for our country in return.

  OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, JR.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  CHAPTER 1 - MEMO

  CHAPTER 2 - SADDLING UP

  CHAPTER 3 - GNOMES AND GUNS

  CHAPTER 4 - AAR

  CHAPTER 5 - RAMIFICATIONS

  CHAPTER 6 - TRUE BELIEVERS

  CHAPTER 7 - FINANCE

  CHAPTER 8 - COVERAGE

  CHAPTER 9 - STALKERS

  CHAPTER 10 - DIGGERS

  CHAPTER 11 - INFRASTRUCTURE

  CHAPTER 12 - WILD CARDS

  CHAPTER 13 - AMUSEMENT

  CHAPTER 14 - SWORD OF THE LEGION

  CHAPTER 15 - WHITE HATS

  CHAPTER 16 - DISCOVERY

  CHAPTER 17 - BUSHES

  CHAPTER 18 - LOOKS

  CHAPTER 19 - SEARCHING

  CHAPTER 20 - CONTACTS

  CHAPTER 21 - STAGES

  CHAPTER 22 - COUNTERMEASURES

  CHAPTER 23 - OVERWATCH

  CHAPTER 24 - CUSTOMS

  CHAPTER 25 - SUNRISE

  CHAPTER 26 - CONCLUSIONS

  CHAPTER 27 - TRANSFER AGENTS

  CHAPTER 28 - BROAD DAYLIGHT

  CHAPTER 29 - RECOVERY

  CHAPTER 30 - VISTAS

  CHAPTER 31 - MOVEMENT

  CHAPTER 32 - BLOOD WORK

  CHAPTER 33 - THE GAMES BEGIN

  CHAPTER 34 - THE GAMES CONTINUE

  CHAPTER 35 - MARATHON

  CHAPTER 36 - FLIGHTS OF NECESSITY

  CH
APTER 37 - DYING FLAME

  CHAPTER 38 - NATURE RESORT

  CHAPTER 39 - HARMONY

  EPILOGUE

  John Clark is used to doing the CIA’s dirty work. Now he’s taking on the world . . . Rainbow Six

  Number-one bestselling author Tom Clancy goes beyond anything he has done before in Rainbow Six. It is his most shocking story to date—and closer to reality than any government would care to admit . . .

  At its heart is ex-Navy SEAL John Clark, now the newly named head of Rainbow, an international task force dedicated to combating terrorism. In a trial by fire, Clark is confronted with a violent chain of seemingly separate international incidents. But there is no way to predict the real threat: a group of terrorists like none the world has ever encountered, a band of men and women so extreme that their success could literally mean the end of life on earth as we know it . . .

  “ACTION-PACKED . . . chock-full of munitions experts, sharpshooters and all-around daredevils . . . meticulously researched and carefully plotted.”—The New York Times Book Review

  “ATTENTION ON DECK! Ex-Navy SEAL John Clark and his son-in-law Domingo “Ding” Chavez, who locked and loaded in previous Clancy blockbusters Clear and Present Danger and Without Remorse, are back in action, defending freedom and playing fast and loose, as always, with any rules that get in the way . . . a gripping plot . . . bolt-action mayhem.”—People

  “CLANCY IS A NATURAL STORYTELLER . . . Rainbow Six shows how much [he] has improved his character development. He still provides the thrills. But we also identify with Clark and his Rainbow colleagues.”—USA Today

  “MR. CLANCY IS IN HIS ELEMENT. His description of special-forces operations is as exciting as anything a reader will find . . . When the door blows open and the shooting starts, nobody does it better.”—The Dallas Morning News

  “[A] FAST-PACED, RETRO-CLANCY TALE . . . A leaner, meaner novel that allows Clancy’s undeniable story-telling talents to come to the fore.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer

  “THE PACE RARELY SLACKENS in this well-crafted, very readable thriller . . . a terrific yarn.”

  —The San Francisco Examiner

  “A RIPPING READ . . . a strong premise and world-class action sequences . . . All of Clancy’s fans . . . will revel in the writer’s continued mastery at action writing; Rainbow’s engagements . . . are immensely suspenseful, breathtaking combos of expertly detailed combat and primal emotion.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “VINTAGE CLANCY.”—San Antonio Express-News

  “RAINBOW SIX MOVES FAST AND FURIOUSLY AND KEEPS YOU IN SUSPENSE FROM BEGINNING TO END.”—Bookpage

  “ONCE I GOT INTO RAINBOW SIX, I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN . . . As always, Clancy tells a dandy story. His fans will storm the bookstores to snatch up Rainbow Six, and they will get their money’s worth . . . splendid technical detail and expert pacing.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

  “I PRONOUNCE MYSELF A BORN-AGAIN CLANCY FAN . . . taut, well-constructed and eminently readable . . . Clancy manages to keep things moving. Heck, the book starts with a hijacking and things only get more interesting.”

  —Lexington Herald-Leader

  “EXPLOSIVE.”—Kirkus Reviews

  The Bestselling Novels of

  Tom Clancy

  The Bear and the Dragon

  A clash of world powers. President Jack Ryan’s trial by fire.

  “HEART-STOPPING ACTION . . . CLANCY STILL REIGNS.”

  —The Washington Post

  Debt of Honor

  It begins with the murder of an American woman in the back streets of Tokyo. It ends in war . . .

  “A SHOCKER CLIMAX SO PLAUSIBLE YOU’LL WONDER WHY IT HASN’T YET HAPPENED.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  The Hunt for Red October

  The smash bestseller that launched Clancy’s career—the incredible search for a Soviet defector and the nuclear submarine he commands . . .

  “BREATHLESSLY EXCITING.”—The Washington Post

  Red Storm Rising

  The ultimate scenario for World War III—the final battle for global control . . .

  “THE ULTIMATE WAR GAME . . . BRILLIANT.”

  —Newsweek

  Patriot Games

  CIA analyst Jack Ryan stops an assassination—and incurs the wrath of Irish terrorists . . .

  “A HIGH PITCH OF EXCITEMENT.”

  —The Wall Street Journal

  The Cardinal of the Kremlin

  The superpowers race for the ultimate Star Wars missile defense system . . .

  “CARDINAL EXCITES, ILLUMINATES . . . A REAL PAGE-TURNER.”—Los Angeles Daily News

  Clear and Present Danger

  The killing of three U.S. officials in Colombia ignites the American government’s explosive, and top secret, response . . .

  “A CRACKLING GOOD YARN.”—The Washington Post

  The Sum of All Fears

  The disappearance of an Israeli nuclear weapon threatens the balance of power in the Middle East—and around the world . . .

  “CLANCY AT HIS BEST . . . NOT TO BE MISSED.”

  —The Dallas Morning News

  Without Remorse

  The Clancy epic fans have been waiting for. His code name is Mr. Clark. And his work for the CIA is brilliant, cold-blooded, and efficient . . . but who is he really?

  “HIGHLY ENTERTAINING.”—The Wall Street Journal

  NOVELS BY TOM CLANCY

  The Hunt for Red October

  Red Storm Rising

  Patriot Games

  The Cardinal of the Kremlin

  Clear and Present Danger

  The Sum of All Fears

  Without Remorse

  Debt of Honor

  Executive Orders

  Rainbow Six

  The Bear and the Dragon

  SSN: Strategies of Submarine Warfare

  CREATED BY TOM CLANCY AND STEVE PIECZENIK

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Mirror Image

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Games of State

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Acts of War

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Balance of Power

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: State of Siege

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Divide and Conquer

  Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Line of Control

  Tom Clancy’s Net Force

  Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Hidden Agendas

  Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Night Moves

  Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Breaking Point

  Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Point of Impact

  Tom Clancy’s Net Force: CyberNation

  CREATED BY TOM CLANCY AND MARTIN GREENBERG

  Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: Politika

  Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: ruthless.com

  Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: Shadow Watch

  Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: Bio-Strike

  NONFICTION

  Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship

  Armored Cav: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment

  Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing

  Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit

  Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force

  Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier

  Special Forces: A Guided Tour of U.S. Army Special Forces

  Into the Storm: A Study in Command

  (written with General Fred Franks)

  Every Man a Tiger (written with General Charles Horner)

  This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the

  settings and characters are fictitious and not intended to represent

  specific places or living persons.

  RAINBOW SIX

  A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with

  the author

  PRINTING HISTORY

  G. P. Putnam’s Sons edition / August 1998

  Berkley edition / September 1999

&nb
sp; All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 1998 by Rubicon, Inc.

  Photograph of the author by John Earle.

  This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part,

  by mimeograph or any other means, without permission.

  For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is

  http://www.penguinputnam.com

  eISBN : 978-1-101-00229-2

  BERKLEY®

  Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

 

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