by Clancy, Tom
“Mr. Tong, you were the only member of the sampan crew to survive the explosion,” the woman went on. “We will need you to testify about the nature of the firefight. Whatever you remember, we want to know.” The woman took several steps around the edge of the bed. “But that is not why I came to see you. I know what you were doing out there. We cannot prove you did anything wrong. However, I would like to keep you from doing anything illegal in the future. When you are released from the hospital, I would like to see you about a civilian job with the navy. There are a number of defense technical positions and administrative support positions for which you can be trained. I hope you will consider them.”
Lee Tong was awake. He knew that because he felt queasy. But he thought he heard the woman say she wanted him to work for the navy. He had neither the education nor the kind of background recruiters sought. No one in his family had served in the military. It did not make sense.
“Why . . . ?” he asked weakly.
“Why do I want you?” Loh asked. “It took a great deal of skill to navigate a sampan that far out to sea. We can always use talented men and women, and I don’t just mean the navy.” The woman smiled under her mask. “I heard someone use the phrase ‘the good guys’ to describe us today. I like that. I want you to be one of them, Mr. Tong.”
He looked at her and smiled back weakly. He nodded once. The nausea was worth it.
The woman nodded back and left.
The navy, Tong thought. Even in a civilian capacity, naval service would give him the kind of respect his father had always wanted for him. His only regret was that his shipmates were not here to collect their share of respectability. They were good men and loyal friends. He would miss them.
The young man’s eyes blurred again, this time from tears.
As he slipped back into sleep, Lee Tong’s last thought was that he no longer had to dream of happier times. He could imagine them.
For they were no longer behind him, but ahead.
EIGHTY-ONE
Washington, D.C. Saturday, 6:29 P.M.
Paul Hood was about to leave his office when the phone beeped. The caller ID identified it as Bob Herbert. He picked up.
“Lowell went on to participate in what’s left of his conference in Sydney, then decided to hang with the hostess and her husband,” Herbert said. “But I’m coming home. I’m flying commercial later in the afternoon. First class.”
“I hope you’ve got the frequent flier miles for it,” Hood laughed.
“Nope. Op-Center’s treat. I don’t think chasing Darling’s plane earned me enough to upgrade,” Herbert said.
“I’ll see if we have any money left in our ‘off to save the world’ account,” Hood joked.
“If not, you can dig it out of the goodwill fund. We made some good friends here, Paul. Strong allies. And I have a rotten feeling we’re going to need them all sooner rather than later.”
“I have that feeling, too,” Hood said. “There’s a new world out there with a lot of enemies we haven’t begun to identify.”
“Well, we’ve made a good start identifying a few of them,” Herbert said. “I understand Marcus Darling has caved. He’s reportedly opened his Palm Pilot rogues gallery for the Singapore navy.”
“In exchange for what?”
“Being handed to Australian authorities instead of Singaporean grill masters,” Herbert said.
“Lowell will probably not approve, but nicely done,” Hood said.
“Lowell did not openly disapprove, which is pretty good for him. This thing scared him, too. Speaking of enemies,” Herbert went on, “did you hear anything else from Mr. Perry?”
“Not so much as a snarl,” Hood said.
“Hardly a surprise,” Herbert said.
That was true. Lowell had nailed it before when he said that a failure was a stranger in his own house. The corollary to that is, ‘No one leaves the house faster than a politician.’ Hood toyed with the idea of calling Perry at home and busting his chops. He decided that would not be necessary. Perry was probably anticipating just such a call. That was revenge enough.
“Well, I’m going to be sitting around Jelbart’s office for a couple of hours, helping him write reports. A lot happened, and we weren’t taking notes. What are you up to on what is still early Saturday night?”
“I have a date with a lady,” Hood told him.
“Oh? Is this the advertising lady you saw the other night?”
“I started to call her, but there was someone else I wanted to see tonight,” Hood said.
“And she is?”
Hood smiled. “My daughter.”
Herbert did not say anything. He did not have to. The intelligence officer had just gone through this event with Darling and Jessica-Ann. He would know where Hood was coming from.
“Are you going to see Sharon, too?” Herbert asked.
“Only in passing,” Hood said. “She agreed to switch weekends with me so I could see Harleigh tonight.”
“Nice. Make sure you give her a hug from Uncle Bob,” Herbert said.
“I will,” Hood assured him. “I’ll tell her you’re bringing what? A stuffed koala?”
“It’s a deal,” Herbert said. “And a boomerang for Alexander. I won’t even bill Op-Center for it.”
Hood smiled. “Thanks, Bob.” He looked at the computer clock. He did not want to be late. He wished Herbert a safe flight and left his office. He rode the elevator up one flight.
It is indeed a deadlier and less predictable world than ever, Hood thought, as he stepped into the twilight. But in it was one constant.
Loyalty.
With it, you possessed what was best in men. Loyalty to loved ones, to friends. Loyalty to ideals, to country. With it, you had long, powerful arms that could reach for the heavens.
Or a daughter.
Which worked out fine, Hood reflected, as he climbed into his car. For in the end, who were the heavens for?
Other titles by Steve Pieczenik
THE MIND PALACE
BLOOD HEAT
MAXIMUM VIGILANCE
PAX PACIFICA
STATE OF EMERGENCY
HIDDEN PASSIONS
MY BELOVED TALLEYRAND
For more information on Steve Pieczenik, please visit www.stevepieczenik.com.
Books by Alexander Court
ACTIVE MEASURES
ACTIVE PURSUIT
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
Red Rabbit
The Teeth of the Tiger
SSN: Strategies of Submarine Warfare
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, Jr., Ret., and Tony Koltz)
Every Man a Tiger
(written with General Charles Horner, Ret., and Tony Koltz)
Shadow Warriors: Inside the Special Forces
(written with General Carl Stiner, Ret., and Tony Koltz)
Battle Ready
(written with General Tony Zinni, Ret., and Tony Koltz)
CREATED BY TOM CLANCY
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell:
Checkmate
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Fallout
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 Op-Center: Mission of Honor
Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Sea of Fire
Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Call to Treason
Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: War of Eagles
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
Tom Clancy’s Net Force: State of War
Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Changing of the Guard
Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Springboard
Tom Clancy’s Net Force: The Archimedes Effect
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
Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: Cold War
Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: Cutting Edge
Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: Zero Hour
Tom Clancy’s Power Plays: Wild Card
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
ONE - Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Sunday, 9:22 P.M.
TWO - Washington, D. C. Sunday, 11: 18 P.M.
THREE - Washington, D. C. Monday, 8:02 A.M.
FOUR - Washington, D. C. Monday, 8:20 A.M.
FIVE - Washington, D. C. Monday, 8:24 A.M.
SIX - Washington, D. C. Monday, 9:02 A.M.
SEVEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 9:27 A.M.
EIGHT - Las Vegas, Nevada Monday, 7:43 A.M.
NINE - Washington, D. C. Monday, 10:59 A.M.
TEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 11:00 A.M.
ELEVEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 12: 53 P.M.
TWELVE - Washington, D.C. Monday, 1: 44 P.M.
THIRTEEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 2:17 P.M.
FOURTEEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 2: 59 P.M.
FIFTEEN - Charlottesville, Virginia Monday, 4:18 P.M.
SIXTEEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 5: 22 P.M.
SEVENTEEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 7: 22 P.M.
EIGHTEEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 8: 30 P.M.
NINETEEN - Washington, D. C. Monday, 10: 55 P.M.
TWENTY - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 7:13 A.M.
TWENTY-ONE - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 7:30 A.M.
TWENTY-TWO - Fallbrook, California Tuesday, 5:45 A.M.
TWENTY-THREE - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 9:44 A.M.
TWENTY-FOUR - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 10:00 A.M.
TWENTY-FIVE - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 10:44 A.M.
TWENTY-SIX - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 11:50 A.M.
TWENTY-SEVEN - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 12:10 P.M.
TWENTY-EIGHT - Herndon, Virginia Tuesday, 12:11 P.M.
TWENTY-NINE - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 12:25 P.M.
THIRTY - Washington, D.C. Tuesday, 2:18 P.M.
THIRTY-ONE - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 2: 37 P.M.
THIRTY-TWO - Langley, Virginia Tuesday, 3: 44 P.M.
THIRTY-THREE - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 4:10 P.M.
THIRTY-FOUR - Camp Pendleton, California Tuesday, 2: 21 P.M.
THIRTY-FIVE - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 5: 43 P.M.
THIRTY-SIX - Washington, D. C. Tuesday, 6: 31 P.M.
THIRTY-SEVEN - San Diego, California Wednesday, 7:01 A.M.
THIRTY-EIGHT - Washington, D. C. Wednesday, 11:33 A.M.
THIRTY-NINE - Washington, D. C. Wednesday, 11:54 A.M.
FORTY - Salt Lake City, Utah Wednesday, 10:17 A.M.
FORTY-ONE - Washington, D. C. Wednesday, 1:29 P.M.
FORTY-TWO - San Diego, California Wednesday, 11:53 A.M.
FORTY-THREE - Washington, D. C. Wednesday, 3: 44 P.M.
FORTY-FOUR - San Diego, California Wednesday, 1:00 P.M.
FORTY-FIVE - San Diego, California Wednesday, 1:16 P.M.
FORTY-SIX - Washington, D.C. Wednesday, 4:42 P.M.
FORTY-SEVEN - San Diego, California Wednesday, 2:02 P.M.
FORTY-EIGHT - Washington, D.C. Wednesday, 5:47 P.M.
FORTY-NINE - Washington, D.C. Wednesday, 6:06 P.M.
FIFTY - San Diego, California Wednesday, 3:45 P.M.
FIFTY-ONE - Washington, D.C. Wednesday, 7:08 P.M.
FIFTY-TWO - San Diego, California Wednesday, 4:29 P.M.
FIFTY-THREE - San Diego, California Wednesday, 4:44 P.M.
FIFTY-FOUR - San Diego, California Wednesday, 5:15 P.M.
FIFTY-FIVE - Fallbrook, California Wednesday, 6:00 P.M.
FIFTY-SIX - Fallbrook, California Wednesday, 6:16 P.M.
FIFTY-SEVEN - San Diego, California Thursday, 8:33 A.M.
FIFTY-EIGHT - Washington, D.C. Friday, 8:22 A.M.
Other Books by Steve Pieczenik
THE BESTSELLING NOVELS OF Tom Clancy
THE TEETH OF THE TIGER
A new generation—Jack Ryan, Jr.—takes over in Tom Clancy’s extraordinary, and extraordinarily prescient, novel.
“INCREDIBLY ADDICTIVE.”
—Daily Mail (London)
RED RABBIT
Tom Clancy returns to Jack Ryan’s early days—in an extraordinary novel of global political drama.
“AN OLD-FASHIONED COLD WAR THRILLER.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
THE BEAR AND THE DRAGON
President Jack Ryan faces a world crisis unlike any he has ever known.
“INTOXICATING . . . A JUGGERNAUT.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
RAINBOW SIX
Clancy’s shocking story of international terrorism—closer to reality than any government would care to admit.
“GRIPPING . . . BOLT-ACTION MAYHEM.”
—People
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Jack Ryan has always been a soldier. Now he’s giving the orders.
“AN ENORMOUS, ACTION-PACKED, HEAT-SEEKING MISSILE OF A TOM CLANCY NOVEL.”
—The Seattle Times
DEBT OF HONOR
It begins with the murder of an American woman in the back streets of Tokyo. It ends in war.
“A SHOCKER!”
—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, coldblooded, 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
RED RABBIT
