“WE MOVE FAST AND WE MOVE HARD,” GARDENER GROWLED
“With the top men of the joint military command secured in detention, who gives the orders? We do. We deploy and we stand fast. The President is moved out of office, and I make my national broadcast. The American public wants something done. Too many of our people are dying in Iraq. They’re tired of the loss of life, the drain on America’s resources. We come out of this with right on our side. Plus, our hands on the Iraqi oil fields. Getting control of those would be one hell of a plus in our favor.”
Senator Justin picked up the pot and refilled his coffee cup. He sat back and took time to listen as the tight group of men discussed the upcoming takeover of the American government. He saw the earnest looks on their faces, the calm tone of their voices, and he saw they were fully committed to what they proposed to do. They viewed their actions as necessary, something that America needed to do to stay the most powerful nation on Earth. They were prepared to stand against the elected government and the President in order to carry their project through.
God help them all.
Other titles in this series:
#11 TARGET AMERICA
#12 BLIND EAGLE
#13 WARHEAD
#14 DEADLY AGENT
#15 BLOOD DEBT
#16 DEEP ALERT
#17 VORTEX
#18 STINGER
#19 NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE
#20 TERMS OF SURVIVAL
#21 SATAN’S THRUST
#22 SUNFLASH
#23 THE PERISHING GAME
#24 BIRD OF PREY
#25 SKYLANCE
#26 FLASHBACK
#27 ASIAN STORM
#28 BLOOD STAR
#29 EYE OF THE RUBY
#30 VIRTUAL PERIL
#31 NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR
#32 LAW OF LAST RESORT
#33 PUNITIVE MEASURES
#34 REPRISAL
#35 MESSAGE TO AMERICA
#36 STRANGLEHOLD
#37 TRIPLE STRIKE
#38 ENEMY WITHIN
#39 BREACH OF TRUST
#40 BETRAYAL
#41 SILENT INVADER
#42 EDGE OF NIGHT
#43 ZERO HOUR
#44 THIRST FOR POWER
#45 STAR VENTURE
#46 HOSTILE INSTINCT
#47 COMMAND FORCE
#48 CONFLICT IMPERATIVE
#49 DRAGON FIRE
#50 JUDGMENT IN BLOOD
#51 DOOMSDAY DIRECTIVE
#52 TACTICAL RESPONSE
#53 COUNTDOWN TO TERROR
#54 VECTOR THREE
#55 EXTREME MEASURES
#56 STATE OF AGGRESSION
#57 SKY KILLERS
#58 CONDITION HOSTILE
#59 PRELUDE TO WAR
#60 DEFENSIVE ACTION
#61 ROGUE STATE
#62 DEEP RAMPAGE
#63 FREEDOM WATCH
#64 ROOTS OF TERROR
#65 THE THIRD PROTOCOL
#66 AXIS OF CONFLICT
#67 ECHOES OF WAR
#68 OUTBREAK
#69 DAY OF DECISION
#70 RAMROD INTERCEPT
#71 TERMS OF CONTROL
#72 ROLLING THUNDER
#73 COLD OBJECTIVE
#74 THE CHAMELEON FACTOR
#75 SILENT ARSENAL
#76 GATHERING STORM
Full Blast
STONY MAN®
AMERICA’S ULTRA-COVERT INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
FREEDOM FIRE BOOK II
Don Pendleton
Freedom comes at a high price and requires constant guardianship. Taken for granted, it can slip away all too easily. When the hand weakens and the eye turns aside, the time may come when the resolve needs to be strengthened. And in those times there may be a need for armed conflict to restore the balance. As always, it is the men and women of the Armed Services who must carry that burden. They bear the brunt of the inevitable clash of arms, and they do so in the spirit of the pledge they made to ever defend and protect our peace. Their fight goes on. They continue to suffer and often to make the ultimate sacrifice. They deserve both our respect—and our enduring gratitude.
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
Ho’s Island, North Korea
“Did I hear that right?” Rafael Encizo asked.
David McCarter pushed to his feet.
“Yes. You heard it right. It sounds as if our friend Khariza has just gone nuclear.”
“Can we discuss this later?” Gary Manning suggested. “I have a feeling company is on the way.”
McCarter raised his head and listened, picking up the approaching sound. He heard voices, too, shouting orders back and forth.
“Back off,” he said.
Covering one another, they retreated, moving back toward their entry point.
Rafael