Ghost Recon (2008) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Acknowledgements

  Epigraph

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THIRTY

  THIRTY-ONE

  THIRTY-TWO

  THIRTY-THREE

  THIRTY-FOUR

  THIRTY-FIVE

  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 engrossing novel of global political drama . . .

  "A WILD, SATISFYING RIDE." --New York Daily News

  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

  RAINBOW SIX

  John Clark is used to doing the CIA's dirty work.

  Now he's taking on the world . . .

  "ACTION-PACKED." --The New York Times Book Review

  EXECUTIVE ORDERS

  A devastating terrorist act leaves Jack Ryan

  as President of the United States . . .

  "UNDOUBTEDLY CLANCY'S BEST YET."

  --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

  DEBT OF HONOR

  It begins with the murder of an American woman

  in the backstreets of Tokyo. It ends in war . . .

  "A SHOCKER." --Entertainment Weekly

  WITHOUT REMORSE

  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

  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

  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 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

  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

  RED STORM RISING

  The ultimate scenario for World War III--

  the final battle for global control . . .

  "THE ULTIMATE WAR GAME . . . BRILLIANT."

  --Newsweek

  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

  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)

  TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON

  Created by Tom Clancy

  TOM CLANCY'S ENDWAR

  TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL

  SPLINTER CELL

  OPERATION BARRACUDA

  CHECK M ATE

  FALLOUT

  Created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik

  TOM CLANCY'S OP-CENTER

  OP-CENTER

  MIRROR IMAGE

  GAMES OF STATE

  ACTS OF WAR

  BALANCE OF POWER

  STATE OF SIEGE

  DIVIDE AND CONQUER

  LINE OF CONTROL

  MISSION OF HONOR

  SEA OF FIRE

  CALL TO TREASON

  WAR OF EAGLES

  TOM CLANCY'S NET FORCE

  NET FORCE

  HIDDEN AGENDAS

  NIGHT MOVES

  BREAKING POINT

  POINT OF IMPACT

  CYBER NATION

  STATE OF WAR

  CHANGING OF THE GUARD

  SPRINGBOARD

  THE ARCHIMEDES EFFECT

  Created by Tom Clancy and Martin Greenberg

  TOM CLANCY'S POWER PLAYS

  POLITIKA

  RUTHLESS.COM

  SHADOW WATCH

  BIO-STRIKE

  COLD WAR

  CUTTING EDGE

  ZERO HOUR

  WILD CARD

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi--110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This is a work of fiction. Nam
es, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON

  A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with Rubicon, Inc.

  PRINTING HISTORY Berkley premium edition / November 2008

  Copyright (c) 2008 by Rubicon, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-00358-9

  BERKLEY(r)

  Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  BERKLEY(r) is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  The "B" design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The author would like to thank the following individuals whose technical advice and support made this book possible:

  Mr. Tom Clancy

  Mr. David Shanks

  Mr. Tom Colgan

  Mr. Michael Ovitz

  Mr. Chris George

  Ms. Sandra Harding

  Mr. Robert Lang

  Mr. James Ide, chief warrant officer, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

  Major Mark Aitken, U.S. Army

  Mr. Randy McElwee, master sergeant, U.S. Army (Ret.)

  Major William R. Reeves, U.S. Army

  Major Craig Walker, U.S. Air Force

  Mr. Jean-Louis "Dutch" DeGay, Natick Soldier RDEC, U.S. Army

  Mrs. Carole McDaniel (carole.mcdanieldesign.com)

  William and Belinda Telep

  From Blackhawk Products Group:

  Mr. Mike Noel, U.S. Navy SEAL (Ret.)

  Mr. Tom O'Sullivan, U.S. Army (Ret.)

  Mr. Michael Janich, U.S. Army (Ret.)

  Mr. Steve Matulewicz, command master chief, U.S. Navy SEAL (Ret.)

  Mr. Brent Beshara, Canadian Special Forces (Ret.)

  From Ubisoft:

  Mr. Yves Guillemot

  Mr. Gerard Guillemot

  Mr. Serge Hascoet

  Mr. Alexis Nolent

  Mr. Olivier Henriot

  Mr. Richard Dansky

  Mr. Oliver Green

  Mr. Cedrick Delmas

  Mr. Terence Mosca

  Mr. Eric Moutardier

  Mr. Thomas Leroux-Hugon

  Mr. Joshua Meyer

  The Ubisoft Legal Department

  I had rather have a plain, russet-coated captain that knows what he fights for, and loves what he knows, than that which you call a gentleman and is nothing else.

  --Oliver Cromwell

  Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundless-ness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

  --Sun Tzu

  Minimal consumption--use the least amount of combat resources sufficient to accomplish the objective.

  --Colonel Qiao Liang and Colonel Wang Xiangsui, Unrestricted Warfare

  PERSONNEL LIST

  Ghosts

  Operation War Wraith

  Alpha Team

  Captain Scott Mitchell

  Master Sergeant Jose "Joe" Ramirez

  Sergeant First Class Paul Smith

  Sergeant First Class Alex Nolan

  Bravo Team

  Master Sergeant Matt Beasley

  Sergeant First Class Bo Jenkins

  Staff Sergeant John Hume

  Sergeant Marcus Brown

  Charlie Team

  Sergeant Alicia Diaz

  Ghost Command

  Lieutenant Colonel Harold "Buzz" Gordon

  Major Susan Grey, D CO. 1st BN. 5th SFG

  General Joshua Keating, Commander of USSOCOM

  Dr. Gail Gorbatova, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)

  Spring Tigers

  Operation Pouncing Dragon

  Major-General Chen Yi (Target Alpha)

  Colonel Xu Dingfa (Target Bravo)

  Vice Admiral Cai Ming (Target Charlie)

  Major-General Wu Hui (Target Delta)

  Deputy Director Wang Ya, CMC Political Department

  Captain Fang Zhi

  USS Montana Control Team

  Commanding Officer Captain Kenneth Gummerson

  Lieutenant Commander Sands, Executive Officer

  Master Chief Suallo, Chief of the Boat

  SEAL Chief Tanner

  SEAL Chief Phillips

  Lieutenant Jeff Moch, Predator Support

  Lieutenant Justin Schumaker, Predator Support

  ONE

  BASILAN ISLAND

  SULU ARCHIPELAGO, SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES

  AUGUST, 2002

  Master Sergeant Scott Mitchell blinked at the sweat in his eyes and pushed on through the rubber plants, their leathery leaves brushing against his boonie hat and cheek. Ahead lay a slight clearing in the otherwise dense, twilit jungle, and Mitchell used his M4A1's barrel to lift a thin branch as he hunkered down at the edge.

  Captain Victor Foyte, his detachment commander, moved ahead beside an uneven stretch of wilting palm fronds still dripping from a storm that had rolled in several hours ago. "Ricochet, this is Road Warrior 06," the captain whispered into his radio. "Think I see something. And I hear some buzzing, like flies. Let's check it out, over."

  "Right with you, Boss," answered Mitchell.

  Although Foyte outranked him, Mitchell was the team sergeant, responsible for fighting all twelve members of Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 574. The captain and warrant officer coordinated with the twelve-man Filipino and Taiwanese teams they'd been cross-training with for the past two weeks.

  Mitchell started forward as up to his right a snake coiled around an overhanging limb, its tongue fluttering. Special Forces operators ate bad guys for breakfast and snakes for supper; consequently, they weren't unnerved by either. Nevertheless, Mitchell grimaced and got out of there to join the captain.

  Barely three steps later, a whoosh of musty air, a rustle of leaves, and the sharp crack of a rope sent lightning bolts through his gut. He looked up and gasped.

  The captain had been moving toward a pole stuck in the ground. Atop that pole was a human head with long, brown hair flowing around it.

  A twenty-one-year-old American missionary had recently been captured by Abu Sayyaf, the local pseudo-Islamist terrorist group affiliated with al Qaeda. Military and police forces had been combing the island, looking for her and for Abu Sayyaf's stronghold, hidden somewhere deep in the mountainous interior.

  It seemed the captain had found the missing woman--and much more. A rope had snapped taut around one of his ankles, and now he was being hurled three meters into the air, screaming, "Ambush!"

  Mitchell was about to get on the radio when the captain swung forward, a human pendulum heading straight for a tree impaled by rows of razor-sharp punji stakes now revealed as fronds strung up by more ropes fell away--all part of the carefully designed booby trap.