Falcon: The Quiet Professionals Book 3
Read Falcon: The Quiet Professionals Book 3 Online
Authors: Ronie Kendig
© 2015 by Ronie Kendig
Print ISBN 978-1-62416-319-7
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63409-379-8
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-63409-380-4
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
For more information about Ronie Kendig, please access the author’s website at the following Internet address:
www.roniekendig.com
.
Cover Design: Kirk DouPonce, DogEared Design
Published by Shiloh Run Press, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683,
www.shilohrunpress.com
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses
.
Printed in the United States of America.
To those who serve in the intelligence community, protecting Americans and their freedoms.
My husband, Brian—Thank you for letting me pester you with one scenario after another, enduring my irritation when you didn’t magically produce a perfect scenario or when I didn’t like one you suggested. You’re my hero!
Keighley Kendig—My darlin’ girl whose passion for all things anime and manga helped me create a unique history for my characters. Thank you!
Ryan & Reagan—Thanks for enduring many on-your-own meals while I fought to get this book done!
My agent, Steve Laube—You encouraged and protected me so I could get this story written. Thank you, Agent-Man!
Robin Miller—Thank you, dear friend, for being a champion, cheering and challenging me as I worked feverishly to finish this novel. God blessed me with you!
Narelle Mollet and Shannon McNear—You ladies have tirelessly read every word I’ve written, encouraged me through waning courage, and cheered me on to the finish!
Rapid-Fire Fiction Task Force—My own team of warriors and champions. You ladies make all the difference in the world.
Ironmance Group—Thank you for your prayers, your support, encouragement and wisdom! I treasure you ladies!
In writing about unique settings, specific locations, and invariably the people residing there, a certain level of risk is involved, including the possibility of dishonoring the very people an author intends to honor. With that in mind, I have taken some literary license in
Falcon
, including renaming some bases within the U.S. military establishment, creating sites/entities that do not otherwise exist, and other aspects of team movement/integration. Also, some elements of the story are pure entertainment and, as with any work of fiction, demand a level of suspension of disbelief. Writing about a potential threat to our American military personnel can be tricky, and those experts within that field cannot divulge too much information. Therefore, to protect our heroes, some elements of the story about the cybersecurity threat have been left intentionally and partially vague. I have done this so the book and/or my writing will not negatively reflect on our military community and its heroes. With the quickly changing landscape of the combat theater, this seemed imperative and prudent.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS/ACRONYMS
ACU
—Army Combat Uniform
AHOD
—All Hands On Deck
ANA
—Afghan National Army
CECOM
—Communications-Electronics Command
CID
—Criminal Investigations Department
DIA
—Defense Intelligence Agency
IED
—Improvised Explosive Device
ISAF
—International Security Assistance Force
Klick
—Military slang for
kilometer
M4, M4A1
—Military assault rifles
MARSOC
—Marine Special Operations Command
MRAP
—Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle
MRE
—Meals Ready to Eat
MWD
—Military Working Dog
NVG
—Night-Vision Goggles
ODA
—Operation Detachment Alpha
OEF/OIF
—Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom
PCS
—Permanent Change of Station RPG—Rocket-Propelled Grenade
RTB
—Return To Base
SAS
—Special Air Service (Foreign Special Operations Team)
SATINT
—Satellite Intelligence
SCIF
—Secure computer used by the military
Sitrep
—Military abbreviation for
situation report
SOCOM
—Special Operations Command
Brian “Hawk” Bledsoe (Staff Sergeant)
—Raptor team member; coms specialist
Brie Hastings (Lieutenant)
—General Burnett’s administrative officer
Cassandra Walker (Lieutenant)
—works for DIA’s National Military Joint Intelligence Center
Chris Riordan (Lieutenant Commander)
—Navy SEAL officer
Ddrake
—Explosives Detection Dog; German shepherd
Dean “Raptor Six” Watters (Captain)
—Raptor team commander
Eamon “Titanis” Straider (SAS Corporal)
—Raptor team member; Australian; engineering specialty
Grant Knight (Sergeant)
—Ddrake’s handler; temporarily assigned to Raptor team
Kiew Tang
—executive assistant to Daniel Jin
Lance Burnett (General)
—Raptor’s commanding officer; attached to Defense Intelligence Agency
Meng-Li Jin /Daniel Jin
—Chinese businessman
Mitchell “Harrier” Black (Sergeant First Class)
—Raptor team member; combat medic
Ramsey (General)
—Brigadier general; commander of U.S. Army Joint Special Operations Command
Sajjan Takkar
—CEO of Takkar Corp.
Salvatore “Falcon” Russo (Warrant Officer)
—Raptor team member; aka team “daddy”; expert in ops/intel
Todd “Eagle” Archer (Staff Sergeant)
—Raptor team member; weapons expert; team sniper
Tony “Candyman” VanAllen
—former Green Beret on Dean Watters’s team
Boris Kolceki
—expert computer hacker
Fariz Al-Bayati
—teen caught up in combat zone
Fekiria Haidary
—ANA helicopter pilot; Zahrah Zarrick’s cousin; Hawk’s girlfriend
Nina Laurens Takkar
—Sajjan’s wife; Timbrel’s mother
Phelps (Lieutenant General)
—Associate Director for Military Affairs
Schmidt
—Navy SEAL on Riordan’s team
Timbrel VanAllen
—Tony’s wife
Zahrah Zarrick
—Fekiria’s cousin; Dean’s girlfriend; missionary teacher
Zmaray: “The Lion”/Lee Nianzu
—assassin, terrorist
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
)
I was that which others did not want to be.
I went where others feared to go,
and did what others failed to do.
I asked nothing from those who gave nothing,
and reluctantly accepted the thought
of eternal loneliness should I fail.
I have seen the face of terror,
felt the stinging cold of fear,
and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment’s love.
I have cried, pained, and hoped,
but most of all, I have lived times
others would say are best forgotten.
At least someday, I will be able to say
I was proud of what I was…
A Special Forces Soldier
CHAPTER 1