“The light of early dawn through the low window struck him in the face as he lifted his face from the prayer rug, gazing east toward Mecca. “Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatu-Allah.” The blessings and peace of God be upon you.… — Stephen England Copy Share
“Korsakov turned away, sighing heavily as he made his way toward his SUV. It had been the early winter of 1997, a dark night in Dagestan when he and Pavel had met, both of them part of a Spetsnaz team assigned to a tank base at Buinask. Led by foreign mujahideen, the Chechens had struck without warning, small-arms fire and… — Stephen England Copy Share
“Three months in Somalia, Darren Roth thought, glancing impatiently at the crosswalk sign, waiting for the symbol to flash. If he closed his eyes he could still hear it all, the bleating of goats in the villages, the rumble of a lorry’s engine. The crackle of small-arms fire in the night. Three months hunting an elusive enemy, militants loyal to… — Stephen England Copy Share
“It would be so simple, Harry thought, his mind flickering back across the years to another op. In Europe. A train station just like this one. So simple to just raise his hand, the suppressed pistol concealed within his coat. Fire a single shot, walk on without stopping, without even pausing to give the cameras something to work with. Leave… — Stephen England Copy Share
“Omar’s choice of the .357 Magnum was more prosaic, based on a simple bit of advice from a fellow inmate. The man had been an unrepentant infidel, serving a life sentence for rape and murder, but his advice had been sound. Revolvers don’t eject their shell casings. Keep your shots few and effective and you can walk off the crime… — Stephen England Copy Share
“Oh, well that can’t have been me,” Harry smiled grimly, clapping a hand on Malone’s shoulder as he moved past the big man. “You’re… — Stephen England Copy Share Image
“Hamid checked the silenced Heckler & Koch MP-5SD submachine gun for a third and final time before slapping a thirty-round magazine of 9mm hollowpoints… — Stephen England Copy Share Image
“War teaches a man that he has only his brothers.” And sometimes not even them, Harry thought—feeling anger swell within him at the memory of brotherhood betrayed. Hamid Zakiri. “That they are all that matters—because at the end of the day, they’re the only ones comin’ for you. And it’s that brotherhood that Conor Hale is leveraging to achieve his… — Stephen England Copy Share
“Thomas Parker glanced at his watch. Five hours. He laid down his cleaning brush and picked up the scattered parts of his 7.62mm SV-98 sniper rifle, starting to reassemble the gun. It wasn’t his favorite weapon, but it would do the job. Anything of American manufacture was out of the question. He re-mounted the scope, brushing a fine layer of… — Stephen England Copy Share
“He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the ballistic vest underneath. The Brits were dead set against them carrying weapons, but body armor they were… — Stephen England Copy Share Image
“Twenty-seven years, Colin Hilliard thought, buttoning his suit as he strode out from under the cover of Balmoral’s carriage porch—the early afternoon sun shining down on the Commander’s snow-white hair. That was how long he’d been with the Met’s Protection Command, guarding first the palace at Buck House—as it was colloquially known—then the Royal Family itself. Nearly half his life.… — Stephen England Copy Share
“Be prepared, indeed. The polymer case housed a Sig-Sauer P229 semiautomatic pistol chambered in 9mm Luger, along with a pair of thirteen-round magazines. And a suppressor designed to be screwed into the threaded barrel. MI-5 officers weren’t supposed to be armed. Not on British soil, at least. Something he had voiced to the DG.” — Stephen England Copy Share
“The meeting was as off-the-books as it got. Equal parts indignant denial and veiled threat. Accidents happen. Don’t want to lose your people? Keep… — Stephen England Copy Share Image
