Peter Kirsanow: Second Strike

Stetchkin approached the steps to the upstairs bedrooms and bath before changing his mind and proceeding down the long, broad hallway to his study. A quick drink before showering.

The stately wall lamps along the corridor shone a soft yellow glow upon the photographs of Stetchkin that hung as reminders of his journey toward extraordinary power and importance. There he was as a young KGB lieutenant standing behind Yuri Andropov. Then standing next to a desk pointing to a document in front of a hunched Mikhail Gorbachev. Yet another clasping hands and laughing with Boris Yeltsin.

He paused for a moment in front of the Yeltsin photo. The entire corridor was a chronology of his inexorable advancement, his accumulation of wealth and prestige. But the Yeltsin photo was his favorite. It made them appear as two historical figures, as equals.

He swelled with satisfaction. He was indomitable, in control.

He strode to the entrance of his study, the door locked because it sometimes contained sensitive documents. He withdrew the key from his pocket, unlocked the heavy oak door, and flipped the light switch just inside, illuminating a small desk lamp in the far corner of the room.

A second later his chest seized with terror, for in the dim light of the desk lamp was the most ominous sight he could imagine: a J-shaped scar along the right jawline of a face otherwise cast in shadow.

Once again, thanks to the entire Dutton team, with special thanks to my marvelous editor, Jessica Renheim; eagle-eyed copy editor, Eileen Chetti; and publicist, Jamie Knapp. I’m also grateful for the hard work and insights of my agent, Scott Miller. Collectively, they make writing a breeze.

Peter Kirsanow practices and teaches law and is an official of a federal agency. He is a former member of the National Labor Relations Board and has testified before Congress on a variety of matters, including the confirmations of five Supreme Court justices. He contributes regularly to National Review , and his op-eds have appeared in newspapers ranging from The Wall Street Journal to The Washington Times . He lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is wrapping up his next Mike Garin thriller.

Target Omega

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Copyright © 2018 by Peter Kirsanow

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: Kirsanow, Peter N., author.

Title: Second strike / Peter Kirsanow.

Description: First edition. | New York, New York : Dutton, [2018] | Series: A Mike Garin thriller ; 2

Identifiers: LCCN 2017034560 (print) | LCCN 2017039416 (ebook) | ISBN 9781101985335 (ebook) | ISBN 9781101985328 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781101985342 (softcover)

Subjects: LCSH: United States. Central Intelligence Agency—Fiction. | Intelligence officers—United States—Fiction. | Terrorism—Prevention—Fiction. | GSAFD: Suspense fiction.

Classification: LCC PS3611.I769845 (ebook) | LCC PS3611.I769845 S43 2018 (print) | DDC 813/.6—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017034560

This book is a work of fiction. Names, 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.

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