Don Pendleton: Double Blindside

NUCLEAR JEOPARDY

The killing of US operatives in Turkey threatens to jeopardize US–Turkish relations. Committed to putting an end to the murder before another agent is assassinated, Phoenix Force heads overseas, only to discover the dead agents are just the beginning. Extremists have stolen nuclear devices and set targets in both Turkey and America. With the countdown to D-day already started, Phoenix Force must race to stop the bombs from detonating in Turkey while Able Team must do whatever it takes to neutralize the threat in the US. Failure is simply not an option.

THERE WAS NO MISTAKINGTHE DRIVER’S INTENTION

A panel truck came roaring out of a side street and sped directly at the Turkish secret service vehicle. The driver was using the truck as a guided missile. And the target was Phoenix Force and Agent Kartal.

If the SUV had been stationary the impact would have been worse, but Kartal managed to boost the power, stamping on the gas and sending the SUV lurching forward. The truck slammed into the rear quarter of the SUV instead of full-on. Still, the impact spun the SUV in a half circle, glass shattering and spraying inside the passenger compartment as the car rocked violently, wheels lifting off the road for seconds. The impact drove the lower section of the wheel well into the vehicle’s tire.

“Two inside,” she called out. “They’re showing weapons.”

“Move,” McCarter ordered. “Everyone out. Fast!”

Double Blindside

Don Pendleton

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text NUCLEAR JEOPARDY The killing of US operatives in Turkey threatens to jeopardize US–Turkish relations. Committed to putting an end to the murder before another agent is assassinated, Phoenix Force heads overseas, only to discover the dead agents are just the beginning. Extremists have stolen nuclear devices and set targets in both Turkey and America. With the countdown to D-day already started, Phoenix Force must race to stop the bombs from detonating in Turkey while Able Team must do whatever it takes to neutralize the threat in the US. Failure is simply not an option.

Introduction THERE WAS NO MISTAKINGTHE DRIVER’S INTENTION A panel truck came roaring out of a side street and sped directly at the Turkish secret service vehicle. The driver was using the truck as a guided missile. And the target was Phoenix Force and Agent Kartal. If the SUV had been stationary the impact would have been worse, but Kartal managed to boost the power, stamping on the gas and sending the SUV lurching forward. The truck slammed into the rear quarter of the SUV instead of full-on. Still, the impact spun the SUV in a half circle, glass shattering and spraying inside the passenger compartment as the car rocked violently, wheels lifting off the road for seconds. The impact drove the lower section of the wheel well into the vehicle’s tire. “Two inside,” she called out. “They’re showing weapons.” “Move,” McCarter ordered. “Everyone out. Fast!”

Title Page Double Blindside Don Pendleton

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Copyright

Istanbul, Turkey

Phil Makerson slowly made his way along an empty street awash with rain. The sky was so dark with clouds it might have been midnight rather than early evening. The downpour was so intense the drains could not keep pace and there were sections of the sidewalk where the water overflowed. There was no air movement, so the rain fell in vertical sheets. Rainstorms in Istanbul were rare, especially at this time of year, but this one had come swiftly and with a vengeance.

With no protective clothing, Makerson’s suit was soaked. He didn’t seem to notice as he made his way along the uneven pavement. Thoughts spinning inside his head, his mind was on other things. So much had happened in the past few hours that he was having trouble keeping it all in some kind of order. And on top of that he was hurting. His body was aching from his encounter with the man he knew as Axos; the son of a bitch had been trying to kill him. Makerson was sure of that. He might have succeeded if Makerson hadn’t landed that lucky—and he considered it lucky—blow with the heavy lamp he had managed to grasp. He had lashed out, catching Axos a solid blow across the side of his skull. Thinking back, Makerson was sure he had heard something crack when the lamp connected with Axos’s head. The moment Axos went down, Makerson had vacated the run-down apartment, making his exit out onto the street.

His head was all over the place as he struggled to make sense of the recent events. Axos had been trying to kill him; Makerson had no doubts about that. The blood and bruises on his face and throat, the ache in his ribs, proved the point. Axos’s unprovoked attack had taken Makerson completely off guard, and he was convinced he would have ended up dead if he had not fought back.

The only reason for the attack had to be that his cover had been exposed. Makerson had been undercover for a couple of months and, contrary to his usual care, he had somehow let his guard slip. He had become too comfortable in his role and now he was paying for it.

Makerson took that on board. He needed to get clear so he could pass along the information he had gathered. He was hoping that Berna Kartal, the female Turkish agent he had been working alongside, had managed to stay safe. Between them they had gathered a dossier of information on their target. Though Kartal had assured Makerson it was safe, he had backed up their findings by sending data to his laptop in his New York apartment. It had been a way of getting the data away from Özgürlük, the Turkish group under investigation.

Makerson had decided not to contact Kartal. He didn’t want to put her in danger. All he wanted now was to escape before Axos’s partner, Kristos, recovered and set off in pursuit.

He was unfamiliar with his location. Istanbul was a sprawling city that transitioned between the ancient and modern. And he had not had the time to become too familiar with the metropolis. All he knew for certain was his proximity to the water. In the hazy distance he could make out the lights of the port area.

Images of his dead partner forced their way into his mind. Jerry Callender was a good man who had been slaughtered and left in a pool of his own blood. Gutted like fish on a slab. Callender had been killed in the same room where he had been held. The image refused to fade. Makerson could still see the shock on Callender’s bloody face. Those pictures would be with him for a long time.

Only if you get clear, he told himself. So quit feeling sorry for yourself and keep moving.

He sheltered under the sagging awning of a closed store and pulled out his sat phone. He knew there was plenty of power. He just hoped the signal was strong enough to reach the man he was calling. From Turkey to the U.S. He picked up the sound of the line engaging, heard the tone and then a familiar voice.