Survival Mission by Don Pendleton

Survival Mission by Don Pendleton

Author:Don Pendleton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Worldwide Library
Published: 2012-11-15T00:00:00+00:00


REYNEK THOUGHT he had adapted well to Cooper’s brand of warfare, but he presently had a problem and raised it on the drive to Prague Ruzyn International. “You understand this is an act of terrorism?” he asked the man behind the Volvo’s wheel.

“How so?”

“Well…think of it. Your plan is to attack—indeed, destroy—an airliner on the main runway of a major European airport. What else would you call it?” Reynek responded.

“I’ve always operated on the standard definition of terrorism,” he said. “That’s use of threats or violence in pursuit of political aims. You can substitute racial or religious for political, assuming there’s any real difference, but it all comes out the same. A terrorist acts to change public policy. That isn’t me. Isn’t us.”

“You make a fine distinction,” Reynek answered. “I can promise you that the authorities will not take notice of it.”

“You’re one of the authorities,” the big American replied. “What do you think?”

“I think that after this, if we go through with it, we shall be hunted by the PCR, the Prague municipal police and probably the whole armed forces, too.”

“Maybe. Or they might get a call explaining what it’s all about, around the same time that the media’s alerted.”

“The media is unpredictable, I grant you,” Reynek said. “We might be heroes by the time they’re finished with us. But the state will not forgive, Cooper.”

“Forgiveness doesn’t enter into what I do.”

“Say mercy, then.”

“Same answer. Jan, we’re hunting people who have never shown a victim any mercy in their lives. I play by rules they wrote.”

“I understand the traffickers,” Reynek replied. “I’m with you, there. But this lot, on the plane—”

“They’re flying into Prague with one idea in mind,” the man said. “To violate at least one child apiece. The stats I’ve read, the so-called ‘straight’ molester abuses an average twenty girls before he’s arrested. The count for predators who specialize in boys runs closer to a hundred. In the States, they estimate that barely ten percent of child molestation cases result in conviction, and some of those get off with probation and counseling. Make no mistake about it—Sunshine Charters is delivering a dozen monsters into Prague at noon today. Who stops them, if we don’t?”

Reynek considered that. Twelve predators times twenty victims—or a hundred. Sickened by the images that came to mind, he nodded. Told Cooper, “Yes, you’re right. One homicide or fifty, what’s the difference? They can only lock me up for life.”

“Look on the bright side,” his partner suggested. “You might even walk away from it.”

But Reynek knew that was impossible. Whatever happened with regard to his arrest or ultimate escape, the knowledge of his actions would be with him to his dying day. As the big American had warned him from the outset of their struggle.

If it doesn’t kill you, then you have to live with it.

But could he? Was uncertain knowledge of the innocents they might be saving adequate to rinse the bloodstains from his hands and soul? In truth, the soul part did



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