Death Minus Zero. Don Pendleton

of Zero’s creator and guiding light. Stony Man had been involved with the Zero Project from its early days, with Mack Bolan stepping up to investigate when Doug Buchanan had gone AWOL. The resolution of that incident had been getting Buchanan back into the program and finally installed on Zero. If there was anything to find, where Kaplan was concerned, Aaron Kurtzman’s team would unearth it. They had the best equipment available, along with the ability to hack into databases and systems that were supposed to be hacker-resistant. The state-of-the-art technology was only as good as the people using it, and the Stony Man cyber team had no equals. If it was out there, Kurtzman’s team would find it, interpret it and strip out the data they needed.

      “Zero has become a valuable listening post for us,” the President said. “I don’t have to tell you how valuable. When we complete the development of the laser-particle beam weapons systems, Zero is going to become even better than it already is.”

      “Are we still having operational problems with the laser-particle beam systems?”

      “Zero has conventional missiles and Slingshot capability,” the President said. “The added refinement of the other weapons is proving to be difficult. Development is ongoing. We will get there, Hal, but right now those weapons are still in the theoretical stage. There are complex problems we are still trying to overcome. Major Buchanan is working with Zero Command in the development alongside Kaplan, which is another reason why we mustn’t allow a foreign power to have their chance to get that kind of information out of him.”

      “I can understand that, sir. Even without them, Zero is still a hell of an achievement. No other country has anything to match it.”

      “Not at this moment in time. Which is exactly why somewhere like China would like to get their hands on it. Hal, we cannot allow this to happen. Zero is our high card. It gives us one hell of an advantage in the defense game. I won’t let it be taken from us. We fight this, Hal, with everything we have. Stony Man. Your teams. I’ll give you whatever you need in backup all the way down the line. No question here. We keep Zero because if someone like China gets its hands on it, we’ll all be in trouble. My God, Hal, can you imagine what would happen if we lost Zero to Beijing?”

      “Unfortunately, I can, sir. Which makes this latest move against Saul Kaplan something we need to fully address. Stony Man will put everything we have on this.”

      “I don’t care what toes you step on or who you upset. If there are territorial borders you need to cross, I’ll stand by you.”

      The President’s mood and his willingness to stand by his people made Brognola aware of the implications if Zero was compromised.

      “What about...?” the President started to ask.

      He was asking about Mack Bolan.

      The Executioner.

      “The guy is off somewhere on a mission he initiated himself. He’s gone black. We’ve had no contact with him for over a week. We have no idea where he is right now. And we don’t have the luxury of waiting for him to make contact.”

      “I only mentioned him because he was so deeply involved the first time around. No slight on the other teams, Hal, since I know they’ll offer us the best way out of this.”

      “You can depend on that, sir. This will be our priority from right now.”

      “Keep me informed, Hal. I want to be kept apprised every step of the way,” the President said. “Which brings me to ask, do you need anything?” The Man paused. “Hal, anything.”

      Brognola’s phone began to ring. When he took it out, he saw that the screen was showing a call from Stony Man.

      “Like I said, Mr. President, we’re on this as of right now. Excuse me, sir, I need to take this.”

      The President watched as Brognola took the call. The expression on the big Fed’s face told America’s leader he wasn’t being delivered good news.

      “I need to get back to Stony Man, Mr. President. This is hotting up already.”

      “Then get out of here, Hal, and good luck.”

      Minutes later Brognola was leaving Camp David. Jack Grimaldi, who had been entertained by Camp staff while their bosses liaised, powered the chopper into the bright, cold sky. Stony Man’s ace pilot set course for the Farm.

       CHAPTER FOUR

      Stony Man Farm

      David McCarter followed his team into the War Room and took his seat next to Barbara Price. The Phoenix Force commander was clutching a chilled bottle of Classic Coke; he still refused to drink the other flavors currently available, claiming they were technically not the real thing. The Briton stuck to his preferences and would not consider changing; that applied to the Player’s cigarettes he occasionally enjoyed and his beloved 9 mm Browning Hi-Power pistol.

      He glanced at the manila folder Price, the Farm’s mission controller, had placed in front of him. He idly scrolled through the pages without comment as the War Room filled up with the Able Team and Hal Brognola, who had arrived at the Farm only minutes ago. Aaron Kurtzman, clutching a steaming mug of his deadly coffee brew, rolled up to the table in his wheelchair.

      Five men comprised Phoenix Force, all experienced warriors who carried a long list of credentials that enabled them to face any odds put in their way. McCarter, who had inherited the mantle of leader from the late Yakov Katzenelenbogen, led his team by example.

      With a legendary background that included the SAS, McCarter was an accomplished combat veteran and a noted brawler. He could handle aircraft as well as wheeled vehicles and was proficient with most any kind of weapon he could get his hands on. The man had an infectious sense of humor that often got him looked at sideways, but there was not a better man to have at your side in a firefight. He had a reputation for taking chances and ignoring the rules, but McCarter had long ago decided that in the middle of an armed conflict, where the saving of his skin and that of his partners was involved, anything went. He was ultimately proved right.

      Some would label him reckless, but the Briton saw breaking the rules mattered if it led to ultimate victory. His manner got him into trouble on more than one occasion, but that did not worry him in the slightest. McCarter had a tough hide, and verbal barbs bounced off him, though after becoming leader of Phoenix Force he had made an effort to temper his impetuous nature.

      His team trusted his instincts, and it was a given they would follow him to the gates of Hell to face the Devil if asked. The connection was often close to the truth. The violent savages they had to face were often close to being the mortal equivalent of Satan. McCarter was more than satisfied with the people who backed him.

      Calvin James, a tall, lean black man, was the team’s resident medic. James was good-looking, wore a thin moustache and had an easy way with the ladies. As well as being handy when it came to saving lives, James was also a ferocious fighter. Coming from the south side of Chicago had given James a taste of the tough life. He had enlisted in the US Navy at seventeen, and his natural skills and dedication had brought him to the attention of the SEALs. After his service, he had become a cop in San Francisco and it was while on SWAT duty that he had been approached and recruited into Phoenix Force. He might have been a little unsure at the outset, but he now admitted it was the best thing he had ever done.

      An expert demolitions man and sniper, Canadian Gary Manning had been a time-served RCMP operative and had spent time with GSG-9, which had given him detailed insight in global terrorist organizations—something he still kept up to date on. He had been a security consultant for an American company and had come to the notice of Brognola’s Special Operations Group. Manning, a powerfully built man with superb reflexes and a no-nonsense attitude, took to the closeness of Phoenix Force quickly. He was a fast thinker and maintained a tolerant attitude toward McCarter’s brashness, even though they engaged in deliberate banter at times. Over the years both men had come to respect each other.

      To Rafael Encizo, a Cuban,