PENTAGON'S HAMMER - Randall Tino

PENTAGON'S HAMMER is played out during a twelve day global event involving the United States, North Korea, India, Pakistan, the Pacific Rim, and, on a peripheral scale, Cuba, China, and Russia. The stage was set with 9/11 on the New York trade center, when Islamic extremists successfully carried out the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Years later, following the outsourcing of critical and sensitive programs by the defense department, vital information for the NSA's most critical, and highly classified satellite system, the ASATs (attack satellites), falls into the hands of the adversary. The adversary, HASAN HAMMAD, principal Jihad antagonist to the Unites States and the free world, by manipulating critical satellites is able to puncture the U.S. defense shield. The earliest indication to the breach is detected by TRACY BAUER, NSA Intel strategist. The protagonist, ALEX BAUER, long time defense analyst and design engineer with DOD and BMO (Ballistics Missiles Office), comes across classified information on EMP and its inherited vulnerability. Whereas EMP, electromagnetic pulsing, is a highly sophisticated process generated by an atomic explosion, it can also be set off through a simple and inexpensive trigger device. What makes it even more detrimental, this science and technology has been hidden from the public eyes since the inception of the atomic bomb. Through vital intelligence leaks and organizational compromises created by current economic conditions, however, North Korea, Pakistan, Iran, and the Jihad have gained knowledge for this once closely guarded secret. The antagonist, manipulating the U.S. defense grid, is setting off a chain of events culminating in a series of confrontations. Our defense and intelligence organizations become intricately involved in the strike, counter strike, retaliation, and reprisal. Each chapter, within the twelve days of global events describe character, initiative, environment, action, reaction, and resolution with strong character support interdependent of each other as presented through the sphere of a global theater. The enemy, in the heart of the nation unleashes a series of assaults through nuclear, chemical and biological means affecting the lives of every citizen across the country. With every defense mechanism rendered ineffective the nation is brought to its knees resulting in an economic Armageddon effecting commerce, power, utilities, communication, banking, finance, Wall Street, transportation, hospital, emergency operation, law enforcement, national defense, government and the military, not to mention the lives of millions of U.S. citizens. What makes the novel unique is the intricate knowledge of the writer in the Intel community, the defense system, and the nation's nuclear strike capability. Furthermore, the story has unique twists not tackled before.