So what’s the go with PRIMAL? The skull-shield-sword logo doesn’t feature on any vehicles or aircraft. Operatives don’t wear uniforms and certainly do not put logo patches on their combat fatigues. They may, however, use the skull-shield-sword in certain circumstances on a calling card, for intimidation purposes.
The name PRIMAL is also not commonly used and is derived from the organization’s cover story. It receives funding and owns bases and aircraft as Priority Movements Airlift. A discreet arm of Lascar Logistics, officially Priority Movements Airlift conducts high-risk resupply, recovery, and evacuation operations in conflict zones.
To support the cover story, ‘white-side’ Priority Movements Airlift personnel do conduct legitimate logistics and transport operations for government or private customers. Think evacuating humanitarian aid workers from a war-torn African country or discreet movement of personnel for the CIA. Often these missions are sensitive with ‘no questions asked’. They also unknowingly provide aircrew and maintenance support for true PRIMAL missions; ‘black-side’ operations in which PRIMAL operatives wage their war against injustice.
Bases and Safe Houses
Established by the CEO of Lascar Logistics, Tariq Ahmed, PRIMAL has extensive financial resources to equip and fund its operatives. Under the umbrella of Lascar Logistics it has two main bases. Its original base is located at Abu Dhabi International Airport. A discreet hangar within the freight handling precinct, it’s a secure building with accommodation, armory, and storage for specialist aircraft.
As PRIMAL expanded it was given a dedicated facility on an island in the South West Pacific. Nicknamed ‘Lascar Island’, the former World War Two underground base was originally constructed by Japanese engineers using prisoners of war. Over a five year period PRIMAL expanded and retrofitted the old facility. It features ‘Warmart’, an extensive quartermaster store, armory, and technical workshop, the ‘Bunker’ which is PRIMAL’s command, control, and intelligence node, accommodation, and comprehensive training facilities.
From the outside the island looks like a dilapidated airfreight refueling facility. Obsolete due to the superior range of modern aircraft, the Lascar Logistics base appears to be rarely used and in a poor state of repair. The state-of-the-art facilities are hidden behind a false sliding door to the rear of a mountainside hangar.
The island also houses PRIMAL’s only dedicated rest and recreation facility. Located on the north side of the island it comprises a number of well-appointed beach huts. The PRIMAL team uses it regularly to relax from the stress of running covert operations. It’s a favorite location for Bishop and Saneh to spend time together. The island also provides natural conditions perfect for diving, hiking, and mountain biking. A few of the team members also use the airstrip for motorbike racing.
PRIMAL has a number of safe houses in key locations. With hi-tech security systems, and fitted out with armories, ammunition, and equipment, these are secure locations PRIMAL can base operations out of when far from Abu Dhabi or the South Pacific. In later books, however, PRIMAL maintains a lighter footprint. The threat of discovery by intelligence agencies increases and operatives transition to using temporary safe houses.
Due to the inherent danger of compromise, and subsequent targeting, PRIMAL maintains a standing plan to abandon Lascar Island and move to a dispersed operating model. As the organization conducts more complex and frequent operations the risk of compromise by the media or government agencies increases. This is a theme that is explored in the PRIMAL Reckoning/Nemesis/Redemption trilogy.
ORGANIZATION AND CHARACTERS
General
PRIMAL’s operatives and support staff are an eclectic and tight-knit team. With an international cast from varied backgrounds, they all have one thing in common; single-minded dedication to battling injustice and fighting for the underdog.
There are less than twenty named characters that star in the novels. These men and women live anything but normal lives. Recruited from elite, high-achieving organizations, they deliver outcomes far beyond their modest numbers. They are mission focused and have no immediate family. For most, PRIMAL is their family and this reduces the risk of compromise protecting them from possible retaliation.
Job satisfaction is high and the hardcore work ethic is balanced with generous remuneration and occasional downtime. Even though operatives are given opportunities to let off steam a number of operatives suffer from mild post-traumatic stress. The intensity of high-stakes covert operations, where close-quarter assassinations, and collateral damage are part of the job, inevitably takes a toll on the team. Indeed, in the years immediately following PRIMAL Unleashed the organization runs at an unsustainable tempo and needs to recruit new operatives and attempt to manage a better work-life balance. This is a challenge when you take a group of high-achieving warriors and let them off the leash on their dream job.
Leadership
PRIMAL’s three leaders form the backbone of all decision making. They drive recruitment, mission selection, and operational decisions. All three have the power of veto over any mission. The three leaders are:
Tariq Ahmed. An extremely wealthy Arab businessman, Tariq was educated in the United States and holds moderate religious views. He served in Afghanistan with UAE Special Forces where he first met Vance. His decision to oppose his father, who supported terrorism, led to his father’s demise. Tariq took over his family’s business empire and used his newly inherited wealth to create PRIMAL. Tariq is the sole financier for PRIMAL, channeling funds through his air-freight company Lascar Logistics. He contributes to major decisions but leaves the day-to-day PRIMAL business to Vance and Chua.
Vance Durant. PRIMAL’s Director of Operations is a former CIA paramilitary officer hell-bent on doing the right thing regardless of political considerations. A barrel-chested African American, Vance rarely takes part in field operations. Instead he pulls the strings from the Bunker on PRIMAL Island. Loves pumping iron in the gym but can also be found lying on a couch in his office, reading glasses on, Kindle in hand. He’s a crack pistol shot and regularly challenges other members of the PRIMAL team to competition shoots.
Chen Chua. Formerly a Major in the US Army Military Intelligence Corps, Chua was one of the early PRIMAL recruits. Known as the ‘Chief of Intelligence’, the Asian American heads up PRIMAL’s intelligence analysis and collection capabilities. His focus is on understanding PRIMAL’s targets, both for mission selection and for identifying vulnerabilities. Like Vance, Chua works far too hard and often spends weeks in the bunker without seeing the light of day. He has been trained in advanced HUMINT operations and occasionally will do field-work when an Asian operative is required. Chua has an unhealthy addiction to energy drinks and likes to Mountain Bike on the rare occasion he gives himself some time off.
Note. Originally PRIMAL was conceived as having three overarching directors all with the power of veto. Tariq was still featured as the wealthy Arab however he was supplemented by Amanda Telwar, a UK-born Pakistani international lawyer, and Zvi Dvaden, a former head of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad. These two additional directors were cut as PRIMAL had too many characters for effective storytelling.
Fig. 3 - Mirza, Saneh, and Bishop (L to R)
Tier 1 Operatives
PRIMAL’s ‘Tier 1’ operatives are trusted to lead teams or run independent operations. They may conduct reconnaissance and intelligence work but their primary role is to neutralize the enemy. They are the ‘door-kickers’, who if necessary will kill, capture, or influence a target.
Figure 3, above, shows three typical PRIMAL operatives dressed and equipped for an urban operation. They chose their civilian clothing to minimize the chance of detection: sunglasses, caps, face-wraps, hoodies, etc. All weapons are short-barreled and compact; bullpup (when the magazine is behind the pistol grip) or folding/collapsible stock. As with most PRIMAL gear the key is concealment and low signature. Weapons are equipped with suppressors to minimize noise and muzzle flash. Underneath
their clothing they will usually wear low profile body armor and carry concealed pistols.
Ice. James ‘Ice’ Castle was one of the original CIA officers that founded PRIMAL. Nicknamed Ice for his calculating and calm demeanor, he’s a soldier’s soldier, the kind of man anyone would follow into battle. Formerly serving in the Marine Corps, he then spent five years in the CIA working as a Paramilitary Operations Officer before forming PRIMAL with Vance. In PRIMAL Unleashed he is presumed to be killed in action.
Bishop. Aden Bishop is an altruistic Australian Army Intelligence Officer with an undistinguished military service. In 2003 he was sent home from Sierra Leone after disobeying orders during a UN Peacekeeping mission, but not before impressing a CIA officer, Vance. In direct violation of the UN mandate, Bishop and Mirza broke a ceasefire to prevent the massacre of a camp of refugees. Sent home, he was charged, stripped of seniority, and became disgruntled with the political nature of government service. Passing on an opportunity to deploy to Iraq, disagreeing with the false ‘WMD’ pretext for war, he resigned his commission. It was only when Vance recruited him into PRIMAL in 2004 that he found his true calling. After the mission in PRIMAL Fury he has mild post-traumatic stress syndrome due to being involved in numerous instances of collateral damage. He is madly in love with Saneh and they have an on-again off-again relationship. He doesn’t eat sushi, dislikes horses, appreciates architecture, and studies history.
Mirza. Mirza Mansoor is an Indian soldier that Bishop first meets in Sierra Leone, and subsequently recruits during PRIMAL Unleashed. Originally a sniper in the Special Frontier Force, he is highly experienced in both light infantry and covert counter-terrorism operations. More deliberate than Bishop, the pair are frequently deployed together, with Mirza’s clinical approach complementing Bishop’s more daring attitude. Since joining PRIMAL he has developed his skills and is one of the team’s most competent medics and a capable pilot. Mirza was raised dirt-poor and is slow to come to terms with PRIMAL’s generous remuneration and extensive budget.
Saneh. Afsaneh Ebadi, or Saneh, is a former Iranian MOIS operative. A female assassin and HUMINT operative, she works with Bishop in PRIMAL Unleashed and is eventually recruited. Stunningly attractive, when Saneh is on a mission she needs to choose her outfits carefully if she wants to avoid attention. Her attractive looks, however, can be an advantage, giving her an edge when people underestimate her. She maintains a volatile relationship with Bishop.
Tier 2 Operatives
When PRIMAL was developing its capability it would occasionally utilize mercenaries as an expendable proxy force. As seen in PRIMAL Unleashed, this group was called the ‘FIST’ or Forward Integrated Support Team. One of the first FISTs performed exceptionally and was fully recruited. These operatives became the core of PRIMAL’s Tier 2 operatives. They also form the basis for PRIMAL’s heavy-hitting direct-action team, the CAT, or Critical Assault Team. Armed to the teeth, the CAT is a heavy hitting quick-reaction-force that is on call to pull other operatives out of trouble. Although most of the Tier 2 operatives have their own specialist skills, they are cross-trained in the full spectrum of skill-sets including: breaching, precision fires (sniping), counter-intel, break and enter, technical exploitation, and interrogation.
Kurtz. Born into a family of influence, Kurtz turned his back on the family profession of medicine to join the German police force. He earned a place in the elite GSG 9 counter-terrorism unit and was highly trained in covert entry as well as assaulting strongholds. Forced to leave the service after he beat a rapist to death, his passion is taking down sex trafficking networks and rescuing vulnerable women. At the end of PRIMAL Fury, when an innocent girl is killed, he is traumatized and deserts to run independent operations. Like Bishop, Kurtz develops symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome and is struggling to come to terms with innocent lives lost in the line of duty.
Aleks. Kurtz’s ‘oppo’, Aleks usually deploys with the German operative. He is former FSB Spetsnaz and one of three Russians on the team. While not the subtlest of personalities, Aleks’ brute strength and determination make him a serious asset in a gunfight. He is the team leader of the CAT and has penchant for blowing things up. Aleks is well loved within the team and treats Saneh like a little sister. He also has a strong bond with Bishop that developed during the events outlined in PRIMAL Unleashed.
Pavel. Another Russian, Pavel was originally recruited as a technical surveillance expert. Although his specialty is in the intelligence realm, with an affinity for remote cameras, listening devices, and trackers, he is a competent assaulter and is more often deployed with the CAT. In most PRIMAL stories the technical support role is fulfilled by Mitch.
Miklos. A sniper/recon specialist from the Czech Republic, Miklos is known as a quiet, yet charming and easygoing member of the team. He cut his teeth in the 601st Special Forces Group before becoming a private contractor and eventually being recruited into PRIMAL.
Kruger. Recruited immediately prior to PRIMAL Fury, Kruger is a South African Special Forces veteran of the ‘Recces’. A hulking figure, he specializes in heavy weapons and demolitions. Kruger is also a qualified dog handler and has been advocating for PRIMAL to raise a special operations working dog capability since he joined the team. An experienced team leader, Kruger heads up the CAT in the absence of Aleks.
Intelligence
Flash. ‘Flash’ Gordon is PRIMAL’s ‘electronic intelligence’ expert. Formerly of the NSA, he’s a specialist in cyber-warfare and signals intelligence. He maintains discreet contact with certain NSA officers to ensure he has access to the latest software tools and databases.
Ivan and the Blades. Known only as Ivan, this old-school former-KGB spy usually appears as a well-spoken Englishman, not a Russian. He speaks a multitude of languages and is able to adopt a number of different personas. As PRIMAL’s lead deep-cover operative, or Blade, he runs a network of agents for intelligence collection and influence. The number of Blades is known only to Chen Chua and his Fusion Team. Each of them reports directly to the Chief of Intelligence and runs their own agent networks. The identities of the Blades are a tightly held secret. Due to the fact they frequently operate undercover in high-risk environments, they are not privy to PRIMAL’s ‘Essential Elements of Friendly Information’. In case of capture, most of the Blades do not know the identities of PRIMAL’s leaders, nor do they know the locations of PRIMAL’s bases.
Fusion Team. As outlined in Target Development the intelligence function plays a vital role in PRIMAL’s success. The Fusion Team are highly trained and experienced analysts that are the brainpower of the organization. While their numbers are never discussed in detail, Chen Chua’s team consists of half a dozen analysts covering the full spectrum of intelligence sources.
Integral Support
Mitch. Mitch is PRIMAL’s self-taught tech-guru. He starts out in the British Army Royal Corps of Signals and during PRIMAL Inception is working in a tech support role with a SAS detachment. After a stint in the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Mitch eventually becomes a private contractor before being recruited into PRIMAL. An all-round technical genius, he’s in charge of R&D and customization of PRIMAL’s cutting-edge weapons and gear. He also gets out in the field when tactical tech support is required and can hold his own in a gunfight. Loves Olympic weightlifting, piloting aircraft, gadgets, and helping out with interrogations.
Others. There are a number of other support staff mentioned in the books that are not fully developed. Rachel and Frank fulfill a watchkeeper functions. Mike is a pilot who has previously flown the Pain Train. There are also numerous other roles such as logistics, IT support, and catering, that are not delved into for the sake of keeping the stories moving at a fast pace.
External Support
Although PRIMAL used paramilitary contractors (the FIST) in PRIMAL Unleashed, once full operational capability was reached most of the missions use in-house personnel. However, as part of the Priority Movements Airlift cover story, there are a n
umber of ‘white-side’ personnel who support and run real Priority Movements Airlift missions. Rescue of humanitarians from conflict zones, or discreet renditions for secret government agencies, for example. These pilots, mechanics, and logisticians are not aware of the true nature of PRIMAL, nor do they have access to its secure facilities or specialized aircraft. At times they unknowingly support actual ‘black-side’ PRIMAL missions with logistics, transport, or maintenance.
Early PRIMAL Concept
Below at Figure 4 is a diagram I made in 2009 depicting PRIMAL’s structure. It represents a more detailed and realistic organization for PRIMAL, but was too cumbersome for effective storytelling. As mentioned before, a number of characters did not make the cut and the final version of team PRIMAL is about half this original size. An interesting note; some characters are based on friends who have remarkably similar names, jobs, and appearances to the fictional characters.
Fig. 4 - An old concept for PRIMAL from 2009
TARGET DEVELOPMENT
Fig. 5 – PRIMAL global operations
PRIMAL Starter Box Set (PRIMAL Series) Page 40