The Devil's Hand
Page 43
To Andrew Arrabito and Kelsie Bieser at Half Face Blades for your friendship and for such a cool limited edition Savage Son Hunter-Skinner blade. Let’s do another soon!
To John Devine of Devine K9 and Sara (@thesupercilliesmom) for all your work training Scout as a service dog for my son. And, thank you for all you do at Rescue 22 for veterans suffering the physical and emotional trauma of the battlefield. To help in their mission to provide fully trained service and support dogs to veterans in need, please visit rescue22foundation.org.
To Jon Sanchez for your time in the SEAL Teams, your example in the private sector at Team Performance Institute, and for putting my post-military life in motion. I’ll never forget it.
To Jon Dubin for answering my questions about the FBI, for inviting me to be a part of Pineapple Brothers Lanai, and for all our past adventures and those still to come! If you are in Lanai, you might catch us poolside drinking lava flows with rum shooters to hydrate after a morning afield. If you see us, stop by to say hello and talk weapons, hunts, drinks, and books.
To Evan Hafer of Black Rifle Coffee Company for bringing together a community of coffee-loving patriots and for being an inspiration not just to veterans but to all citizens as to what is possible.
To Logan Stark of Black Rifle Coffee Company for sharing your knowledge of the new media and for being so supportive in launching the novels.
To Tyr S., U.S. Army Special Forces, “doer of things,” thank you for use of what is one of the most powerful sentences I’ve ever read. It is woven into the pages of this novel. Keep writing, my friend.
To Tom Davin for your friendship and guidance, and for always making time for me. Semper Fi!
To Richard Ryan for a great time on Veterans React.
To Trevor Thompson for your epic photos and insights.
To Jonathan Hart, founder of Sitka Gear, for over thirty years friendship.
To Mike Schoby for your friendship and for such an awesome shoot for the cover of Wheels Afield magazine.
To Dory Schoby for being so awesome and for everything you do at Aimpoint.
To Andrew Kline for your ideas, energy, loyalty, and friendship. We are all better for knowing you.
To Jimmy Klein for all your support for my family. Looking forward to another adventure soon!
To Chris Cox for your advice, counsel, and all the years of friendship. Keep an eye out for the Amazon series… you might recognize a certain name.
To Graham Hill for always being there. Don’t worry, you will be a character in a book soon…
To Nick Seifert at Athlon Outdoors for an incredible cover shoot for Ballistic Magazine.
To Len Waldron for your writing and passion for the outdoors.
To Bill Crider for being an outstanding human being. It’s an honor to know you.
To the crew at Dead Air Silencers for all you do to preserve my hearing.
To Mato for your example as my Command Master Chief at SEAL Team Two and for setting the standard.
To John Dudley at Nock On Archery for all you do for those who pick up a bow.
To all the authors I miss seeing at Thrillerfest and Bouchercon: K. J. Howe, Gregg Hurwitz, Chris Hauty, Lee Child, Brad Taylor, Steve Berry, Christine Carbo, Nick Petrie, Mindy Mejia, William Kent Krueger, A. J. Tata, Marc Cameron, Josh Hood, Simon Gervais, L. A. Chandler, Matt Coyle, Desiree Holt, Matthew Betley, Tom Abrahams, Don Bently, Rob Olive, Kevin Maurer, Sean Parnell, Brian Andrews, and Jeffrey Wilson.
To everyone who supported my dream of becoming an author as I made the transition from military service: Trig and Annette French, Christian Sommer, Jimmy Spithill, Terry Flynn, Scott Grimes, Jason Salata, Garry and Victoria Peters, Shane Reilly, Jim and Nancy Demetriades, Larry and Rhonda Sheakley, Martin and Kelly Katz, Razor and Sylvia Dobbs, Lacey Biles, Michael Davidson, Paul Makarechian, Natalie Alverez, Ben Bosanac, Tuck Beckstoffer, Mike Atkinson, Mike Port, Alec Wolf, Mike Comacho, and Damien and Jen Patton.
To all those who shared my story with their audiences: Adam Janke at the Journal of Mountain Hunting, Tami Louris, Andy Stumpf at Cleared Hot, Chad Prather of The Chad Prather Show, Matt Locke at The Matt Lock Show, Marcus Torgerson at IKMF Krav Maga, Fred Burton, Cole Kramer, Amy Robbins at Alexo Athletica, Mike Ritland at Mike Drop Podcast, Rob Bianchin at Cabot Guns, Kurt Schlichter at Townhall, Ryan Michler at Order of Man, Jocko Willink, Jason Swarr and Ben Tirpak at Skillset Magazine, Mike Glover at Fieldcraft Survival, Herman Achteruis at Achter Knives, Maddie Taylor, Ross Kaminsky at the Ross Kaminsky Show, Brian Call of the Gritty Podcast, Direct Action USA, Dana Loesch of The Dana Show, Tim Brent, Eva Shockey Brent, Christian Schauf of Uncharted Supply Company, Gavy Friedson at Israel Rescue, Rick Stewart at American Zealot Productions, Joe and Charlotte Betar of the Houston Safari Club, Jeff Crane and P. J. Carleton of the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation, Larry Keane at NSSF, John Nores of the Thin Green Line podcast, Mat Best, Jared Taylor, and Mike at Last Line of Defense.
To those who live by the gun: Ken Hackathorn, Jeff Houston at TAC 7, Sean Haberburger at BluCore, Pat McNamara at TMACS, Johnny Primo at Courses of Action, Tim Clement, Keith Walawender at Tomahawk Strategic Solutions, Mickey Schuch at Carry Trainer, Monty LeClair at Centurion Arms, Clay Hergert at ATX Precision, Joe Collins, and Chip Beaman.
I love to see my former Teammates out there crushing it in the private sector: Eric Frohardt, Chris Osman at Rhuged, Jeff Reid at Frozen Trident, Brent Gleeson at Taking Point Leadership, Clint Emerson of 100 Deadly Skills, Eli Crane at Bottle Breacher, Mike Sauers and Samantha Bonilla at Forged, Sean Evangelista at 30 Seconds Out, Jared Wodgen of Triumph Systems, Cory Zillig at ZF Technical, Sergio Lopez, Damian Clapper at Lead Nav Systems, and Eddie Penny at Contingent Group. Keep crushing!
To Tim Fallon, and my former SEAL Teammates Doug Prichard and Dave Knesek at FTW Ranch for your expertise behind the glass.
To the cast and crew of SEAL Team CBS for all the effort you put in to such an outstanding show.
To Dr. Robert Bray at DISC Sports and Spine Center for always being in our corner personally and professionally. Without you and Tracey this military-to-private-sector transition would not be happening. Thank you for everything.
To Garrett Bray, what can I say? Thank you for putting so much time, energy, and effort into building the foundation of all that is to come. I would not be where I am without you.
To Chris Hunt at Black Rifle Coffee for the amazing artwork.
To Lucas O’Hara of Grizzly Forge Knives. Welcome to Utah!
To Eric and Sarah Cylvick for sharing the Salmon River with us and to Cash and Tor for showing us the ropes.
To Mike Stoner for the incredible photos and for getting me back on the dirt bike.
To Eli Katz of Cahill Gorden & Reindell for sharing your knowledge on the legalities of Israel’s targeted assassination program. You will recognize your fingerprints on this novel.
To Billy Birdzell for your time in the USMC and for always being up for an adventure.
To Dr. Harry O’Halloran for your sharp eyes.
Shahram Moosavi of the Phoenix JKD Institute of Mixed Martial Arts for the years of training in MMA before it went by that name. I thought back to our Brazilian jiujitsu rolling sessions many times during Hell Week in BUD/S; if I could make it through your training sessions, I could certainly run around for a week without sleep carrying a boat on my head on the beach in Coronado.
To Erik Snyder for always being so generous with your Defender 100, the vehicle Raife Hastings drives in Savage Son. If you ever want to sell it…
To Hoby Darling for leading and inspiring a top-tier morning workout crew. If you worked out around noon, I’d join you.
To Stacey Wenger for making the most incredible book-inspired cakes. Our Reagan Library signing for Savage Son was sabotaged by COVID-19, but one day we will make it happen!
To Josh Waldron for exemplifying tenacity and determination.
To Mark Bollman of Ball and Buck for starting such a cool company.
/> To Rick and Esther Rosenfield for your love and support.
To Nick and Tina Cousoulis for making us part of your family.
To Jeff Kimbell, at least we didn’t almost get mauled by a bear this year.
To my mentor in the art and science of warfare, James Jarrett. If you have not read his short story “Death in the Ashau,” it is available through Old Mountain Press in De Oppresso Liber: A Poetry & Prose Anthology by Special Forces Soldiers.
To Brock Bosson, Joel Kurtzeberg, Jason Yeoun, Alexander Kim, Shaun Altshuller, George Harris, and the entire team at Cahill Gorden & Reindell for always exceeding expectations on the legal front.
To Norm Brownstein and Steve Demby at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for the solid counsel. It is appreciated more than I can express.
To Mitch Langberg at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for always having my back.
To John Barklow for your time in uniform and for all you do at Sitka Gear for those of us who venture into the mountains. Check out John’s knowledge bombs on Instagram @jbarklow.
To Brendan Carr for helping me get organized in the midst of a pandemic. I can’t wait to see what you do next!
To Michaela Smith and everyone at Dolly’s Bookstore in Park City, Utah. If you are in town be sure and pay them a visit. You might find me browsing the shelves…
To Barbara Peters of Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, Arizona, for your early and continued support. It was an honor to start my first ever book tour at Poisoned Pen.
To Mystery Mike Bursaw for scouring the world for all those hard-to-find signed first editions I’m always searching for.
To Lucky Ones Coffee in Park City, Utah, for keeping me caffeinated as I write the James Reece series. Lucky Ones Coffee is located in the Park City Public Library. Stop on in next time you pass through town. If you see me in a corner with my laptop and a coffee, be sure to say hello.
To all the readers, veterans, hunters, and tactical shooters who took a chance on an unknown author and then told a friend—I appreciate it more than I can possibly express.
Just like in special operations, the world of publishing is not a one-person endeavor. It takes a team, and I am fortunate to be surrounded by a Tier 1 unit.
To my agent, Alexandra Machinist at ICM, for maneuvering through terrain that remains completely foreign to me. Thank you for all you do.
To my agent at ICM in Los Angeles, Josie Freedman, for all your work on the Hollywood front.
To Emily Bestler, for seeing the potential, taking a risk, and mentoring me through the past four years. We sat down for coffee in New York not quite six months after I left the Navy. It’s been a full-on sprint ever since. Thank you for making all of this a reality. I am fired up for what’s ahead! And, thank you to the entire team at Emily Bestler Books for adapting to the changing environment brought on by COVID. There is no other group I’d rather have with me in the publishing trenches.
To Lara Jones for your patience and for keeping everything moving forward.
To my dear friend and publicist David Brown, I wake up each day so thankful that you are at the wheel of the Atria Mystery Bus. Thank you for the enthusiasm you bring to everything you do. It is a true pleasure to brainstorm, innovate, and collaborate together on ways to introduce more readers to James Reece.
My heartfelt thanks to production editor Al Madocs for turning my Word document into the book you are reading now.
To James Iacobelli for knocking it out of the park on another cover. I’m already looking forward to what you are going to do with book five! Title classified.
To Jen Long at Pocket Books for outdoing herself on the paperback edition of Savage Son. What will The Devil’s Hand paperback cover look like? I can’t wait to find out!
To Jon Karp, CEO of Simon & Schuster, for leading us all through an unprecedented time.
To Libby McGuire, publisher of Atria Books, for being such a champion of these books. I simply can’t thank you enough.
To Suzanne Donahue for being such a strong advocate of the novels.
To the amazing Simon & Schuster Audio team, what a blast it has been to get the audio book out there. Thank you to Sarah Lieberman, Gabrielle Audet, Chris Lynch, and Tom Spain for all your efforts!
To Alice Rodgers at Simon & Schuster UK, it has been so cool seeing the James Reece readership grow in the United Kingdom.
Thank you to the marketing team: Liz Perl, Sue Fleming, Sienna Farris, Dana Trocker, and Milena Brown. Without your efforts, no one would know the novels exist.
Thank you to the incredible team in accounts and sales. To Gary Urda, Colin Shields, Chrissy Festa, Paula Amendolara, Janice Fryer, Lesley Collins, Gregory Hruska, and Lexi Dumas for getting the books on shelves.
It is with a heavy heart that I thank Simon & Schuster president and CEO, Carolyn Reidy, for always making time for me on my trips to New York. I’ll forever treasure the memories I have of walking by the photos of authors I’d been reading my entire life on my way to your office for a visit to talk about books, reading, and publishing. Carolyn, thank you for believing in me and for giving me my shot. You are deeply missed. Carolyn Reidy, May 2, 1949–May 12, 2020.
To all the booksellers who have recommended my novels to readers across the country and now internationally, I thank you. I can’t wait for a day when we can all once again link up in person to discuss the art of storytelling.
Looking for more information on my time in the SEAL Teams, the weapons and gear I used then and now, and a behind-the-scenes look at the writing process? Sign up for my newsletter at OfficialJackCarr.com and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @JackCarrUSA.
And finally, to my beautiful wife, Faith, thank you for marrying me. There is no one else I can imagine taking this crazy ride with. Thank you for your love, strength, and understanding. And to our three amazing children, thank you for making me feel like the luckiest dad on earth.
More from this Series
The Terminal List
Book 1
True Believer
Book 2
Savage Son
Book 3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jack Carr is a New York Times bestselling author and former Navy SEAL. He lives with his wife and three children in Park City, Utah. He is the author of The Terminal List, True Believer, and Savage Son. Visit him at OfficialJackCarr.com and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @JackCarrUSA.
SimonandSchuster.com
EMILYBESTLERBOOKS.COM
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Jack-Carr
@EmilyBestler @EmilyBestler
ALSO BY JACK CARR
Savage Son
True Believer
The Terminal List
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GLOSSARY
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment: The Army’s premier helicopter unit that provides aviation support to special forces. Known as the “Night Stalkers,” they are widely regarded as the best helicopter pilots and crews in the world.
.260: .260 Remington; .264"/6.5mm rifle cartridge that is essentially a .308 Winchester necked down to accept a smaller-diameter bullet. The .260 provides superior external ballistics to the .308 with less felt recoil and can often be fired from the same magazines.
.300 Norma: .300 Norma Magnum: a cartridge designed for long-range precision shooting that has been adopted by USSOCOM for sniper use.
.375 CheyTac: Long-range cartridge, adapted from the .408 Chey-Tac, that can fire a 350-grain bullet at 2,970 feet per second. A favorite of extreme lo
ng-range match competitors who use it on targets beyond 3,000 yards.
.375 H&H Magnum: An extremely common and versatile big-game rifle cartridge, found throughout Africa. The cartridge was developed by Holland & Holland in 1912 and traditionally fires a 300-grain bullet.
.404 Jeffery: A rifle cartridge designed for large game animals, developed by W. J. Jeffery & Company in 1905.
.408 CheyTac: Long-range cartridge adapted from the .505 Gibbs, capable of firing a 419-grain bullet at 2,850 feet per second.
.500 Nitro: A .510-caliber cartridge designed for use against heavy dangerous game, often chambered in double rifles. The cartridge fires a 570-grain bullet at 2,150 feet per second.
75th Ranger Regiment: A large-scale Army special operations unit that conducts direct-action missions including raids and airfield seizures. These elite troops often work in conjunction with other special operations units.
AC-130 Spectre: A ground-support aircraft used by the U.S. military, based on the ubiquitous C-130 cargo plane. AC-130s are armed with a 105mm howitzer, 40mm cannons, and 7.62mm miniguns, and are considered the premier close-air-support weapon of the U.S. arsenal.
Accuracy International: A British company producing high-quality precision rifles, often used for military sniper applications.
ACOG: Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight. A magnified optical sight designed for use on rifles and carbines, made by Trijicon. The ACOG is popular among U.S. forces as it provides both magnification and an illuminated reticle that provides aiming points for various target ranges.
AFIS: Automated Fingerprint Identification System; electronic fingerprint database maintained by the FBI.
Aimpoint Micro: Aimpoint Micro T-2. A high-quality unmagnified red-dot combat optic produced in Sweden that can be used on a variety of weapons platforms. This durable sight weighs only three ounces and has a five-year battery life.