American Assassin
Chapter 63
by Flynn, VinceThe chapter opens with Mitch Rapp completing a transaction with a young boy before driving to a safe house. Exhausted from lack of sleep, Rapp follows his training by cautiously surveying the area before entering the building. Despite his fatigue, he methodically checks for potential threats, locates the correct apartment, and secures the door. Inside, he finds a suitcase containing weapons identical to those from a previous mission, loads a Beretta, and collapses into bed, wondering about the anonymous supplier of his gear but accepting the secrecy inherent in his line of work.
Meanwhile, Stan Hurley finds himself in a dire situation after being arrested by corrupt police officers. After invoking the name Levon Petrosian to halt his beating, Hurley is hooded and placed in a car, where he defiantly taunts his captors. A physical altercation ensues, leading to him being stripped and thrown into a trunk, where he nearly succumbs to carbon monoxide fumes. Hurley’s resilience and dark humor shine through as he endures the humiliation, clinging to the hope that his colleague Richards might escape.
Hurley is eventually taken to a foul-smelling basement, where the stench of fear and decay from the hood overwhelms him. The environment is clearly designed to break his spirit, but Hurley remains defiant, using sarcasm and aggression to assert control over his deteriorating situation. His internal monologue reveals a grim acceptance of his likely fate, though he still harbors a sliver of hope for survival or a quick death to avoid further torture.
The chapter juxtaposes Rapp’s disciplined exhaustion with Hurley’s brutal captivity, highlighting the contrasting yet equally perilous realities of their work. Rapp’s routine precautions underscore the professionalism of his role, while Hurley’s ordeal emphasizes the physical and psychological toll of their dangerous world. Both men, though in different circumstances, grapple with the ever-present threat of betrayal and violence, reinforcing the novel’s themes of survival and secrecy in the shadowy realm of espionage.
FAQs
1. What precautions does Rapp take when approaching the safe house, and why are these measures important for his survival?
Answer:
Rapp follows strict surveillance protocols when approaching the safe house, including a drive-by without obvious scrutiny, circling the block to check surrounding areas, and entering via the back as instructed. These measures, drilled into him during training, are designed to detect potential surveillance or ambushes. His exhaustion nearly makes him bypass these steps, but he recognizes their life-saving value. The chapter emphasizes how such tradecraft separates professionals from targets—Rapp’s adherence despite fatigue underscores his discipline and the realism of espionage work where complacency can be fatal.2. Analyze the psychological tactics used against Hurley during his interrogation. How do sensory deprivation and humiliation contribute to breaking a prisoner’s resistance?
Answer:
Hurley is subjected to sensory overload (the foul-smelling hood mixing feces, blood, and sweat) and physical degradation (stripping, confinement in a trunk). These tactics, as described in the chapter, aim to induce disorientation and fear—the “ripe sweat of fear” is explicitly noted as a tool to make him “pliable.” By attacking dignity and control, interrogators weaken psychological defenses. Hurley’s dark humor and defiance (“Fuck you”) reveal his awareness of these methods, but the chapter suggests even trained operatives face immense strain under such systemic dehumanization.3. Compare Rapp’s and Hurley’s situations in this chapter. What does their contrasting behavior reveal about their experience levels and roles in the field?
Answer:
Rapp, though exhausted, methodically follows protocols (checking doors, securing weapons) as a relative newcomer relying on training. Hurley, a seasoned operative, displays gritty improvisation—invoking Petrosian’s name to halt his beating, taunting captors to assert control. Rapp’s actions reflect a learner’s caution; Hurley’s show hardened resilience. The chapter highlights operational hierarchies: Rapp depends on prearranged tools (the Beretta suitcase), while Hurley relies on instincts and contacts, illustrating the spectrum of fieldcraft from procedural adherence to adaptive survival.4. How does the chapter portray the theme of trust (or lack thereof) in intelligence work? Support your answer with specific examples.
Answer:
Trust is deliberately limited in this world. Rapp wonders about the anonymous “mystery man” supplying weapons but accepts Hurley’s mantra that operatives are on a “need-to-know basis.” Hurley’s use of Petrosian’s name—a calculated risk—shows trust is transactional. Even allies like the police are corrupt threats. The suitcase’s reappearance (identical to Istanbul’s) hints at a system where trust exists only in protocols, not people. The chapter underscores isolation as a survival tactic: Rapp sleeps with a gun under his pillow, and Hurley’s kidnapping confirms betrayal is ever-present.5. What significance does Hurley’s reference to Levon Petrosian hold, and how does it reflect the power dynamics in their environment?
Answer:
Hurley’s invocation of Petrosian—a name that immediately stops his beating—reveals Petrosian’s feared authority in the criminal/political underworld. This moment exposes the intersection of crime and law enforcement; the “police” are clearly subordinate to Petrosian’s influence. Hurley’s leverage here is purely reputational, not personal, highlighting how power in this setting operates through networks rather than institutions. His subsequent threats (“price on your head”) further illustrate how operatives navigate these shadow hierarchies, where names carry more weight than laws.
Quotes
1. “It had been drilled into him that these were the precautions that would save his life, so he continued past and then circled back, checking the next block in each direction.”
This quote captures Rapp’s disciplined adherence to his training despite exhaustion, showing how operational protocols become second nature to operatives. It reveals the constant vigilance required in field work.
2. “That snapped him out of it a bit. That and the lesson that he might be Ismael someday. He told himself to slow down and stop rushing things.”
A moment of self-awareness where Rapp recognizes his own mortality and the importance of caution. The reference to “being Ismael” suggests he’s contemplating how easily he could become the target instead of the hunter.
3. “The bag they’d placed over his head offered a mix of putrid smells—feces, vomit, snot, and blood all mixed together with the sweat of all the men who had worn it before him.”
This visceral description of Hurley’s captivity establishes the brutal reality of covert operations gone wrong. The sensory details emphasize psychological warfare tactics used against operatives.
4. “Hurley had no idea where he was, other than the fact that he was in a basement. He’d felt the stairs as they’d dragged him from the trunk of a car and into the building.”
Demonstrates the disorientation and vulnerability of captured operatives. The physical details ground the reader in Hurley’s limited perception while building tension.
5. “Hurley could skip all of the degradation and take his secrets with him.”
A powerful moment revealing Hurley’s contemplation of death as preferable to interrogation. This shows the ultimate sacrifice operatives must be prepared to make to protect intelligence.