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    Assassin’s Revenge–A David Slaton Novel

    by Larsen, Ward
    “Assassin’s Revenge—A David Slaton Novel” by Ward Larsen follows former assassin David Slaton as he is drawn back into a world of danger when a shadowy adversary targets his family. Forced to confront his past, Slaton employs his lethal skills to unravel a conspiracy that spans international borders. The novel explores themes of vengeance, loyalty, and the moral complexities of retribution, blending high-stakes action with intricate plotting. Larsen’s taut prose and relentless pacing make this a standout thriller, appealing to fans of espionage and suspense. The book underscores the enduring consequences of violence and the personal cost of redemption.
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    Assassin’s Revenge–A David Slaton Novel

    Chapter 64: Sixty-Four

    by Larsen, Ward

    The chap­ter opens with CIA oper­a­tives Sla­ton and Sorensen nav­i­gat­ing logis­ti­cal hur­dles dur­ing their mis­sion. Denied a direct route through Russ­ian air­space, they are forced to take a longer path. While aboard a well-equipped gov­ern­ment jet, Sorensen reveals their des­ti­na­tion: Mid­way Island. Mil­i­tary radar has detect­ed an air­craft match­ing their target’s profile—a slow, low-fly­ing plane nav­i­gat­ing through storms. Sla­ton ques­tions the choice, but Sorensen explains Mid­way is the only viable refu­el­ing point in the Lee­ward Hawai­ian Islands, giv­en the aircraft’s lim­it­ed range.

    Slaton’s focus shifts between the mis­sion and his per­son­al urgency to find his miss­ing fam­i­ly. Sorensen hes­i­tant­ly shares new intel­li­gence: the plane car­ry­ing his wife, Chris­tine, and son, Davy, may have land­ed in a known loca­tion. The rev­e­la­tion adds ten­sion, as Slaton’s dual priorities—stopping the Kore­an oper­a­tion and res­cu­ing his family—clash. The chap­ter under­scores the high-stakes race against time, with Slaton’s per­son­al stakes height­en­ing the urgency of their mis­sion.

    Mean­while, Chris­tine and Davy arrive at a mys­te­ri­ous com­pound after a gru­el­ing jour­ney. The set­ting is omi­nous, with the fortress-like struc­ture con­trast­ing sharply against the Alpine-style upper lev­els. Chris­tine, exhaust­ed and dis­ori­ent­ed, clings to hope for Davy’s sake. The boy, curi­ous and resilient, asks inno­cent ques­tions about their sur­round­ings, unaware of the dan­ger. Christine’s inter­nal strug­gle is pal­pa­ble as she bal­ances fear for their safe­ty with the need to shield Davy from the truth.

    The chapter’s ten­sion peaks when the silent cap­tor final­ly speaks, reveal­ing their loca­tion: North Korea. The four words—“Welcome to North Korea”—land with chill­ing final­i­ty, con­firm­ing Christine’s worst fears. The rev­e­la­tion leaves her grap­pling with the dire real­i­ty of their cap­tiv­i­ty, while Slaton’s par­al­lel mis­sion races toward an uncer­tain con­fronta­tion. The chap­ter mas­ter­ful­ly inter­twines the two nar­ra­tives, build­ing sus­pense and emo­tion­al weight as both threads hur­tle toward an inevitable col­li­sion.

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    FAQs

    • 1. What operational challenges did Slaton and Sorensen face regarding their flight route, and why?

      Answer:
      Slaton and Sorensen were denied a direct great circle route over Russian airspace due to the high-risk nature of their mission as CIA operatives. As the assistant deputy director of the CIA’s Special Activities Division (SAD), Sorensen deemed such a route a “complete nonstarter” to avoid geopolitical complications or detection. This forced them to take a longer, less efficient path, delaying their arrival at their destination—Midway Island—by hours. The decision underscores the cautious approach required in covert operations, especially when navigating hostile or monitored territories.

      2. How did Sorensen deduce the destination of the missing aircraft, and what evidence supported her conclusion?

      Answer:
      Sorensen analyzed military radar data showing a low, slow-moving aircraft navigating thunderstorms north of the Marshall Islands—an unusual profile for commercial or civilian flights. By projecting its course and considering fuel range limitations, she concluded the aircraft was heading toward the Leeward Hawaiian Islands, as it couldn’t reach the main Hawaiian archipelago. Midway Island was selected as their interception point because it was the westernmost airfield with refueling capabilities. This reasoning combined situational awareness (limited air traffic in the region) and logistical constraints (the aircraft’s range).

      3. What contrasting architectural features did Christine observe in the North Korean compound, and what might they symbolize?

      Answer:
      Christine noted the compound’s fortress-like foundation, which seemed to emerge aggressively from the rocky terrain, while the upper levels had an incongruously Alpine design. This juxtaposition could symbolize the regime’s dual nature: a militarized, oppressive foundation (reflecting North Korea’s authoritarian control) beneath a facade of benign or even picturesque appearances (a veneer of normalcy or hospitality). The “tectonic” imagery further suggests instability or forced construction, mirroring the country’s fraught political landscape.

      4. Analyze Christine’s psychological state during her arrival in North Korea. What factors contributed to it, and how did she cope?

      Answer:
      Christine experienced severe disorientation and despair due to prolonged travel, circadian disruption, and the trauma of abduction. Her bleakness stemmed from helplessness and isolation, compounded by her captor’s silence and the ominous setting. However, her focus on Davy—who remained curious and resilient—anchored her. By reassuring him (e.g., dismissing his fear of bears), she maintained a semblance of control. Her dark humor about gangrene (a callback to her past with Slaton) also reveals a coping mechanism: using irony to deflect terror in an otherwise dire situation.

      5. Why were the words “Welcome to North Korea” so unsettling to Christine, and how does this moment heighten the chapter’s tension?

      Answer:
      The phrase confirmed Christine’s worst fears: she and Davy were now prisoners in one of the world’s most isolated and repressive regimes. The captor’s earlier silence made the sudden declaration more jarring, emphasizing the irreversible shift in their circumstances. This moment escalates tension by stripping away ambiguity—the stakes are now existential. For readers, it underscores the family’s vulnerability and foreshadows the challenges Slaton will face in rescuing them, tying the dual narratives (his pursuit and their captivity) together.

    Quotes

    • 1. “For an assistant deputy director of the CIA, SAD no less, the idea of transiting Russian airspace in the course of an operation was a complete nonstarter.”

      This opening line establishes the high-stakes geopolitical tensions and operational constraints faced by intelligence operatives, setting the tone for the chapter’s clandestine mission.

      2. “The only other option is ditching in mid-ocean. But that still leaves a lot of ground to cover. The Leeward Hawaiian Islands extend for almost a thousand miles.”

      Sorensen’s analysis of their aerial pursuit highlights the daunting logistical challenges of tracking their target across vast Pacific territories, emphasizing the needle-in-a-haystack nature of their mission.

      3. “The night was clear, the moon bright, and in its glow she could see the compound clearly. It was relatively small, built into the side of a forested hill. On first impression it looked more like a fortress than a home…”

      This vivid description of Christine’s arrival at the mysterious compound creates a powerful juxtaposition of natural beauty and ominous architecture, foreshadowing the imprisonment to come.

      4. “Where was gangrene when you needed it?”

      Christine’s darkly humorous internal monologue about her captor’s injury reveals her resilient spirit and suppressed rage, showing how she maintains psychological resistance even in captivity.

      5. “‘Welcome to North Korea.’”

      These four closing words deliver the chapter’s shocking revelation with devastating simplicity, confirming Christine and Davy’s abduction to one of the world’s most isolated and dangerous regimes.

    Quotes

    1. “For an assistant deputy director of the CIA, SAD no less, the idea of transiting Russian airspace in the course of an operation was a complete nonstarter.”

    This opening line establishes the high-stakes geopolitical tensions and operational constraints faced by intelligence operatives, setting the tone for the chapter’s clandestine mission.

    2. “The only other option is ditching in mid-ocean. But that still leaves a lot of ground to cover. The Leeward Hawaiian Islands extend for almost a thousand miles.”

    Sorensen’s analysis of their aerial pursuit highlights the daunting logistical challenges of tracking their target across vast Pacific territories, emphasizing the needle-in-a-haystack nature of their mission.

    3. “The night was clear, the moon bright, and in its glow she could see the compound clearly. It was relatively small, built into the side of a forested hill. On first impression it looked more like a fortress than a home…”

    This vivid description of Christine’s arrival at the mysterious compound creates a powerful juxtaposition of natural beauty and ominous architecture, foreshadowing the imprisonment to come.

    4. “Where was gangrene when you needed it?”

    Christine’s darkly humorous internal monologue about her captor’s injury reveals her resilient spirit and suppressed rage, showing how she maintains psychological resistance even in captivity.

    5. “‘Welcome to North Korea.’”

    These four closing words deliver the chapter’s shocking revelation with devastating simplicity, confirming Christine and Davy’s abduction to one of the world’s most isolated and dangerous regimes.

    FAQs

    1. What operational challenges did Slaton and Sorensen face regarding their flight route, and why?

    Answer:
    Slaton and Sorensen were denied a direct great circle route over Russian airspace due to the high-risk nature of their mission as CIA operatives. As the assistant deputy director of the CIA’s Special Activities Division (SAD), Sorensen deemed such a route a “complete nonstarter” to avoid geopolitical complications or detection. This forced them to take a longer, less efficient path, delaying their arrival at their destination—Midway Island—by hours. The decision underscores the cautious approach required in covert operations, especially when navigating hostile or monitored territories.

    2. How did Sorensen deduce the destination of the missing aircraft, and what evidence supported her conclusion?

    Answer:
    Sorensen analyzed military radar data showing a low, slow-moving aircraft navigating thunderstorms north of the Marshall Islands—an unusual profile for commercial or civilian flights. By projecting its course and considering fuel range limitations, she concluded the aircraft was heading toward the Leeward Hawaiian Islands, as it couldn’t reach the main Hawaiian archipelago. Midway Island was selected as their interception point because it was the westernmost airfield with refueling capabilities. This reasoning combined situational awareness (limited air traffic in the region) and logistical constraints (the aircraft’s range).

    3. What contrasting architectural features did Christine observe in the North Korean compound, and what might they symbolize?

    Answer:
    Christine noted the compound’s fortress-like foundation, which seemed to emerge aggressively from the rocky terrain, while the upper levels had an incongruously Alpine design. This juxtaposition could symbolize the regime’s dual nature: a militarized, oppressive foundation (reflecting North Korea’s authoritarian control) beneath a facade of benign or even picturesque appearances (a veneer of normalcy or hospitality). The “tectonic” imagery further suggests instability or forced construction, mirroring the country’s fraught political landscape.

    4. Analyze Christine’s psychological state during her arrival in North Korea. What factors contributed to it, and how did she cope?

    Answer:
    Christine experienced severe disorientation and despair due to prolonged travel, circadian disruption, and the trauma of abduction. Her bleakness stemmed from helplessness and isolation, compounded by her captor’s silence and the ominous setting. However, her focus on Davy—who remained curious and resilient—anchored her. By reassuring him (e.g., dismissing his fear of bears), she maintained a semblance of control. Her dark humor about gangrene (a callback to her past with Slaton) also reveals a coping mechanism: using irony to deflect terror in an otherwise dire situation.

    5. Why were the words “Welcome to North Korea” so unsettling to Christine, and how does this moment heighten the chapter’s tension?

    Answer:
    The phrase confirmed Christine’s worst fears: she and Davy were now prisoners in one of the world’s most isolated and repressive regimes. The captor’s earlier silence made the sudden declaration more jarring, emphasizing the irreversible shift in their circumstances. This moment escalates tension by stripping away ambiguity—the stakes are now existential. For readers, it underscores the family’s vulnerability and foreshadows the challenges Slaton will face in rescuing them, tying the dual narratives (his pursuit and their captivity) together.

    Note