Assassin’s Revenge–A David Slaton Novel
Chapter 8: Eight
by Larsen, WardThe chapter opens with Slaton arriving in Vienna after a flight from Gibraltar via Madrid. Braving the cold Austrian winter, he takes a taxi to a restaurant near the Donaustadt district, a destination chosen to mislead rather than dine. Slaton employs careful tradecraft, using a reserve smartphone and providing the driver with a false endpoint to avoid leaving traces. His true destination is Danube Island, a location referenced in a cryptic message, though he worries its ordinary description might make it hard to identify.
As the taxi navigates Vienna’s bustling streets, Slaton observes the city’s vibrant energy and familiar landmarks, including the Vienna International Centre, a hub for U.N. and NGO activity. He recalls a past Mossad operation in the area, contrasting it with his current mission. The driver’s family photo prompts Slaton to reflect on the absence of such personal mementos in his own life, hinting at his isolated existence as an operative. The mundane details of civilian life starkly contrast with his shadowy profession.
After exiting the taxi near the restaurant, Slaton deliberately changes course, heading toward the Danube instead. He avoids the suggested hotel and taxi service, maintaining his cautious approach. Crossing the Reichsbrücke Bridge, he descends to Danube Island, scanning for surveillance but finding none. Despite the risk of walking into a potential trap, he accepts the danger, reasoning that the urgency of the summons leaves him little choice. His movements are deliberate, blending in while remaining alert to threats.
The chapter closes with Slaton walking along the island’s snowy paths, noting its seasonal quiet and the frozen riverbanks. The contrast between the dormant winter landscape and the island’s usual summer vibrancy mirrors his own tension—calm on the surface but poised for action. The chapter underscores Slaton’s professionalism and the perpetual risks of his trade, as he moves toward an uncertain rendezvous with unseen forces.
FAQs
1. What precautions does Slaton take during his taxi ride in Vienna, and why are these measures significant for someone in his position?
Answer:
Slaton employs several tradecraft precautions during his taxi ride: he provides a false destination (Restaurant Thalassa) to mislead potential surveillance, uses a reserve smartphone that may or may not be secure, and avoids using credit cards for payment. These measures are significant because they demonstrate his operational discipline—by creating false leads, he minimizes traces of his actual movements. The chapter emphasizes his awareness of mobile tracking risks (“double-edged sword”) and his deliberate avoidance of patterns (e.g., rejecting the driver’s hotel recommendation later). Such tactics are critical for an operative avoiding detection, as they obscure his true intentions and locations from adversaries or surveillance systems.
2. Analyze how Slaton’s observation of the taxi driver’s family photo contrasts with his own life as an operative. What deeper theme does this reveal?
Answer:
The photo of the driver’s family symbolizes ordinary, anchored relationships—something Slaton lacks due to his clandestine life. His rhetorical question, “What kind of man doesn’t have a picture of his family somewhere?” underscores his isolation and the sacrifices inherent in his work. The contrast highlights themes of identity and belonging: while the driver’s life is rooted in visible connections, Slaton’s existence is transient and detached. This moment also reflects his self-awareness about the dehumanizing aspects of his profession, where maintaining personal attachments (or even carrying mementos) could compromise safety or operational security.
3. How does the author use Vienna’s setting to create atmosphere and reinforce Slaton’s mindset? Provide specific examples.
Answer:
Vienna’s winter setting—freezing temperatures, slush-lined streets, and a “biting wind”—mirrors Slaton’s guarded, calculated demeanor. The city’s duality (e.g., bustling sidewalks vs. the Danube’s “ebony water”) parallels his operational duality: he moves amid crowds yet remains isolated. Landmarks like the U.N. offices and Danube Island evoke his past missions, layering tension. For instance, the description of Danube Island as “stilled now, dusted in snow” mirrors Slaton’s pause before his rendezvous, where outward calm belies underlying risk. The setting thus externalizes his professional vigilance and the cold precision of his actions.
4. Evaluate Slaton’s approach to surveillance detection during his walk to Danube Island. What limitations does he acknowledge?
Answer:
Slaton’s surveillance detection is deliberately “rudimentary” and “overt”: he changes direction after his taxi departs, avoids obvious routes (e.g., the recommended hotel), and scans for tails while crossing the Reichsbrücke Bridge. However, he acknowledges limitations—the park’s expansiveness and lingering crowds make absolute certainty impossible. This pragmatic acceptance reflects his experience: while he minimizes risks (e.g., choosing public, well-trafficked areas), he recognizes that compressed timelines and unknown adversaries necessitate accepting some vulnerability. His internal monologue (“It was simply a risk he had to accept”) underscores the calculated balance between caution and mission urgency.
5. Why does Slaton reflect on his failed Mossad operation targeting the Libyan militia leader? How does this memory connect to his current situation?
Answer:
The memory of the aborted operation—where months of planning were undone by the target’s internal betrayal—serves as a reminder of unpredictability in covert work. This connects to his current mission’s uncertainty: summoned by “persons unknown,” he faces similar ambiguity about trust and outcomes. The recollection also reinforces his adaptability; past failures (like the Libyan’s death rendering the operation moot) inform his present wariness of traps. By juxtaposing this memory with his approach to Danube Island, the chapter emphasizes Slaton’s hardened professionalism—he anticipates variables beyond his control but proceeds with disciplined focus.
Quotes
1. “It was his standard practice to give cab drivers a prominent destination. It led to fewer questions, less chance of getting lost, and if the driver were questioned about it later, he would remember the endpoint—providing nothing but a false lead.”
This quote reveals Slaton’s meticulous tradecraft as an operative, showcasing his deliberate strategies to misdirect and maintain anonymity. It underscores the calculated nature of his movements and the importance of leaving minimal traces.
2. “What kind of man doesn’t have a picture of his family somewhere? Of course he knew the answer.”
This introspective moment highlights Slaton’s isolation and the sacrifices of his profession. The rhetorical question underscores the contrast between his clandestine life and the ordinary lives around him, emphasizing his lack of personal attachments.
3. “Move like what you are … an assassin plotting a kill.”
This directive captures Slaton’s mindset as he navigates a potentially dangerous situation. It reflects his acceptance of his role and the calculated precision required in his line of work, blending stealth with purpose.
4. “The chance of such a trap was small, he decided, and anyway, there was nothing to be done about it. It was simply a risk he had to accept.”
This quote exemplifies Slaton’s pragmatic approach to danger, emphasizing his willingness to confront uncertainty head-on. It reveals his disciplined acceptance of risk as an inherent part of his mission.
5. “All of it was stilled now, dusted in snow. Waiting for the season of life.”
This poetic observation contrasts the dormant winter setting with Slaton’s own tense mission. The imagery of waiting mirrors his current state of anticipation, while also hinting at broader themes of cyclical renewal and hidden potential.