Raelynn Hillhouse
Outsourced
© 2007
To Cynthia
We are not simply a “private security company.”
We are a turnkey solution provider for 4th generation warfare.
– Blackwater USA, LLC
Triple Canopy provides legal, moral, and ethical Special Operations services.
– Triple Canopy, Inc.
Cast of Characters
Individuals
Abdullah
leader of one of two al Qaeda factions; disputed successor to bin Laden
al-Zahrani
leader of one of two al Qaeda factions; disputed successor to bin Laden
Larry Ashland
an executive in Rubicon who is also a spy
Beach Dog
Both call sign and nickname of the Black Management helicopter pilot, a former Night Stalker; his call sign and nickname are the same
Camille Black
president of Black Management; an alias used by Stella Hawkins
Greg Bolton
an alias of Hunter Stone, created for him by Force Zulu to serve as his cover while he penetrated Rubicon
Bushmen
members of Force Zulu
Joe Chronister
CIA case officer
GENGHIS
Black Management operator, former Delta Force
Stella Hawkins
real name of Camille Black
Manuel “Iggy” Ignatius
Black Management’s Chief Operations Officer
LIGHTNING SIX
Camille Black’s call sign
Jackie Nelson
a geologist, wife of Brian Nelson
Brian Nelson
an executive in Rubicon’s petroleum division
Sue “Pete” Peterson
Black Management deputy project manager for logistics for Baghdad; former personal assistant to Camille Black
Ray
an alias of Hunter Stone
SABER TOOTH
Hunter Stone’s call sign
Virgil Searcy
Black Management’s Deputy Operations Officer
General Grant Smillie
Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence; oversees the SSB, including Force Zulu
Hunter Stone
member of Force Zulu; his call sign is SABER TOOTH; aliases include Greg Bolton, Ray and Sergei
TIN MAN
Iggy Ignatius’ call sign
Zorro
alias of Joe Chronister
Companies and Organizations
AegeanA
British intelligence firm, specializing in signals intelligence (eavesdropping on communications)
Black Management
private military corporation founded by Camille Black
Blackwater USA
private military corporation founded by a former SEAL
CIA
Central Intelligence Agency, slang names include Other Government Agency (OGA), the Agency and Christians in Action
Delta Force
popular name for the Army’s elite counterterrorism unit (SFO-D)
Force Zulu
a deep-cover espionage and covert action unit that combines elements of espionage along with commando tactics; part of the Pentagon’s Strategic Support Branch (SSB); the real-life designation of the unit is highly classified and changes frequently; also referred to as Task Force Zulu
Gray Fox
a military spy organization; precursor to SSB and Force Zulu
Halliburton
multinational energy services and construction company whose subsidiary KBR is a major military contractor that provides the Pentagon with billions of dollars of outsourced services, including private military services
Lyon Group
private intelligence corporation
Rubicon Group
multinational energy services and construction company whose subsidiaries include a major military contractor that provides the Pentagon with billions of dollars of outsourced services, including private military services
Special Activities Division (SAD)
paramilitary unit of the CIA, composed primarily of former Special Forces operators
SSB
Strategic Support Branch, the Pentagon’s new spy organization responsible for black units of Special Forces operators specially trained to collect human intelligence and run covert actions; the agency responsible for Force Zulu
Triple Canopy
private military corporation formed by former Delta Force noncommissioned officers
ZapataEngineering
private military corporation, services include bomb disposal
See glossary of terms.
Prologue
Aurora, Missouri
May 11th
Camille Black stared at the electric meter, pretending to read it, while across the street her aunts, uncles and cousins cried over the flower-draped casket. Her family plot at Maple Park Cemetery was close enough to the edge that she could see the tears flowing down Aunt Ethel’s face-or at least she convinced herself that she was looking at streaks in her aunt’s makeup so that she wasn’t alone in her tears. Camille had made a fortune from the War on Terror, but she was starting to suspect she had sold her soul, damning herself to exile, a spook haunting cemeteries, reading meters and faking deliveries while she stole glances at her loved ones’ coffins. Two years ago it had been her fiancé Hunter’s homecoming from Iraq, a flag-draped casket and a Marine Corps honor guard. Today it was Granny Lusk. She turned Hunter’s engagement ring on her finger, then scribbled a number on her clipboard before moving on to the next house, all the while scanning the area. A UPS truck circled through the neighborhood-for the third time.
Across the street, the UPS truck pulled over and parked at the side of the cemetery. A maple tree with the delicate light green leaves of spring was the only thing that shielded her from the driver’s view as she studied the vehicle. It was definitely the same one that had been in the area for the past fifteen minutes, but something seemed different. For some reason the guy now had the doors closed, although it was a warm spring day. And there was something else that bothered her.
The driver now had dark wiry hair and a deep tan.
A blast of adrenaline jolted her body and her muscles tightened, hardening for battle. She was marked. He was either an old enemy or paparazzi trying to get another shot of the elusive CEO of Black Management, the only female player in the sexy shadows of private military and intelligence corporations. That novelty had already splashed her grainy image across tabloids around the world and she didn’t want to give them any more fodder, particularly at the expense of her family’s privacy.
She carried a USP Tactical pistol under her coveralls, but she knew a frontal assault would be too loud and too public and she also wanted a quiet chat with the driver. She melted to the ground. Like a sniper creeping into position, she inched herself along on her belly until she was behind a weathered barn, out of the driver’s line of sight. She looked around for options. As she accidentally trampled a flat of tomatoes awaiting planting, she could almost hear the words her father had repeated over and over again as he had trained her: Paint the picture you want him to see.
A cottage with an attached carport stood a good forty feet across an overgrown vacant lot from the barn. She peeled off her coveralls and pulled off a baseball cap, freeing the shoulder-length hair of her wig. Then she picked up a plastic flat of wilting tomato plants. As much as she wanted to dash to the carport, she paced herself, plucking dead leaves from the plants as if she gave a damn.