Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 - STARTING NOW
Chapter 2 - PRE-DAWN
Chapter 3 - SCRUTINY
Chapter 4 - OJT
Chapter 5 - ARRANGEMENTS
Chapter 6 - EVALUATION
Chapter 7 - PUBLIC IMAGE
Chapter 8 - CHANGE OF COMMAND
Chapter 9 - DISTANT HOWLS
Chapter 10 - POLITICS
Chapter 11 - MONKEYS
Chapter 12 - PRESENTATION
Chapter 13 - TO THE MANNER BORN
Chapter 14 - BLOOD IN THE WATER
Chapter 15 - DELIVERIES
Chapter 16 - THE IRAQI TRANSFER
Chapter 17 - THE REVIVAL
Chapter 18 - LAST PLANE OUT
Chapter 19 - RECIPES
Chapter 20 - NEW ADMINISTRATIONS
Chapter 21 - RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter 22 - TIME ZONES
Chapter 23 - EXPERIMENTS
Chapter 24 - ON THE FLY
Chapter 25 - BLOOMS
Chapter 26 - WEEDS
Chapter 27 - RESULTS
Chapter 28 - ... BUT A WHIMPER
Chapter 29 - FULL COURT
Chapter 30 - PRESS
Chapter 31 - RIPPLES AND WAVES
Chapter 32 - RERUNS
Chapter 33 - REBOUNDS
Chapter 34 - WWW.TERROR.ORG
Chapter 35 - OPERATIONAL CONCEPT
Chapter 36 - TRAVELERS
Chapter 37 - DISCHARGES
Chapter 38 - GRACE PERIOD
Chapter 39 - FACE TIME
Chapter 40 - OPENINGS
Chapter 41 - HYENAS
Chapter 42 - PREDATOR/PREY
Chapter 43 - RETREAT
Chapter 44 - INCUBATION
Chapter 45 - CONFIRMATION
Chapter 46 - OUTBREAK
Chapter 47 - INDEX CASE
Chapter 48 - HEMORRHAGE
Chapter 49 - REACTION TIME
Chapter 50 - SPECIAL REPORT
Chapter 51 - INVESTIGATIONS
Chapter 52 - SOMETHING OF VALUE
Chapter 53 - SNIE
Chapter 54 - FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
Chapter 55 - COMMENCEMENT
Chapter 56 - DEPLOYMENT
Chapter 57 - NIGHT PASSAGE
Chapter 58 - THE LIGHT OF DAY
Chapter 59 - RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Chapter 60 - BUFORD
Chapter 61 - GRIERSON’S RIDE
Chapter 62 - READY AND FORWARD!
Chapter 63 - THE RYAN DOCTRINE
EPILOGUE:
“Jack’s back. With a vengeance.”
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“A colossal read.”
—Los Angeles Times
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
At the climax of Debt of Honor, a devastating terrorist act leaves the President, the Joint Chiefs, the Supreme Court, and nearly all of Congress dead. Only Jack Ryan, confirmed Vice President mere minutes before, survived to take the reins of a shaken and leaderless country. Now he must rebuild a government, comfort a grieving nation, and become a true leader. Meanwhile, he is surrounded by enemies—both inside the White House and around the world—all of them plotting to destroy an untested President. And bring an already-wounded country to its knees...
“A wild ride.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“An enormous, action-packed, heat-seeking missile of a Tom Clancy novel.”
—The Seattle Times
Novels by Tom Clancy
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
RED STORM RISING
PATRIOT GAMES
THE CARDINAL OF THE KREMLIN
CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS
WITHOUT REMORSE
DEBT OF HONOR
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
RAINBOW SIX
THE BEAR AND THE DRAGON
RED RABBIT
THE TEETH OF THE TIGER
SSN: STRATEGIES OF SUBMARINE WARFARE
Nonfiction
SUBMARINE: A GUIDED TOUR INSIDE A NUCLEAR WARSHIP
ARMORED CAV: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
FIGHTER WING: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN AIR FORCE COMBAT WING
MARINE: A GUIDED TOUR OF A MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT
AIRBORNE: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN AIRBORNE TASK FORCE
CARRIER: A GUIDED TOUR OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER
SPECIAL FORCES: A GUIDED TOUR OF U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES
INTO THE STORM: A STUDY IN COMMAND
(written with General Fred Franks, Jr., Ret., and Tony Koltz)
EVERY MAN A TIGER
(written with General Charles Horner, Ret., and Tony Koltz)
SHADOW WARRIORS: INSIDE THE SPECIAL FORCES
(written with General Carl Stiner, Ret., and Tony Koltz)
BATTLE READY
(written with General Tony Zinni, Ret., and Tony Koltz)
Created by Tom Clancy
TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL
TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL: OPERATION BARRACUDA
Created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: MIRROR IMAGE
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: GAMES OF STATE
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: ACTS OF WAR
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: BALANCE OF POWER
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: STATE OF SIEGE
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: DIVIDE AND CONQUER
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: LINE OF CONTROL
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: MISSION OF HONOR
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: SEA OF FIRE
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: CALL TO TREASON
TOM CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: WAR OF EAGLES
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: HIDDEN AGENDAS
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: NIGHT MOVES
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: BREAKING POINT
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: POINT OF IMPACT
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: CYBERNATION
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: STATE OF WAR
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: CHANGING OF THE GUARD
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: SPRINGBOARD
TOM CLANCY’S NET FORCE: THE ARCHIMEDES EFFECT
Created by Tom Clancy and Martin Greenberg
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: POLITIKA
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: RUTHLESS.COM
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: SHADOW WATCH
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: BIO-STRIKE
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: COLD WAR
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: CUTTING EDGE
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: ZERO HOUR
TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS: WILD CARD
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either
are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and
any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments,
events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with
Jack Ryan Limited Partnership
Copyright © 1996 by Jack Ryan Limited Partnership.
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet
or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal
and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic
editions, and do not participate i
n or encourage electronic piracy of
copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eISBN : 978-1-101-00235-3
BERKLEY®
Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY and the “B” design are trademarks
belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
http://us.penguingroup.com
TO
RONALD WILSON REAGAN,
FORTIETH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:
THE MAN WHO WON THE WAR
In the original hardcover edition of Without Remorse are the words of a poem which I found by accident and whose title and author I was unable to identify. I found in them the perfect remembrance for my “little buddy,” Kyle Haydock, who succumbed to cancer at the age of eight years and twenty-six days—to me he will never really be gone.
Later I learned that the title of this poem is “Ascension,” and that the author who penned these magnificent words is Colleen Hitchcock, a poet of rare talent living in Minnesota. I wish to take this opportunity to commend her work to all students of the lyric phrase. As her words caught and excited my attention, I hope they will have the same effect on others.
The poem reads as follows:
Ascension
And if I go,
while you’re still here...
Know that I live on,
vibrating to a different measure
-behind a thin veil you cannot see through.
so you must have faith.
I wait for the time when we can soar together again,
-both aware of each other.
Until then, live your life to its fullest.
And when you need me,
Just whisper my name in your heart,
...I will be there.
© 1989 Colleen Corah Hitchcock
Spirit Art International, Inc.
P.O. Box 39082
Edina, Minnesota 55439
U.S.A.
I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house
and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but
honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.
JOHN ADAMS, SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
LETTER TO ABIGAIL, NOVEMBER 2, 1800,
ON MOVING INTO THE WHITE HOUSE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Again, I needed a lot of help:
Peggy, for some valued insights;
Mike, Dave, John, Janet, Curt, and Pat
at the Johns Hopkins Hospital;
Fred and his pals at the USSS;
Pat, Darrell, and Bill, all repeat offenders at the FBI;
Fred and Sam, men who’ve honored the uniform with their service;
H. R., Joe, Dan, and Doug, who still do.
America is because of people like this.
PROLOGUE:
STARTING HERE
IT HAD TO BE THE SHOCK of the moment, Ryan thought. He seemed to be two people at the same time. One part of him looked out the window of the lunchroom of CNN’s Washington bureau and saw the fires that grew from the remains of the Capitol building—yellow points springing up from an orange glow like some sort of ghastly floral arrangement, representing over a thousand lives that had been snuffed out not an hour earlier. Numbness suppressed grief for the moment, though he knew that would come, too, as pain always followed a hard blow to the face, but not right away. Once more, Death in all its horrid majesty had reached out for him. He’d seen it come, and stop, and withdraw, and the best thing to be said about it was that his children didn’t know how close their young lives had come to an early conclusion. To them, it had simply been an accident they didn’t understand. They were with their mother now, and they’d feel safe in her company while their father was away somewhere. It was a situation to which both they and he long since had unhappily become accustomed. And so John Patrick Ryan looked at the residue of Death, and one part of him as yet felt nothing.
The other part of him looked at the same sight and knew that he had to do something, and though he struggled to be logical, logic wasn’t winning, because logic didn’t know what to do or where to start.
“Mr. President.” It was the voice of Special Agent Andrea Price.
“Yes?” Ryan said without turning away from the window. Behind him—he could see the reflections in the window glass—six other Secret Service agents stood with weapons out to keep the others away. There had to be a score of CNN employees outside the door, gathered together partly from professional interest—they were newspeople, after all—but mostly from simple human curiosity at being face-to-face with a moment in history. They were wondering what it looked like to be there, and didn’t quite get the fact that such events were the same for everyone. Whether presented with an auto accident or a sudden grave illness, the unprepared human mind just stopped and tried to make sense of the senseless—and the graver the test, the harder the recovery period. But at least people trained in crisis had procedures to fall back upon.
“Sir, we have to get you to—”
“Where? A place of safety? Where’s that?” Jack asked, then quietly reproached himself for the cruelty of the question. At least twenty agents were part of the pyre a mile away, all of them friends of the men and women standing in the lunchroom with their new President. He had no right to transfer his discomfort to them. “My family?” he asked after a moment.
“The Marine Barracks, Eighth and I streets, as you ordered, sir.”
Yes, it was good for them to be able to report that they’d carried out orders, Ryan thought with a slow nod. It was also good for him to know that his orders had been carried out. He had done one thing right, anyway. Was that something to build on?
“Sir, if this was part of an organized—”
“It wasn’t. They never are, Andrea, are they?” President Ryan asked. He was surprised how tired his voice sounded, and reminded himself that shock and stress were more tiring than the most strenuous exercise. He didn’t even seem to have the energy to shake his head and clear it.
“They can be,” Special Agent Price pointed out.
Yes, I suppose she’s right. “So what’s the drill for this?”
“Kneecap,” Price replied, meaning the National Emergency Airborne Command Post, a converted 747 kept at Andrews Air Force Base. Jack thought about the suggestion for a moment, then frowned.
“No, I can’t run away. I think I have to go back there.” President Ryan pointed to the glow. Yes, that is where I belong, isn’t it?
“No, sir, that’s too dangerous.”
“That’s my place, Andrea.”
He’s already thinking like a politician, Price thought, disappointed.
Ryan saw the look on her face and knew he’d have to explain. He’d learned something once, perhaps the only thing that applied at this moment, and the thought had appeared in his mind like a flashing highway sign. “It’s a leadership function. They taught me that at Quantico. The troops have to see you doing the job. They have to know you’re there for them.” And I have to be sure that it’s all real, that I actually am the President.
Was he?
The Secret Service thought so. He’d sworn the oath, spoken the words, invoked the name of God to bless his effort, but it had all been too soon and too fast. Hardly for the first time in his life, John Patrick Ryan closed his eyes and willed himself to awaken from this dream that was just too improbable to be real, and yet when he opened his eyes again the orange glow was still there, and the leaping yellow flames. He knew he’d spoken the words—he’d even given a little speech, hadn’t he? But he could not remember a single word of it now.
Let’s get to work, he’d said a minute earlier. He did remember that. An automatic thing to say. Did it mean anything?
Jack Ryan shook his head—it seemed a major accomplishment to do even that—then turned away from the window to look directly at the agents in the room.
“Okay. What’s left?”
“Secretaries of Commerce and Interior,” Special Agent Price responded, having been updated by her personal radio. “Commerce is in San Francisco. Interior is in New Mexico. They’ve already been summoned; the Air Force will bring them in. We’ve lost all the other Cabinet secretaries: Director Shaw, all nine Supreme Court justices, the Joint Chiefs. We’re not sure how many members of Congress were absent when it happened.”
“Mrs. Durling?”
Price shook her head. “She didn’t get out, sir. The kids are at the White House.”
Jack nodded bleakly at the additional tragedy, compressed his lips, and closed his eyes at the thought of one more thing he had to do personally. For the children of Roger and Anne Durling, it wasn’t a public event. For them it was immediately and tragically simple: Mom and Dad had died, and they were now orphans. Jack had seen them, spoken with them—really nothing more than the smile and the “Hi” that one gave to another man’s kids, but they were real children with faces and names—except their surnames were all that was left, and the faces would be contorted with shock and disbelief. They’d be like Jack, trying to blink away a nightmare that would not depart, but for them it’d be all the harder because of their age and vulnerability. “Do they know?”
“Yes, Mr. President,” Andrea said. “They were watching TV, and the agents had to tell them. They have grand-parents still alive, other family members. We’re bringing them in, too.” She didn’t add that there was a drill for this, that at the Secret Service’s operations center a few blocks west of the White House was a security file cabinet with sealed envelopes in which were contingency plans for all manner of obscene possibilities; this was merely one of them.