Conflict Zone

Conflict Zone
Don Pendleton

Nigeria is rich in oil, drugs and blood rivals–on both the domestic and international fronts. Mack Bolan's ticket into the chaos is a rescue operation involving the kidnapped daughter of an American petroleum executive.Her safe but violent return brings the warrior to phase two of his scorched-earth campaign against the escalating guerrilla violence in this country's delta state. Knowing that confused enemies mount ineffective defenses, Bolan launches multiple precision strikes, luring into the open hostile tribal factions vying for control of the oil fields. At the same time Chinese and Russian agents are cutting themselves in on the region's untapped fortune in oil. It's the kind of blood-and-thunder mission that Bolan fights best, the kind of war that keeps him in his element long enough to defeat the enemy and–with luck–get out alive.

“Change of plans,” Bolan snapped. “Follow me.”

The Executioner turned and raced with the hostage toward a line of vehicles. A shot rang out behind them, followed instantly by a dozen volleys.

Turning, Bolan raked the compound with a long burst from his Steyr AUG. Mandy fumbled with her pistol, getting off several shots, yelping as a round stung her palm.

Reaching the motor pool, Bolan chose a jeep at random, slid behind the wheel and gunned its engine into snarling life as Mandy scrambled into the shotgun seat.

“Hang on!” he said, flooring the gas pedal, barreling through the middle of the camp to reach the access road—and freedom.

Conflict Zone

Mack Bolan

Don Pendleton

www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)

Pure good soon grows insipid, wants variety and spirit. Pain is a bitter-sweet, which never surfeits. Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal.

—William Hazlitt

“On the Pleasure of Hating” in

The Plain Speaker (1826)

I can’t stop hate. No one in history has come close, so far. But I can interrupt atrocities, beginning now.

—Mack Bolan

“The Executioner”

For Corporal Jason Dunham, USMC

April 14, 2004

God Keep

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

PROLOGUE

Esosa Village, Delta State, Nigeria

David Uzochi had been fortunate. He’d left home an hour before dawn to hunt, and he had been rewarded with a herd of topi when his ancient Timex wristwatch told him it was 8:13 a.m.

With game in sight, it came down to his skill with the equally ancient .303-caliber Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifle he carried, its nine-pound weight as familiar to Uzochi as the curve of his wife’s hip or breast.