Andrew Warren > Quotes

“And when darkness had left its mark on you, moments of brightness could be brief and short-lived.”
― Andrew Warren, Tokyo Black

“He stopped a couple meters from the group and looked up at the smoking building. He uttered an exasperated sigh.
“An American assassin. A Chinese double agent. And a Triad gangster. Mr. Tyler, you still seem to have difficulty with the concept of ‘staying out of trouble.”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“She shifted her body in the cab of the tower crane. Then she adjusted the focus ring of the scope mounted above the AS VAL silenced assault rifle. The image became sharp and clear”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“Really? I love this place. We draw more power in this room than the average small town in Maryland. The spinning servers down there actually generate enough friction to reduce our heating bill by forty percent in the winter.” He spread his arms and smiled. “See? Even the NSA is going green!”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“Caine's pistol barked twice. A cloud of red mist burst from the man's face.”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“They leapt over the desk, sliding under the half-open gate as the other men opened fire. A hail of bullets screamed above them, punching holes in the wall behind the desk. Caine heard a man shout in Chinese.
“Buyao sha tamen. Do not kill them! I want Sean Tyler alive!”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“Do not fear death, Caine-san. In pain, you will be purified.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Caine spat back.”
― Andrew Warren, Tokyo Black

“You coordinate intel from the alphabet soup that serves our great nation’s intelligence community. Oxymoron if ever I heard one. Now, I know I’m an ignorant yokel compared to a fancy DC suit like yourself. But that is your job description, yes?”
“Yes, but—”
“So there’s a question on my mind, John. How the hell did you coordinate this into such a colossal goddamn shit-show on wheels?”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“He only knew that for now, he was compelled. He had to keep moving. Keep hunting.
You’re operational, he thought. No more questions. No fears. No doubts.
You just have to let go”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“As he drove away, he recalled Jack’s last words to him. The dark, dusty well was just a hazy memory now, but he could remember Jack’s question as clear as day.
Why do you do it, Tom?”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“The man’s right hand drifted towards the waistband of his jeans. It was a slow, casual movement, but to Caine it was as obvious as a neon sign. The Chinese man shook his head
“Meiyou yingwen. No English.”
“Bullshit,” Caine snarled. “Catch!”
Caine yanked his hand from his pocket as the Chinese man's pistol cleared his waistband. Before the man could aim his gun, Caine flung the handful of coins towards him. The man instinctively raised his free hand to block his face. The barrage of shiny metal coins pelted his open palm. They were a distraction, nothing more.
That brief window of time was all Caine needed”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“But you, my friend, I am pleased to say you look quite lively for a corpse. My man did some digging to verify your identity. According to reports issued by your agency, you are a shabg … a ghost. They say you went rogue in Afghanistan.”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“The men in the forward car opened fire. Caine felt the impact of the bullets as they thudded into his hostage’s body. The man ceased his struggling. His hands dropped to his side, and the gun tumbled from his grip”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“You know what I’ve seen, what I’ve done. I’ve killed men. In war. In peace. Sometimes far away, sometimes up close and personal. I’ve felt hot blood on my hands, John. Do you know what that feels like? To feel a living thing lose that spark, go pale as the blood drains from its body? And then to look into their eyes and watch as that spark goes out for good? Permanent, John. There’s a peace in that, knowing it’s permanent. Their death is forever. And you’re still alive. Have you ever felt that?”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“As he flew forward, Caine grabbed the man’s necktie and spun him around. He used the strip of fabric to pull his target in close. He stabbed down with the paring knife, jabbing the blade into his target’s trachea.”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“The tunnel was massive. Its grey concrete walls were illuminated by orange
bursts of light that flashed overhead. The roar of the GTR and the high-pitched
whine of the turbo-charged Acura merged in an unholy mechanical scream. As they
shot past the traffic at the entrance, the cars behind them slowed to a crawl. For a
brief second, they were alone in the tunnel, like two shiny bullets racing down the
barrel of a gun.
Here on the smooth straightaway of the tunnel, Caine’s powerful GTR had the
advantage. He closed the gap, pulling up next to the Acura. He saw the driver
glance over at him, his brow furrowed in determination. Caine turned his eyes back
to the road. A sea of blinking red tail lights filled his view: they had caught up with
the tunnel traffic.”
― Andrew Warren, Tokyo Black

“Ah. Well, I’m not sure we should be discussing such things. Let’s just say it’s a joint effort. I’m sure it has to do with oil, and money. And, of course, cooperation with your government’s counter-terrorism efforts. It benefits both our countries to work together on these things. Either way, I promise you, in a few years, no one will even remember. Everything will have changed. Everything but the fighting.”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“I told him about the attack, at the farmhouse. He thinks he’s protecting me.”
Josh looked her in the eye. “Is there something I should know? What’s the story with you two anyway?”
Rebecca rolled over to the SUV and waited as the lift for her chair lowered itself to the ground.
“There is no story. Not anymore.”
Josh stared at her for a moment, then walked over to the driver’s side. “Whatever you say, Boss,” he muttered to himself.
He got into the SUV and slammed the door shut. They drove off the base in silence”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“You don’t look a man in the eye when you kill him. Not unless you have to, anyway. You stab him in the back. Or you shoot him from a hundred yards away. Hell, you bomb his house from another country if you can. You do whatever you have to, to get the job done. We didn’t train you to fight fair. We trained you to win.”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“Before he could stand, he heard a familiar metallic click ring out. It was the slide on his pistol, racking back. A bright red dot pierced through the darkness and crawled up Ted’s shirt. It flared across his eyes, then landed at his forehead.
His Smith and Wesson pistol was equipped with an integrated laser sight.”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“He looked back at the stairs. The man he had stabbed wasn’t moving. His dark skin had taken on the gray pallor of death, and his clothes were soaked in a growing pool of blood.
Using the pen’s glass breaker, Caine reached up and shattered the light bulb. The alcove was cloaked in darkness. Then he grabbed the man in the blue suit and dragged him partway up the stairs. If anyone cut through the alley, the shadows would hide the two bodies from view.
Two down, two to go …”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“This job. There’s only a few reasons guys like us do what we do. You do it for money. You do it for your country. Or you do it for someone else. You look at the world, and you see bad things in it. And you just want to make it better for that person. Because that person is important than everything else.”
“Jack, I—”
“If you’re not doing it for one of those reasons, Tom … you’re fucked. You hear me?”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“Keeping secrets isn’t exactly new for you, Tom,” she finally said. “With everything that happened, what we do … Trust is hard for you, I get it. But sooner or later, you have to make a decision.”
“I know.”
“We’re either in this together, or we’re alone. You can’t have it both ways.”
There was a click, and she was gone.”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“The look I told you I saw in your eyes. Years ago, when you were recruited for the Special Activities Division. I told you your talents would go to waste running agents, analyzing signals, working behind a desk. You’re a natural born predator, son. A killer. Just like me.”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“Now, my old friend …” he croaked. He held up his other hand. Blood dripped from his fingers. He painted the crimson liquid over the scars that ran across his chest.
“Now, nothing can stop me.”
He raised the machete over his head and uttered a blood-curdling scream. Then he lunged towards Caine”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget

“Underneath all this beauty and nature, there’s death and decay,” Bernatto said.
“Behind peace, there is war, and blood, and sacrifice. Always.”
― Andrew Warren, Tokyo Black

“Zhengzhou East Station was one of the largest high-speed rail stations in the world. Its boarding platform was a vast, cavernous chamber of gleaming silver and white. A delicate latticework of metal beams crisscrossed high overhead beneath the high-domed ceiling. Caine knew those metal beams were studded with dozens of security cameras. As he meandered through the newsstands and food carts, he made sure to keep his face pointed down, out of view of the probing lenses above”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“with an air of bemusement. “All”
― Andrew Warren, Tokyo Black / Red Phoenix / Fire and Forget

“I’ve crossed paths with plenty of men like you,” Caine said. “Most of them are in the ground now. And I’m sure I’ll bury plenty more. But that’s not why I’m calling. I have something you want. I have the key to TANGENT.”
Fang sucked in his breath. “You are but one man, Mr. Caine. I am Lu Long. We are the Triad behind all Triads. As soon as one of my men finds you, what is yours will be mine.”
“Some of your men found me a few hours ago. You can scrape what’s left of them off the pavement.”
― Andrew Warren, Red Phoenix

“CRACK!
The retort was deafening, and unmistakable.
Gunfire.”
― Andrew Warren, Fire and Forget