Nightwatch

by Richard P. Henrick

On an isolated highway in the Crimea, as the President of the United States races toward a top secret nuclear summit, high-powered weaponry suddenly opens fire on the motorcade, brutally slaying America's Chief Executive and those assigned to protect him. Above a rushing whitewater river in the Missouri Ozarks, a jet-black Huey helicopter appears from nowhere to rain death upon the traveling party of the U.S. Vice President.  Only the quick, decisive actions of Special Agent Vince Kellogg of the Secret Service saves the V.P. from sharing the grim fate of the Commander-in-Chief. Without warning, the greatest nation on Earth been rendered leaderless.  Liberty and democracy have been places under siege by a well-armed and organized foe -- an enemy operating not from outside America's borders, but from within her own sacrosanct halls of power.  And now a small handful of patriots must do whatever it takes to prevent America's legacy of freedom from becoming a thing of the past -- and stem the tide of treason, nuclear terror, and death originating from the remarkable airborne sentinel called...

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[Kayleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the author of Crimson Tide, and it shows. Similar conflicts.
He got the airplane 90% right. He got the crew compliment and dynamic 70% right. As a 5 year vetran of Nightwatch I read it for the airplane. But it was a good story and anyone who enjoyed Crimson Tide would probably enjoy this one. I did get pulled into the tension. Lots of build up with a rather quick and easy climax, or so I thought. The movie rights have already been sold and it could make a really good movie.

[Marv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting plot from a St. Louis writer, including some Missouri locations as scenes. I've actually visited an underground ICBM control room in Missouri, and I remember that years ago I viewed a play on TV about a commander and deputy commander in such a silo trying to decide whether or not to launch. That scene was not specifically in this story, but its naval analog was.