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The Measure of a Man
Neal Archer is a former Marine intelligence operator in the Persian Gulf. He's now working for D.I.R.E., a top-secret intelligence think-tank run by his old operational control officer, retired Marine Colonel Kingston Roberts.
But this think-tank does more than analyze data. They secretly conduct covert operations for friendly countries that cannot be associated with such activities, providing those countries, with plausible deniability.
Archer and Colonel Roberts are searching the globe for Tomas T.R. Rocha, a former U.S. operator, now an international criminal wanted for supplying weapons and explosives to terrorist cells worldwide, including Al Qaida and the Taliban.
Each timeArcher and Rocha cross paths, they leave death and destruction in their wake.
Rocha is finally tracked to the Port of Sacramento in California, where his cargo ship, The Star of Gibraltar, is filled with another shipment of advanced armaments and weapons-grade plutonium for the terrorists.
As Archer and his team close in on Rocha, they stumble across an opportunity to catch not only Rocha, but the high-ranking extremists buying his wares.
After a running gun battlein and around the port, Archer becomes trapped by the terrorists, out of ammunition and cut off from the rest of the team.
Seeing his old friend in trouble, Rocha gathers all of the ranking extremists in the hold of the ship and detonates the cache of explosives hidden throughout the vessel, killing himself and the leaders of Al Qaida. The resulting explosion destroys most of the Port of Sacramento.
Archer and Colonel Roberts have a change of heart about their old nemesis; from an internationally wanted supporter of world terror to a rediscovered patriot who, in the end, gave his own life to save his friends and his country.
But this think-tank does more than analyze data. They secretly conduct covert operations for friendly countries that cannot be associated with such activities, providing those countries, with plausible deniability.
Archer and Colonel Roberts are searching the globe for Tomas T.R. Rocha, a former U.S. operator, now an international criminal wanted for supplying weapons and explosives to terrorist cells worldwide, including Al Qaida and the Taliban.
Each timeArcher and Rocha cross paths, they leave death and destruction in their wake.
Rocha is finally tracked to the Port of Sacramento in California, where his cargo ship, The Star of Gibraltar, is filled with another shipment of advanced armaments and weapons-grade plutonium for the terrorists.
As Archer and his team close in on Rocha, they stumble across an opportunity to catch not only Rocha, but the high-ranking extremists buying his wares.
After a running gun battlein and around the port, Archer becomes trapped by the terrorists, out of ammunition and cut off from the rest of the team.
Seeing his old friend in trouble, Rocha gathers all of the ranking extremists in the hold of the ship and detonates the cache of explosives hidden throughout the vessel, killing himself and the leaders of Al Qaida. The resulting explosion destroys most of the Port of Sacramento.
Archer and Colonel Roberts have a change of heart about their old nemesis; from an internationally wanted supporter of world terror to a rediscovered patriot who, in the end, gave his own life to save his friends and his country.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
12 people want to read
About the author
F.D. Crandall
1 book6 followersI was born and raised in Miami, Florida. During Vietnam, I joined the Marine Corps the day I turned seventeen. I was honorably discharged in 1975, and then served several more years in both the Army and Air National Guard’s.
After a career in law enforcement covering twenty-plus years, I turned to writing as a therapeutic alternative to offset the high blood pressure, bad heart, and hypertension I was left with.
After several short stories and some technical report writing that wasn’t satisfying my needs, I dove into fiction. That did the trick and “The Measure of a Man” was the result.
After a career in law enforcement covering twenty-plus years, I turned to writing as a therapeutic alternative to offset the high blood pressure, bad heart, and hypertension I was left with.
After several short stories and some technical report writing that wasn’t satisfying my needs, I dove into fiction. That did the trick and “The Measure of a Man” was the result.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 23, 2009
In the book Measure of a Man, Ex-marine Neal Archer leads an exciting life flitting from one near disaster to another working with a secret agency to save the world from terrorists. Working with Levi Lighthorse and others, his special opps team barely recovers from one mission in time to be called after another where they must take out their one time friend and teammate.
The first-hand knowledge that the author has of military operations is readily obvious throughout the story. The plot moves from one action shot to another and even includes a little romance to keep things interesting.
It was not a quick read for me as much of the story was written in passive tense, and I was wishing for less of the Lone Ranger/Tonto white guy vs chip-on-his-shoulder-indian dynamic.
But that said however, Crandall keeps you guessing throughout- often choosing something origional (non-steriotypical) for the characters to deal with. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot twists at the end and satified with the book as a whole.
The first-hand knowledge that the author has of military operations is readily obvious throughout the story. The plot moves from one action shot to another and even includes a little romance to keep things interesting.
It was not a quick read for me as much of the story was written in passive tense, and I was wishing for less of the Lone Ranger/Tonto white guy vs chip-on-his-shoulder-indian dynamic.
But that said however, Crandall keeps you guessing throughout- often choosing something origional (non-steriotypical) for the characters to deal with. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot twists at the end and satified with the book as a whole.
Displaying 1 of 1 review