Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
ONE - Thursday, 9:47 A.M., Garbsen, Germany
TWO - Thursday, 9:50 A.M., Hamburg, Germany
THREE - Thursday, 9:59 A.M., Garbsen, Germany
FOUR - Thursday, 3:04 A.M., Washington, D.C.
FIVE - Thursday, 10:04 A.M., Garbsen, Germany
SIX - Thursday, 10:07 A.M., Garbsen, Germany
SEVEN - Thursday, 10 :12 A.M., Hamburg, Germany
EIGHT - Thursday, 11:05 A.M., Hamburg, Germany
NINE - Thursday, 11:42 A.M., Wunstorf, Germany
TEN - Thursday, 5:47 A.M., Washington, D.C.
ELEVEN - Thursday, 11:52 A.M., Toulouse, France
TWELVE - Thursday, 11:55 A.M., Wunstorf, Germany
THIRTEEN - Thursday, 6:40 A.M., Quantico, Virginia
FOURTEEN - Thursday, 8:02 A.M., Washington, D.C.
FIFTEEN - Thursday, 2:10 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
SIXTEEN - Thursday, 8 :16 A.M., Washington, D.C.
SEVENTEEN - Thursday, 2:30 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
EIGHTEEN - Thursday, 8:34 A.M., New York, New York
NINETEEN - Thursday, 2:45 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
TWENTY - Thursday, 8:47 A.M., Washington, D.C.
TWENTY-ONE - Thursday, 2:55 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
TWENTY-TWO - Thursday, 3:28 P.M., Toulouse, France
TWENTY-THREE - Thursday, 3:23 P.M., The Leine River, Germany
TWENTY-FOUR - Thursday, 3:45 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
TWENTY-FIVE - Thursday, 9:50 A.M., Washington, D.C.
TWENTY-SIX - Thursday, 3:51 P.M., Hanover, Germany
TWENTY-SEVEN - Thursday, 4:00 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
TWENTY-EIGHT - Thursday, 10:02 A.M., Washington, D.C.
TWENTY-NINE - Thursday, 4:11 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
THIRTY - Thursday, 4:22 P.M., Hanover, Germany
THIRTY-ONE - Thursday, 4:33 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
THIRTY-TWO - Thursday, 4:35 P.M., Hanover, Germany
THIRTY-THREE - Thursday, 11:00 A.M., Washington, D.C.
THIRTY-FOUR - Thursday, 5:02 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
THIRTY-FIVE - Thursday, 5:17 P.M., Hanover, Germany
THIRTY-SIX - Thursday, 5:30 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
THIRTY-SEVEN - Thursday, 5:47 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
THIRTY-EIGHT - Thursday, 12:02 P.M., Washington, D.C.
THIRTY-NINE - Thursday, 6:25 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FORTY - Thursday, 6:26 P.M., Toulouse, France
FORTY-ONE - Thursday, 9:34 A.M., Studio City, California
FORTY-TWO - Thursday, 6:41 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
FORTY-THREE - Thursday, 6:44 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FORTY-FOUR - Thursday, 6:53 P.M., Toulouse, France
FORTY-FIVE - Thursday, 6:59 P.M., Hamburg, Germany
FORTY-SIX - Thursday, 1:40 P.M., Washington, D.C.
FORTY-SEVEN - Thursday, 8:17 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FORTY-EIGHT - Thursday, 8:36 P.M., Southwest of Vichy, France
FORTY-NINE - Thursday, 2:59 P.M., Washington, D.C.
FIFTY - Thursday, 3:01 P.M., Washington, D.C.
FIFTY-ONE - Thursday, 9:02 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FIFTY-TWO - Thursday, 9 :14 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FIFTY-THREE - Thursday, 9:32 P.M., Toulouse, France
FIFTY-FOUR - Thursday, 9:33 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FIFTY-FIVE - Thursday, 9:56 P.M., Toulouse, France
FIFTY-SIX - Thursday, 10:05 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FIFTY-SEVEN - Thursday, 10:06 P.M., Toulouse, France
FIFTY-EIGHT - Thursday, 10:12 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
FIFTY-NINE - Thursday, 10:41 P.M., Toulouse, France
SIXTY - Thursday, 5:05 P.M., Washington, D.C.
SIXTY-ONE - Thursday, 11:07 P.M., Toulouse, France
SIXTY-TWO - Thursday, 11:15 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
SIXTY-THREE - Thursday, 5:15 P.M., Washington, D.C.
SIXTY-FOUR - Thursday, 11:28 P.M., Toulouse, France
SIXTY-FIVE - Thursday, 5:41 P.M., Washington, D. C.
SIXTY-SIX - Thursday, 11:49 P.M., Wunstorf, Germany
SIXTY-SEVEN - Thursday, 11:55 P.M., Toulouse, France
SIXTY-EIGHT - Friday, 12:04 A.M., Wunstorf, Germany
SIXTY-NINE - Friday, 12:16 A.M., Wunstorf, Germany
SEVENTY - Friday, 12:17 A.M., Toulouse, France
SEVENTY-ONE - Friday, 12:51 A.M., Toulouse, France
SEVENTY-TWO - Friday, 12:52 A.M., Toulouse, France
SEVENTY-THREE - Friday, 12:53 A.M., Toulouse, France
SEVENTY-FOUR - Monday, 9:32 A.M., Washington, D.C.
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Other titles by Steve Pieczenik
THE BESTSELLING NOVELS OF
Tom Clancy
DEBT OF HONOR
It begins with the murder of an American
woman in the backstreets of Tokyo.
It ends in war....
"A SHOCKER!" --Entertainment Weekly
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
The smash bestseller that launched Clancy's
career--the incredible search for a Soviet
defector and the nuclear submarine
he commands ...
"BREATHLESSLY EXCITING!"
--The Washington Post
RED STORM RISING
The ultimate scenario for World War III--the
final battle for global control ...
"THE ULTIMATE WAR GAME ...
BRILLIANT!"--Newsweek
PATRIOT GAMES
CIA analyst Jack Ryan stops an assassination--
and incurs the wrath of Irish terrorists....
"A HIGH PITCH OF EXCITEMENT!"
--The Wall Street Journal
THE CARDINAL OF THE KREMLIN
The superpowers race for the ultimate Star
Wars missile defense system....
"CARDINAL EXCITES, ILLUMINATES...
A REAL PAGE-TURNER!"
--Los Angeles Daily News
CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
The killing of three U.S. officials in Colombia
ignites the American government's explosive,
and top secret, response....
"A CRACKLING GOOD YARN!"
--The Washington Post
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS
The disappearance of an Israeli nuclear
weapon threatens the balance of power in
the Middle East--and around the world....
"CLANCY AT HIS BEST... NOT TO BE
MISSED!"
--The Dallas Morning News
WITHOUT REMORSE
His code name is Mr. Clark. And his work for
the CIA is brilliant, cold-blooded, and
efficient... but who is he really?
"HIGHLY ENTERTAINING!"
--The Wall Street Journal
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 EXPEDITIONAR
Y 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 ENDWAR
TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL
TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL: OPERATION BARRACUDA
TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL: CHECKMATE
TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL: FALLOUT
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
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
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are
either 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.
TOM CLANCY'S OP-CENTER: GAMES OF STATE
A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with
Jack Ryan Limited Partnership and S&R Literary, Inc.
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley edition / June 1996
All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 1996 by Jack Ryan Limited Partnership and
S&R Literary, Inc.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission.
For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
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eISBN : 978-1-101-00362-6
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Jeff Rovin for his creative ideas and his invaluable contributions to the preparation of the manuscript. We would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Martin H. Greenberg, Larry Segriff, Robert Youdelman, Esq., Tom Mallon, Esq., and the wonderful people at The Putnam Berkley Group, including Phyllis Grann, David Shanks, and Elizabeth Beier. As always, we would like to thank Robert Gottlieb of The William Morris Agency, our agent and friend, without whom this book would never have been conceived. But most important, it is for you, our readers, to determine how successful our collective endeavor has been.
--Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik
ONE
Thursday, 9:47 A.M., Garbsen, Germany
Until a few days ago, twenty-one-year-old Jody Thompson didn't have a war.
Back in 1991, the young girl had been too preoccupied with boys, phones, and acne to pay much attention to the Persian Gulf War. All she remembered were TV images of white flashes tearing through the green night sky, and hearing about Scud missiles being fired at Israel and Saudi Arabia. She wasn't proud of how little she recalled, but fourteen-year-old girls have fourteen-year-old priorities.
Vietnam belonged to her parents, and all she knew about Korea was that during her junior year of college, the veterans had finally gotten a memorial.
World War II was her grandparents' war. Yet oddly enough, she was coming to know it best of all.
Five days before, Jody had left behind her sobbing parents, her ecstatic little brother, her boyfriend-next-door, and her sad springer spaniel Ruth, and flown from Rockville Centre, Long Island, to Germany, to intern on the feature film Tirpitz. Until she sat down on the plane with the script, Jody knew almost nothing about Adolf Hitler, the Third Reich, or the Axis. Occasionally, her grandmother spoke reverently about President Roosevelt, and now and then her grandfather said something respectful about Truman, whose A-bomb saved him from being butchered in a prison camp in Burma. A camp where he'd once bitten the ear of a man who was torturing him. When Jody asked her grandfather why he'd done that, didn't it only make the torture worse, the gentle man had replied, "Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do."
Other than that, the only time Jody encountered the war was on TV, when she flashed past an A&E documentary on her way to MTV.
Now Jody was taking a crash course in the chaos that had engulfed the world. She hated to read; TV Guide articles lost her halfway through. Yet she'd been mesmerized by the script of the American/German coproduction. It wasn't just ships and guns, as she'd feared. It was about people. From it, she learned about the hundreds of thousands of sailors who'd served on the icy waters of the Arctic, and the tens of thousands of sailors who'd drowned there. She learned about Tirpitz's sister ship the Bismarck, "the terror of the seas." She learned that factories, based on Long Island, had played a large, proud role in building warplanes for the Allies. She learned that many soldiers had been people no older than her boyfriend, and they'd been just as scared as Dennis would have been.
And since she'd come to the set, Jody had seen that powerful script come to life.
Today, by a cottage in Garbsen, outside Hanover, she had watched the cast film scenes in which a disgraced former SA officer leaves his family to exonerate himself on the German battleship. She had seen the gripping special effects footage of the attack by RAF Lancasters that had capsized the battleship in Tromsofjord, Norway, in 1944, entombing one thousand crew members. And here, in the prop trailer, she had touched actual pieces of the war.
Jody still found it difficult to believe that such madness had taken place, even though the evidence was spread on the tables before her. It was an unprecedented array of vintage medals, lanyards, gorgets, cuff-titles, weapons, and memorabi
lia on loan from private collectors in Europe and the United States. On the shelves were carefully preserved, leather-bound maps, military books, and fountain pens from the library of General-feldmarschall von Harbou, on loan from his son. In a file box in the closet were photographs of the Tirpitz taken by reconnaissance aircraft and midget submarines. And in a Plexiglass case was a fragment of one of the twelve-thousand-pound Tallboy bombs that had hit the ship. The rusted, six-inch shard was going to be used as a background image for the closing credits crawl.
Oil could stain the relics, so the tall, slender brunette wiped her hands on her School of Visual Arts sweatshirt before picking up the authentic Sturmabteilung dagger she'd come for. Her large, dark eyes shifted from the silver-tipped brown metal sheath to the brown hilt. In a circle near the top were the silver letters SA. Below them were a German eagle and a swastika. Because of the tight fit, she slowly withdrew the nine-inch weapon and examined it.
It was heavy and horrible. Jody wondered how many lives it had ended. How many wives it had widowed. How many mothers had cried because of it.
Jody turned it over. The words Alles fur Deutschland were etched in black on one side. When Jody had first seen the knife the night before, during rehearsals, a veteran German actor in the cast had told her it meant All for Germany.
"To live in Germany back then," the man had said, "you were required to give everything to Hitler. Your industry, your life, your humanity." He'd leaned close to her. "If your lover whispered something against the Reich, you had to betray her. What's more, you had to feel proud about betraying her. "
"Thompson, the knife!"
Director Larry Lankford's high voice ripped Jody from her reflection. She pushed the dagger back into the sheath and hurried to the trailer door.
"Sorry!" she yelled. "I didn't know you were waiting!" She jumped down the steps, rushed past the guard, and ran around the trailer.