Designated Targets

FOR MY PARENTS,

the first storytellers

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A big tip of the propeller hat is owed to the usual suspects. Cate Paterson and Brianne Tunnicliffe in Sydney. Steve Saffel and Keith Clayton in New York. I’m abashed by and indebted to Steve Stirling and Eric Flint, who took precious time away from their own, much superior work to give me advice on mine. If I were a better listener, this would be a better book. A special thanks goes to the lads in soc.history.what-if who responded with scarifying enthusiasm to my off-topic requests. You know who you are.

Finally, love and thanks go to Jane, Anna, and Thomas for putting up with me while I’m on deadline. It’s not a good look. I owe them a treat.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MULTINATIONAL FORCE COMMANDERS

Francois, Major Margie. USMC. Combat Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer, Multinational Force. (USS Kandahar)

Halabi, Captain Karen. RN. Commander Deputy Commander Multinational Force. Commander HMS Trident.

Jones, Colonel J. L. USMC. Commander 82nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. (USS Kandahar)

Judge, Captain Mike. USN. Commander USS Hillary Clinton.

Kolhammer, Admiral Phillip. USN. Task Force Commander. OIC Special Administrative Zone. (California)

Willet, Captain Jane. RAN. Commander HMAS Havoc.

Windsor, His Royal Highness Major Harry. Task Force Commander British SAS contingent. OIC Special Air Service Regiment. (Training cadre)

MULTINATIONAL FORCE PERSONNEL

Ivanov, Major Pavel. Russian Federation Spetsnaz.

Nguyen, Lieutenant Rachel. RAN. South West Pacific Area HQ Intelligence Liaison.

Rogas, Chief Petty Officer Vincente. US Navy SEALs.

Müller, Captain Jurgen. European Defence Force. Reassigned Special Operations Executive.

MISC

Duffy, Julia. New York Times Feature Writer. Embedded 82nd MEU.

Natoli, Rosanna. CNN Researcher/Producer. Embedded 82nd MEU.

1942 ALLIED COMMANDERS

Churchill, Winston. Prime Minister, Great Britain.

Curtin, John. Prime Minster, Commonwealth of Australia.

Eisenhower, Brigadier General Dwight D. US Army. Head of War Plans Division. Appointed Commander of US Forces, European Theatre of Operations, June 1942.

Hoover, J. Edgar. Director Federal Bureau of Investigation.

King, Admiral Ernest J.USN. Commander in Chief of the US Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations.

MacArthur, General Douglas. US Army. Commander Allied Forces, South West Pacific Area. Headquartered Brisbane, Australia.

Marshall, General George C. US Army. Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff.

Nimitz, Admiral Chester. USN Commander in Chief US Pacific Fleet.

Roosevelt, President, Franklin D. 32nd President of the United States of America.

Stephenson, William. Personal Envoy of PM Churchill, Head of British Security Coordination Western Hemisphere.

1942 ALLIED PERSONNEL

Barnes, Brigadier Michael. Commander 2nd Cavalry Regiment, (Australian Army).

Black, Commander Daniel. USN. Senior Military Liaison, Special Administrative Zone. (California)

Curtis, Lieutenant (j.g.) Wally. USN. Military Liaison, Pacific Fleet.

Kennedy, Lieutenant John F. Commander PT 101.

Mohr, Chief Petty Officer Eddie. Transferred to Auxiliary Force Development, Special Administrative Zone. (California.)

Molloy, Able Seaman Michael “Moose.” PT 101.

MISC.

Cherry, Detective Sergeant Lou. Honolulu PD Homicide.

Davidson, Fmr. Able Seaman James “Slim Jim.” CEO Slim Jim Enterprises.

O’Brien, Maria. USMC Captain. (Legal Services) (retd.) Chief Counsel Slim Jim Enterprises.

SOVIET COMMAND

Josef Vissarionovich Stalin, Secretary General of the Communist Party and Premier of the Soviet Union.

Laventry Beria, NKVD Chief and head of Special Research Programs.

AXIS HIGH COMMAND

JAPAN

Yamamoto, Admiral Isoroku. IJN. Commander in Chief Combined Fleet. (HIJMS Yamamoto)

GERMANY

Göbbels, Reichsminister Josef. German Propaganda Minister.

Himmler, Reichsführer Heinrich. SS Chief.

Hitler, Reichschancellor Adolf.

AXIS PERSONNEL

Brasch, Colonel Paul. Senior Consulting Engineer. Ministry of Armaments.

Hidaka, Commander Jisaku. IJN. Chief Aide, Admiral Yamamoto.

Philby, Harold “Kim.” Fmr SIS officer. NKVD temporary liaison to Skorzeny.

Skorzeny, Colonel Otto. Waffen SS. Personal bodyguard to Adolf Hitler. Commander of Special Operation Section.

1

TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI

Lordy, thought the boy. It’s a miracle for sure.

He was seven and a half years old—the man of the house, really, what with his daddy being away in Como, and he had never seen anything like the fearful wonder of the newly chiseled monument.

HERE LIES JESSE GARON PRESLEY.

DEEPLY BELOVED OF HIS MOTHER GLADYS, FATHER VERNON,

AND BROTHER ELVIS.

A SOUL SO PURE, THE GOOD LORD COULD NOT BEAR

TO BE APART FROM HIM.

BORN JAN. 8, 1935,

TAKEN UNTO GOD JAN. 8, 1935.