Death Squad

Book #2 in the Executioner series, September, 1969, written by Don Pendleton himself. If you like Mack Bolan you owe it to yourself to read the early books. Gives perspective into Mack Bolan's character. You also meet some people for the first time that still are a part of his books to this day. From the back cover: Bolan's back!...with a $100,000 Mafia contract on his life. And every trigger-happy gunman in the country is trying to collect. At the same time, local, state, and federal police forces have also banded together in the greatest manhunt in history to stop Mack Bolan, the Executioner. Once again Mack Bolan runs the gauntlet in his own no-man's land between the law and the Mafia. Fired with an unholy vengence, Bolan recruits nine buddies-all heroes of the Vietnam war, all specialists in the more sophisticated aspects of dealing out death-the Executioner's own dedicated Death Squad, who prove that no gangland figure is too high or too low for their special brand of swift, merciless justice!

Being the second in a series that nearly numbers 500 today, 'Death Squad' is a pivotal story. The early extension of 2 tour Viet Nam sniper and veteran, Sgt. Mack Bolan's war with the Mafia. The story begins with Bolan on the run, with a $1,000,000 contract on his head and the bad guys close behind. Aided by a fellow bush beast named 'Whipering Death' Zitka; Bolan prevails and hatches a plan to assemble a small, mobile and very deadly squad of veterans and specialists. The team comes from near and far. Snipers, like Bolan. Demo men. Surveillance and heavy weapons men. Together, this Deady Dozen take Bolan's special kind of war to the Capo and Families of Los Angeles. The writing is lean. The action totally beliveable on all sides. Especially the LAPD's response to being bugged and their radio transmissions jammed. Plus the introduction of one of it's detectives; Carl Lyons. Who first hunts Bolan and the squad, only to join with fellow 'Death Squad' members Hermann 'Gadgets' Schwartz, and Rosario 'Politician' Blancanales much later on as part of Able Team. Yes, 'Death Squad' is violent by today's standard. This series began back in 1969, while the war in VietNam was still raging. But Mr. Pendleton's style of writing lets you understand the motivation of Bolan and his squad. Disciplined, well trained and confident soldiers with a clear understanding of right and wrong. Some would even say that there's a bit of Bolan in Tom Clancy's character of John Clark. If you have picked up and read any of the newer Mack Bolan stories, and they are legion. You owe it to yourself to reach back for the 'originals'. Numbers 1-38. To get a better, closer, cleaner look into one of America's longest lasting literary heroes.