Hostage (Navy Justice, Book 2) [Paperback]

Don Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2005

Zack Brewer faces a choice. It can prevent the next war. But it will cost the life of the person he loves the most. JAG Officer Zack Brewer's prosecution of three terrorists posing as Navy chaplains was called the 'court martial of the century' by the press. Now, with the limelight behind him, all Zack wants to do is forget. But the radical Islamic organization behind the chaplains has a long memory---and a thirst for revenge. Now the Navy has a need for Zack that eclipses all else. When an unthinkable act of aggression brings Israel and its Arab neighbors to the brink of war, Zack and co-counsel Diane Colcernian are called to the case of a lifetime. As leading nations focus their gaze upon these two, other eyes are watching as well. Zack and Diane are in harm's way. A kidnapping, an ultimatum...and suddenly, Zack faces an impossible choice. If he loses this case, the world could explode into war. If he wins, his partner---the woman he loves---will die. And Zack himself may not survive to make the decision.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Don Brown is the author of Malacca Conspiracy, The Navy Justice Series and Black Sea Affair, a submarine thriller that predicted the 2008 shooting war between Russia and Georgia. Don served five years in the U.S. Navy as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, which gave him an exceptional vantage point into both the Navy and the inner workings of 'inside-the-beltway' as an action officer assigned to the pentagon. He left active duty in 1992 to pursue private practice, but remained on inactive status through 1999, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He and his family live in North Carolina, where he pursues his passion for penning novels about the Navy.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

C H A P T E R 1 In the hills near the Dean E. Smith Center South Campus, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina Lying on his belly in the thick underbrush, the gunman peered through the powerful magnifying scope. It was about two hundred yards down the hill, he estimated, from his position to the main entrance of the brick arena. Close enough for a shot. Far enough for an escape. Students flocked like massive herds of sheep through the building's glass doors, their heads and faces grandly visible through the crosshairs of the scope. Dozens of infidels sacrificed to Allah's glory in an instant. His heart raced at the thought. His breathing quickened. He caressed the cold trigger with his finger, waiting to squeeze it. Longing to purify the sin ful American ground with spilled blood. Whistling wind whipped through the tops of the Carolina pines. A surge of excitement, like an electrical shock, shot through his body. My destiny is with Allah the Merciful, who controls the wind. He pulled his trigger finger from the cold steel. His glorious destiny would depend on patience. For a bit longer. The blood of the redhead and her companion would ensure his place in Islamic Glory. He would await their emergence. Allah would bring them from those doors at the anointed moment. And when they appeared in the crosshairs, he would execute Allah's vengeance and justice. All praise to Allah! Blessed be the prophet --- peace be upon him. Dean E. Smith Center South Campus, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina UNC Versus Duke: Halftime Lieutenant Diane Colcernian tried in vain to protect her eardrums from the spontaneous, alternating chants of the boisterous crowd. 'TAAAAAR!' 'HEEEEEELS!' 'TAAAAAR!' 'HEEEEEELS!' Diane's date, Lieutenant Zack Brewer, pumped his fists into the air, contributing to the baby-blue cacophony now reaching ear-splitting levels. His excitement mimicked that of a kid under the Christmas tree, a beaming kid handsomely decked out in his 'Carolina Blue' T-shirt with the interlocking NC on the front. Hers, a gift from Zack, was identical to his and to twenty thousand others in the Dean Dome. He screamed with exhilaration when one of the Carolina players, a Rashad somebody, dunked the ball. She smiled, shaking her head in bemused disbelief. 'Let's just wear jeans and Carolina stuff,' Zack had said earlier. 'This is the Duke game. The fans will be so pumped up we'll never get spotted. I promise.' She believed him. After all, basketball wasn't that big of a deal when she was an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. Promises, promises. They sat three rows behind the Carolina bench, so close to the court they could hear the famous Duke coach unleash a profanity-laced tirade, first at his players, then at the referees, and then, at halftime, at the crowd as he trotted off the court with his team. Zack, who had warned Diane earlier that the Duke coach was known for spewing such obscenities, not to mention appearing in tacky credit card commercials, cupped his hands and joined the thousands of UNC fans in a cascading chorus of boos aimed at the Blue Devils as they disappeared into the tunnel under the Dean Dome. When the boos turned into a groundswell of applause, Diane sensed she was being watched. A man sitting behind them tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the large electronic screen over center court. There they were on the jumbo screen, displayed for everyone in the arena and anyone who happened to be watching on national televi sion --- the image of her flaming red hair and Zack's cute dimple. 'So much for anonymity, Lieutenant,' she said. Then, sheepishly, she smiled and waved at the camera. Another surge of applause followed. 'You look great on the JumboTron,' Zack said as he waved at the camera. 'You said we weren't going anyplace they have cameras.' 'You think they won't have cameras at the White House?' His comment brought a nervous quiver to her stomach. 'Thanks for reminding me.' Their image faded from the screen, replaced by half time statistics showing individual scoring totals for the Carolina and Duke teams. A moment later, as the Carolina dance team moved and shook to the rhythm of Chicago's 'Twenty-five or Six to Four,' courtesy of the UNC pep band, a skinny young man bounded up the aisle from courtside. 'Lieu tenant Brewer, I'm Jason Silverstein with the Tar Heel Sports Network. Rick Blixon asked if you could come down for a halftime interview.' 'Who's Rick Blixon?' Diane raised an eyebrow at Zack. He shot her an incredulous look. 'He's just the color guy for the Tar Heel sports broadcast. That's all.' 'Oh, that Rick Blixon. Well, why didn't you just say so?' She gave him a sarcastic smile. 'Do you mind?' His eyes still sparkled. 'It won't take long, Lieutenant Colcernian,' Silverstein said. 'Rick's right down there at courtside.' He gestured toward a table just to the left of the now-empty Carolina bench where Rick Blixon was motioning them to come down. 'He sees us!' Zack said, grinning. My date has ice water in his veins in front of a jury, handles press conferences like a pro on national television, but acts like some giddy kid when some sports guy I've never heard of wants to talk to him. 'Look, he wants you too.' Zack pointed to Blixon, who now held up two fingers as he waved them down. 'Come on. It'll be a blast.' Diane met Jason Silverstein's gaze, and when he nodded, she said, 'Oh, all right.' 'Thanks.' Zack gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then stood, and following Silverstein's lead, escorted her down the center aisle to the court. Rick Blixon extended his hand first to Diane, then to Zack. 'Wel come back to Chapel Hill,' he said, still shaking Zack's hand. 'Good to be back,' Zack said. 'We're on a commercial break right now, but I'd love to do a quick interview if you're up to it.' The question was directed at Zack. That was fine with Diane. She'd gotten enough publicity to last a lifetime and hoped that after their upcoming visit with the president, she could return to being just a normal naval officer. 'Y'all just have a seat on either side of me.' Blixon handed them each a headset. Diane settled into her chair. 'You're not going to interview me too, are you?' 'He's the Carolina grad,' Blixon said, 'but maybe just a couple of comments?' He gave her a puppy-dog smile. 'After all, you're part of the package.' She leaned forward, looked around Blixon, and shot Zack another raised eyebrow. 'She doesn't like publicity,' Zack said, chuckling. 'Tell you what,' Blixon said as the Carolina dance team wrapped up their routine. 'How about if I ask him most of the questions but just get a hello or something from you. Our listeners would appreciate it.' Before she could answer, an unidentified voice came through her headset. 'Three, two, one, live.' 'And welcome back to the Smith Center,' Blixon said into his micro phone, 'where the Tar Heels, shooting a blistering 65 percent from the floor, go into the locker room leading the Duke Blue Devils by a score of 45 to 35. And we have two very special surprise halftime guests joining us today. UNC grad Zack Brewer --- Lieutenant Zack Brewer, I should say --- the most famous JAG officer in the navy, and his much better-looking partner, who isn't a UNC grad but is also a product of the Atlan tic Coast Conference. Today we also have with us University of Virginia graduate Lieutenant Diane Colcernian. 'Good to have you both here, Lieutenants.' 'Hi, Rick,' Zack said. 'Go, Heels!' 'Hi,' Diane said. 'So what brings you to Chapel Hill?' This question was directed at Zack. 'Carolina versus Duke, Rickie,' Zack said. 'There's no greater rivalry in sports.' 'I hear through the grapevine you've got an appointment in Washington.' 'Yes, that's true. We've been invited to the White House.' 'To see the president?' Zack nodded.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (October 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310259347
• ISBN-13: 978-0310259343
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,981 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BESTSELLING AUTHOR DON BROWN,a former US Navy JAG Officer who served in the Pentagon, and who now pens legal and military thrillers about the Navy, seems to have developed an uncanny track record for prognosticating future events in his novels.

In 2003, Don began writing TREASON, his first novel in the NAVY JUSTICE SERIES, chronicling the life and adventures of JAG officer ZACK BREWER. TREASON explored the dangers of radical Islamic infiltration in the United States Military. Don wrote the novel, in part as a warning to the public about those dangers. TREASON was released in 2005.

Then, on Thanksgiving Day of 2009, TREASON had rocketed to the number 1 bestselling novel for fiction on the prestigious Amazon.com bestselling list for fiction, where it remained for more than a week. Why? Because the novel had included a scene which depicted virtually the same scenario to occurred at Fort Hood, in which a radical Muslim member of the United States military opened fire indiscriminately at a US Military base, in furtherance of a radical political agenda.

In June of 2008, Zondervan released Don's fourth novel, BLACK SEA AFFAIR, which featured a shooting war between Georgia and Russia. Two months later, in August of 2008, war broke out between Russia and Georgia, in what has become known as the 2008 South Ossetia War. This marked the second time that one of Don's novels in fact predicted a future event.

In August of 2009, Don Brown completed the manuscript for fifth novel, MALACCA CONSPIRACY, a novel which began with oil tankers being attacked by radical Islamic terrorists as those tankers transited the strategic Strait of Malacca. In the novel, terrorists use speedboats full of explosives to attack tankers. Ten months later, in May of 2010, the Singaporean Navy issued terror warnings about oil tankers being targeted for attacks by terrorists in the Strait of Malacca, with explosive-laden dinghies and speedboats, the exact scenario laid out in Brown's novel. Did Don Brown have access to classified information?

On May 26 of 2010, OnlineUniversities.com ranked Don's three novels of the NAVY JUSTICE SERIES -- TREASON, HOSTAGE and DEFIANCE -- among its list of "50 Best Legal Novels for Both Lawyers and Laymen." TREASON, HOSTAGE and DEFIANCE were rated 3,4 and 5 in the "Supsense" category among the list of 50.

In August of 2011, Zondervan released Don's sixth novel, THUNDER IN THE MORNING CALM, an explosive thriller about North Korea. THUNDER IN THE MORNING CALM examines the question -- "Did America leave men behind in North Korean Prison Camps some sixty years ago?" Will this, too, turn out to be prophetic?

DON BROWN served on active duty for five years in the Navy as a JAG officer, during which time he served as military prosecutor, a Special Assistant United States Attorney, and also won the New York City Bar Association Trial Advocacy Award for winning the trial advocacy championship at the United States Naval Justice School. DON BROWN remained on inactive reserve status with the Navy through 1999, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He currently lives in his native North Carolina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting, November 18, 2006

By 

S. Peek (Rocky Mountains, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hostage (Navy Justice, Book 2) (Paperback)

'Hostage' is an intense book from start to finish. It contains action, drama, and classic courtroom confrontations.

It begins with terrorists seeking revenge against Lt. Zach Brewer and Lt. Diane Colcernian for the prosecution of some of their cohorts. The terror group also has more moles in the U.S. Navy plotting additional mayhem.

It is a sequel to 'Treason'. A lot of the events and characters are tied into happenings from the first book. I would definitely recommend reading 'Treason' first. Without doing so, I think readers would be missing quite a bit.

I think that this one is even better than the first book. It is extremely well written and keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very strong second book in Brown's series, May 2, 2007

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rnorton828 "rnorton828" (Riverbend, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hostage (Navy Justice, Book 2) (Paperback)

Don Brown's Navy Justice series continues in Hostage, the second installment. In the previous novel, Treason, Lieutenant Zack Brewer, a JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer in the United States Navy, is charged with the task of prosecuting three radical Islamic clerics who had infiltrated the military and inciting acts of terror from within. With the help of his longtime JAG rival, Lieutenant Diane Colcernian, Brewer manages to secure convictions on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and treason in what the media bills as the "court-martial of the century."

Hostage begins with an attempt on the lives of Lieutenants Brewer and Colcernian. The JAG officers manage to escape, but a bullet meant for Diane Colcernian claims the life a young college student. The radical Islamic terror organization known as the Council of Ishmael is seeking revenge on Brewer and Colcernian. The Council is also seeking to drive a political wedge between the United States and the moderate Muslim nations that have been allies of the U.S.

In the Middle East, tensions between Israel and her Arab allies continue to bring them closer to war. The Israeli government requests that the United States Navy fly a couple of fighter planes over the country to reassure the people of Israel. This creates a dangerous scenario for U.S. pilots, as the mission involves flying low, placing them in range for terrorists wielding stinger missiles.

Two Muslim American pilots volunteer to fly over Israel. The pilots are Council of Ishmael operatives carrying out "Operation Islamic Glory." Islamic Glory is the Council's plan to turn the moderate Muslim nations against the United States and ultimately lead to the creation a single unified Muslim state. The plot involves an act of aggression that is unthinkable, even to many Muslims, killing both Israelis and Arabs in the process.

The aftermath of the terror attack finds the United States and the Israelis disagreeing on how the terrorists should be tried. Because the pilots are officers in the U.S. Navy, the Americans believe they should be brought back to the United States and court-martialed by the Navy. The Israelis want to try the pilots in their own courts. The two governments reach a compromise that involves a Navy court-martial being held in Jerusalem with Lieutenant Brewer prosecuting the pilots.

But Zack will have to proceed without the assistance of Lieutenant Colcernian, who has been kidnapped and smuggled out of the country by a Council of Ishmael operative. The Council informs Brewer that they are holding Diane, threatening to torture and kill her. Lieutenant Brewer is faced with a deadly dilemma: if he loses the case, a war could erupt, killing millions of people. But if he wins, it could mean death for the woman he loves.

Don Brown is a born-again Christian, and this book does have some instances of characters wrestling with faith issues. But this novel is largely about the case of the rogue pilots as well as the threat of war and Diane being kidnapped and held hostage. This a story that both Christians and non-Christians can enjoy. I would love to see these book adapted for the screen as a film series. Brown offers a lot of detail without becoming overly technical. This is a very fast-moving story with short chapters that are easy for the reader to digest.

Hostage is an excellent read, and a strong second installment in Brown's series, and I might even dare to say it's actually better than the first book. I strongly recommend this novel, but I suggest you go back to the beginning of the series and start with Treason. The Navy Justice series has been quite enjoyable so far, and I am eagerly looking forward to reading Defiance, the next installment.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So good, it makes me want to be a JAG!, May 12, 2006

By 

Mat (Central Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hostage (Navy Justice, Book 2) (Paperback)

I'm going to be very honest...Greatest book I have ever read! What's amazing about Brown's writing is that it is in so much detail and is easy to understand. Even if you know nothing about the justice system in either the civilian or military courtrooms, he makes it easy to follow. It's the only book I have ever read that I've actually held my breath just waiting to see what was coming up next. I've actually put the book down, and stared at it for about five minutes debating whether I should pick it back up and read it, even though I was late for work. This, as well as its prequel "Treason," is worth the read, hands down, but you have to read the prequel first.

I do want to mention something said about the "Anti-Islamic" message being sent. One has to realize that this series is about terrorist attacks by Muslims, thus it's going to make them look pretty bad. I must say that I am neither Christian nor Muslim. HOWEVER, when I read this book, I didn't just all of a sudden say "Oh wow. These Muslims are really bad people. Let's not trust them." Is the series harsh on religions? Yes, but not so much that it will convert you.

If you know how to separate real life from fiction, then I believe that this is certainly worth the read.