American Assassin

American Assassin is the 11th published book in the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn and the first in chronological order. The book was published in 2010.

Description
Two decades after the Cold War, Islamic terrorism is on the rise, and CIA Operations Director Thomas Stansfield forms a new group of clandestine operatives—men who do not exist—to meet this burgeoning threat abroad before it reaches America’s shores. Stansfield’s protégée, Irene Kennedy, finds the ideal candidate in the wake of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack. Among the thousands grieving the victims is Mitch Rapp, a gifted college athlete, who wants only one thing: retribution. Six months of intense training prepares him to devastate the enemy with brutal efficiency, leaving a trail of bodies from Istanbul and across Europe, to Beirut. But there, the American assassin will need every ounce of skill and cunning to survive the war-ravaged city and its deadly terrorist factions.

Dedication
"To the victims of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack and their families"

In reference to Pan Am Flight 103 that was destroyed by a terrorist bombing on December 21, 1988, that took the lives of 270 people, including 35 Syracuse University students. In the series, Mitch Rapp's girlfriend at the time, Maureen Eliot, was on Flight 103.

Prelude
The story "begins" giving a glimpse one year into the future and Mitch Rapp is in a hotel in Beirut, Lebanon. Two of his colleagues (one whom he likes and one whom he hates) had just been grabbed by Islamic Jihad, part of the terrorist group Hezbollah. His superiors would rather cut the two operatives loose and let things take their natural course, but Rapp has a different plan. After a long internal struggle he decides to put his rescue attempt n action. After leaving a note in his room, Rapp makes his way out into the streets where members of the Islamic Jihad are waiting for him and kidnap him. Stuck in the trunk of a Black BMW, he contemplates how his captors have no idea of the violence and mayhem that was about to come down on them.

Chapter 1
One year earlier, Rapp is the blind-folded passenger of a car driving through a southern Virginia forest. As Rapp removes his blindfold he began to think about his recruitment and the training ahead. He is excited to hunt down the people responsible for the downing of Pan Am Flight 103. The driver of the car is his recruiter, Irene Kennedy. As the car pulls through a gate she also is thinking about Rapp's recruitment and how she convinced her boss, Thomas Stansfield that Rapp should get accelerated training because of the unique skills he has already shown. Stansfield had agreed as long as Stan Hurley was the instructor. As they make their way up the road to the training facility Rapp asks questions about the security on site as Kennedy tells him about his instructor and the six other recruits that are already started training a few days ago. They pull up to a farmyard with a white barn and a two-story house.

Chapter 2
Still in the car Rapp is sizing up Hurley who is standing on the porch of the house as Kennedy walked up to the porch to talk to Hurley. Hurley isn't excited about having to take on a recruit who hasn't been through basic training. Kennedy reminds him that he has failed to produce a recruit who meets all three of the program's objectives; training operatives to get down and dirty when needed, creating a highly tactical assault team, and teaching operatives how to be an assassin. Hurley had done well with the first two objectives but had so far failed with the third. Kennedy convinces him to take on Rapp and warns him that he is to be treated the same as the other recruits.

Chapter 3
Hurley