As the Rebecca Series has developed over the years, my central character has gradually come to be regarded as an unofficial member (fictionally speaking) of several nations’ intelligence agencies: the United States’ CIA; the United Kingdom’s MI6; and Israel’s Mossad. This is not easy to explain in a short post like this, so I’ll just say that the fact that she has repeatedly been given critical information before the intelligence agencies could develop those same sources, has eventually led some CIA, MI6, and Mossad leaders to accept her, as they say in the intelligence world, as an “asset.”
In my currently underway story, which takes place in the mid-1980s, the Soviet Union’s intelligence agency, the KGB, has also gotten interested in Rebecca as a potential asset of their own. Thus, Rebecca finds herself at the vortex of a swirling series of aggressive moves by the Russians, with those moves countered by the allies, and with Rebecca at times helping the allies and at other times stepping back from the conflict.
When she steps back, it is because her Christian beliefs and ethics always move her in the direction of lessening the potential for violence. When she cannot prevent violence, she is often able, at least, to prevent lethal violence.
This is the fifth Rebecca novel for adults. (There are two young-adult novels that feature Rebecca’s twin fourteen year olds.) Of the five adult stories, this is the first one in which Rebecca is actually armed.
But she is armed not with firearms, but with foot long “throwing knives.” Called “competition throwing knives,” these are specially made to be thrown at targets, much like archery targets. In the story, Rebecca’s brother Luke, a former Royal Navy combat unit leader, has taught his sister how to throw these specially designed knives with a powerful underhand motion that results in a no spin flight to the target. Thus, the trajectory of these knives in flight looks much like that of an arrow, except that they rise slightly, given the underhand throwing motion used by Rebecca and Luke.
The allied intelligence agencies – CIA, MI6, Mossad – are not at first aware that Rebecca has added this weapon to her capabilities and, while they find it both interesting and amazing, they do not value her for that reason. They want her to assist them in learning about critical threats sooner than their own sources can develop that knowledge. When Rebecca unleashes her new weapons delivery capability, both allied and enemy intelligence operatives are astounded by this addition to her repertoire.
And if some of the individual CIA, MI6, and Mossad agents are made thoughtful by Rebecca and Luke’s eagerness to use effective force, when necessary, rather than lethal force, so much the better.
