The novel moves from drug-war violence to a covert American response. After Colombian drug lords murder the US ambassador and the visiting FBI director, Washington sends undercover reconnaissance teams into Colombia with sophisticated equipment. Their task is to locate targets for attack. A separate warning about the real-world premise makes the power imbalance explicit: criminal wealth cannot reliably protect its holders from stealth bombers and cruise missiles after provoking the United States. Jack Ryan and CIA field officer John Clark must then work out where the greater danger lies as threats develop inside the operation.
Chapter · 6:55-8:25
Clear and Present Danger escalates into covert war
The assassination of senior American officials prompts a covert campaign in Colombia built around reconnaissance teams and precision attack.