Reign in Hell

Reign in Hell by William Diehl ISBN 0-345-39506-9

This military thriller spans four books over a period of several months. It is a follow-up to an earlier book by the author in which key characters featured. The title sums up the determination of one of the actors in the story to die and reign in hell rather than be dishonored and compelled to serve alive on earth.

The author also takes time out to pay tribute to Native Americans, mentioning how they used to own all the lands, how various US governments made and broke treaties and promises to them.

Book 1. Snakes
Brother T (Transgressor), the snake-handling preacher, makes his appearance. A mysterious preacher in the mid-west, Nebraska specifically. How fake he really is becomes quickly evident in the manner he pretends to be blind, wearing milky-white contact lens to cover his eyes, how he and his partner manipulate events to make it seem like the oncoming rain was as a result of God's answering his prayer, and how he lures the 15-year-old daughter of his hosts for a revival program into his bed, in the name of sanctification.

In the second chapter, Martin Vail makes his appearance, going against odds to win a RICO case against three big corporations in Illinois, together with his small team of dedicated layers. (RICO for Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act.) Next a planned operation in Seattle, Washington, in which a bank's armored truck carrying millions of cash is highjacked, all personnel killed, and the cash stolen within minutes. Then another robbery, this time of an army convoy carrying arms for delivery in Idaho, all soldiers in the convoy murdered and laid out in body bags. This triggers a meeting at the White House and the President has the feeling The Sactuary is behind the robbery.

The Sanctuary of the Lord is a militia group masquerading as a church. They are anti-government and racist as well, having the belief that the US belonged only to WASPs (white Anglo-Saxon protestants), that Jews and blacks and others were God's fallen peoples fit to be trampled on. And they use the Bible to preach this. Their leader happens to be Engstrom, soldier-mate to President Pennington in their younger Vietnam war days. The grouse between these two men appears to have risen from the fact that while Engstrom's achievements during the war went unpraised because he led a secret group whose methods were too vicious to be publicly acknowledged, those of Pennington got praises and eventually led him to the presidency.

At this White House meeting, the attorney general suggests she hires Martin Vail to bring a RICO case against The Sanctuary. A conviction involving proven cases of robbery, murder and money laundering would mean stiff fines and confiscation of the group's weapons and properties, reducing the group's resources and public acceptance. The President accepts, seeing an avenue to destroy Engstrom. The ground is then set for the great battle ahead, between the forces of evil and good.

Book 2. Wild Pony
Vail (known as Wild Pony because he is hard to control) accepts the offer of the position of assistant attorney general that would enable him push the RICO charge. Investigations begin into the group's activities past and present. The Sanctuary's hit man succeeds in knocking off a man in a witness protection program who used to be in the group and had given the FBI very useful statements.

Book 3. Chaos
Vail and his lawyers step up their investigations, and the search for the hired assassin heats up. Brother T, now known as Pastor Abraham, gives the assassin his next hit job--Martin Vail himself. It appears they have old scores to settle as well. But Tunny the hitman fails, after his identity is unmasked without his knowing, and he is shot dead by FBI agents, not in self defence but more to stop him from testifying against secret intelligence powers that be.

Book 4. Armageddon
Vail and his team succeed in getting enough material to push the RICO case. But shortly after serving Engstrom the warrants to search their properties, the general pushes his army toward their day of destruction, fooling people through religious radio broadcasts that Armaggedon as spelt out in the Bible was at hand. The President on seeing the preparations for war being made by Engstrom at their mountain base, is no longer ready to wait for Vail to charge them to court. He'd rather use military force to destroy his arch-enemy there and then. And so he orders for the military to surround the mountain. Seeing this, Engstom asks his men to give a shot. It was meant to be a warning, but quickly triggered off a vicious civil war on the mountain that lasted hours. Seeing he could not win, Engstrom blew up the explosives they'd stashed inside the mountain, choosing to die rather than be captured alive. Abraham tried to escape before this, disguised as one of the girls that had been entertaining him, but he too at the last minute meets his death once Vail sees him for who he really is.

[E_Pluribus_Unum]

from one who has read this booo it is the omb

i think leemechi forgot that brother transgressor likes to shine young 'congo' especially after revivals.

[rajagiri3]

it was very nice article to read.