Running with the Devil

Running from the Devil, by Jamie Freveletti. William Morrow, $24.99 (310p) ISBN 978-0-06-1684227

Write what you know. That piece of advice has been repeated often enough that it's become a cliché. That doesn't mean that it can be safely ignored. But, in the course of a novel, a writer covers lots of ground—some familiar, some not so much. For the latter, there's research. Otherwise, the author risks the slow accumulation of credibility-sapping missteps.

I was reminded of this while reading debut novelist Freveletti's thriller. A trial lawyer by trade and a recreational runner, Freveletti knows the law and courtrooms. Sidewalks and trails. But hers is not a courtroom drama or legal thriller—terra firma for someone with her background. No, she opts for an international thriller set in the Colombian badlands and peopled by paramilitary thugs, drug lords, terrorists, Special Forces soldiers, and mercenaries: a slippery slope for the uninitiated. The resulting stumbles are enough to compromise an otherwise crisply-written debut.

When guerillas hijack and crash land a British Airways flight bound for Bogotá, Colombia, passenger Emma Caldridge, a chemist and ultramarathoner, is thrown clear of the wreckage. Hiding in the surrounding jungle, Emma watches as the guerillas corral the surviving hostages and march them off. Alone and without a compass, she decides to follow at a discreet distance.

Meanwhile, official Washington gears up for a response. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, the Executive Branch brings in Darkview, a security consulting contractor, to help. Darkview is headed by the suave and deadly Edward Banner who clashes with the arrogant Secretary of Defense.

Back in the jungle, Emma manages to rescure hostage Cameron Sumner, an American anti-drug agent, and they set about devising a plan to save the other hostages whose safety is further complicated by infighting among paramilitaries, drug cartels, and guerrillas A contingent of U.S. Special Forces, already in Colombia, also mounts a search and rescue operation.

Besides the hostage drama, there's also a mystery running beneath the surface here: What secret mission—"to set right the tremendous wrong she had done"—has brought Emma to Colombia in the first place and how does it relate to hostage drama?

All of this is fine and even has a "ripped from the headlines" quality. Just Google "Colombia and hostage rescue" and you'll see what I mean. And, the improbable scenarios, Indiana Jones escapes, and reflexive anti-business slant have become conventional fare for thrillers.

But, unforced errors are especially egregious. Unforced as in avoidable.

The Army doesn't wear desert camos anymore. Soldiers have been wearing the ACU (Army Combat Uniform) since 2006. Moreover, Green Berets try to blend in with the locals so they usually improvise anyway.

Except in the pages of the occasional thriller, you're not likely to encounter a Special Forces soldier with the rank of private. No private is special. Except to a parent.

Special Forces are uniquely-skilled, highly-trained soldiers who are in great demand around the world. They don't spend much time guarding private property. That's what we have Blackwater for. (In fact, the small contingent of SF soldiers in Colombia—strictly limited by Congress—is engaged primarily in training Colombian troops.)

Not to disrespect the Green Berets, but another SOF outfit, DELTA Force, specializes in hostage-rescue operations. In Freveletti's world, nobody even thinks of bringing DELTA on board. Even for advice. Who needs the professionals of DELTA Force when they've got a defense contractor?

Green Berets are not raw recruits. They are seasoned warriors. They do not talk loudly on patrol deep in hostile territory. They don't thoughtlessly kick litter spotted along the trial.

If you're going to write about the military and have no firsthand knowledge, do your homework. It's not rocket science.

Quotable

"All the money in the world doesn't buy class."

"Arguing with a force more powerful than you is always a mistake."