The heart-pounding next installment in David Hagberg's New York Times bestselling Kirk McGarvey series. Pakistan is torn apart by riots in the streets. The CIA sends Pakistan expert David Haaris to meet with leaders of the military intelligence apparatus which all but controls the country, to try to head off what appears to be the disintegration of the government. But Haaris has other ideas. After disguising himself, he beheads the president in front of a mob of ten thousand people and declares himself the new Messiah. He says he will bring peace and stability to the country by allying with the Taliban. At that moment, miles to the south on the border with Afghanistan, one of four stolen nuclear weapons is detonated. Pakistan has become the most dangerous nation in the world. Legendary former director of the CIA Kirk McGarvey is given a mission--assassinate the Messiah, code name: The Fourth Horseman. “David Hagberg consistently delivers thrillers that truly thrill, with an uncanny ability to anticipate future headlines. Skill, experience, knowledge and a dedication to quality long have been hallmarks of Hagberg’s novels, and The Fourth Horseman exceeds all expectations. Swift, sharp, and satisfying!” ―Ralph Peters, Fox News strategic analyst and New York Times bestselling author of Valley of the Shadow “David Hagberg is the pros' pro, the plot master we all wish we were.” ―Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of Pirate Alley “If you want yesterday’s headlines, read The New York Times . If you want tomorrow’s read David Hagberg.”―Ward Larsen, award-winning author of Assassin ’ s Game David Hagberg (1947-2019) is a New York Times bestselling author who wrote numerous novels of suspense, including his bestselling thrillers featuring former CIA director Kirk McGarvey, which include Abyss , The Cabal , The Expediter , and Allah’s Scorpion . He earned a nomination for the American Book Award, three nominations for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award and three Mystery Scene Best American Mystery awards. He spent more than thirty years researching and studying US-Soviet relations during the Cold War. Hagberg joined the Air Force out of high school, and during the height of the Cold War, he served as an Air Force cryptographer. The Fourth Horseman By David Hagberg Tom Doherty Associates Copyright © 2016 David Hagberg All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-7653-3463-3 Contents Title Page, Copyright Notice, Dedication, Author's Note, Epigraph, Part One: The Messiah, Part Two: The Mission, Part Three: The Operation, Part Four: The Countdown, Epilogue: Three Weeks Later, About the Author, Books by David Hagberg, Copyright, CHAPTER 1 At midnight a private Gulfstream biz jet that had just arrived from Paris touched down at the newly opened Gandhara International Airport near Pakistan's capital city, Islamabad. David Haaris, the only passenger, made a telephone call. He was a slightly built thirty-eight-year-old man wearing khaki trousers, an open-necked white shirt and a dark blue blazer. He had the long, delicate fingers of a concert pianist and a round, pleasant face, slightly dark, as if he'd been spending his weekends in the sun. His eyes were wide and jet black, and held intelligence and power that were immediately obvious to anyone meeting him for the first time. His voice was soft, cultured, with a hint of an upper-class British accent, and his vocabulary and grammar were almost always perfect. At the Pakistan Desk in the CIA his was the last word on proper usage. His call was answered on the first ring by a man speaking Punjabi, Haaris's first language. "Yes." "I've arrived." "I'll expect you in my office the moment you're clear. Good luck." "Are you looking for trouble?" "These are difficult times, my friend, as you well know. The Aiwan-e-Sadr came under attack just three hours ago. There is no telling what will happen next. So it is good that you are here, but take care." The Aiwan was the residence and office of Pakistan's president. It served the same purpose as the White House in Washington. "Have you sent a car?" "Yes. But keep a very low profile. Short of sending a military escort — which would just make matters worse — you will be on your own until you reach me." "Perhaps I could order a screen of drones." "Anything but." "As you wish," Haaris said, and he broke the connection, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His cell phone conversation with Lieutenant General Hasan Rajput, who was the director of the Covert Action Division for Pakistan's intelligence agency, was primarily for the benefit of the U.S. National Security Agency and the Technical Services Section in the CIA directorate where he worked. They were listening in. The pretty flight attendant, who'd been aboard since Andrews, came aft as he took the SIM card out of his phone and put it in his pocket. Her name was Gwen, and like Haaris she work