Rainbow Six (novel)
Encyclopedia
Rainbow Six is a techno-thriller
novel written by Tom Clancy
. It focuses on John Clark
, Ding Chavez, and a fictional multi-national counterterrorist unit codenamed Rainbow, rather than Jack Ryan and national politics. There is a series of video games by the same name.
), the team is led by John Clark (who had the idea for Rainbow), a recurring character
in Clancy's novels. Rainbow is "blacker than black
," its American funding directed through the Department of the Interior by Congress, then through The Pentagon
's Office of Special Projects, with no connection whatsoever to the Intelligence Community
. Fewer than a hundred people in Washington, D.C.
know that Rainbow exists.
, specifically the Rainbow Plans of the 1930s, where Rainbow Five is the last known plan. In these plans, various countries were given a color code, and the Rainbow Plans outlined strategies for dealing with potential conflicts between coalitions of countries. Rainbow Five, for instance, which is discussed extensively in the Plan Dog memo, details several U.S. strategies for America's involvement in World War II
. For Rainbow Six, the aggressor is international terrorists. "Rainbow Six" also refers to John Clark, the leader of Rainbow, because "Six" is US military terminology for a unit commander. Additionally, the title symbolizes the multi-national nature of the elite unit. While a rainbow contains many colors, the unit contains many nationalities.
Not long after the establishment of Rainbow, a bank in Bern, Switzerland, becomes the site of a hostage situation, eventually determined to be led by wanted terrorist Ernst Model. In an early and desperate show of resolve, the terrorists kill one of the hostages, leading to the Swiss government's request for help from Rainbow. Chavez's Team-2 is deployed to the scene, and disguised as Swiss "Polizei", is able to successfully breach the bank and kill the terrorists with no further loss of hostage lives.
Within several weeks, Rainbow (coincidentally, Chavez's team) is again deployed, this time to Austria
, where a group led by known German terrorists, Hans Fürchtner and Petra Dortmund, have taken over the schloss
of a wealthy Austrian businessman. Their mission is to kidnap the businessman, Erwin Ostermann, in order to obtain "special access codes" to the international trading markets which they believe exist and are held by elite capitalists. The codes, they believe, are the secret to Herr Ostermann's success and affluence and that of his wealthy capitalist peers. Through careful planning and negotiating, the terrorists are persuaded to take their hostages out to a waiting helicopter, presumably to make their getaway. As the terrorists leave the house and make their way to the helicopter, Rainbow's shooters ambush and kill the terrorists. Again, the team was disguised to hide the true nature of Rainbow.
A third incident materializes rather soon after. Terrorists take over Spain's WorldPark, a fictional Disneyland-type theme park, taking thirty five children hostage. They demand the release of Carlos the Jackal
, along with a list of other political prisoners. Due to the size and scope of the operation, Rainbow deploys both teams in response. During the stand-off, the terrorists execute a hostage—a terminally ill
Dutch girl. Rainbow cannot prevent the execution because their immediate action would have further risked the lives of the other children. The Rainbow team manages to eliminate all of the terrorists without further loss of innocent life.
Clark and the rest of the intelligence community become suspicious about this flurry of activity from older, mostly inactive terrorists. Unbeknownst to them, radical eco-terrorists
from biotechnology
firm the Horizon Corporation are behind the attacks. Horizon's CEO, John Brightling, hired ex-KGB officer, Dimitriy Popov, to foment the terrorist incidents. The increase in terror attacks helps their security firm land a contract to work the Olympic Games
in Sydney
, Australia
. From within the Olympic's security apparatus, they plan to launch a sophisticated bioweapon attack intended to wipe out the human race (except for the environmentally responsible conspirators, who are vaccinated against the genetically modified virus).
Learning of the new counterterrorist unit, and fearful of their effectiveness, Popov engages members of the PIRA
to ambush Rainbow on their home territory. The PIRA takes several hostages in a hospital — including Clark's wife, and daughter (who is married to Chavez) — and ambushes Team One, wounding and killing some of the team members. Rainbow and the SAS retake the hospital, capturing some of the terrorists alive. Interrogation reveals Popov's involvement in instigating the attack.
Popov is now a wanted man, and Horizon attempts to hide him at their base in Kansas. He is still unaware of his employer's ultimate goal, as he's been mostly operating on a "need-to-know" basis. A survivalist at the Kansas hide-out informs him of the plans just before the end of the Sydney Olympics. Popov kills the survivalist, escapes the compound, and contacts John Clark directly to warn them. Fortunately, Ding Chavez and a few members of Rainbow are at the Sydney Olympics as security consultants and manage to arrest the eco-terrorist who was about to release the bio-weapon.
Having failed to destroy civilization with their plague, the eco-terrorists retreat to their secondary refuge deep in the Brazil
ian rain forest, hoping to negotiate a deal to return to the U.S. in a few years. Clark knows they may never even be put on trial as the evidence of the plot is easy to cover-up. Clark decides to pursue them to their rain forest refuge with Rainbow under his direct leadership. Clark tracks them to their Brazilian hideout. Rainbow defeats the terrorists' numerically superior but much less competent militia force, and captures the survivors. Their facility and their supplies are destroyed, and they are stripped of even the clothes on their back. Clark taunts them to "reconnect with nature", and leaves them to die.
For his critical assistance, Popov is not charged for his role in the attacks. The Horizon Corporation continues as a legitimate pharmaceutical corporation, without their CEO and the other employees involved in the never revealed plot.
Techno-thriller
Techno-thrillers are a hybrid genre, drawing subject matter generally from spy/action thrillers, fantasy/war novels, and science fiction...
novel written by Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
. It focuses on John Clark
John Clark (Tom Clancy character)
John Clark is a fictional character created by Tom Clancy who appears in many of Clancy's novels. He is an Irish American Catholic.-Personal life:...
, Ding Chavez, and a fictional multi-national counterterrorist unit codenamed Rainbow, rather than Jack Ryan and national politics. There is a series of video games by the same name.
Overview
Several NATO countries have collectively organized an elite counterterrorist unit, composed of the best soldiers from the militaries of several nations, named Rainbow. Based in Hereford, England (real-life home of 22 SAS, the UK special forces unitSpecial Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
), the team is led by John Clark (who had the idea for Rainbow), a recurring character
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
in Clancy's novels. Rainbow is "blacker than black
Black operation
A black operation or black op is a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and often outside of standard military protocol or even against the law.-Origins:...
," its American funding directed through the Department of the Interior by Congress, then through The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
's Office of Special Projects, with no connection whatsoever to the Intelligence Community
Intelligence community
Intelligence community may refer to* Bangladeshi intelligence community* Croatian intelligence community * Israeli intelligence community* Italian intelligence community, see SISMI...
. Fewer than a hundred people in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
know that Rainbow exists.
Title
The idea for the title comes from the United States Color-coded War PlansUnited States Color-coded War Plans
During the 1920s and 1930s, the United States military Joint Army and Navy Board developed a number of color-coded war plans to outline potential U.S. strategies for a variety of hypothetical war scenarios...
, specifically the Rainbow Plans of the 1930s, where Rainbow Five is the last known plan. In these plans, various countries were given a color code, and the Rainbow Plans outlined strategies for dealing with potential conflicts between coalitions of countries. Rainbow Five, for instance, which is discussed extensively in the Plan Dog memo, details several U.S. strategies for America's involvement in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. For Rainbow Six, the aggressor is international terrorists. "Rainbow Six" also refers to John Clark, the leader of Rainbow, because "Six" is US military terminology for a unit commander. Additionally, the title symbolizes the multi-national nature of the elite unit. While a rainbow contains many colors, the unit contains many nationalities.
Plot summary
CIA Operation Officers John Clark and Ding Chavez join SAS officer Alistair Stanley in forming an elite, multinational counterterrorist unit. Rainbow consists of a highly effective and cohesive pair of squad-sized operational units, supplemented by SAS intelligence and technological experts. Clark is the commanding officer, while Chavez leads one of the two squads.Not long after the establishment of Rainbow, a bank in Bern, Switzerland, becomes the site of a hostage situation, eventually determined to be led by wanted terrorist Ernst Model. In an early and desperate show of resolve, the terrorists kill one of the hostages, leading to the Swiss government's request for help from Rainbow. Chavez's Team-2 is deployed to the scene, and disguised as Swiss "Polizei", is able to successfully breach the bank and kill the terrorists with no further loss of hostage lives.
Within several weeks, Rainbow (coincidentally, Chavez's team) is again deployed, this time to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where a group led by known German terrorists, Hans Fürchtner and Petra Dortmund, have taken over the schloss
Schloss
Schloss is a German word for a building similar to a château, palace or manor house; or what in the British Isles would be known as a stately home...
of a wealthy Austrian businessman. Their mission is to kidnap the businessman, Erwin Ostermann, in order to obtain "special access codes" to the international trading markets which they believe exist and are held by elite capitalists. The codes, they believe, are the secret to Herr Ostermann's success and affluence and that of his wealthy capitalist peers. Through careful planning and negotiating, the terrorists are persuaded to take their hostages out to a waiting helicopter, presumably to make their getaway. As the terrorists leave the house and make their way to the helicopter, Rainbow's shooters ambush and kill the terrorists. Again, the team was disguised to hide the true nature of Rainbow.
A third incident materializes rather soon after. Terrorists take over Spain's WorldPark, a fictional Disneyland-type theme park, taking thirty five children hostage. They demand the release of Carlos the Jackal
Carlos the Jackal
Ilich Ramírez Sánchez , better known as Carlos the Jackal, is a Venezuelan pro-Palestinian currently serving a life sentence in France for shooting to death two French secret agents and a Lebanese informer in 1975....
, along with a list of other political prisoners. Due to the size and scope of the operation, Rainbow deploys both teams in response. During the stand-off, the terrorists execute a hostage—a terminally ill
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
Dutch girl. Rainbow cannot prevent the execution because their immediate action would have further risked the lives of the other children. The Rainbow team manages to eliminate all of the terrorists without further loss of innocent life.
Clark and the rest of the intelligence community become suspicious about this flurry of activity from older, mostly inactive terrorists. Unbeknownst to them, radical eco-terrorists
Eco-terrorism
Eco-terrorism usually refers to acts of violence or sabotage committed in support of ecological, environmental, or animal rights causes against persons or their property....
from biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
firm the Horizon Corporation are behind the attacks. Horizon's CEO, John Brightling, hired ex-KGB officer, Dimitriy Popov, to foment the terrorist incidents. The increase in terror attacks helps their security firm land a contract to work the Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. From within the Olympic's security apparatus, they plan to launch a sophisticated bioweapon attack intended to wipe out the human race (except for the environmentally responsible conspirators, who are vaccinated against the genetically modified virus).
Learning of the new counterterrorist unit, and fearful of their effectiveness, Popov engages members of the PIRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
to ambush Rainbow on their home territory. The PIRA takes several hostages in a hospital — including Clark's wife, and daughter (who is married to Chavez) — and ambushes Team One, wounding and killing some of the team members. Rainbow and the SAS retake the hospital, capturing some of the terrorists alive. Interrogation reveals Popov's involvement in instigating the attack.
Popov is now a wanted man, and Horizon attempts to hide him at their base in Kansas. He is still unaware of his employer's ultimate goal, as he's been mostly operating on a "need-to-know" basis. A survivalist at the Kansas hide-out informs him of the plans just before the end of the Sydney Olympics. Popov kills the survivalist, escapes the compound, and contacts John Clark directly to warn them. Fortunately, Ding Chavez and a few members of Rainbow are at the Sydney Olympics as security consultants and manage to arrest the eco-terrorist who was about to release the bio-weapon.
Having failed to destroy civilization with their plague, the eco-terrorists retreat to their secondary refuge deep in the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian rain forest, hoping to negotiate a deal to return to the U.S. in a few years. Clark knows they may never even be put on trial as the evidence of the plot is easy to cover-up. Clark decides to pursue them to their rain forest refuge with Rainbow under his direct leadership. Clark tracks them to their Brazilian hideout. Rainbow defeats the terrorists' numerically superior but much less competent militia force, and captures the survivors. Their facility and their supplies are destroyed, and they are stripped of even the clothes on their back. Clark taunts them to "reconnect with nature", and leaves them to die.
For his critical assistance, Popov is not charged for his role in the attacks. The Horizon Corporation continues as a legitimate pharmaceutical corporation, without their CEO and the other employees involved in the never revealed plot.
Release details
- 1998, USA, G. P. Putnam's Sons ISBN 0-399-14390-4, Pub date ? August 1998, hardcover
- 1998, UK, Michael Joseph Ltd ISBN 0-7181-4336-1, Pub date 27 August 1998, hardback
- 1998, USA, Putnam Publishing Group ISBN 0-399-14413-7, Pub date ? August 1998, hardcover (Limited Edition)
- 1998, USA, Demco Media ISBN 0-606-17207-6, Pub date ? September 1998, unbound
- 1998, USA, Random House ISBN 0-375-70324-1, August 1998, paperback (Large Type Edition)
- 1999, USA, Berkley Publishing Group ISBN 0-425-17005-5, Pub date ? September 1999, paperback
- 1999, USA, Berkley Publishing Group ISBN 0-425-17034-9, pub date September 1999, mass market paperback