In the early hours of October 1, gunfire erupted from an abandoned warehouse on Baltimore’s south-east waterfront. Explosions blew out panes of glass and automatic assault rifles could be heard rattling off hundreds of rounds for close to five minutes. Then the scene fell silent. Smoke emitted from several areas of the warehouse as a number of small fires burned inside. Dozens of fallen sleeper cell members laid strewn about the warehouse’s bloody-soaked interior. Smack-dab in the middle of the aftermath stood a gravely wounded Clancy.
“You owe me yet again, [uncle] Sam”, Clancy chuckled to himself over his tactical headset. He sat himself down, with his back propped up against the large stainless steel container containing the unknown biological weapon he defused moments before. He grimaced in pain as he clutched at his side, applying pressure to a wound from a bullet that snuck between the bulletproof plates of his tactical vest. Blood soaked through his tactical ops suit and dripped onto the dusty floor. Clancy knew he wasn’t equipped to dress his wounds. After mulling over the slim probability of getting medical aid before bleeding out, he slid his other hand into a pocket inside on the inside of his vest and pulled out a cigar. Biting off the end, he lit the stogie with his favorite “R6” engraved butane lighter. “God bless America… Fisher out,” Clancy chimed over his headset as he took a final drag from his victory cigar. He was two days away from retirement.
For years Clancy lived two lives. In the public eye, he was a best-selling author whose novels had sold hundreds of millions of copies. His name headlined the titles of several successful series of computer and video games. What the world didn’t know was that Clancy had been a member of an elite multi-national counter-terrorism unit that is so secretive it operates without a name. Many of the games that beared his name chronicled actual events of numerous field operations Clancy himself was involved in. Director of Rainbow Six, Domingo “Ding” Chavez, recalls Clancy as a master of stealth and an unrivaled tactician. “When the fate of the free world was swinging in the balance, [Clancy] was in the shadows, ready to methodically eliminate those plotting against our great country,” said Chavez, with a nod and a tear in his eye.
The origin of Sam Fisher, Clancy’s alter ego, began after a falling out with the brass of elite multi-national counter-terrorism unit, Rainbow Six, in the early 2000s. There were never any hard feelings from either side after Clancy’s departure. Rainbow’s operatives still regard Clancy as a true patriot, hero, and a legendary figure in the history of espionage.
On behalf of the Driftmouse staff, we extend our condolences to Tom Clancy’s family, friends and fans. Rest in peace Mr. Clancy, thank you for so many powerful and creative thrillers.
