Sword of Allah

David A Rollins is a former advertising creative director who lives in Sydney. He is working on his next book.

Also by David A Rollins

ROGUE ELEMENT

First published 2004 in Macmillan by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited
This Pan edition published in 2005 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited
St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney

Copyright © David A Rollins 2004

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission
in writing from the publisher.

National Library of Australia
cataloguing-in-publication data:

Rollins, David A
Sword of Allah.

ISBN 0 330 42149 2.

1. Terrorists – Australia – Fiction. 2. Terrorism – Fiction. I. Title

A823.4

The characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons,
living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Typeset in Birka by Post Pre-press Group
Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group

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made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The manufacturing processes
conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Author photograph: Samantha Rollins

These electronic editions published in 2007 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd
1 Market Street, Sydney 2000

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Sword of Allah

David A Rollins

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For Jack, Bart, Ruby and their mum

An enormous amount of research goes into a book like this. Much of it is desk research, but not all.

I’ve called on several sources without whose help this book would be lame. A couple I’d like to publicly thank but can’t. They’ve signed secrecy agreements with various governments and are a little nervous about any public spotlight. Not because they’ve done anything wrong, but because they want to keep their lives uncomplicated. And who can blame them for that? The reason these people helped me is purely so that the facts, when facts need to be told, are indeed fact and not fabrication. Notice I didn’t say ‘fiction’, because this book is as much about fiction as anything else. None of the events in this book has happened and I hope they never do. But I digress.

Where the Special Air Service is concerned, I called on the services and knowledge of an experienced officer from that regiment. I couldn’t have written this book without his patient assistance. So, thank you very much, Captain X – you know who you are.

The Royal Australian Navy figures in this story. I admire anyone who goes to sea, and most especially when it’s in the defence of their country. Mark, a former RAN communications NCO, tirelessly put up with my incessant emails and questions about seemingly insignificant details, and then put in the time and the effort to read an early draft of the story. Thanks, Mark, for all your help, which was always delivered with a smile.

Wing Commander Peter Spiess, from RAAF Williamtown, helped me bring to life the F/A-18 sortie
towards the end of the book. I also received assistance from a former USAF F16 fighter pilot who patiently helped me on a number of details. I’d like to point out that while the radio work between the pilots featured in the story is reasonably authentic, it’s a little overstated in parts to make the meaning clearer for the reader.

Thanks also to Bonnie Warn from the Australian Federal Police for pointing me in the right direction on a few issues.

The medical information contained herein was vetted by my friend and personal physician, Dr Malcolm Parmenter. Malcolm also suffered through an earlier draft and pointed out several flaws that I’ve since bandaged.

I’d like to thank the search engine Google.com for saving me a good year in research time.

I’d like to thank Andrew Sargant, my friend and former business partner, for his eternal encouragement and willingness to read unfinished manuscripts. Thanks, Sarge, I owe you.

Then there’s Rose Creswell and Annette Hughes, from the Cameron–Creswell Agency, thank you for believing in me.

And finally, I’d like to thank the people at Pan Macmillan: the fiction publisher, Cate Paterson; the senior publicist, Jane Novak; and all the fantastic, hardworking sales representatives nationally and internationally, who made the writing of this book possible.

Glossary

Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea

The Persian Gulf

Manila, Philippines

Ramallah, West Bank, Israel

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

South Java, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Via Veneto, Rome, Italy

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

US Embassy, Canberra, Australia

Australian Federal Police HQ, Canberra, Australia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Amman, Jordan

Jakarta, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Sirkin Air Force Base, Israel

Central Intelligence Agency, Australia bureau, US Embassy, Canberra

Flores, Indonesia

Manila, Philippines

Flores, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Camp Echo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Manila, Philippines

Camp Echo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Port Botany, Sydney, Australia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Tamarama, Sydney, Australia

Richmond, Melbourne, Australia

Australian Federal Police HQ, Canberra, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Central Intelligence Agency, Australia bureau, US Embassy, Canberra

Sydney, Australia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

Manila, Philippines

Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

Ten miles due south of Thai–Myanmar border, 35 000 feet

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

Flores, Indonesia

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Bangkok, Thailand

Flores, Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Arafura Sea, 15 000 feet

Flores, Indonesia

S10°30'10" E126°15'02", Timor Sea

Flores, Indonesia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Sirius 3, Bayu-Unadan field, Timor Gap, Timor Sea

S10°51'12" E126°17'09", Timor Sea

Indian Ocean, 25 000 feet

S11°05'50" E126°18'42", Timor Sea

Sirius 3, Bayu-Unadan field, Timor Gap, Timor Sea

Sirius 3, Bayu-Unadan field, Timor Gap, Timor Sea

Port Botany, Sydney, Australia

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Timor Sea