Cold Zero

Cold Zero: the sniper's term for the one shot you get at finishing the job. The moment of finality. You can practice until your barrel grows red hot, but Cold Zero - the first irrevocable pull of the trigger - is the only statement anyone will remember. It is not just a moment, it is a state of mind. In 1987, Christopher Whitcomb left his job writing speeches for a congressman on Capitol Hill and enrolled in the FBI. Since then he has been involved in all aspects of that organization, from bank robberies, fugitives and violent crime investigations to a key role within the Bureau's elite Hostage Rescue Team where he distinguished himself as an assaulter and sniper. He now occupies a vitally important role within the most secret department of the FBI, the Critical Incident Response Group. The CIRG is the last line of defence, the deepest backstop. If they fail, there will be no one to clean up the mess. This title is an account of the silent struggle America wages just beneath the headlines, a shadow war against weapons of mass destruction, attacks against unpredictable enemies, against chaos. "Cold Zero" is one man's journey - but it is also the story of the battle to hold oblivion at bay.

Christopher Whitcomb is an active, 15-year veteran of the F.B.I., and Director of Intelligence for the Critical Incident Response Group. He is a recipient of the FBI's Medal of Bravery for exceptional courage in the line of duty, and he has participated in virtually every high-profile federal investigation in recent years.