The Teeth of the Tiger

Infobox Book |
name = The Teeth of the Tiger
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First edition cover
author = Tom Clancy
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = Ryanverse
genre = Thriller novel
publisher = G. P. Putnam's Sons
release_date = 1 August 2003
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 480 pp (hardback edition)
isbn = ISBN 0-399-15079-X (hardback edition)
preceded_by = The Bear and the Dragon
followed_by =

"The Teeth of the Tiger" is a thriller novel by Tom Clancy. It was published on August 1, 2003.

Plot summary

The novel begins with the killing of a Mossad station chief in Rome. [Clancy, p.1–4] Jack Ryan Jr., the son of former President Jack Ryan, soon finds himself confronting the world of international terrorism in the post-9/11 world along with his twin cousins, Brian and Dominic Caruso. "The Campus", the nickname for Hendley Associates, is an "off the books" intelligence agency. Created by the former President of the United States Jack Ryan, the Campus keeps itself funded by playing the stock market, which allows them to prevent the United States Congress from overseeing and thereby allowing them to kill targets without legal constraints. The Campus even possesses presidential pardons, signed by former president Jack Ryan Sr.

The Campus sends out a strike team that utilizes succinylcholine to execute terrorists. The succinylcholine is delivered through a cleverly disguised hypodermic needle. It's disguised as a pen but twisting the nib switches the tip from a normal tip to a sharp needle that delivers 7 milligrams of the substance. Only 5 milligrams are necessary for death. The substance causes complete paralysis at 30-60 seconds and death at 90 seconds, shutting down all the muscles within the victim except the heart, including the diaphragm. [Clancy, p.208–213] However, it makes the kill look like a heart attack, thus raising no suspicion. It's all training until cells of Islamic fundamentalists cross the U.S.-Mexico border armed with of MAC-10 sub-machine guns [Clancy, p.175–178] and attack 4 suburban malls across the nation killing dozens of people despite National Guard forces at one mall and the team at another. [Clancy, p.242–257] The Campus decides the brothers are ready and decides to implement a "reconnaissance by fire" strategy to flush out the terrorist leaders. The team then goes across Europe killing the terrorists. The targets killed are as follows:

*A terrorist banker/financier in the UK, Killed by Brian. [Clancy, p.320–324]

*A terrorist messenger in Germany, Killed by Dominic. [Clancy, p.359–361]

*A terrorist recruiter in Austria, Killed by Brian. [Clancy, p.396–400]

*A mid-level terrorist leader in Rome, Italy who killed the Mossad agent, Killed by Jack Ryan Jr. [Clancy, p.427–431]

The team is made up of Dominic Caruso, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent and Jack Ryan's nephew, Brian Caruso, a Marine captain and Dominic's brother. Their cousin Jack Ryan Jr. also works at the Campus, but in the intelligence department intercepting enemy communications. Brian at first has conscience problems about killing people. But when a child he was holding in his arms dies from injuries inflicted by a terrorist. He decides it's the right thing to do.

Characters

*Jack [Shortstop] Ryan Jr – protagonist, son of Jack Ryan Sr.
*Dominic "Enzo" Caruso – FBI agent brother in "the Campus"
*Brian "Aldo" Caruso – US Marine brother in "the Campus"
*Sally [Shadow] Ryan – Jack Ryan Sr's daughter
*Katie [Sandbox] Ryan – Jack Ryan Sr's daughter, still in school
*Gerry Hendley – former senator and friend of Jack Ryan Sr
*Mohammed – one of the key leaders in The Emir's organization

Notes

References

*cite book |last=Clancy |first=Tom |authorlink=Tom Clancy |title=The Teeth of the Tiger
year=2003 |publisher=G. P. Putnam's Sons |id=ISBN 0-399-15079-x