Coup D’état by
Ben Coes is a political thriller. Dewey Andreas was a special commando soldier
in the Delta force of USA. After killing Alexandra Fortuna, a renowned Jihadi
terrorist, he prefers to go away hiding. He settles down in a remote ranch in
Australia but soon the men of Aswan Fortuna seek him out and begin an attack on
him. Aswan Fortuna badly longs to avenge the death of his son: Alexandra
Fortuna.
Omar El Khayab
is the newly elected president of Pakistan, clandestinely appointed by Aswan
Fortuna. Aswan has billions of money but only for Jihadi groups. He loves to
destabilize a country and then influence it for his profits. The book
underlines how big men with power and money spread terror for personal motifs.
The root of
the conflict commences from Yagulung, a remote village in Leh, not so far from
the LoC. It comes under the Northern Command of the Indian Army. One day two
Pakistani soldiers casually enter the village on a patrol walk, in the village
they rape a woman and kill a man. In retribution the angry mob of the villagers
kill both the Pakistani soldiers. Next day two soldiers come searching them,
and upon finding them dead, they kill many people and set the whole village on
fire. When the Indian Army’s choppers hover above the village for the look,
both choppers catch fire and crash down killing all the staff. Indian Army
takes this as an attack by Pakistanis. They begin firing and destroying the
Pakistani military posts along the border. In return, at the behest of Omar El
Khayab, Pakistan drops a nuclear bomb on a small village called Karoo;
resulting eight thousand deaths.
India prepares
to destroy Pakistan by dropping all nuclear weapons they have had. But just in
time, America realizes that Pakistan’s act of dropping a nuclear bomb on India
was actuated by a Jihadi not their military. And that Jihadi is none other than
Omar El Khayab. War between two nuclear-holding countries means trouble to
America. They sense that chances will arrive where they will be forced to fight
the Chinese, thus at any cost to save the millions of lives from both the
countries and to prevent themselves falling into the clutches of a deadly war
zone, America devises a plan to stop it. And from India they ask forty-eight
hours’ time. In that time they have to do coup d’état. And according to Jessica
Tanzer, a close advisor of the president, only Dewey Andreas can achieve it in
that too short time.
Dewey is
unaware of his enemies when he reaches Pakistan. With the help of Millar and
Iverheart and other American agencies, he manages to kill the general of
Pakistan first then the president. In this coup d’état, Xavier Bolin, the field
marshal of the Pakistani army, helps him. After the coup d’état, Bolin is the
new president and he ceases the war with India.
Political gain
is achieved but before Dewey and his team can leave Pakistan, Aswan Fortuna
transfers 250 million dollars in the Swiss bank account of Bolin to hand Dewey
to him in Beirut. Bolin kills Millar and Iverheart and hands Dewey to a gang of
terrorists who further take him Beirut on a cargo plane. Well, in the plane he
fights back and causes the plane to crash land and further with special
commandos from Israel he fights the Hezbollah terrorists send by Aswan Fortuna.
He survives but many Israeli commandos die. Later, with the help of Candela -
the mistress of Aswan - he is able to kill Aswan Fortuna. In the end, Jessica
and Dewey unite and live together.
The
characterization of Dewey is obviously larger-than-life. However, there are
some pitfalls in the book such as American president is being scolded and
abused by the Indian president. The book lacks the sweeps of main characters,
not of villains. Also Pakistan and India are controlled by prime ministers and
Ben forgets to bring these ranks in the picture. The novel lacks the political
research; the author rather Americanized the political scenario of these
countries.
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