The tank mounted on the converted DC-10 holds 12,000 gallons. The mixture is one part crystal to nine parts water. The crystals are placed in the tank first, then the water is added. At that point, the sarin crystals dissolve into a solution. That's the lethal combination. Picture a DC-10 air tanker over a wildfire. When the plane is over the target, the pilot releases the fire retardant. The drop itself takes eight seconds and covers a path 300 feet wide by one mile in length. But we're not dropping a fire retardant. When our mixture is released, the water evaporates in the atmosphere, leaving sarin gas. Read this engaging tale of espionage that will set your heart racing. William Congdon's prose is immersive, sharp, and to-the-point. Violence, radicalism, class struggle, and self-annihilation are only a few of the themes that the novel explores in a crisp manner.
