The Wolf
Advance Reader’s Copy — Not for Sale
THE WOLF
A Novel
Lorenzo Carcaterra
Ballantine Books
This is an uncorrected eBook file.
Please do not quote for publication until you check your copy against the finished book.
Tentative On-Sale Date: July 29, 2014
Tentative Publication Month: August 2014
Tentative Print Price: $25.00
Tentative eBook Price: $12.99
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Also by Lorenzo Carcaterra
A Safe Place: The True Story of a Father, a Son, a Murder
Sleepers
Apaches
Gangester
Street Boys
Paradise City
Chasers
Midnight Angels
This is an uncorrected eBook file. Please do not quote for publication until you check your copy against the finished book.
The Wolf
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by Lorenzo Carcaterra
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.
BALLANTINE and the HOUSE colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC.
ISBN 978-0-345-48394-2
eBook ISBN 978-0-8041-7729-0
www.ballantinebooks.com
Book design by Liz Cosgrove
This one is for Susan Jill Toepfer.
March 9, 1948–December 24, 2013
A great wife. A great mom. A great friend.
I will miss her the rest of my days.
International Organized Crime Control Bureau
MEMORANDUM
RE: Internal Investigation
Marelli Crime Syndicate/Russian Mafiya Terrorist Connections
STATUS: Active File
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Marelli Crime Syndicate
1. VINCENT “THE WOLF” MARELLI. Head of the Marelli Crime Syndicate, leader of the Organized Crime Council. 32 years old.
2. CARLO MARELLI. Retired head of the Marelli syndicate, passing the torch onto his nephew, Vincent. Still keeps tabs on day-to-day business and is a trusted and respected member of the International Crime Council.
3. JIMMY MARELLI. Disabled since birth but a power within the Marelli syndicate. Vincent’s most trusted advisor and number two in the family command chain.
Russian Mafiya
1. VLADIMIR “THE IMPALER” KOSTOLOV. The youngest (37) and most powerful member of the Russian Mafiya and a willing banker to international terrorists.
2. ALEXANDER ZAVERKO. Kostolov’s cousin and feared right hand. Weakened by lung cancer, but still a threat. Operates Kostolov’s sex trade and drug operations.
3. KLAUS MARNI. One of Vladimir’s advisors, a trusted and dependable assassin.
4. KLENSKO. Legendary leader of the Russian Mob. Organized a loose network of young thugs into one dangerous and profitable outfit.
5. RUSLAN HOLT. Vladimir’s muscle man and major earner for the Russian Mob.
International Crime Council
1. VICTORIO “THE COBRA” JANNETTI. The leader of the Neapolitan end of the organized crime world—the Camorra.
2. ANGELA “THE STREGA” JANNETTI. Victorio’s daughter and heir to the Camorra throne. She is the crime Queen of Naples and one of the most feared criminals in Europe.
3. ALFREDO LAMBRETTO. Victorio Jannetti’s confidant and the muscle end of the Camorra. Has been a loyal capo for more than 30 years.
4. LUIGI MANZO. Enforcer for the Camorra and one of the Strega’s two most trusted hitters.
5. BARTOLO “BRUNELLO” VINOPIANNO. The Strega’s lead enforcer and hitter. He has been by her side since she was a teenager.
6. ANTHONY ZAMBELLI. Head of the Sicilian branch of Organized Crime—the Mafia. Son of the legendary gangster FRANCISCO ZAMBELLI.
7. KODOMA. The leader of the Japanese crime syndicate, the Yakuza.
8. JOHN LOO. Yakuza leader Kodoma’s nephew. Expert computer hacker and tracker. Being groomed for top spot.
6. QING. The Triad Dragon Head, ruler of all criminal enterprises in China.
7. WEINER. Former Mossad agent and now the titular head of the Israeli Assassin Squad.
8. CARBONE. The brutal and difficult-to-control head of the French crime syndicate.
9. ORTO. The last link to the dreaded Gypsy Kings and the head of the Albanian syndicate.
10. BIG MIKE PALEOKRASSAS. Ally to Vincent Marelli and Angela Jannetti, he runs the Greek syndicate.
Loners
1. SANTOS. High-level gunrunner and the liason between Raza and the Mexican drug and ammo gangs.
2. CARLOS MENDOZA. Colombian gunrunner. Deceased. Rumored to have been a Raza target.
Terrorists funded by Russian Mafiya
1. ALI BEN BASHIR. Terrorist funded by Russian Crime Syndicate led by VLADIMIR “THE IMPALER” KOSTOLOV. Died in a 2012 terror attack in Florence, Italy.
2. RAZA. The rising start of the terror world. At 36, he is wanted in connection to half a dozen attacks and is a suspect in at least half a dozen more. Considered dangerous, unstable and intelligent. Does not fit the profile of the average terrorist. Not to be trusted. Not to be denied.
3. ALSHAIR AL-MADEL. Chemical engineer by training and terrorist by choice. Leads a group of 200 rabid followers, eager to die at his command.
4. ANWAR AL-SABIR. The ranking number two in Raza’s terror organization.
5. AVRIM. Loyal follower of Raza. Working closely with the terror leader as he plans his attacks.
6. KAZMIR. Terrorist recruiter for Raza’s network.
7. DAL. Bomb courier working for Raza.
8. PANDI. Terrorist in Raza’s network. A person of interest in the attempted bombing of the port area of Margellina, Italy.
Law Enforcement
1. REMI FRANTONI. At 27, the youngest member of Italy’s feared and respected Anti-Terror Unit.
2. FRANK TONELLI. Retired NYPD detective. Worked the OC Task Force. Both a friend and a foe to Carlo Marelli.
3. LUCA FRANTONI. Member of Rome’s Anti-Terror Squad.
The Silent Six
1. DAVID LEE BURKE. Team leader. Decorated Green Beret. Reports only to Vincent Marelli.
2. JENNIFER MALASSA. Lethal weapon with either knife or rope.
3. ROBERT KINDER. Iraqi war veteran and proficient sniper.
4. FRANKLIN J. PIERCE. Martial arts expert.
5. CARL ANDERSON. Former US government chemist. Can poison an opponent in a dozen different ways.
6. BEVERLY WEAVER. One-time member of the North Carolina bomb unit. Munitions expert of the team.
Contents
Cover
eBook Information
By Lorenzo Carcaterra
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Memorandum
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60