Basics To Becoming A Hitman.. For Those that Want To (Warning, Long)

PREFACE

A WOMAN RECENTLY ASKED HOW I could, in good conscience, write an instruction book on murder.

"How can you live with yourself if someone uses what you write to go out and take a human life?" she whined.

I am afraid she was quite offended by my answer.

It is my opinion that the professional hit man fills a need in society and is, at times, the only alternative for "personal" justice. Moreover, if my advice and the proven methods in this book are followed, certainly no one will ever know.

Some people would argue that in taking the life of another after premeditation, you act as God -- judging and issuing a death sentence. But it is the employer, the man who pays for the service, whatever his reason might be, who acts as judge. The hit man is merely the executioner, an enforcer who carries out the sentence.

There are many, many instances when atrocities are committed that the law cannot or will not pursue. and other times when the law does its part but the American legal system is so poor that real justice is not served. In those cases, as in cases of personal revenge and retribution, a man must step outside the law and take matters into his own hands.

Since most men are capable of carrying out their threats and wishes only in their heads, it becomes necessary for a man of action to step in and do what is required: a special man for whom life holds no real meaning and death holds no fear ... A man who faces death as a challenge and feels the victory every time he walks away the winner.

Some men could not kill under any circumstances. Other could kill only in self-defense or to protect what they hold dear. One man learns to kill in times of war and spends the rest of his lie trying to forget the horror, while his brother may consider all his wartime efforts a justifiable part of his past having no effect on his present.

How many times have you shared a few beers with a group of macho buddies who eventually turned the subject of conversation form women and sports to that of guns, ammunition, wars, and the killing?

It seems that almost every man harbors a fantasy of living the life of Mack Bolan or some other fictional hero who kills for fun and profit. They dream of living by their reflexes, of doing whatever is necessary without regard to moral or legal restrictions. But few have the courage or knowledge to make that dream a reality.

When the bragging and boasting starts, I just sit back and smile as one after the other talks of what he would do, and how he would be., if it weren't for family obligations, mortgages and corporate jobs.

You might be like my friends -- interested but unsure, standing on the sidelines afraid to play the game because you don't know the rules. Within the pages of this book you will learn one of the most successful methods of operation used by an independent contractor. You will follow the procedures of a man who works alone, without backing of organized crime or on a personal vendetta. Step by step you will be taken from research to equipment selection to job preparation to successful job completion. You will learn where to find employment, how much to charge, and what you can, and cannot, do with the money you earn.

But deny your urge to skip about, looking for the "good" parts. Start where any amateur who is serious about turning profession will start -- at the beginning.

PROLOGUE

HE SLEEPS WHILE THE PLANE IS in flight, having learned long ago that few people will try to make conversation with a sleeping man. At 1:35 PM the stewardess awakens him. They are about to land.

He enters the terminal and casually strolls past the embracing couples and reunited families, heading directly for the men's room. He is just another of the hundreds of businessmen who arrive at and depart from a major city airport on any given day.

Safe inside the toilet stall, he locks the doors and slips out of the business suit he chose to wear on the trip. From his duffel bag he pulls faded jeans, sweatshirt and tennis shoes. Hurriedly, he pulls on the clothing. Then, balancing a small mirror on the back of the toilet, he slips a stocking cap over his hair to flatten and hide it before pulling on a shoulder length wig. His neatly folded suit, shirt and tie fir snugly on top. From a zippered side pocket he takes a pair of tinted, wire-rimmed glasses and a nondescript hat. In less than ten minutes, he leaves the men's room a different man.

At the row of car rental booths in the airport lobby, a tall hippie in a sweatshirt waits in line to rent a car. He does not seem to be inconvenienced by the long lines that are so irritating to the other customers. When the girl behind the counter finally gets around to him, he responds affirmatively to her offer to help.

"Yeah, I wanna rent a small car for a few days."

She take sin his appearance. She has seen his type many times before and immediately interprets his use of the word small to mean cheap. She suggests an economy car that is terrific on gas and comes with unlimited mileage.

He explains that he intends to pay cash for the use of the car. She tells him that he may do so when he brings the car back, but a valid driver's license and major credit card are required identification for security purposes. From an ordinary looking wallet, he pulls the necessary identification: a valid North Carolina driver's license and a major credit card, both in the name of Alfred Johnson.

With key in hand, he leaves the car rental booth and goes to claim his baggage. Then he wanders to the airport news stand to purchase a city map and some reading materials.

Seated in the lobby, he checks the map for an address he memorized weeks earlier. Folding the map so he can follow it while driving, he exits to pick up his waiting car.

Afternoon traffic is moderately heavy on the interstate. Exits, side streets and intersections are unfamiliar. He drives carefully and obeys all traffic rules. He does not want to become involved in any accidents or pick up any traffic tickets.

Finally, he arrives in the section of town where he will find the memorized address. he drives slowly down the street until he has located the apartment complex, then drives on past so his interest will not be observed.

He continues to scout the neighborhood, checking streets and consulting the city map he carries for possible escape routes. He notes that the neighborhood is upper middle class; neatly kept lawns and sidewalks, with a population consisting of mostly singles and young families.

Three blocks west of the apartment complex there is a park which has a small pond. One block east he finds a large shopping center which has a movie theater and an adult book store that is open all night.

About a mile away, at the point where he exited the interstate highway, there are several chain motels and fast food restaurants. he heads back in that direction and pulls into a motel parking lot. He jots down the California license tag number of a car parked near the restaurant entrance. It is 4:15 PM.

The motel clerk is disinterested and mechanical in registering him. He fills out the required form in the name of Sam Wilcox, gives a fictitious address in Los Angeles and uses the California tag number from the car parked at the restaurant. The clerk does not ask for further identification.

"I'm a late sleeper. I'd like a room on the back side -- away from the pool, if you have it," he requests.

"Will that be cash or charge?" the clerk asks without looking up.

He lays down enough small bills on the counter to cover two days lodging, "Cash," he answers.

He drives the car around back, locates his room and takes in his baggage. By 4:45 he is seated on the bed studying the contents of a large manila envelope taken from his locked suitcase. Using the information from the envelope and the telephone directory, he begins to chart routes on the city map. Afterwards, he carefully studies an assortment of photographs taken from the envelope. Satisfied, he returns everything to the envelope and locks it away in the suitcase again.

Wearing a jogging outfit and still in his hippie disguise, he drives to the shopping center and locks his car. On foot, he begins a slow jog through the neighborhood. He circles the block and carefully scrutinizes the area before cutting into the apartment complex parking lot. The sun is just beginning to set.

The apartments are all identical. Patios on the rear are enclosed with privacy walls. On the front, each apartment is separated from the other by an ornamental cedar fence. Two parking spaces are reserved at the front of each apartment for the residents' use. Guest parking is clearly marked in the center of the parking lot, surrounding a small island landscaped with a few scrawny trees and thick bushes.

He jogs over to the guest parking island and sits down on the curb. Removing his shoes and socks, he begins to rub his tired feet. It is 6:47. If his information is correct, the mark should be arriving home from work any time now.

At 6:53 a green Mustang pulls into the parking space in front of the apartment he has under surveillance. The car matches the description of the vehicle belonging to the mark. A heavyset man emerges slowly from the small car. He is puffing on a large cigar. Judging by his physical characteristics and the cigar, this man appears to be the mark. He glances up uninterested, as a jogger trots out of the parking lot.

He jogs back to the motel, stopping at the fast food restaurant for dinner. The clerk shortchanges him by five dollars and the hamburger he orders is not prepared to his liking but he does not complain. without drawing any attention, he heads back to his motel where he reads and watches television until 11:00.

It is after 11:30 when he swings his car into the apartment complex parking lot. The mark's lights are on and his car is still parked in its allotted space. The mark is said to spend most of his free time alone at home, staying up late watching television and sleeping in until an hour or so before his scheduled time to report for work at a used car lot; it appears that this information is correct.

He circles the guest parking island and drives back to the motel.

Early the next morning he is waiting in his parked car with a pair of binoculars and a newspaper when the mark leaves the apartment. In the bright morning sunlight he clearly makes positive identification. This is his man!

Using his premarked map, he spends the early part of the day checking out the places the mark is known to frequent. Around noon, he drives to the main post office to pick up a parcel he mailed to himself the day before. as he drives, he contemplates the various places he has checked out. Because of the layout of the apartment complex in relation to the private patios and sectioned courtyards, he decides that the best place to make the hit is in the mark's own home.

Back at the motel, he opens the heavily taped parcel which was addressed to Mark Donaldson. There had been no problem in picking up the package, stamped "Fragile -- Precision Machined Parts." Today the postal clerk had not even asked for identification.

Inside the first box is a second box. And inside the second box is a special set of clothing, several pairs of rubber gloves, a clean pair of tennis shoes, a new disguise, ammunition, a disassembled weapon and a disposable silencer.

Lovingly he begins to assemble his weapon. With gloved hands, he wipes every part, inside and out, for fingerprints. As he loads the clip, he wipes down each of the bullets. he is a man with a job to do. He has the tools, he has done his homework, he knows he has the right target and he has determined how he will accomplish the job.

After putting the tools away, he leaves the motel to fill the gas tank on the car. While he is out, he steals and out-of-state tag from a parked automobile and replaces the rental tag on his car with a stolen tag.

Back in his room, he dials the airport and gets flight information. Space is available on a flight departing at 11:55 PM.

At 7:00 PM the alarm sounds, waking him from a four hour nap. It is time to get ready for work.

He dresses in the clothing that came in his parcel. He puts on the clean tennis shoes and a new disguise. He puts the hippie disguise, clothing and shows into the duffel bag, along with the tools he will be using. When he is all dressed and packed to go, he has a very few important details to complete.

First, he removes the manila envelope from the suitcase and goes over to the bathroom to burn all the items it contains over the toilet. One by one, he burns the information sheets, photographs, maps and other physical evidence that may prove conspiracy to commit a crime and flushes away the incriminating remains.

He pulls out a fresh pair of rubber gloves and begins tot wipe down the room for fingerprints. He knows the room will probably be rented against by tomorrow, but he takes the precaution anyway. he puts all the trash, newspapers and magazines accumulated during his stay into a plastic garbage bag, along with the room's telephone directory and places it beside his luggage. He will dispose of these items on the way to the jobsite. Still wearing the rubber gloves, he loads his luggage and equipment into the car, locking it in the trunk, and heads for the mark's neighborhood. He will not be returning to the motel again.

At the shopping center one block from where the mark lives, he parks the car in the crowded theatre parking lot and gets out to continue on foot.

No one is out and about as he walks into the apartment complex parking lot. Protected by the cedar privacy fence, he peeks through a crack in the drapes and sees the mark puffing on a cigar while he watches TV from a recliner chair. The volume is so loud that he can hear the program plainly from his position outside.

He goes to the front door where he quietly and efficiently picks the lock. The mark is startled by the intrusion of his entry but is unable to respond quickly enough. he is helpless against the professional.

The muffled sound of three shots fired in rapid succession goes undetected by the neighborhood. The professional has neatly carried out his assignment. Quickly but carefully, he checks the body to make sure there is no pule and drags the body to a place in the apartment where it will not be easily detected. At the scene of the shooting, he drops a newspaper over the blood that has seeped into the carpet. He pockets the three empty cartridges that were ejected from the gun. Then, after a quick check of the apartment to make sure he leaves behind no incriminating evidence, he exits, locking the front door behind him.

Resisting the urge to run, he strolls nonchalantly back to the theater parking lot and his waiting car. Safe inside, he immediately runs a rat-tail file down the barrel of the gun to change the ballistic markings. Then he changes back into his hippie clothing and disguise, unobserved while the other car owners are inside viewing the movie.

he checks the work clothes carefully for bloodstains. Finding none, he drops them into the charity collection box at the shopping center entrance, keeping the shoes he wore for disposal later.

He drives cautiously and carefully to another shopping center several blocks away. He feels no panic. It will be days before the crime is detected, days before anyone investigates the mark's failure to report for work or answer his door. In the crowded parking lot, he disassembles the weapon and removes the stolen tag. Now his only remaining task is to dispose of the weapon.

He gets back onto the interstate highway and heads out of town. Traffic becomes sparse as the city is left behind; now he begins to toss out the small gun parts at irregular intervals, aiming for water filled and overgrown drainage ditches. He also tosses out the tennis shoes.

At a rest area, he walks through the woods and buries the barrel of the gun. He crushes the plastic silencer and disposes of the bits and pieces as he drives back to town.

Just before he reaches the airport, he pulls over to the side of the road and wipes the car for fingerprints. He removes and discards the stolen tag, replacing it with the rental tag. He disposes of the rubber work gloves and replaces them with a pair of leather driving gloves. Then he returns the "clean" rental car to the agency and heads directly for the airport men's room.

A short time later, a businessman emerges from the men's room and approaches the ticket counter for information. His flight leaves in forty five minutes.

he checks his baggage, a suitcase and small duffel bag, and goes to the coffee shop to wait for the flight to be called.

On the plane he dozes, having learned long ago that few people will try to make conversation with a sleeping man. Too all appearances, he is just another businessman suffering from an exhausting schedule; no one interrupts his rest.

1. THE BEGINNING

AS A FIRST CLASS MECHANIC, you will become and expert at your profession. Becoming an expert entails research -- reading, observing, and asking questions -- as well as development of a wide range of physical abilities and weapons expertise.

The preparations outlined in this chapter should be considered essential prior to any acceptance of actual employment. Your keen mental and physical fitness will serve as your edge between life and death.

PERIODICIALS

Read and reread pertinent articles relating to weapons and techniques that interest you in magazines such as Soldier of Fortune, New Breed and Gung-Ho. Stay abreast of new trends and developments as well as new gadgets and inventions as they become available. As well as the valuable articles, study advertisements and classified sections for a wealth of information and sources for supplies and books.

Check our military newsletters like Military Exchange. Your local library can inform you of what is available in this category.

BOOKS

Books on subjects related to the professional hit man are hard to find. But there are a few publishers out there who have the backbone to provide those of us who take life seriously with the necessary educational materials. Paladin Press advertises in almost every issue of Soldier of Fortune and other publishers offer relevant reading material, available by mail order. Check advertisements and classified sections.

And let's not forget reading for entertainment. With the right attitude and an open mind, almost any good mystery or murder story can provide some ingenious new methods of terrorizing, victimizing, or exterminating. Sometimes a new poison will be introduced, or perhaps a new method for induction. Sometimes the warped imagination of a fiction writer will point out an obvious but somehow never before realized method of pacification or body disposal. So don't bypass these fictional characters. Chuckle through the trenchcoats and warped personalities but test out any new theories you come across.

DAILY PUBLICATIONS

A subscription to your local newspaper may be the wisest investment, with the highest return, that you will ever make. Each morning as you sip your coffee and scan the local section, you will be met with a variety of up-to-date employment opportunities. So study your local paper carefully to see who in your area might be your next employer ... or victim.

Headlines -- Follow closely any news stories about people who have been apprehended for contract hits. These stories sell papers, and readers thrive on the sensationalism they create. Study details made available for law enforcement techniques, mistakes that led to the arrest, and methods the law used to obtain incriminating information. Learn from the other man's mistakes. And if he is lucky enough to be acquitted, make a note of the attorney's name in case you ever find yourself in the position of needing a good one.

Drug Arrests -- If the reported suspect posts a heavy bond, he is probably dealing in a big way. As soon as he gets back on the streets, chances are he will be dealing again to raise money for his defense. His name and address are right there in the paper. Is he worth a drug rip-off, or would it be more profitable to contact him discreetly about eliminating that certain witness.

Political Corruption -- Keep up with gossip. All politicians are expected to be corrupt, but who among them is desperate or despicable enough to be willing to pay to eliminate the competition? Tried and true methods are accidental death, assassination, or worse yet, political death brought on by scandal.

Divorce -- Follow closely news or rumors of particularly nasty divorce proceedings involving any wealthy or socially prominent couple. Chances are, one could use your discreet professional services. Or perhaps some not so wealthy acquaintance who prefers not to become entangled in messy divorce proceedings may find it a proper time to collect on that old life insurance policy.

Adjustments -- Thefts, cases reported where the law did not render justice, bogus operations that swindle ordinary people out of their hard earned money -- all these are potential opportunities for employment. Work for a flat rate or for a percentage of recovery, plus expenses.

Classified Sections -- You can place an ad under the guise of collector and solicit any particular weapons you might want. Or scan these ads when you are in the market for new toys and pick them up from private owners to avoid registering your weapons.

Classified sections also announce gun shows, which are an ideal source for all types of equipment at competitive prices.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Local City Directory -- If at all possible, get one of these to keep at home. Otherwise, they are available in the reference of information section of the public library.

If you have partial information on a mark, you can usually gather the rest without leaving the comfort of your easy chair.. These directories are broken down into three categories:

Alphabetical by Name: Lists name, wife's name, occupation and employers, street address, telephone number and other living in the home.

Street Address: Lists alphabetically by street and then numerically by house number. If you know the mark's address you can also know who lives next door, the type of neighborhood, vacant lots, business and so on, all according to the information that was available when the directory was compiled.

Phone Numbers: If all you have is a phone number, look it up in the numerical listing. Then go to the Alphabetical listing and Address sections to gather the rest of the information.

Auto Tag Department, County Courthouse -- Often the books are left out for public use. Look up the mark by last name or tag number for address.

Telephone Directories -- For obvious reasons, it will sometimes be to your advantage to know the mark's telephone number.

But don't overlook the wealth of supply sources available in the Yellow Pages and become familiar with suppliers and readily available merchandise. If you live in a small town, get directories for any large cities in a 200-mile radius. Their Yellow Pages will be extremely valuable if you don't want to obtain supplies locally.

Maps -- A local city map is a must for planning routes if you are not familiar with the road systems. And of course a city map for any out-of-town job is in order.

A large atlas showing the national road system network is handy not only for planning travel, but also for finding nearby large cities and alternative routs to the job.

Just remember that once you use a map, if you have marked it in any way, it should be destroyed immediately.

Travel Arrangements -- Start inquiring now about the various modes of transportation available for out of town jobs. Find out necessary identifications, advance scheduling requirements, and time factors involved. File this information away for future use.

Stop by and ask what your local travel agent can do for you. You will be surprised at the variety of services they offer. When you are ready, call and make the necessary arrangements by telephone, using a fictitious name. They do all the work in making the arrangements to your specifications, and the airline pays their fee.

Shipping and Routing -- You can take a plane under an assumed identity and arrive at your destination in a matter of a few short hours. But how will you get your weapons to the jobsite? better start now checking into alternative methods for shipping your tools separately.

The US Postal Service offers Express Mail to most major cities, and the main post office is generally located very near the airport. By disassembling your weapons and double packing as a precautionary measure, you can send your tools to yourself under an assumed name (post office to post office) and have them waiting for pick up the next morning. Airport mail is not x-rayed.

If time is not a factor, check into bus line, common carrier or UPS rates and delivery schedules.

Locating the mark -- An obliging postal clerk will inform you of the several ways of tracking down the last known address of anyone you choose to locate as a function of the Freedom of Information Act.

One way is to send one dollar and a written request addressed to the postmaster of the mark's last known location. A Freedom of Information Act form will be returned to you within a matter of days giving the Postal Service's most recent update.

Or, you can address an empty envelope to the mark's last known address with your return address in the upper left hand corner. Under your address should appear this notation in bold letters:

DO NOT FORWARD
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Within a few days your envelope will be returned with the updated information. The fee is twenty five cents.

LAW

The Law Enforcement Handbook for your state should be available through any college bookstore where law enforcement classes are taught. If not, STEAL ONE! If such courses are available in your area, you may want to audit a few.

How can you successfully evade the law if you have no knowledge of how it operates? By all means, learn everything you can about the law and how it works and how it applies to you. Learn what constitutes a good arrest and what abuses or mistakes can make an otherwise good arrest null and void.

I hope you will never have to fall back on the information and knowledge you acquire, but it will be worth its weight in gold if you ever have to rely on it. And you will have the added advantage of using you knowledge of how your opponents think and operate as you plan successful jobs.

MISCELLANEOUS

Check every source available to you for potential information. Even those cheap tabloid newspapers sold at the grocery store counter have classifieds that offer fake ID's, interesting gadgets, nontraceable mailing addresses, and so on.

Your public library more than likely has the local newspaper on microfilm, and the information section has employees eager to help you find books and materials on the subjects you are researching.

Chambers of commerce will mail out information and maps of their cities upon request.

And bookstores and libraries have reference books that show all the books still in print and available on any given subject.

Keep an open mind, and sources of information will open up to you, sometimes in the least likely places and when you least expect it!

FITNESS

Your body should be as fit as your mind. You should be capable of running, jumping, climbing, swimming, pushing, pulling or meeting the demands of any other physical requirement encountered in your job. This means not only careful attention to exercise and diet, but moderation if you are going to partake of tobacco products and alcohol, and complete abstinence from any involvement with drugs.

A man who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day will certainly not be capable of running long and hard for any length of time. And his endurance in hand to hand combat situations will be severely limited. By the same token, a man who overindulges in alcohol may be taking his own life in his hands. The use of cigarettes and alcohol in moderation is acceptable, although undesirable, but use of any kinds of drugs is suicide.

Drugs dull the senses and the reflexes, yet the user feels sharp and alert. His confidence in his abilities swells out of proportion. His ego takes over. He sees himself as indestructible, incomparable. That image of himself may be the last thing he ever sees.

I, as a professional, never use drugs, although I will steal them for financial gain, or to use as bait or even as an induction agent for some chemical that I know will do an effective job. I don't need an unreal "high" that can mar my judgement. There is no margin for error in this business. A single mistake can cost you your life, either literally or by providing the evidence to take away your freedom. Either way you are just as dead. A professional needs a clear head and unhampered reflexes to be able to react properly in any situation. This is equally true whether he is performing the job itself or conducting prejob research. If you have to depend on an artificial sense of courage in order to carry out your assignment, then this job is not for you.

COMBAT TRAINING

If you are afraid of taking a punch, again, this job is not right for you. No matter how careful you are, no matter how thorough your research, at some time you will probably have to prove or defend yourself physically. Any skills you can acquire are to your advantage.

You can get expert training in hand to hand combat is you can find someone qualified to teach you. Preferably, this will be someone with Special Forces training or the equivalent.

You will need to know kill techniques as well as survival self-defense, and you won't learn these skills at the corner karate school that includes women and children in its classes. Sport karate can get you killed in the street.

You should become so familiar with skills like breaking holds, throws, effective punches to vital areas and crippling moves that will come when needed as a reflex action. You should be aware of the best barroom fighting techniques. You should be able to fight two men at the same time. You should know the best way to disarm an opponent. And more.

But such skills require real practice with a sparring partner who cant take, as well as give, a good punch. In order to teach these methods in the proper way, your instructor will have to take his fighting as seriously as you do.

Veterans with wartime experience and the ability to kill are first choice instructors. Their contact with real life and death situations has made them a bit unconventional. Some never again conform to the rules of society, and quite a few rigorously keep in top physical shape while stockpiling M-60s and hand grenades under the bed in preparation for the next war.

The same man who can train you in the very best methods of self-defense and combat fighting might also be one of your best sources for accessory merchandise. his contact with other veterans will give you access to a chain able to locate almost any weapon you might request.

The veteran with guerilla warfare training will be a walking textbook on silent movement, torture, revenge, ammunitions, escape, silent weapons, and a host of ways to kill. And if, by chance, you accept a contract where a partner is in order, he may the first man you'd choose to cover your back.

The time needed to acquire the skills of this degree will vary, depending on your physical condition at the time you begin training, your aptitude for following directions and your eagerness to learn. I have seen an eager student, one who is willing to put in the hard hours of practice and full contact sparing sessions, progress very rapidly to the point of capability in less than six months.

MERCENARY SCHOOLS

Once your fighting ability has been established, you may want to test your news skills at one of the mercenary of survival school advertised in the various military magazines. Look for a school that can teach you more than you already know, and be prepared for one hell of a workout while you build your endurance and skills. An added benefit in attending one of these schools is that the people you meet there, like you, take the game of life seriously. Be prepared to meet people who have the same interests in weapons, explosives and effective kill techniques as you do. Some of them may prove to be very good resources or even future employers.

AWARENESS TRAINING

It is estimated that if ten people witnessed the same crime and then were separated before they could compare what had taken place, ten different descriptions would be given. People rarely pay attention to what is going on around them unless, or until, it becomes of importance to them personally. This book stresses the importance of using disguise and false identification to foil positive identification. But just as important to your success are your own observation skills.

Start now developing and exercising your observation powers. Make a habit of studying your surroundings. listen when others talk. A man can reveal a great deal about himself through his conversation and opinions. make a note of features or habits that make one man different from another. Think of the people you know intimately. Can you tell whether they are right or left handed? What color are their eyes?

Sharpen your observation skills.

FIRST CLASS MECHANIC REQUIREMENTS

• Expert marksmanship
• Thorough knowledge and respect for all weapons
• Knowledge through reading, expert advice and experimentation on accessories such as explosives, poison and diversions
• Knowledge and ability of hand to hand combat
• Top mental and physical condition
• Common sense

EQUIPMENT

A HIT MAN WITHOUT A GUN is like a carpenter without a hammer. Not very effective. What kinds of gun does he use and where does he obtain them? Unless he has a proper false identification, he certainly cannot make his purchase from the local gun shop and fill out the federal registration forms linking the weapon to himself.

What other basic equipment will the beginner need as essential tools of the trade. What equipment should be added to his inventory later?

BASIC EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

• WEAPONS
  • AR-7 Rifle (or any breakdown type)
  • 3-6 Powered Scope
  • Disposable Rifle Silencer
  • Two Extra 15 or 30 Shot Rifle Clips
  • 22 Ruger Mark I or Mark II Pistol (or any fixed barrel type)
  • Disposable Pistol Silencer
  • Shoulder Holster
  • Extra Pistol Clip
• AMMUNITIONS
  • Hollow Point Bullets
  • Liquid Poison
  • Wax
• ACCESSORIES
  • Double Edged Knife With Six-Inch Blade (Like the Gerber Mark II)
  • Disposable Rubber or Surgical Gloves (Flesh Tone Preferred)
  • Handcuffs
  • Ski Mask or Stocking Mask
  • Duffle Bag with Lock

THE WEAPONS

The AR-7 Rifle is recommended because it is both inexpensive and accurate. The barrel breaks down for storage inside the stick with the clip. It is lightweight and easy to carry or conceal when disassembled.

The rifle has a ridge on top that will easily accept a scope, even though it is not cut for one. Put the scope in place, tighten it down, then sight it in. After sighting it in, scratch a mark behind each scope clamp to allow remounting of the scope without resighting each time.

A three to six powered scope is recommended to insure accuracy at up to sixty-five yards. When braced, right to fifteen shots should cover a four inch pattern area with no difficulty.

Get two extra fifteen or thirty shot clips from your local gun dealer or order through one of the gun magazines. But never load these clips to full capacity, as they tend to jam when fully loaded. When loading the clip before job assignment, be sure to wipe each bullet to remove fingerprints, or spray with WD-40 or some other oil.

The AR=7 has a serial number stamped on the case, just above the clip port. This number should be completely drilled out. The hole left will be unsightly but will not interfere with the working mechanism of the gun or the clip feed. The serial number can remain on the gun until you prepare it for use on the job. After the job assignment is completed, you will be disposing of the gun; therefore you do not want any serial number available if, perhaps, some of the discarded gun parts are discovered.

If the serial number is on the barrel of the gun, grinding deeply enough to remove it may weaken the barrel to the point that the gun could explode in your face when fired. To make these numbers untraceable, use a hammer and chisel or a numbering set purchased from the hardware store to stamp them out or make them illegible. make sure your blows go as deep as or a little deeper than the existing numbers. Then grind the serial number off slightly. This method will keep the true serial number from being raised in any acid tests if the part is found.

The recommended handgun is the fixed barrel Ruger Mark I or Mark II, again because it is inexpensive and reliable. This gun has a ten shot clip that seldom jams if kept clean. The gun can be easily broken down in the field, which helps when disposing of it after use.

Extra clips are a must for both the rifle and pistol and should be carried as a precautionary measure. Hollow-point bullets are recommended because they deform on impact, making them nontraceable. As an added precaution, you can fill the hollows with liquid poison to insure the success of your operation.

Using a handheld one eighth inch drill, enlarge the hollow point openings. Fill the hollows with the liquid poison of your choice, then seal with a drop of melted wax.

TO test your guns and ammunition, set up a sheet of quarter inch plywood at distances of two to seven years maximum for your pistol, and twenty to sixty yards maximum for your rifle. Check for penetration of bullets at each range. Quarter inch plywood is only a little stronger than the human skull. Find the maximum range for both your rifle and your pistol. Also, test your weapons under various weather conditions and determine how wind, rain and snow affect your range and accuracy.

Close kills are by far preferred to shots fired over a long distance. You will need to know beyond any doubt that the desired result has been achieved.

When using a small caliber weapon like the 22, it is best to shoot from a distance of three to six feet. You will not want to be at point blank range to avoid having the victim's blood splatter you or your clothing. At least three shots should be fired to ensure quick and sure death.

You can judge when death has occurred by observing the wound. When blood ceases to flow, the heart has stopped working. Check for pulse at both the wrist and throat as an added precaution.

If you must do your shooting from a distance, use a rifle with a good scope and silencer and aim for the head -- preferably the eye sockets if you are a sharpshooter. Many people have been shot repeatedly, even in the head, and survived to tell about it. Close kills enable you to determine right away if you have successfully fulfilled your part of the contract; distance shots may mean waiting around to read the morning papers.

In either case, as soon as possible, run a rat-tail file or wire cleaning brush down the ore of the gun to change the ballistic markings. Do this even though you intend to discard the crime weapon, And make sure you carry away and discard all shells that were ejected as the shots were fired.

If, for some reason, you just can't bear to part with your weapons, there are five parts that will require immediate alteration, and this alteration can only be made once in the life of the gun:

Using a rat tailfile, alter the gun barrel, the shell chamber, the loading ramp, the firing pin and the ejector pin.

Each one of these items leaves its own definite mark and impression on the shell casing which, if any shells happened to be left behind, can be matched up to the gun under a microscope in the police laboratory.

When using the file, make sure that you scrape the part on each listed item where it makes contact with the shell.

Personally, I feel that any weapon used to commit a crime is disposable. If you consider the value of a gun to be higher than that of your personal freedom, you'd better leave that gun at home.

A subject of primary importance is where to purchase the weapons you use on job assignments. As suggested in Chapter 1, you can often pick up throwaways from people who advertise in the classified section of the newspaper. Just be sure that any weapon you use on a job cannot be traced back to you by the person you purchase it from. Gun shows offer a wide variety of tools and weapons useful in this line of work. Usually no registration is required. At most, they may ask to see your driver's license. And with so many dealers present vying for your business, prices may be competitive. Flea Markets, private gun collectors, veterans who hoard and stash a variety of interesting toys, and bargain hunter magazines are other possible sources.

If you must obtain a weapon through legal channels (signing registration and the like), it might be wise to pay some beggar or wino ten or twenty dollars to present his driver's license and do the signing before you disappear with the gun.

AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT REVOLVERS

Although revolvers are often depicted as being a favorite tool among hit men, they are not recommended by this pro. Revolvers cannot be effectively silenced. The open cylinder allows gases to escape, thus making some noise. When fired, gas is forced around the cylinder in a 360 degree circle, thereby throwing powder all over the person who fired the gun.

An automatic, on the other hand, is tightly sealed so that when it is fired almost all the powder residue is forced into the silencer, where it is trapped. This prevents the powder from escaping and covering the person who fired the shot. Some residue will come out from the automatic's ejection port, but only a very small amount. If a shell catcher is used, the powder residue will become trapped inside the catch bag.

Remember that a silencer will affect the range and accuracy of your gun. Once the silencer is in place you will have to resight to maintain accuracy.

BASIC ACCESSORIES

A duffel bag or some other method of inconspicuously transporting your tools to the jobsite will be needed. Preferably, it will have a lock. It should be large enough to hold your pistol, disassembled rifle and several small accessory items. These items should be kept assembled in the bad in a safe hiding place, wiped clean of fingerprints and ready for use.

Inside the bag should be several (at least dour or five pairs) of flesh-tone, tight-fitting surgical gloves. If these are not available, rubber gloves can be purchased at a reasonable price in the prescription department of most drug stores in boxes of 100. You will wear the gloves when you assemble and disassemble your weapons as well as on the actual job. Because the metal gun parts cause the rubber to wear so quickly, it is a good practice to change and dispose of worn gloves several times during each operation. A small tear in the thin, worn rubber can lead to a hole, leaving behind a partial, identifiable fingerprint at the most inopportune time. Never dispose of the gloves worn on an assignment in the vicinity of the job. Although your fingerprints may have been covered while you worked, they are clearly and distinctly obtainable by turning the found gloves inside out. I know a fellow or two who learned this lesson the hard way.

LEather gloves are not to be considered as a job tool. The leather has the same, individual, distinct characteristics of the human fingerprint. If you have to use leather gloves, destroy them immediately after the job. If found in your possession, they can convict you as quickly as a set of your own fingerprints.

Your bag should contain a few pairs of cheap handcuffs, usually available at pawn shops or army surplus stores. These, two, are throwaways, and may be needed to restrain the mark while you gather information that has been requested by the employer before you pull the trigger.

The knife you carry should have a six inch blade with a serrated section for making efficient, quiet kills. Your physical training and combat techniques, outlines in Chapter 1, should have taught you where to strike.

The knife should have a double edged blade. This double edge, combined with the serrated section and six-inch length, will insure a deep, ragged tear, and the wound will be difficult, if not impossible, to close without prompt medical attention.

Make the thrusts to a vital organ and twist the knife before you withdraw it. If you hit bone, you will have to file the blade to remove the marks left on the metal when it struck the victim's bone.

A rolled up ski-mask can be worn inconspicuously as a knit cap until the time to intrude on your victim. Then, pull it down to cover your features. A stocking mask may also be used, but may prove a bit awkward. And the distorted features created tend to shock people, whereas the ski mask is not so monstrous.

You will want to complete your bag with a few minor accessories like an inexpensive pen-light from the drug store flashlight department. This will be of extreme value as you pick locks or search darkened rooms. Remember to hold your hand over the beam of light as you direct it.

Throw in an ice pick, a large screwdriver and a flat-bladed knife like a putty or hook knife for gaining entry through locked doors, windows, or sliding glass doors.

You may not need all these items on any one job, but it will be to your advantage to have them in case they are called for.

EXTRAS

After the basic equipment has been assembled, the following items can be added to your inventory as they are called for or as you can afford them.

If you are seen by some observant witness, it will be to your advantage if the description he gives the authorities is completely inaccurate. Using your imagination, you can totally change your appearance by using wigs, false beards, wash-in hair color and other disguises. Get books on theatrical make-up from magic shops or then public library and start to experiment with the many ways professionals completely change their looks. Learn to use wigs, false tattoos, scars, black eyes and the like to fool your observers. If a man has an unsightly wart on the end of his nose, that is what everyone will remember about him, not the color of his eyes.

A mark in hiding who expects to become a target may not open his door to you, but he very likely would respond to a request for help from a woman or old person who came calling. Along the same lines, props like repairman, medic and police officer uniforms may get deadbolts unbolted and guards let down.

Some people will argue that a professional will not stoop so low as to play games with disguises. It may be great fun to fool people about who you really are, but it is certainly no game. By using disguises and changing them regularly, a professional has added freedom of movement. If the disguise is easily changeable -- that is if he can get out of it and into another quickly -- then he is time and money ahead.

A man who calls himself a professional and would walk up barefaced and blow someone away with witnesses lurking about is only fooling himself. If you are going to take such great care in the selection and preparation of your tools, why risk being clearly identifiable? Indeed, the use of disguise and props while you carry out your assignment is highly advisable.

CLOTHING

Dress, as well as disguises, should be coordinated according to the job setting. A hippie would be totally out of place in an office complex among men in three piece suits. A clean-shaven, well dressed young man would be out of his natural element among a group of bikers. A feeble old man with a walking cane and a bag of groceries, on the other hand, might fit in almost anywhere. Dress to blend inconspicuously with your surroundings.

You might start with a basic pair of dark coveralls. Except in certain circumstances, camouflage is out. Black, dark brown or olive green clothes do not stand out and will probably appear at first glance to be a mechanic or delivery driver's uniform. The many large pockets provided will enable you to easily conceal rubber gloves, extra clips and other tools. The bulkiness will even allow for concealment of your weapon. And underneath, you can wear your street clothes for a quick change after the job is completed.

Recon of night work, where you do not intend to have your movements detected, call for camouflage or night suits. Be sure to fit this apparel to terrain and weather conditions. You wouldn't dress in black like a ninja to move about on a moonlit night or on a snowy white background. Neither would you wear light clothes to move about in dark alleys or against dark backgrounds. and if you are the only one running around in camouflage garb, you are more than likely to draw attention to yourself.

UNINVITED ENTRY

Following is a template for lock picks which will allow you to make a completely adequate set of picks out of ordinary hacksaw blades ground to shape on your workshop grinder:

THE STANDARD PICKS

Notice that one has slightly less angle at the tip. These two are the most commonly used.

[insert graphics]

THE TORSION BAR

Notice the small site-down at the tip to allow for different sized key slots. A large, thick hair pin makes a good torsion bar.

[insert graphics]

LOCK PICK DIRECTIONS

1. Insert the pick all the way into the lock, facing up.

2. Place the torsion bar in the bottom of the lock, facing down. Exert a slight amount of pressure on the torsion bar in the direction the knob turns to open the door. (on the doors, if the knob is on the right, it turns to the right. If one the left, it turns to the left.)

3. Use only one finger to exert pressure on the torsion bar while you jiggle pick up and down (no more than an eighth of an inch at the most) and work the pick all the way back out of the lock. If you exert too much pressure or try to force the lock, you may freeze it or break the pick. The tumblers inside the lock must be bounced into place.

4. Each time you remove the pick, you must release the pressure on the torsion bar and begin again.

In a short time you should become an expert at opening common door locks. Padlocks will hardly take any time at all to master. Deadbolts may take a little longer, but they are well worth the time and effort.

You can also use ordinary channel lock pliers to open most deadbolts. By twisting the lock and breaking the retaining bolts, you can use a knife point or pick to turn the bolt and gain entry.

Auto part stores also carry a handy little gadget called the Slim Jim that will enable you to get into almost any locked automobile in a manner of seconds. These are inexpensive and come with an instruction booklet depicting the methods for entering different makes and models.

SURVEILLANCE

The walkie-talkie, or two way radio, if it is a really good one, can be an indispensable tool when working with a partner. A good set is expensive, but has the range and ability for communicating through walls and over long distances -- up to two miles at least. It will also have a volume control as well as a code "beeping" device.

The vast array of available surveillance equipment and the rapid advances in technology in this field are mind boggling. The old microphones and reel-to-reel tape recorders that had to be stored nearby are a thing of the past. Now you can plant a bug less than the size of a quarter and sit in you car two miles away while you listen to the action on your car radio. If you are interested in these James Bond tactics, start collecting catalogs and prices now for future use.

One fellow gave a girl who lived with his mark a pretty barrette he found on the floor in a bar. The girl took the barrette home and left it on the dresser. Unfortunately for the mark, who eventually met his demise, the "found" barrette concealed a micro-transmitter. The hit man was able to collect enough information on their activities to plan a successful hit.

Bugs offer some fascinating alternatives to the old standby method of sit-and-watch. Check into them as well as the electronic bug detectors, which are now easily accessible. Think of the kinds of information you could assemble with just a micro-bug and a voice-activated micro-cassette recorder, and think how hard it would be for someone without proper detection equipment to discover.

Of course, no surveillance equipment would be complete with a good pair of binoculars. The best have a rating of 10 x 50 or higher for night vision, range and clarity.

Even a small micro-cassette recorder can come in handy while you are doing your prejob research and will take the place of pen, paper, and fumbling in the dark.

MISCELLANEOUS

An air gun (one with pump, not spring, action), will come in handy on a number of occasions. You can use pellets to knock out lights or to create diversions. Or, you can make your own darts to carry a fast-acting poison to the mark or to his noisy watchdog.

From time to time you may need a method for climbing to or from high places. Twenty feet of knotted rope (measure after knots are tied) can come in handy for climbing to second floor balconies or coming down from a roof. Tie one end in a high branch of a large tree and practice until you can scale it easily.

Of course, the tools you use will vary from job to job. Some you will find yourself using again and again, while other suggested items will never be called for. Stock your inventory according to personal preference and need.

LUXURY ITEMS

As you move up the ladder of professionalism and become accustomed to success, you may want to increase you inventory with several toys that will make James Bond envious. Among these may be cleverly designed attaché cases with concealed weapons activated by a button on the handle, fancy cameras, Star-Light scopes, Laser bugging equipment, electronic gadgets and the like.

Of course, your selection of weapons will grow and you may even have a secret vault in your home to conceal your collection of fully automatic toys like the Mac-11, M-16, tranquilizer guns, hand grenades and sophisticated exploding devices.

You will be able to afford the best in false identifications and obtain real uniforms and badges for various state and federal law enforcement agencies to aid in the performance of your contracts.

Throwaway cars and boats may even become common and you even own your very own plane, through legal methods explained later.

Money talks, and for every need you have, there is a man out there who is willing to fill it for you for a price. That's how you got started, remember? But money buys a lot more than material things. Money can buy smart attorneys, judges, alibis, and even time, if necessary. The possibilities are endless for the smart man who plans his moves carefully, is mentally and physically prepared and doesn't leave any trails as he performs his highly paid services.

THE DISPOSABLE SILENCER

IN THE COURSE OF PUTTING this book together, while disguising myself as a writer I chanced to interview a former law enforcement officer with twenty seven years experience for his opinion of how a perfect hit would go down. It was the opinion of this officer of the peace that the perfect hit would start with the purchase of a nondescript automobile, then driving, with tools in tow, to the jobsite.

Once there, he would follow the mark until a routine was established and probably waste the man in a public place with a blast from a double barreled sawed-off shotgun. Then he would throw the gun down and drive away while the bystanders were in a state of mass hysteria.

Even if he got caught with the shotgun in his hands, he argued, they would not be able to prove that the blast from that shotgun was the murder weapon since shotguns are untraceable. Obviously he has not kept in touch with new investigative procedures and techniques, for it is now known that each shotgun makes an individual and distinct spread pattern and the gun most certainly can be matched as the murder weapon.

"Why not hit the mark in his own home?" I inquired innocently.

"Oh, I'd never hit a guy in his own house," he answered, "Too many witnesses .. you know, family ... nosy neighbors and the like."

What about a small caliber handgun with an attached silencer?" I asked.

"Well," he answered, "You would have to carry the handgun concealed, and that's against the law. But the shotgun, if it were a legal sized shotgun, you could carry that right in the window of your pickup truck on your gun rack. And I'd never touch a silencer. Boy! They'd burn you if you got caught with a thing like that!"

I concluded the interview pretending to be in awe of his wisdom, while inside I was amazed by the ignorance behind his reasoning. Why on earth, I thought, would a man worry about breaking gun restrictions when he was en route to commit a murder.?

Yet, I felt comforted by his viewpoint. For his opinion probably represents the way a goodly portion of law enforcement officers think.

There have been many times when an amateur has just walked up to his mark on the street, blown him away in the midst of a crowd, ditched the gun in a garbage can and gotten away with it. But the whole procedure lacks professionalism and the risks are much too high.

The professional is on call to kill. He not only provides the employer with his gun, but with his expert knowledge, discretion and ability to carry the assignment off without needlessly endangering anyone but the mark.

The silencer is one of the most important tools a professional will ever have. The silenced weapon, when fired, will not draw attention. Lack of attention means more time. Time means getting the job done right. The panic, the pressure, is absent. There are many books available on the subject of making your own silencers. Most of the methods used require machine shop tools and the ability to use them with precision accuracy. This fact alone has put a lot of would-be professionals out of the game, or at least back into the ranks of amateurs.

On the following pages, you will learn how to make, without the need of special engineering ability or expensive machine shop tools, a silencer of the highest quality and effectiveness. The finished product attached to your 22 will be no louder than the noise made by a pellet gun. Because it is so inexpensive (mine cost less than 20 dollars to make), you can easily dispose of it after job use without any great loss. Future silencers will cost even less to make, since many of the materials will not be used up in the first application.

Your first silencer will require possibly two days total to assemble (including drying time) as you carefully follow the directions step by step. After you make a couple, it will become so easy, so routine, that you can whip one up in just a few hours.

When it's done, no need to take it out in the woods to try it out. Just stack some magazines or newspapers in a box and shoot to your hearts content in the garage. Believe me, it's that good.

Just remember, as I mentioned before, to resight your gun after the silencer is in place. And when you do go out in the woods, experiment to test how your range is affected. You will lose some distance, and this must be taken into consideration later, when planning a hit.

DISPOSABLE SILENCER DIRECTIONS

The directions and photographs that follow show in explicit detail how to construct a silencer for a Ruger 10/22 rifle. The same directions can be followed successfully to construct a silencer for any weapon, with only the size of the drill rod used for alignment changed to fit inside the dimension of the barrel.

The following items should be assembled before you begin:

• Drill rod, 7/32 inch (order from a machine shop if not obtained locally)
• One foot of 1/4 inch brake line from auto parts
• One quart of fiberglass resin with hardener
• One foot of 1-1/2 inch (inside diameter) PVC piping and two end caps
• One yard thin fiberglass mat
• One roll of masking tape
• One 1/8 inch drill bit
• One 3/16 inch drill bit
• Handful of rubber bands
• Three or four single inch razor blades
• One sheet 80 grit sandpaper
• Six small wood screws
• One box steel wool

Cut a 10-inch section from the brake line. See figure 1. Drill a set of 1/8 inch holes down the length of the tube going in one side and out the other. The holes go all the way through. Notice in the photograph that the holes begin 1-1/2 inches from the end of the tube that fill on the gun.

Next, take a 3/16 inch drill bit and enlarge the holes. See figure 2.

Using masking tape and keeping the tape as free of wrinkles as possible, mask off about six inches of the gun barrel and the end of the barrel. Use only masking tape. Duct tape is too thick and would make for an improper fit. See figure 3.

Then place the drill rod down the barrel to keep the brake tube aligned. This perfect alignment is extremely important.

If the drill rod you purchase is a little too large, as sometimes happens, put it in a drill and using a file and sandpaper (80 grit), turn down the first six inches until it will fit inside the gun barrel. I operate the drill from the floor with my foot, letting the rod spin between my knees as I reduce the size. Check regularly until you achieve a perfect fit. If you grind the rod too small, cut it off and start over. Fit must be tight with no play. See figure 4.

Wrap glass mat around the gun and tube three times. Secure it with string or rubber bands every half inch to keep it tight and in place. The glass should be wrapped about two inches behind the sight and up to the first hold on the tube. See figure 5.

Now mix the resin. About a shot glassful will do. Mix it two or three times hotter than the package directions.

Brace the gun in an upright position and dab the resin into the glass cloth with a stubby brush. Keep dabbling until the cloth is no longer white but has become transparent from absorption of the resin. See figure 6.

As soon as the glass is tacky to touch without sticking (times differs according to weather conditions and humidity), it is time to remove the piece from the barrel. Move fast!

First, take a razor blade and cut a notch behind the sight so the piece can be removed. Then push on the glass to slide it off. Do not pull on the tube. See figure 7.

After removing the gun barrel, peel out the tape and allow it to finish hardening. You must work quickly. If you let the glass harden too much on the gun, you will have to cut it off and begin again.

USe a grinder and 80 grit sandpaper to smooth the hardening rough surface.

NEzt, grind the sides down about halfway, but do not grind past the point where the front of the sight makes contact. See figure 8. Cut it down until the barrel fits easily and snugly.

Stand the glassed inner tube upright in a vise.

Mix a small amount of resin and use an eyedropper to fill in any interior holes or air bubbles until the solid fiberglass is level with the steel tube end. This will give the junction of the steel inner tube and glass coupling added strength. See figure 9.

Clean the eyedropper with acetone.

Cut the PVC tube to desired length. This one is eight inches. See figure 10.

Drill a large hole in the center of one cap, making it large enough to fit on the glass end to the point where the sight makes contact.

Then drill small holes all around the cap at the bottom, as shown, with a 3/16 bit. See figure 11.

Wrap masking tape around the cap to cover the holes. See figure 12.

Stand the cap with the inside tube inserted into a vise. Get the cap level and straight with the tube.

Cut a lot of 1/2 inch square pieces of fiberglass matting and fill the cap with it up past the level of the small holes.

Mix resin and pour it over the cut glass to a point about 1/4 inch above the holes and allow it to dry before removing the cap from the vise. Don't worry about any resin that leaks out around the base hole. Resin fills the small holes, making the tube strong enough to take the blast when you fire the gun.

When the inside is hardened, turn the assembly over and add glass around the backside of the cap for added strength as shown. Avoid getting resin in the opening where the barrel fits. See figure 13.

Place the finished cap and inner tube on one end of the PVC tubing that has already been cut to size. Center the inner tube as you look in the open end of the PVC.

Now drill a 1/8 inch hole in three place around the tube about 1/4 inch from the lip of the cap.

Take the inner tube out and enlarge the holes in the cap to 3/16 inch. See figure 14.

Replace the inner tube and tighten it down with three small wood screws.

Trim the inside tube down until it extends about 1/2 inch beyond the outside PVC tube.

Sharpen one end of the drill rod to a point and use as a punch. Stand the tube up with the solid cap down. Then drop the drill rod down the inner tube to get a true center mark. See figure 15.

Find a drill bit a little larger than the outside diameter of the inner tube. Remove the cap and drill the hole.

Replace the cap on the open end of the PVC and drill three 1/8 inch holes around the cap as before for wood screw.

Grind off any inner tube that sticks out. make it flush with the face of the cap. See figure 16.

Unfold the sections of steel wool and roll between palms to make strands as shown.

Feed the strands into the silencer tube in a circular motion, packing the wool tight with a stick. Do this until the tube is completely full. See figure 17.

Replace the end cap with the three screws. See figure 18.

Paint the finished silencer black and attach it to your weapons. You may want to ensure proper alignment by wrapping tape or placing a hose clamp around the extension behind the sight. See figure 19.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

Your finished product is whisper-quiet, the way a silencer is supposed to be! It is inexpensive, effective and reusable for over four hundred rounds before you will need to repack.

This little tool is so easy to make that you will feel no pain when you crush it to bits and throw it away.

TO KILL A RABBIT

IT WOULD TAKE VOLUMES and volumes to list the many ways men have devised to exterminate one another, and I am sure you have already started to accumulate quite an extensive list of your own personal favorites.

Some very good books are available on this subject and even television, movies and fictional stories are out to teach you a new trick or two! but be careful. Some of the methods depicted are only theories of an imaginative writer and do not work in reality. so be sure that any method you choose is a proven effective one.

In Chapter 2, much detail was given concerning the effective use of the pistol and the rifle in making a kill. Although several shots fired in succession offer a quick and relatively humane death to the victim, there are instances when other methods of extermination are called for. The employer may want you to gather certain information from the mark before you do away with him. At other times, the assignment may call for torture or disfigurement as a "lesson" for the survivors. Your assignment could call for suicide or accidental death may be the order. It may, or may not, be important that the body disappear. There are ways to put off discovery of the body and ways to make it disappear completely.

Books that deal with these subjects are available for your information, but the following techniques are personal favorites.

EXPLOSIVES

I will be rare to get a request for someone to be taken out with a bigger boom than that created by your 22. If you get such a request and don't know how to handle explosives properly, you'd be better off passing up the job.

Here, again, much data is available on making homemade explosives, but these directions should be pretested before actual use. Quite of the few directions I have found product nothing but an unsatisfactory fizzle.

Also, beware of the ability of the authorities to trace explosives. Sources for these supplies are limited, so make sure the components you have are untraceable.

The only time I can think of that explosives might be in order is when several marks will be together in one place at one time, and you might be able to get them all with one shot. Notice that I stress the word might. Shrapnel doesn't always kill. So in the aftermath, it will be your responsibility to enter the area and make sure that the desired result was accomplished. Survivors are not good for business. And since explosives tend to attract immediate attention, you will have to work fast and take extreme added risk.

Personally, I prefer discreet one-one-one contact and tend to avoid anything that draws attention. If explosives are the only alternative I military C-4 plastics or a military issue hand grenade (baseballs; the pineapple kind is obsolete). A hand grenade, properly placed, can give the desired results in a one-on-one situation. For instance, a grenade placed beneath the mark's car directly under the driver's seat with a wire leading from the pin to the drive shaft will work wonderfully. Just make sue the mark is the only one who drives the car or you may blow up some innocent victim. Messy mistakes of this type are not only a professional embarrassment to you and your employer but they tend to alert the mark of your intentions and bring the authorities out in full force.

I once witnessed the destruction of a small stone house by means of a simple fertilizer bomb. The readily available components of it make it untraceable and it worked so well that all that was left was part of the foundation and a large, gaping hole where the bomb had been.

To make a fertilizer bomb, purchase a fifty pound bag of fertilizer from your garden center. Get the kind with the highest nitrate content you can find. Next, buy one pound of black powder from a gun shop that sells reload supplies. Then, get 10-20 feet of waterproof fuse from a hobby shop that sells model rockets.

Place the gunpowder inside a jar which comes with a screw-on lid. Drill a hole in the lid and slip one end of the fuse through tying a knot in the fuse to keep it from slipping out of the jar. Screw the lid on the powder filled jar.

Under the bag of fertilizer place the powder filled jar cap side down. Extend the fuse and light or use a cigarette as a delayed igniter. RUN LIKE HELL~

Dynamite is nice and can be picked up from many building sites or roads under construction. But during storage the sticks have to be turned over regularly to prevent settling of the nitro. And the blasting caps necessary to make it go off are so tricky that just by walking across the carpet enough static electricity could be created to blow you away.

As I said in the beginning, unless you know what you are doing, stay away from requests for this kind of extermination, or the life you take may be your own.

ARSON

Arson is a good method for covering a kill or creating an "accident." When properly set, the fire will appear to have started from natural causes and arson will not be suspected.

Fire investigation has become a science in recent years, and authorities and professional fire fighters can learn a great deal about the fire and its origin by a study of the scene.

Before you try to fake a fire, know how to do it properly. For instance, lots of the new carpeting on the market is now fire retardant, as there are many other sympathetic materials. So rather than start a fire in the middle of the room, start it under an electrical appliance or from a stove burner that has "carelessly" been left on, or some other likely spot.

Don't ever use gasoline or other traceable materials to start your fire. Woodgrain alcohol is you best starter because it burns away all traces.

One good fire in an area that will create a lot of smoke from burning materials is preferred. Fire investigators can trace the origin of the fire, and two flames started simultaneously will immediately arouse suspicion.

It is not the flame that kills most victims of a fire, but the inhalation of smoke. A fire victim will have smoke present in his lungs. Therefore, if this is your choice of extermination, your mark should be unconscious, but breathing, when the fire is set. Make sure that no scratches or bruises point to foul play. And remove the batteries from all smoke detectors with gloved hands before you set the fire.

Never hang around to watch the fire you set. Police have been known to photograph the crowd; that's how a lot of pyromaniacs get caught. Don't let your curiosity get the better of you!

BARE HAND KILLS, KNIVES, AND SILENT WEAPONS

All of these are primarily self defense methods or tools. Who wants to take a chance with his bare hands or a knife in a one-on-one confrontation when a gun is so much quicker, cleaner and more effective and gives you so much more leverage? A mark may risk a chance at defending himself against your personal onslaught, but that cold steel with the silencer attached shows right away that you mean business and gets instant respect.

However, skillful knowledge and use of these abilities is desirable and recommend. There may come a time when you need a silent method for eliminating a mark in a crowded area, or a way to quiet a bodyguard as noiselessly as possible in order to get the mark.

As in all kill methods, be sure of your proficiency before your life depend son it. Stay in top physical condition, practice regularly until the moves become automatic and study pressure points so you will know where to strike and how much force to use for desired results.

an ice pick hidden against your arm as you casually stroll past an unsuspecting victim in a crowded place can e used to strike him a powerful kidney blow without interrupting the natural swing of your arms as you pass.

Movies and fictitious stories like to show the cutting of the victim's throat as a slice from ear to ear. However, this is not the best, or preferred, method.

Using your six-inch, serrated blade knife, stab deeply into the side of the victim's neck and push the knife forward in a forceful movement. This method will half decapitate the victim, cutting both his main arteries and wind pipe, ensuring immediate death.

As described earlier, the proper way to make a kill with the recommended knife is to twist the blade before withdrawing it from a vital area. The serrated edge will make an open, gaping wound that cannot be closed to stop the bleeding.

You combat instructor should be able to teach you a wide variety of skills with silent weapons, when to use them and where to strike. You will develop your own personal preferences and style.

There will hardly be a time when you will kill with your bare hands unless you use your ability for self-defense. A knife may be called for on occasion, and should be carried with you on all your assignments in case it is required. Silent weapons are specialty measures which require skill an talent for effective use.

In any case, the object is to get to the mark, complete your assignment, and get out, as cleanly and as quickly as possible without drawing any unnecessary attention.

POISONS

Poisons are sweet, silent and effective, and some leave no traces. Poison is one of the hit man's best friends.

If you know your mark's habits well enough, the desired result can be achieved while you are sitting miles away. If you make personal contact for their introduction, poisons will give prompt, guaranteed results.

Because there is so much government regulation, effective poisons are getting harder and harder to come by. The recent Extra Strength Tylenol scare didn't help matters. Yet, there are sources still available for your use.

At the local library, a very helpful assistant led me to a reference section, where I copied down the name and addresses of several large chemical suppliers (You don't want "industrial" chemicals: they are janitorial supplies.) I obtained phone numbers from information and called the numbers systematically until I found the one that carried the products I wanted. Under the guide of HM Research and Development, I ordered the minimum amounts required and sent along a money order for faster processing.

Later, I went so far as to have a company letterhead made and sent inquires on certain chemicals, minimum ordering requirements and costs to the suppliers on my list. The letter went something like this:

Dear Sirs:
Our firm is interested in obtaining small quantities of the following chemicals for research purposes only. Please send a quote on minimum purchase requirements, costs and delivery.

Sincerely,

Jow Blough
President, HM Research and Development

With the information and catalogs I received from the suppliers who responded, I started a file for future reference.

Newspapers and magazines often feature articles on newly discovered toxic substances and as warnings about misuse of everyday toxic chemicals.

Recently there has been quite a stink about dioxin, a chemical waste material who's disposal the Environmental protection Agency has not handled satisfactorily. it is claimed that two ounces of this pure waste in powder form, if set off by a small blast into the air we breathe, could wipe pout the entire population of a large city. Poison for thought, isn't it?

One of the luckiest sources for poisons that I ever stumbled across was an air-head who worked in the laboratory at a local hospital. This fellow would steal, smuggle out and deliver almost anything I could request in exchange for a bag of dope.

You might often find such a source for yourself, but don't use him too often. His chances of becoming careless in his efforts to satisfy his habit are great. You don't need someone of this character telling anyone who he steals the stuff for.

A chance visit to the local garden supply turned up a wealth of unexpected information. The first surprise was a booklet covering the poisonous plants, insects and reptiles of my state. The book went into amazing detail about the potency of each poison, the lethal amount, and the resulting effects. I spent days scouting the woods and garden centers, picking up plants to break down for my stash. I smashed seeds, dried leaves and ground berries until the wee hours of morning, placing each small bottle with a tight cap and label.

Carolina or yellow jessamine, for instance, is in the same plant family that produces strychnine and curare. All parts are toxic. Aside from a variety of side effects, death is brought about due to stoppage of breathing.

The flowering oleander is another good one. All parts are very poisonous. Final effect is unconsciousness, respiratory paralysis and death. People have been poisoned by using the branches of this plant to skewer meat or stir food. Even the smoke of burning oleander is poisonous.

Pokeweed, or inkberry, is entirely poisonous, but especially the root. About two hours after eating, vomiting and purging begins. Death is said to be caused by respiratory failure.

One thoroughly chewed castor bean seed will cause death within two weeks from uremia, with symptoms beginning up to three days after ingestion.

The fruit pulp of the chinaberry tree is especially poisonous. Toxic alkaloids attack the nervous system and cause death by paralysis.

The list goes on and on ...

At the same garden center, I chanced to survey the wide assortment of chemicals available for the do-it-yourselfer. my favorite (and one that is highly recommended by several other connoisseurs) is nicotine. A product called black leaf 40 contains 40 percent nicotine. Nicotine is on the restricted drug list and cannot be legally purchased in pure form. Boil this liquid until all the water evaporates and you will be left with a thick, lethal syrup. I prefer injection into the bloodstream via dart or poison-filled bullet. Placing it directly on the skin has never gotten any results.

If you live in a coastal area, you might have read recent newspaper warnings against eating the common blowfish (also known as puffer). It seems that the bladder of this saltwater fish contains tetrodotoxin, a poison which is 150 thousand times more potent than curare. If the bladder is accidentally broken during cleaning and the meat contaminated by its contents, eating the fish will bring about blocked nerves, causing all muscles to stop working. The victim stops breathing and dies within minutes. There is no known antidote, and the victims of such poisonings are often diagnosed as having died from food poisoning.

If you don't live in a coastal area where you can easily obtain one of these wonderful sources of deadly poison, why not ask you local pet shop owner to order one especially for your salt water aquarium.

Of course, all your poisons should be tested prior to actual use. Because there metabolisms most resemble that of man, try small amounts of the poisons you collect on mice and rats. Dogs and cats can withstand much greater dosages than humans and are not a good choice for valid testing. After you have tested your poisons for effectiveness and established your favorites you are ready to go to work.

The Mafia is said to have coated assassins' bullets with garlic juice, supposedly fatal if it enters the bloodstream, though safe to ingest. If this is true, than how much more effective will it bot to fill your hollow point bullets with the liquid poison of your choice to ensure a job well done?

Dip your knife in the lethal drug. Star tips, darts and ice picks become doubly effective when used in combination with poison. Soak the mark's tea bags in the potent additive. Empty his medication and refill all capsules with milk-sugar except for one loaded dose. Let your imagination soar!

The Poor Man's James Bond sold by Paladin Press, give recipes for potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide, both lethal granules. Effects of these poisons were tested for us by a few previous users of Extra Strength Tylenol.

Poisons offer a quiet alternative to things that go boom in the night and are well worth the effort it takes to accumulate and test them.

Rumor has it that Jake T was causing friction for some boys who brought in illegal substances on the West Coast of Florida. Old Jake wanted a big piece of the action and started throwing his weight around. Something had to be done before Jake upset the apple cart.

A professional was brought in.

"I don't care how you do it," said the big boss, "But it has to look natural. We don't want the heat on our backs because some asshole with an overgrown ego doesn't know how to mind his own business."

The professional followed old Jake discreetly for a few days, checking for clues, habits and behaviors that would help hymn make a decision on how to accomplish the extermination.

He had watched Jake travel about town in his four-by-four pickup with the shotguns hanging in the rear window on the gun rack. He had picked up Jake's rather loose routine. The only thing he knew for sure was that wherever Jake went, he was always chewing on the end of a toothpick.

With that clue, he carefully soaked a toothpick in the contents of the bladder of a blowfish he picked up at the beach. After it dried, he placed the toothpick in a conspicuous place on the dash of Jake's truck, within reach of the steering wheel, and removed the other toothpicks that were lying about.

About two days later, as Jake was getting out of his truck, he dropped dead. Cause of death was determined to be food poisoning.

ACCIDENTS AND SUICIDES

It takes a lot of knowledge and common sense to efficiently fulfill a request for an apparent accidental death or suicide. An autopsy and police investigation can reveal a great deal about the accident and/or how the victim really met his death.

For instance, a body found lying at the bottom of a flight of stairs will have bruises, broken bones, and marks. Unless you know how to fake these results or bring about certain death from a real fall, you had better not get involved.

If the employer is requesting accidental death to collect double indemnity on an insurance policy, have him read the fine print again. many times these policies also pay double for violent deaths, so a foiled robbery or a burglary may be more in line with your abilities.

Faked suicides are very tricky too. A left-handed man will not shoot himself with his right hand. A man who jumps off a building to his death will not hit the pavement twenty feet from that building. Distance alone will indicate whether he jumped or was thrown. A person with a phobia for heights would choose a suicide method other than jumping from a building., And many a hanging has been discovered to be a result of foul play because the knot was tied in the wrong direction, or because there was no evidence of a ladder or other way for the victim to get his head into the noose.

Contrary to popular belief, most suicides do not leave notes. Usually these people are so depressed that all they want is out. So if your mark is not visibly depressed and all seems to be going right with him in the world, immediate suspicion may result from his death.

If you are qualified to fulfill a suicide or accidental death request, you should charge more for the hit based on your superior knowledge and abilities.

MAKING A RELUCTANT VICTM TALK

At times it will be an imperative part of your job assignment hat you extract certain information from the mark before he meets his fate. Most people will tell you anything you want to know, even when they are sure they are about to die, just to buy a few extra seconds or minutes of life. But there are a stubborn few who will take their secrets to their graves rather than break, even in the face of death. Sometimes you can pretend to bargain with these obstinate martyrs, even though you fully intend to carry out your contract once you receive the desired information.

I had the opportunity to accompany a master of persuasion on an assignment a few years ago. Although small in stature, this full-blooded Indian was ruthless in obtaining the information he came for. The mark was a much larger man, outweighing the Indian by more than eighty pounds. With my help, we subdued the giant, stripped him to the waist and tied him into a wooden arm chair.

"Talk," ordered the Indian.

Silence.

The Indian pulled an ice pick from his pocket.

The giant looked from the point of the pike to the Indian and then to me, as if begging for my intervention. I shrugged my shoulders in a helpless gesture.

The Indian circled the giant slowly. Suddenly he stopped and inserted the tip of the pick into the giant's upper arm about a quarter of an inch. When he withdrew his pick, there was a sickening little popping sound as blood spurted from the wound for a second, then stopped.

"Talk," repeated the Indian.

More silence.

Several stabs later, the giant was quivering like a jellyfish, his body like a pincushion, while the Indian was getting more and more into his work.

Suddenly he grew tired of the ice pick game. With a malicious grin, he pulled a pair of pliers from his other hip pocket and gave me a sly wink. Pointedly, methodically, he began with the giant's little finger on his left hand and crunched each knuckle slowly with the pliers. It seemed to no effort at all on his part as the soft bone gave way under the force of the simple tool. he ha only gotten to the third finger when the giant began to cry like a baby and spill his guts. The Indian listened, asked a few questions, then unstrapped the trembling giant and set him free. The big man raced for the door and into the night.

I'm not sure, but I think the Indian was a bit disappointed that it all ended so quickly. But the stain on the front of his pants showed that he had enjoyed himself tremendously!

There is no end to the various ways of torturing a mark until he would tell you what you want to know, and die just to get over it. Sometimes all it takes is putting a knife to his throat. not from behind with the blade across the throat the way they do in the movies, but from the front where the tip of the blade creasing the soft hollow of the throat, where the victim can see the gleaming steel and realizes what damage it would do if it fully penetrated.

Most people would much prefer the compassionate quick release of a bullet to the slow torturous death of being cut and watching their own lifeblood seep from their body. And even facing death, they tend to want to leave the body behind to be whole and dignified instead of a mutilated, unrecognizable corpse.

You may threaten, bargain, torture or mutilate to get the information you want, and you must be prepared to use whatever method works.

HOW TO GET RID OF THE CORPUS DELICTI

If disposing of the body becomes part of your job assignment, you should charge a hefty additional sum. The risks you take in carrying out the request and the extra time you spend with the corpse are certainly deserving of higher compensation. There are many options, and the one you choose will depend on the circumstances of your particular job and location.

If you have a really strong stomach, you can always cut the body into sections and pack it into an ice chest for transportation and disposal at various spots across the countryside.

Or, you can simply cut off the head after burying the body. Take the head into some deserted location, place a stick of dynamite into the mouth, and blow the telltale dentition to smithereens! After this, authorities can't use the victims' dental records to identify his remains. As the body decomposes, fingerprints will disappear and no real evidence will be left from which to make positive identification. You can even clip off the fingertips and bury them separately.

Orf course, there are many easier and less gruesome methods for disposing of the corpse. We all know the story of how the mob buries the body in the still of the night in some footer for a multistory building where cement is to be poured the next day.

Or the one about tying cement blocks to the body and dumping it into the river. But there's a lot more to it than that. If you choose to sink the corpse, you must first make several deep stabs into the body's lungs (from just under the rib cage) and belly. This is necessary because gases released during decomposition will bloat these organs, causing the body to rise to the surface of the water.

The corpse should be weighted with the standard concrete blocks, but it must be wrapped from head to toe with heavy chain as well, to keep the body from departing and floating in chunks to the surface. After the fishes and natural elements have done their works, the chain will drag the bones into the muddy sentiment.

If you bury the body, again deep stab wounds should be made to allow gases to escape. A bloating corpse will push the earth up as it swells. Pour in lime to prevent the horrible odor of decomposition, and lye to make that decomposition more rapid.

Quicksand, the open sea, caves in isolated areas and abandoned wells are all potential places to get rid of the body.

Preplan your actions. Know what you're going to do with the corpse before you pull that trigger. be flexible enough to make sudden changes in your plan should some unexpected predicament arise.

DEALING WITH MAN'S BEST FRIEND

You've probably heard the saying, "There are many ways to kill a rabbit." A greater problem for the hit man is finding a way to silence a barking dog. An overzealous dog in the neighborhood, and more particularly, the mark's own canine, presents a problem that must be dealt with. If you can get to the dog without too much risk to yourself, you can feed it ground glass in raw hamburger a few days before the hit; the animal will die a slow and miserable death. Unfortunately, the ultimate demise of his best friend and protector may put the mark on guard for your impending arrival.

As I stated before, dogs can take much larger amounts of poison than a man's fragile system can handle. You will have to experiment to come up with the best available poison and the proper dosage, which may mean a definite decrease in the canine population of your own neighborhood.

Poison placed inside a capsule and buried in a ball of meat is one method to use. However, this means waiting whatever time it takes for the poison to get into the dog's system to do its work. I have found that if the dog gets a taste of the poison, he may spit the meat out or that some poisons will cause him to throw up his stomach contents in a very short time. And some pets are so finicky that they will eat carefully around any pill or capsule, leaving it as evidence in the bottom of the dog dish.

Shooting a dog will create a loud and continuous string of yelps and howls that may alert the countryside, unless you are an expert marksman and can shoot to kill with one shot. The best spot to go for is right behind and under the ear where the brain is located. Even then, be prepared for that one long yelp before death occurs. In fact, almost anything you do to a dog will bring out that resounding, attention drawing yelp.

A house dog and family pet will normally keep a distance between you and him while he barks his head off to alert his family that danger is present. An attack dog, on the other hand, should charge ferociously. The only advantage of coming face to face with an attack dog is that once he sinks his teeth into something, the barking will stop. If you know an attack dog is on the scene, bring material to wrap your arm to prevent his breaking the skin when he makes his attack. As he charges, offer the wrapped arm and let him sink his teeth into the material. Once he has a good, tight hold, place your free forearm on the back of his neck as a brace. Then jerk the arm he is biting up and back quickly to break his neck. Or, you can just as easily cut his throat while you have him in that position.

a hypodermic needle filled with poison or a poison tipped dart shot through a blow gun seems to give the best results.

HOMEWORK AND SURVEILLANCE

THE ABSOLUTELY MOST ESSENTIAL part of any successful operation is accurate information. Even with the finest weapon and the most sophisticated equipment available, without accurate information you'll be all dressed up with nowhere to go. Or, worse yet, you may crash the wrong party.

HOMEWORK

Only a fool will rush right into a job without doing his homework. You have to know your target, whether it's a job for hire or a personal endeavor. Every scrap of up-to-date information you can gather inconspicuously should be assembled and studied to guarantee the success of you operation. Information requirements will vary, depending on the type and difficulty of the job. Even the most minute, seemingly unimportant detail can be just the very item you need. Everything your employer knows, you should know.

The best way to gather the necessary facts to plan your job is to use an information sheet as a guideline so nothing will be left out. You can have your employer fill it out himself, but you will get better information (once you have a bond of mutual trust and price has been agreed upon) if you ask the questions and fill it our as he supplies the information.

UNtil you actually do the job, the information sheet is just harmless data. However, if it falls into the wrong hands and you go ahead with the job, it could very well prove conspiracy. So keep it in a safe place away from prying eyes and nosy snoopers. After you do the job, the information sheet, along with any photos, maps, diagrams, house keys and other paraphernalia will become incriminating evidence linking you to the crime. So memorize and get rid of all your information before you leave to do the job.

The best way to rid yourself of this evidence is to burn it all, crumble the cooled residue, and scatter it in the wind. If you burn it indoors, flush it down the toilet. But make sure you are not near any smoke detectors or you may have company at the most inopportune time. Just see that all this information is done away with in some manner that will inhibit its reconstruction.

On the following pages is a sample information sheet to show the depth of the information required to plan an efficient, successful job. Each job will be different, so the categories will carry in their importance. For instance, if a man lives alone, it may become important to know is he has a dog who will bark, warning the owner of your impending intrusion or alerting the neighborhood that something is amiss. If a man lives with several other people, however, it may become important to know his regular routine and where he hands out when he is not at work or at home.

Your thinking, pattern and technique should be flexible and imaginative. You may want to develop your own information-gathering system based on your personal needs and preferences.

Using this information complete on the sample form;, we come to the following conclusions:

Items 1,2,3,5 and 24 supply physical information to enable positive identification of the mark. Edward Nathan Jones (AKA Eddie or Fat Boy) can be mentally pictures as a middle-aged, overweight man who is more than likely too out of shape to make any positive effort to defend himself against our onslaught. The photograph supplied will help greatly in making a positive identification. However, if the photo were not available, the indicated mole, scar and habitual cigar would be of great benefit, along with the detailed physical description.

Items 9 through 20 and 23 give clues to his emotional makeup. Our mark is basically a loner. He lives alone, has few friends or outside interests, preferring to remain within the confines of his apartment watching TV during his free time. He is a heavy drinker, although he does not abuse any type of drug. The that he is a homosexual will preclude the sudden appearance of a girlfriend. It was stated in item 23 that he is afraid of sexual contact of any kind since his brush with the law eight years ago. He may be jut a bit paranoid, since he does keep a loaded weapon close at hand in the apartment. His previous fighting ability will more than likely pose no threat, since his excess weight will slow him down considerably and make him short-winded.

Items 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 15, 16, 21, 22, 25,and 26 indicate again that his lifestyle precludes heavy traffic flow at the place where he lives. Although his job is an unimportant one and he drives to and from work alone, a study of the drawings in items 25 and 26 as well as the photos provided make the apartment the initial choice for making the hit. The fact that he does not deal of partake of illegal drugs and that he has no known sexual pastimes shows that he will usually be found alone. The absence of burglar alarms or watchdogs would indicate that he feels relatively safe within the confines of his apartment, relying only on his own abilities and the loaded .38 for self-protection. Since his own car is the only one usually present in the reserved parking area, a quick check of the tag numbers should be enough to verify he is alone before you make your move.

Items 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 20 offer potential methods for making the hit.

Items 7 shows that he travels to and from work alone. A well-planned "traffic accident" or "hit and run" might be in order. Or even a well-placed rifle shot from a distance.

Item 11 might inspire some other type of accident in the home while the mark is under the influence of the alcohol he is known to drink heavily. Or, some really good poison, like cyanide, might be added to a bottle of wine he has chilling in the refrigerator.

The negative responses to items 12, 13, 14 and 15 rule out "Accidental" death due to drug overdose. IF he were a drug dealer, a fake rip-off might have been used as the cover. Or perhaps he would have indulged in a bad bag of dope.

Since he has no dealings with women, item 16 is of little help. A woman would be no use in keeping him occupied or luring him to the spot of your choice.

Item 20 might be a good alternative. If the mark has a bad heart, the mere presence of a venomous snake in his bed or mailbox might bring about an immediate heart attack.

Based on the overall picture, however, quick, silent entry and the muffled blast of your .22 is the preferred route. The mark's physical attributes, his emotional makeup and his lifestyle would indicate that it might be days before any foul play is detected. The layout of the apartment complex and the position of his apartment make it an ideal place to make a hit.

The decision has been made.

You may have noticed no personal information was requested from the employer as to why he wanted the hit performed. neither was their any reference to the employer, his name or location. It is not necessary for you to know why the employer wants the mark taken out. If he tells you, fine. Otherwise, don't ask. The employer is the judge. You are merely the executioner. Your job, once the information is provided, is to study it to arrive at your own conclusions as to how the job will be accomplished or whether additional information will have to be obtained on your own.

Give the employer what he has paid for: the cleanest, most efficient and professional services possible.

SURVEILLANCE

Surveillance can be a tedious and sometimes boring part of your job. It can mean sitting in sweltering heat or freezing cold for hours on end while you try not to look conspicuously out of place or draw attention to yourself. It means hoping to gather enough information to put together some ideas of how the mark thinks and acts so you can plan when and how to make your move.

When a complete packet of information is supplied by the employer at the time you make the contract, surveillance can be cut down to a few routine checks of places the mark is known to frequent and a couple of runs to establish positive identification and correct addresses. If for some reason the employer cannot provide the information required for advance planning, of course the fee he pays and the expense money advanced will Ben higher to cover the extra risks and time involved in assuring success of the job.

The key here, as always, is discretion. The use of disguises will enable you to move about more freely. It is much to your advantage that no one recognize your true identity or remember your actual description.

Surveillance techniques vary from job to job, depending on the area where the mark lives and his personal and social habits. A man in a large city will be much easier to watch or tag that a man in a small town or rural community. In the city, you blend with the crowd and the crowd tends to mind its own business. In a small area, an outsider will immediately inspire curiosity.

In some places, an unusual car parked on the roadside with a lone man seated behind the wheel for an extended period of time may have terrified mothers reporting its presence to the authorities. In other places, the same man could sit in the same car all day and no one would give him a second glance.

The object is to check the conditions that exist on each particular job before you formulate your plan. No matter how high your IQW, or how sharp your weapon skills, if you lack basic common sense, you won't make it as a professional in this field.

One fellow I know accepted a contract on an old country boy who has known to be a big drug dealer. The mark was always on the go and never in one place at the same time twice. And traffic at the mark's home was heavy, moving in and out in a steady stream. The hit man followed the mark for several days and never could establish the proper time or place to make a quiet hit. Finally, in frustration, he got into his "good OLE country boy" outfit and knocked on the mark's front door.

"Charlie 'round?" the hit man drawled as he spat a mouth of chew on the ground.

"Naw, he ain't here," came the reply.

"Reckon I could catch him over at Pete's Bar4?" our friend inquired as he bent to wipe the dust from his cowboy boots.

"Maybe later. He's out at the packing house right now," the young man informed him. "I 'spect him to come back by here 'bout five or six o'clock."

"Thank you much, "our friend said, tipping his hat politely. "Just tell him Clyde stopped by and I'll be seeing him later."

Back in his pickup truck, "Clyde" drove to the packing house he had surveyed earlier. he knew it was a cover for transporting the drugs cross-country. The decision now was whether to hit the mark here, or wait until later when he was known to be visiting Pete's Bar.

Luckily there was a vacant parking spot to the left of the mark's car. he turned the radio on and country music filled the air. Leaning his head back against the seat, he pulled hi hat down to cover his eyes as though he were napping. He was still in that position when the unsuspecting mark bent to unlock his car forty-five minutes later.

The muffled sound of three shots to mark's head went unnoticed by the workers in the packing house. The body was not discovered until several hours later when the shift ended. By then, our friends was safely miles away. A difficult hit had been successfully completed!

If you expect your surveillance to entail tedious hours of watching and waiting, there are some things you can do to make yourself more comfortable during that time. If it's cold out, dress warmly and carry a blanket to cover yourself so you won't have to run the car to keep the heater going. Pack a thermos of coffee or cold drinks and some food so you won't have to leave your position when you get hungry. Bring a portable radio of cassette player so you won't drain your car battery. Don't bring any reading material. You can't watch and read, although a book or newspaper may be used as a prop. To fill the time, you make check out books on cassette from the library and listen while you watch.

Fill your tank before you start out. You never know when the mark may be on the move, and many a tail has been lost because the tank ran out before the mark did.

If you can afford them and are able to get inside to plant them, quarter sized bugging devices are not available that will pick up conversation up to two miles away on an unused radio frequency. The bugs can be planted in the house, inside a frequently worn jacket, inside the car, and so on, giving you the leverage of knowing what is going on from a perfectly legitimate spot within a two-mile radius.

Binoculars, infra-red photography, Star-light scopes and bugging devices all have their time and place. Unfortunately, nothing will ever replace the basic sit and watch technique.

At night, perhaps circumstances will allow you to approach a little closer to take a peek, or even go inside for a preliminary investigation. But don't ever take risks gathering information that may not be necessary. Use common sense!

Remember these important rules: If, for any reason, you can be placed at the jobsite by witnesses, scratch that job for a later time or eliminate it altogether.

If you are working out of town and get a traffic ticket, Call the job off.

If you are doing surveillance and the cops come to check out your reason for loitering in the area, call the job off.

If you run into a neighbor or repairman while you are snooping around the mark's house, Call the job off.

Don't let any little detail link you to the victim.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

YOU'VE READ ALL THE suggested reading material, you've honed your mind, body and reflexes into a precision piece of professional machinery. You've assembled the necessary tools and learned to use them efficiently. Your knowledge of dealing death has increased to the point where you have a choice of methods. Finally, you are confident and competent enough to accept employment. Where do you start?

Placing advertisements in military and gun magazines may get results .. but not the type you are after. The only response one fellow I know got was a personal visit from the FBI -- which certainly is not conducive to the preferred low profile. Even though he used a post office box, Big brother was able to track him down with little effort. I do not recommend that you use this method of solicitation, or that you respond to these ads.

Your best bet as a beginner is to of through a personal acquaintance whom you trust and who is capable of paying for your services. This person will be aware of your interest in weapons, your combat training and your unconventional attitude. If he has a problem that needs solving, approach him gently to see how serious he is about getting it taken care of. You may start out as a bodyguard, courier, or messenger. DO whatever it takes to build your credibility. Based on his opinion of your trustworthiness and abilities he may recommend to you someone who can take advantage of the services you offer, even though he may not have an immediate need. You will find that most of your jobs will come as a direct result of personal recommendations from previously satisfied customers.

Use the reference materials suggested in Chapter 1. Your local newspaper will offer a host of potential employment opportunities. Even a local gossip source. How many times have you heard about someone who has been burned and is eager of revenge?

In most cases, it would be very unwise and unhealthy to use the direct approach on your first contract, especially if the prospective employer is someone you don't know on a personal basis. Neither are telephone contacts or written communications advisable.

Be suspicious of anyone who approaches you directly about any illegal activity, unless, of course, that person has alre3ady established a bond of trust. And remember that moving too fast can scare away a potential employer with ready cash in his pocket.

If you've heard or read of someone capable of paying for your services and with a definite need you can fill, but you don't personally know that person, there are a few ways to make yourself available inconspicuously. If possible, have a mutual acquaintance introduce you to him or her. The mutual acquaintance should be someone who has already established a bond of trust with the prospective employer so that his acceptance of you will be as good as a personal recommendation. If no mutual acquaintance is available, study the potential employer's habits and find a way to make yourself known to him. If he often visits the same bar, for instance, you can make it a point to become a familiar face in the crowd. Whenever possible, make it a point to introduce yourself, gain his confidence (don't be pushy) and tactfully bring the subject of conversation around to his problems and needs. Using common sense and food intuition, you will know when the time is right to offer your discreet services, and he will recognize your professionalism.

The most important thing to keep in mind is the financial capability of the prospective employer. Your very first question in considering any employment opportunity is: Can this man pay for my professional services?

If you are in this line of work because of the power you feel when you make a kill or because you have a reckless, daring nature and get a thrill from flirting with death, keep these personal reasons to yourself. As far as the employer is concerned, you are only in it for the money.

When the subject is finally broached and the conversation gets down to the nitty gritty, listen to the man as he talks. Check him out to see if you really want to become involved in his personal affairs.

Is he full of hot air -- just a big talker -- or is her serious about eliminating his problem?

Does he have the personal courage to carry out, or have you carry out, the solution he is after?

Will he be overburdened by guilt and remorse afterwards?

Is he cautious in his conversation? Is he appraising you just as hard as you are appraising him?

How tough is he? Will he break under pressure and point a finger at you?

Does he brag or tell stories "Out of school"? If he tells you about other hits he's fronted or starts to name names, he talks too much. Forget him.

Does he come right down and ask you to make a hit for him before he has determined your qualifications? If so, he may be asking people all over town. you don't need that type of conversation following a prospective mark around.

During that initial conversation, you both should be mentally asking these questions of each other. but no actual conversation about a contract or the identity of the mark should be discussed unless unusual circumstances make it proper.

Let a short period of time go by, if possible, before your second meeting. Use this time to analyze your potential employer and decide whether you are willing to risk offering your services.

Follow your gut feelings. If the man acts earnest and sincere, if he meets all the questions you have posed in your mind while you talked, if he seems on the up and up and yet you still have a gut feeling that something is just no right, follow your intuition and back off.

The employer should have a healthy respect for your ability and be aware of the consequences should he decide to cross you. At the same time, a man with that kind fi money to spend can pay someone to waste you/ If he's too condescending, your intuition should tell you to pass.

At the second meeting, gently maneuver the conversation to the real purpose of your visit. You may want to initially operate under the guise of knowing someone else who may be willing to fulfill his needs. If he tactfully asks if your services are available, you can just as tactfully request information about what he wants done. He should be willing and able to provide you with all the information you need to do a clean and efficient job, and a price should be agreed on.

Prices vary according to risk involved, social or political prominence of the victim, difficulty of the assignment, and other factors. A federal judge recently brought a price of $250,000, for example. A county sheriff might bring $75,000 to $100,000.

In some cases, your employer may expect to receive hefty benefits from double indemnity life insurance clauses. If so, you should be notified in advance that this is an "insurance job."

Is the intended victim close enough to the employer that his being the beneficiary will arouse any suspicion? Is the policy an old one, or one he recently purchased and wants to collect on? Is the amount to be collected way out of proportion to the victim's lifestyle and means?

Consider these question before you accept the job and get your money up front! Otherwise, you may be standing in the bread lines while you wait for the money to come through. Or your employer may have long since become a prime suspect in someone's investigation.

Depending on the benefits of the insurance policy, it is not uncommon to collect one-fourth to one-half of the expected monies for your services.

The risk is all on your shoulders until the job is complete. Your contract amount should be at least enough to hire the services of a good attorney if anything should go wrong. It is not recommended that you take any contract that pays less than $30,000, and that is working mighty cheap. To work for any amount less would be amateurish, There are guys all over town who will kill a man for $50 to $5000. And the people who hire these thugs usually get exactly what they pay for.

There are two good reasons for setting a $30,000 minimum for your services. First, the risks involved are high. You could become injured or lose your life while attempting to carry out your assignment. But worse yet, you might make some mistakes that will cost your freedom or bring capital punishment as the penalty. A fee of $5,000 or even $10,000 will be of little consolation as you wait helplessly behind bars.

Second, because the risks are so high and employment opportunities are limited, the money you earn should be sufficient to carry you over until your next job comes along. Unless you live in a very large city like New York or Chicago, you will want to limit the number of jobs you do in your own hometown. Most hit men like to limit contracts to one or two a year, for obvious reasons.

It is a good idea to have your employer promise to cover any legal expenses as part of your agreement. This can be done through a discreet arrangement with his attorney, should those legal services become necessary. This acts as a sort of insurance for both of you.

You should receive expense money up front on all jobs. This money is separate and not included in the contract amount.

Expenses generally run between $500 and $5000, depending on the type of job and the job location. The money will cover travel, lodging, food, accessories such as disguises and equipment (since all of these things are disposable), and will enable you to replace any throwaway weapon you use on that particular job. Any amount leftover belongs to you. But don't cut any corners trying to make an extra buck. Give the man the most professional job his money can buy.

Generally, the method used to make the hit is at the contractors discretion. If the employer requests that a certain method be used, making the job more difficult and dangerous by your being obligated to follow his explicit instructions, you are entitled to ask for a higher fee. "Accidental" death and "suicides" are included in these special requests, as are disposing of a body, arson, and so on.

In most cases, it is common to receive half o the contract amount and all expense money up front, and half upon satisfactory completion. Of course, these monies are to be paid in cash/

At the third meeting, the employer should provide you with an envelope containing the assembled information requested, expense monies and the contract amount according to your agreement. Your acceptance of this material and monies from your employer represents your acceptance of his offer for employment and his acceptance of your ability to do the required job in an efficient and timely manner.

The employer, in most cases, should not know exactly when the actual hit will take place. He may, however, give you a deadline based on his personal needs. Otherwise, you should inform him that the deed will be performed "within thirty days" (or whatever time frame you have established based on the information provided.)

In addition to his not knowing exactly when the hit will take place, he should not know how it will take place unless the method to be used is a specific part of your agreement. Afterwards., he is not entitled to any details of how the actual job went down. It is better for both of you if the only information available to your employer is the same information made available to the general public.

If the employer is a close friend of business associate, your relationship should continue in the usual fashion without interruption. It is best for both of you to continue with your usual life patterns.

If you normally visit one another's homes, continue to do so. If you meet for lunch or play golf on occasion, continue to do so. If you usually frequent the same bar and share a few drinks, don't start treating one another as strangers now./

Keep things the same as they were before you made your death-dealing partnership. Don't arouse suspicion or start gossip.

If the employer is someone you hardly know and this is purely a business venture, work out some code of contact when the job is complete so the employer will know you are ready for payoff on the remainder of your contract money. The code can be as simple as a telephone call:

"Hello. Is Margaret Smith there?"

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong number."

Once you have completed your part of the agreement, the majority of the risk and responsibility is transferred to the employer -- and he has as much to lose as you do. Just remember, a satisfied customer may be your best source for future employment opportunities.

GETTING THE JOB DONE RIGHT

At the beginning of this book you read an account of an actual hit going down.

as you probably noted, most of the detail concerning the events covered concerned the efforts to conceal the true identity, avoid public attention, and make sure no incriminating evidence was left behind.

The kill is the easiest part of the job. People kill one another every day. It takes no great effort to pull a trigger or plunge a knife. It is being able to do so in a manner that will not link yourself or your employer to the crime that makes you a professional.

Public assassinations are sometimes necessary but are messy and draw immediate attention. Quiet, one-on-one confrontations are much to be preferred, especially when your skills and expertise give you a distinct advantage in the situation.

Why did our hit man choose to fly and rent a car when other methods of t4ransportation were available?> Why go to all the trouble to use elaborate disguises and keep changing false identifications? Why register at the motel for only two days and pay cash in advance>? Why let an incompetent desk clerk get away with overcharging him for food and improperly preparing his order?

And why, after the job was completed and he knew he had plenty of time to make his escape, did he go to so much trouble to dispose of a perfectly good weapon, disguise and a pair of shoes that he could possibly have used again>

Of course, no two jobs will be handled the same, but the following pages will explain why the hit man in this case chose to act as he did... and why the crime remains unsolved.

PART ONE: GETTING THERE

Your expense money, down payment on the contract and complete information about the mark is in your possession. Photographs were provided, and enough information is available for you to make a tentative plan for the assault.

THE INFORMATION

Study the information sheet. Memorize floor plans, descriptions and details. Then, if you feel confident that you won't need to refer to the data again, destroy it in a manner that will prohibit restoration.

If you feel you may need to carry the data with you to the jobsite, mail it yourself and carry the unopened envelope. Even law enforcement officials should be leery of opening sealed mail without probably cause and the necessary legal documents.

Then, just before you leave to complete your assignment, open the envelope, review the contents and destroy in the manner described above. If something goes wrong as the job goes down, you certainly don't want the authorities to find such incriminating evidence in your possession. Your employer wouldn't appreciate carelessness on your part much either.

TRANSPORTATION

The next task to be faced is getting yourself and your equipment to the jobsite.

Any travel agent will be happy to make arrangements for travel, lodging and a car rental for you at now charge. Simply call a travel agency, give a false name, tell the agent your destination, when you want to leave, and ask for an open return flight home.

The travel agent will want your phone number to call you back when the information you request is assembled. You can get around giving out your number by telling her you are using a neighbor's telephone or that you're going out for the afternoon and will call her alter in the day to get the information. This way, the agent will see your face for only a few brief minutes when you go down to pay cash for your tickets, which will be prepared in the false name you gave. There will be no record of your true identity, phone number or address, and airlines don't require identification for tickets paid in cash.

However, identification is required for car rental, so don't make such arrangements through a travel agent. And don't make motel reservations in the same name used on your flight tickets. you need not make it any easier than necessary for anyone to identify you between your point of departure and the crime scene.

If for some reason you cannot fly, you may have to drive. Trains and buses are much too slow and the trip would tire you considerably. but if time permits, train and bus may be the safest method available. In any event never use your own automobile as a means to getting to the jobsite. A rental car would work best.

Car rental agencies require a valid driver's license and one major credit car as identification even when you pay cash. This is a security measure for them to guard against theft. So if you plan to rent a car, even for cash, a fake or stolen set of identification is in order. (Make sure you get a car with unlimited mileage and a trunk for locked storage).

Obviously, your risk factor is greatly increased when you drive. Even a minor violation can place your location at a particular time, so the driver's license you use must match the name on the rental contract just in case. God forbid that you should become involved in an accident! But should any situation occur where your face has been clearly seen, placing you in the area where the hit is to go down, either cancel the contract immediately or put it off for a while. Your employer will understand and will be grateful for your precautions.

When using a rental car, always carry enough cash to cover any major breakdowns that may occur. Even though the agency normally foots these bills, this is a part of the price you pay for anonymity.

Sometimes it is good to cover your trail by flying into a large city a few hundred miles from where the hit is to take place. You can rent a car there and travel to the job location. If you choose to travel this way, steal an out of state tag while you are out-of-state. Stolen tags only show up on the police computer of the state in which they are stolen. You will use the tag to replace the rental tag when you go to make the actual hit. In that way, any suspicion or checks on the parked car will not Ben traced back to the rental agency or to you.

TRANSPORTING YOUR TOOLS

You can't work without your tools, and you can't count on being able to purchase them when you get to where you're going. Even with proper false identification, there may be residency requirements or waiting periods, so you need your own, dependable selection of weapons from home.

Of course, you'd never get through airport security with a gun on your person. But you can carry one in your luggage if you notify airport personnel in advance and it will be stored in the cargo compartment. Otherwise, you may have some embarrassing questions to answer as that suitcase does through airport x-rays. But even if you get permission to pack your gun in your luggage, how will explain that little sound muffling tube that is attached to the barrel.

If time allows, you can ship everything UPS or by bus or common carrier, with pickup at the terminal by the addressee (fictitious name) when you arrive. Or, you can use Express Mail -- next day arrival guaranteed -- post office to post office, which may or may not require ID by addressee at time of pick-up.

However you choose to transport your weapons, pack them well! Use a metal, foam-lined box or two or more cardboard cartons packed one inside the other as your shipping container. Disassemble guns and other metal parts and roll them in soft cloth, newspapers, or clothes you plan to wear on the job. Include several extra pairs of rubber gloves and clean work shows, unless you plan to carry these items with you.

If you are driving and for some reason have no choice but to transport these dangerous tools with you in a car, pack well as above and gift-wrap or prepare as if for mailing. Carry the wrapped box in the locked trunk of the car, out of public view, to prevent theft or suspicion. If the package is small enough of it inside a large suitcase or metal footlocker, use a combination lock as a double safety precaution on your outer container. Authorities and crooks alike are known for confiscating keys; however, a search warrant with probable cause may be necessary for the authorities to get you to open the combination lock.

Note: Every item you use on a job should be considered disposable Then you won't have to worry about how to ship these items home again.

THE TRIP

You are enroute. Your tools on the way via Express Mail. You are travelling under an assumed name.

Everything you purchase is paid for in cash. Anything you buy is a necessity -- food, lodging, transportation. You will use only bills in small denominations, not crisp new one hundred dollar bills. You don't want to draw any attention to yourself or become memorable.

You are working. This is your job and you are a professional. You will purchase no gifts or souvenirs, nothing that ma7y point a finger to your locations along the way. This means specifically items like pottery labeled "Made in Mexico," shells marked "Souvenir of Florida" and the like.

You will not become involved with women -- on any level -- while you are on assignment. Women have an eerie way of memorizing quickly and in fine detail any man that shows a sexual interest in them. Save pleasure for after business.

You will not drink, even socially, nor will you take any drugs or stimulants. If you need artificial courage, you should try some other career.

You will make no long distance phone calls. The phone company computer will be recording the numbers dialed.

You will be careful of the food you eat and the water you drink. You don't want a case of food poisoning or dysentery to hamper timely accomplishment of your assignment.

You will not draw any unnecessary attention to yourself in any way. You won't over- or under-tip. you won't be drawn into any memorable conversations. You won't exhibit any rude or argumentative behavior. Your profile will be low and nondisruptive for the duration of the assignment. Though inside you are like a wild animal stalking his prey, others may view you as yet another passive wimp! Let them.

If the waiter is too slow, be patient. If the clerk doesn't give back the right change, forget it. If the food is bad, don't eat it. Don't let any little incident cause anyone to remember your face later.

PART TWO: DESTINATION

The excitement is building as your plane comes in for a landing. Where will you stay, and how will you get there?

Unless you know your way around and can use mass transit to your advantage, you will probably need to rent a car. Nothing flashy, and in a solid color. Ask for a city map at the rental agency or purchase one at the airport newsstand if one was not provided by the employer.

A place to stay is the next priority. It can be any motel, fancy or cheap, but it should be in close proximity to the jobsite to prevent excessive travel. In fact, if you can find one within walking or jogging distance of the hit, you can forego the car rental and taxi to the motel (not to the jobsite!). Just don't over or under tip the driver or get into any extensive conversation with him. This is where a disguise can come in handy.

Check into the motel using a fictitious name. Identification is not required when you pay cash. Register for only two days maximum. If you stay is to be longer than two days, change motels and use another name. When you register, use a made-up tag number to correspond to the fictitious address you give.

If you are in town six days, you will have used five different identities -- one for the plane tickets, one for the care rental, and three different names used at three different motels. This should cause some real headaches for anyone trying to pin down your exact location. Especially if you keep changing your appearance as you change your name.

If you are using a car, keep driving to a minimum. In a strange area, your risks of traffic violations and accidents increase tremendously. Just remember, while you are out, to "borrow" a tag for use when you are ready to make your move.

Of course you will have to call for your equipment if you preshipped it to yourself. And you will have to drive, jog or stroll past the places your mark is known to haunt( no pun intended!) After these initial checks you can determine whether you will stick to your original plan or if changes are in order.

Before you leave to do the job, and each time you change motels, you will thoroughly wipe down your room so it will be clean of fingerprints. Make sure you leave no personal items behind that will be proof of your presence. This is a precautionary measure.

As you dress for the job, certain precautions should be taken. Clean tennis shoes should be worn during the job, because the ones you wore before may have traces of soil from your home town which will leave an important clue for the investigators. The shows don't have to be new, just clean. And since the police can take impressions to ascertain height and weight of the criminal, it doesn't hurt to wear a size larger shoe than normal or even add a weight belt to throw off the investigation. Soft soled tennis shoes are quiet and good for running, should the need arise.

Clothing, of course, will have to suit the area, particularly if the job is to be done during the day or in a public place. For night work, you can wear your regular clothing under a pair of overalls if the coveralls will not arouse suspicion in the area.

Wipe down your weapons as you assemble them. Even the inner parts of your guns must be wiped to remo0ve any prints that were left behind during the last cleaning.

Wipe down each bullet and wear rubber gloves as you load the clip. Just in case you leave behind an empty cartridge, you don't want your fingerprints emblazoned on the casing.

After loading the clip, discard that pair of gloves. Do not leave them in your room, but throw then away along the way., Handling the clip may have weakened the thin rubber from contact with metal parts. If they are too weak, or if just a tiny hole or tear has begun, it might become large enough to leave an incriminating partial print at the scene of the crime.

With your luggage and your duffel bag containing your tools in the trunk of your car, the room wiped clean of any clues to your existence, your plan of action firmly in mind, you are ready to go. Your knowledge, guts, reflexes and professionalism will see you through.

When the time is right, make your move. Quietly. Efficiently. Whatever method you choose.

The secret. now that the deed is done, is to stay in total self Control. Don't panic! Don't hurry! Wait until you know beyond any doubt that you have accomplished your assignment. Check for a pulse at both the wrist and throat. Drag the body out of the line of view of windows and doors, so discovery will be delayed. Cover any spots of blood with carefully dropped newspapers or clothing so that, too, will not be visible and arouse the suspicion of anyone peeking inside.

Be absolutely positive that the mark is, indeed, dead. You don't want to rush out too soon and have to wait around to read the morning paper to see if your mission was successful, or read that he survived and sought medical attention.

Take a few minutes to calmly survey the scene for any evidence that you might have left behind. Pick up those empty cartridges that were ejected when you fired your gun.

Did you remove your gloves for any reason?> I hoe not! But many a man has been caught because he thoughtlessly removed his gloves after making the kill to help himself to food or drink from the victim's refrigerator.

If the hit was supposed to look like a burglary, mess the place up a bit and take anything of value that you can carry concealed. if course, you can't keep anything. These items will have to be ditched along with your work clothes and weapon, But any cash you find is yours to pocket.

Exciutement made you a bundle of nerves>? If nature calls, try to control the urge. One man was actually convicted by the print he left on the victim's toilet seat. It seems he had this scar ...

If you have to take a piss, flush the toilet with you gloved fingers. You can't imagine how many idiots will remove their gloves to facilitate the operation of the sipper to take a pee. Without thinking, the flush before pulling the gloves back on ... leaving indisputable evidence to convict them on the flush handle. And believe it or not, the toilet handle is one of the primary sources for prints during the investigation.

Check the victim one final time to make sure your part of the contract is complete before you leave the scene. Then make your exit, usually through the front door. Even if someone sees you casually leaving the victim's house, he has no idea for the reason of your visit or what you have done. And you disguise will conceal your identity.

Walk, don't run, to your car or whatever your planned destination might be.

The first thing you should do when you reach the car is change into another disguise and get out of those work clothes. Check them for bloodstains. If there are none, you can toss them into a charity collection box or trash bin. If the victim's blood is on those clothes, they must be burned or buried.

Of primary importance now, too, is changing the rifling of the murder weapon. This should be done before you leave the crime scene. That way, even if you get picked up or stopped with the weapon in your possession, its ballistics will not match the bullets you left behind in the mark.

Now move your car to some other location where you will not attract attention as you switch the tags and disassemble your gun.

when you are driving, stay calm and obey all traffic rules. Toss your gun parts out at intervals or in various locations about town. From them in lakes or waterways. Bury or sink the gun barrel and silencer in different spots. Crush the plastic housing of the disposable silencer before you discard it.

The shoes you wore should be discarded as carefully as your weapon. You might have left distinct parts behind that will end up as plaster casts. Toss them separately at intervals along the highway. Ever see a single te4nnis how lying in the road? Now you know from whence it came ...

Hide, bury, burn, toss -- but, in any event, do away with every tool and article of clothing that was near the scene of the crime. Even you rubber gloves. Remember, they may have powder residue on them, and they most definitely have your fingerprints on the inside!

If you are flying home, stop and wipe the car for prints and wear driving gloves as you return the car to the rental agency.

If you are driving home, wash the car and vacuum the interior immediately when you arrive at your destination. Remember why you wore clean tennis shoes? Well, foreign soil from the jobsite is now in the car's interior. It's in the air filter, too, so make sure you clean that as well.

Sound like a lot of unnecessary trouble and precaution? Perhaps. But it's the overcautious who remain at large.

Take, for example, the case of the federal judge slain in Texas in 1978. The contract was for $250,000 and was paid on schedule. The hit was made, fulfilling the contract -- but the contractor was soon apprehended. How? Undisguised, this so-called hit man took a taxi to the jobsite. The taxi driver fingered him! Why? See if you can tell me.

PART THREE: THE AFTERMATH -- GETTING A HOLD ON YOUR EMOTIONS

You made it! Your first job was a piece of cake! Taking all that money for the job was almost like robbery. Yet here y7ou are, finally a real hit man with real hard cash in your pockets and that first notch on your pistol.

Some people would say that a hit man is an emotionless, cold-blooded killing machine that he has no fear and no belief in God. On the contrary, a hit man has a wide range of feelings. He may be excruciatingly tender towards his woman. He may be extremely compassionate towards the elderly or disabled. He may have a strong aversion to the useless killing of wildlife. He may even be religious in his own way.

What the professional lacks is remorse. He feels no guilt.

I'm sure your emotions have run full-scale over the past few days or weeks.

There was a fleeting moment just before you pulled the trigger when you wondered if lightening would strike you then and there. And afterwards, a short burst of panic as you quickly looked around to make sure no witnesses were lurking.

But other than that, you felt absolutely nothing. And you are shocked by that nothingness. You had expected this movement to be a spectacular point in your life. You had wondered if you would feel compassion for the victim, immediate guilt, or even experience direct intervention by the hand of God. But you weren't even feeling sickened by the sight of the body.

The first few seconds of nothingness give you an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh out loud. you break into a wide grin. Everything you have been taught about life and it value was a fallacy. A dirty rotten lie!

Life is notyou know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your own life is just as frail and valueless. What you have done could just as easily and unexpectedly been done to you, despite your fighting ability, your weapons expertise, your efforts to protect yourself. The realization is both sobering and shocking.

Like a machine, you do what is necessary to cover your tracks. As you leave the scene, that first burst of cool night air hits you and panic sets in. You have to force yourself to resist the urge to run!

It took only ten minutes to casually stroll to the victim's house. Covering that same distance back to your waiting car seems to take ten hours! Are people watching you from behind those closed drapes, memorizing your description as they dial the police? Can they hear the pounding of your heart above the noise of their television sets as you struggle to control your breathing and make it even?

Once inside the safety of your automobile, you change you clothing and disguise and alter the gun barrel as quickly as possible. Then, both hands gripping the steering wheel, you drive. Your eyes are constantly searching the roadside. You can't afford and accident, traffic violation, or even to miss a turn in your planned route. you struggle to keep the speed of the auto within set limits. Like you feet, the car seems to want to run.

With the disposal of each piece of evidence, your fear eases. By the time you arrive at the airport, you begin to feel silly about your unnecessary panic.

On the trip back home, you begin to think of the shocking realizations about the real value of life that you experienced after pulling the trigger professionally for the first time. Your own life takes on new meaning. Never again will you strive to accumulate wealth. Instead, you will pack the time you have with the things that make life enjoyable, interesting and exciting. You will live each day to the fullest. The acceptance of the valuelessness of life has give your own life value.

After you have arrived hoe, the events that took place take on a dreamlike quality. you don't dwell on them, you don't worry. You don't have nightmare. You don't fear ghosts. When thoughts of the hit got through your mind, it's almost as though you are recalling some show you saw on television.

By the time you collect the balance of your fee, the doubts and fears of discovery have faded. Those feelings have been replaced by cockiness, a feeling of superiority, a new independence and a new self-assurance.

Your biggest problem now is learning to deal with your ego.

DANGER -- EGO, WOMEN AND PARTNERS

NO MATTER HOW WELL YOU have your act together in other ways, the whole show can come tumbling down when it's shaken by any one of three interferences: ego, women and partners. Let's look at these -- first things first.

EGOS

Now that you're back home after your first rendezvous with destiny, everything seems to have changed.

The people you have suddenly become so aggravatingly ordinary. You start to view them as an irritating herd of pathetic sheep, doing as they are told, doing what is expected, following someone, anyone, blindly. You can't believe how dumb your friends have become, and your respect diminishes for people you once held in awe.

You too have become different. You recognize that you made some mistakes, but you know what they were, and they will never plague you again. Next time (and you know there will be a next time), there will be no hesitation, no fear.

Your experience in facing death head-on had taught you about life. You have the power and ability to stand alone. You no longer need a reason to kill.

When the guys all get together and the bullshit starts to flow, you find it hard to listen to their tales of how tough they like to think they are., Their threats to "get" this person or that become as irritating, yet harmless, as a swarm of gnats on a hot summer afternoon.

You stifle the urge to tell them how life really is. you control your anger at their pretension of being capable of carrying out the threats they make. you resist the impulse to laugh at the statements they take so seriously.

Your friends sense your irritation but don't understand what has set you apart. You begin to shun social gathering and bullshit sessions. You spend more time studying and accumulating and testing your tools while you wait for the next job opportunity to present itself.

You find yourself making it a point to become on friendly terms with anyone who can be of use to you. Anyone who you feel has something worthwhile to offer in the advancement of your career. Your mind is like a sponge, you eagerly soak up any rumors about available weapo0ns, new combat techniques and the like.

Like the great white shark, you have become an lone predator. Your ego is the greatest burden you will carry from this day forth.

You have feelings and emotions that you might need to share with some understanding person. The things you have learned about life are important. you may wish to pass them on to someone you care about. When the bullshit starts to flow, you may feel compelled to set the record straight and tell those morons how it really is. When someone starts to brag in confidence, about something he's done, the intimacy of the moment, the shared confessions, may inspire you to do a little bragging of your own. Or you may want to overawe some new woman in your life with your masculinity and you feel the urge to shock her just a little by hinting at your true profession.

Start now in learning to control your ego. This means, above all, keeping your mouth shut! You are a man. Without a doubt, you have proved it. you have come face to face with death and emerged the victor through your cunning and expertise. You have dealt death as a professional. You don't need any second or third opinions to verify your manhood.

Don't brag. Don't boast. Don't hint at what you know or what you have done. Don't confide in your girlfriend, your wife, or your best buddy. Only insecure bores must build themselves up by other people's opinions.

The way you use and display the money you made will also be a reflection on your ego. If you have never before had this much cold hard cash at one time, it may be burning a hole in your pocket. Should you let it flow like water, in keeping with your decision to enjoy yourself while you can instead of accumulating wealth?

Part of that money should be put away for living expenses and overhead. You never now how long you will go between job, and you do need to stock up on the best equipment available. Some of it can be spent purchasing items you never could afford before. But the things you can buy of have special limits.

Unless you have additional sources of income to justify large expenditures like a new home, paying off an old mortgage, or a new sports car, don't spend any of your earnings on big items of this type. Big expenditures arouse suspicion, not only of your family and friends, but of the IRS and the authorities if you should ever come under investigation.

Sure, it would make you feel good to walk in and pay for a new $2,m500 stereo set with hundred dollar bills. And flashing around that kind of money in a bar might get he immediate attention you desire from the best looking woman there. But control is the key now. It is far better to have a wallet filled with old twenties than questionable new hundred dollar bills.

Just remember: you are secure within yourself. You don't need to impress anyone else in any way, shape, or form.

If you have been living in a small, unimpressive apartment, stay there for the time being. Later you will learn meth9ods for legally changing your lifestyle to fit your income. But the changes must be gradual, not overnight, conspicuous moves. If you have regular job, keep working at it for a while to substantiate the source of the money you are spending.

The money you made is rightfully yours. The risks you took, the dangers you faced, and the fact that you carried it all off successfully prove you earned it. But unless you have always carried and flashed large sums of cash and enjoyed the finer things of life, free spending and extravagant purchases now will arouse suspicion and start tongues wagging.

In short, don't change your lifestyle dramatically unless you can justify your sudden increase in wealth.

WOMEN

because of their uncanny ability to get into places and situations a man might find hard to duplicate, because of their deceitful, "game-playing" natures, and because a woman can be twice as vicious as a man, a woman can be a better hired executioner than a man.

Fortunately for the world, a woman usually makes only one man her target, and the nesting instinct quickly takes her off the street and ties her down to the little world of babies, laundry and housework she creates and protects for her own. Unfortunately, even a hit man cannot deny that what women have to offer is a basic necessity.

A married man who becomes a hit man for hire, or a single professional who alter ties the knot of matrimony, faces a whole set of woman problems peculiar in themselves. Once a woman becomes the proclaimed property of one man, she feels it her duty to ward off other predators, whether real or imaginary, through suspicion, jealousy, accusation, or even by becoming her own detective to protect and preserve her rightful place. A married professional is then placed in the predicament of either telling his wife everything -- or nothing. And either way, she will have to be a very understanding woman.

For if she knows too much, she could become his own enemy on the face of the earth and may someday have to be eliminated in the name of self-preservation.

And if she knows too little, her suspicious, jealous nature could lead to more snooping and following and conjecture on her part than is healthy -- for either of them.

I read an account in the newspaper recently about a man who was accused and later convicted of murdering the state's witness against him in another trial. It seems he lured this witness into taking a ride with him under the pretense of having no hard feelings about the testimony that was about to go down. instead, he took the would-be state's witness to desolate rock quarry, blew his head off with a shotgun close range, and then tossed him into an alligator filled pit.

From another spot, he called his wife to come get him. In the car on the ride home, he told his wife about what he had done, bragging about his cunning to lure the mark to his death. The sympathetic wife listened, glad that the death of the witness would surely save her husband from spending time in prison.

Later, the only person the wife told about the incident was her mother. And the only person the mother told about the incident was her son.

A few months later, the wife caught her husband in bed in a compromising situation in the family boat with a naked woman. She fired a few shots over the heads of the two lovers and the police came.

In her hurt and anger at his infidelity after making her an accomplice to his crime, she told the authorities about the murder.

the moral of the story is that if you choose to be tied to one woman, make sure she is capable of being your partner in crime. Share with her the fruits of your joint efforts equally and keep reminding her in subtle ways that, if detected, her part in any conspiracy is just as great as yours.

Never let your roving eye of hunger for a little something strange on the side come to her attention. Woman are highly emotional, rarely rational creatures. Is ten minutes of pleasure worth your life at the hands (or tongue) or an irate spouse?

In the true story above, the man who killed the witness and confided in his wife probably really did love his wife. He probably would've never considered telling the woman on the boat about the murder, The first thing he didn't count on was getting caught with the other woman, and the jealous rage and accusation that ensued. The second things he didn't count on was his wife confiding in her mother -- and her mother confiding in a son -- all of which came out in testimony at court, resulting in his conviction.

Ideally, a professional hit man will remain single. He will either purchase his sexual pleasures or participate in impersonal one night stands. his involvement with woman will only be on a sexual level. He will not live with them nor will he let invade his privacy. In most cases, they won't even know his real name.

And he will never have any encounters while on a job assignment -- neither casual nor purchased.

As a man, I appreciate as much as anyone a good-looking body and a warm, willing smile on a woman. As a professional, however, that seems to have lost some of its thrill as I've moved on to bigger, more exciting and more dangerous prey.

PARTNERS

Ironically, the best professional partner you can have is a woman. But she has to Ben a full-time partner, and she has to have the following qualifications:

1. Good looks and a seductive attitude
2. Superior intelligence
3. No children or close family ties
4. Total dedication to you
5. A totally vicious nature towards :outsiders"
6. No conscience
7. The mental and physical capability of defending herself and pulling her own eight.

From such a woman, you can expect:

1. The ability to get almost any mark based on her good looks, seductiveness and willingness to go to any lengths to help you.
2. The intelligence to help you plan successful jobs and to provide you with continuously stimulating conversation and companionship.
3. Sex on a regular basis without danger of blowing your cover.
4. An unflinching back-up due to her emotional attachment to you.

Unfortunatly, not too many such women exist. And those who do will be hard to find since, by necessity, they will be as cautious and untrusting as you are.

Some women have these latent qualities, but are in need of someone like you to bring them out and perfect them. If you are interested in forming such a relationship, check for lone women who sign up for mercenary training classes,. visit gun shows, and now their weaponry. Or look for her among those hearty, fanatical individuals who make up survival groups. She could be anywhere, though, so while you're feeling a good woman up, feel her out also -- if you're interested in adding a permanent partner. And good luck!

Assuming you have been fortunate enough to find your HMIW (Hit Man's Ideal Woman), you will, from time to time, require a partner to assist you on a particular job. The need may arise due to the mark's use of bodyguards or other defensive procedures, an inaccessibility that must be overcome through diversion, or even language barrier.

Whatever the reason, the partner you select will be a man you can trust and who can be depended on to cover your back. He will meet the same rigid requirements you have set for yourself and will not be lacking in basic common sense. He will be discreet and not a braggart. He will be self-assured to the point that you won't have to worry about his ego. He will be totally business-minded while doing business and will not be sidetracked by women or other pastimes. And when the job is going down, he willingly pump one or two of his own bullets into the mark to ensure equal responsibility.

Whgether male or female, you partner is equal to fifty-fifty compensation. Everything should be fifty-fifty. Equal pay for equal risk and equal responsibility. This is an insurance measure for both of you.

Generally, a professional prefers to work alone. But when a partner is required, the same caution must be used as in controlling one's ego and electing one's woman. "Patience is a virtue," my grandmother used to say, and patience is something a hit man needs plenty of. Not only will you require3 patience while you are stalking your prey and waiting for the right moment to make your kill, but also in areas like feeling out the potential employer and looking for a suitable partner. You may be on pins and needles, anxious for the next job to come along or for a partner you can trust.

These things don't come overnight. If you meet someone who seems as radical as you, test him over a period of time in your own subtle way to see if he really measures up. Gut first impressions can't be relied on here.

Give him a while to prove himself,. See how free he is with his conversation. How much does he know about weapons? Is he emotionally stable? How does he handle his personal life? Is it a shambles of bad relationships and creditors knocking on his door>

How a man thinks, lives and acts is just as important as his marksmanship and fighting ability. And many an insecure fool needing to prove his manhood will give the impression of being capable to assist you. Beware!

LEGALLY ILLEGAL

Foresight is better than hindsight, an old saying goes; which is why all through this book I have stressed the importance of covering your trail as you carry out your job assignment.

Disguises, false identification, constant movement, all may have seemed extreme. But are they? Indeed not! Such "extremes" can mean the difference between a professional job and beginner's luck.

The professional walks away from his job with confidence and has no need to look back. The amateur hurries away looking back over his shoulder and lives in fear that he might have left some clue behind to bring the authorities calling at his door.

LEGAL IDENTIFICATION

False identification plays a very important role in covering one's trail, and using them requires a certain flair for dramatics. You must be just as comfortable with your assumed identity as you are with your own. You will have to learn to confidently display your false credentials so you will not arouse suspicion.

Where do you get these false identifications?

There are several good books and sources available on the subject. you can order them from several dealers who advertise in magazines or newspapers. You can find a "source" of stolen IDs of your own. Or, you can make them yourself.

I have a friend who has his own profitable business. He "borrows" the stash of big drug dealers and ships the goods out of state to sell. He says it's his way of helping the local authorities keep the home front clean.

Every time he hits a doper, he relieves everyone present not only of his stash, but also any weapons, cash, jewels and other valuables that he can carry away. HE figures that since it's legally considered armed robbery anyway, he may as well of the whole route with gusto!

From him I am able to purchase, at substantial savings, many throwaway weapons as well as a wide assortment of various identifications. I prefer to use out-of-state papers and he does hi best to provide them for me. He knows I'll pay top dollar for sets -- that is, driver's license, major credit cards, social security cards an the like -- all issued in one name.

The first thing I have to do to make the sets I purchase usable is to replace any photographs of the real owner with a photograph of myself. Using a sharp razor blade, I separate the backing from the card as carefully as possible () providing there is backing). Then I very carefully remove the photograph that appears on the form and substitute a passport or appropriate sized picture of myself, using the appropriately colored background. I attach it with a small bead of clear drying glue from the back side.

Once the photograph dries into place, I take a photograph of my new identification and take film to a guy I know who has an enlarger. He blows up the finished, one-piece identification to the proper size and I carefully cut it out and glue the backing that came from the original into place on the back of the photo. Then I cover the entire document in clear acetate so it looks like the real thing. Bending and twisting the finished product takes off the new look to make it look more authentic.

I then store my sets of identifications in a safe place until I need to use them professionally. And when I do use them, it is for identification purposes only. Never make any purchases on the stolen credit cards. Clerks generally don't verify credit card accounts only for verification. What shame that careless use of a stolen credit card should make short work of what might have been a profitable career!

If I use any identification sets on a hit, those sets are immediately destroyed as their use ends. Burn the cards or cut them into bits and bury or scatter in the wind. It's just another part of covering your trail.

LEGAL MONEY

In Chapter 8 I emphasized the importance of controlling your ego and being careful how you spend you newly earned money.

As a professional, you have th4e option of keeping a low profile and living a quiet life requiring only the basic necessities; or, by constructing dummy corporations and "laundering" the monies you earn, changing your lifestyle completely.

One time-tested and proven method of being able to legally use the monies you earn without fear of discovery does not require a great deal of business knowledge or sophistication.

For many years, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Guatemala, Panama, and other small, poverty stricken countries shat do not tax their own impoverished citizens have lifted their countries standard of living and created jobs and business for their people by supplying us foreigners with tax havens to launder our illegal money., And they offer ironclad protections to us against snooping US officials and agencies.

The procedure is really quite simple: You form a corporation in one of these countries and put your illegal monies into that corporation. Then you form a legal US corporation as you business and Borrow the money you need to get going from the foreign corporation you have previously set up., The stiff fees you pay to the foreign government for this privilege insure the privacy and protection of true ownership.

Le'ts say your legal American corporation is a land development company, because you want to invest your laundered monies into real estate. A Foreign corporation in the Bahamas (your own secret corporation) has agreed to lend you funds to back you new American corporation.

From the money you acquire from the loan, you will meet your legal business expenses. You will pay rent on your office space, utilities, phone, salaries and so on. As an executive, your salary is bound to be a large one. Those working with you will also require large salaries commensurate with their abilities. What executive could function without a personal secretary?

As an executive, you will more than likely have an expense account and a company car. The car will have to be a really fine one to impress business associates and clients alike. You may also have a profit sharing plan retirement benefits, or group insurance.

With all this legality behind you, now you are free to wheel and deal in the real-estate of your choice. When tax time comes around, you will do what every patriotic American does, fill out your tax return. On that return, you will take all the legal deductions for your business expenses, interest payments on the loan you got from that big Bahamas corporation and an assortment of small business elated deductions you are allowed as you participate in American free enterprise.

You have become part of the system. You money and your lifestyle are above suspicion. Your lifestyle is justifiable by your legal income. Your time cannot be unaccounted for. busy executive do their business on the golf course, in jet planes, from their homes and quite often from out of town. You are no longer obligated to punch a clock or account for your working hours or absences.

From a financial point of view, you have become totally, legally, illegal.

LEGAL AID

By their own admission, law enforcement officers clear only a little more than 20 percent of the reported crimes in a given year. Less than half of those suspects arrested are ver convicted.

Fortunately for those of us who support ourselves from outside the law, the American justice System is so bogged down in technicalities, overcrowded jails, plea bargaining and a host of other problems, that even if charged with a serious crime, we can rest assured that the law is on our side and rarely that of the victim.

But what do you do if you happen to get picked up for questioning?

Most important, remember that you are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law,. Some people feel guilty until they can prove their innocence. Never assume this type of attitude, even if they catch you with the barrel of the gun still smoking.

You are under no moral or legal obligation to furnish information that may incriminate you.

The first thing you should do is find out whether you are being formally charged with a crime. If you are, demand your right to an attorney to guide you during questioning, and keep quiet until he arrives.

You should already have a good attorney picked out. The attorney should be a good criminal trial attorney, and not one who prepares wills or corporate papers or handles divorces. Preferably, he will be just a bit crooked (as most successful lawyers are). Although expensive, if he can save your hide, he is worth the price, whatever it might be. A good attorney will never plead his client guilty, nor will he accept any bargain that will get you time in prison. He knows that his job is to keep you out

You can divulge name, rank and serial number, but absolutely no personal information. Find out right away if you are being formally charged with a crime and what the charge is. If you are not being formally charged, there is a restriction on the length of time you may be held. And if you charged, usually you have a right to post bond and a speedy hearing before a judge to set that bond amount. This is where it pays to have set aside a bit of that cash. Unless you are a very accomplished and skillful liar, offer no information at all. Do not trap yourself in a web of lies and alibis.

Even though it is illegal, law enforcement agents are known for entrapment. Beware of being baited! During the interrogation they may toss bits of information based on they think things might have gone down to see if they can get a reaction. They may try to make you break by making you angry. Or they may tell you how this is the most professional job they've ever come across and try tog et your ego to talk for you.

Don't aid them in building a case against you. It is their responsibility to provide enough proof to build a case that will stand up Is court. And even if it gets that far, those twelve jurors still have to be convinced of your guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt.

If you have covered your trail, used fake disguises and fake identifications, and if there is no trace of a weapon to be found, they will have a hard time proving you were at the crime scene.

Remember, it's not up to you to prove that you were not there -- it's up to them to prove that you were

If you are caught in the act at the scene of a hit, of course that's another story. Against, you will not aid the authorities in any way, although you will be a model prisoner. With the evidence available to formally charge you with the crime, it will become paramount for them to prove your motive. They will offer plea bargains, deals, protection and the like to influence you to lead them to the man who hired you.

Your high professional ethics will obligate you to protect the man who is your employer. Your failure to do so will cut off any future job opportunities in this field. Or you may find that you, yourself, have become the mark.

But aside from this, be aware that these bargaining officials have already slotted you as an undesirable. you are capable of performing cold-blooded murder for a fee, a far cry from the crimes of passion they usually handle. To them, you are not fit to be part of organized society.

So you can bet your life, literally, that any protection they may offer will good only for the duration of their investigation and the trial proceedings that follow. They have neither the manpower not the funds to protect the likes of you forever and really don't care what happens to you after your usefulness is expended.

I read an account in the newspaper recently about a man who turned state's evidence for police protection and his own freedom. Oh, they let him go, all right. But the protection ended right after the trail. SO here he is, on probation, but at least a free man., And what happens? He gets stopped on the street and frisked by detectives who discover a gun on his person. When the man explains that he carries the gun for "self-protection purposes only" since police protection has ended, they don't pay too much attention. Instead, they put him away on a technicality, as they knew they could, after having used him to get to the real targets of their first investigation.

Even if you provide the authorities with nothing and still end up serving time in jail, beware of other inmates who may bribed to pump you for information about the details of your particular crime.

Recently while Jimmy Chargra was serving time in jail for drug trafficking, another inmate, also a convicted felon, was offered $250,000 and a parole for obtaining taped information to convict Chargra of hiring the hit man who was convicted of killing Judge "Maximum John" Wood. Fortunately for Chargra, he did not brag or boast to his fellow inmates about his criminal career and was acquitted of the charge.

Under the guise of a writer, I queried a law enfo4rcement officer about the use of "plants" in the prisons and jails for the purpose of gathering information.

"Sure we do it," he said.

"But isn't that entrapment?" I asked naively.

"Well, you can't use that in court," he admitted.

"Would you mind giving me an example of how it works?" I asked.

"Well, in my case, for instance I used to get sent on assignments all over the state. They'd throw me in the cell for a couple of days and my job was trying to get the suspect to talk," he related, "Like, one time, I was put in with a fellow who was accused of raping somebody. So for the first day, I acted real cool, like I didn't want nobody knowing my business. The next day, when they brought the mail around, I get two or three letters from women, all telling me what a good lover I am and how they wanted to have me again.

"So I'd leave these letters exposed on my bunk so the other guy was sure to notice.

"The next day, more letters of the same type came. And he jut had to ask how I came to get so much mail from chicks.

"I said, 'Man, if you had screwed as many women in your lifetime as I have, and if you were only half as good as me, you'd be getting mail, too.'

"Of course, he had to be one up on me, so we started talking about sex and he admitted to me that he had raped this girl and how he did it."

"Anmd you got that confession on tape?" I asked, trying to look appropriately impressed.

"Sure did!", he answered with a grin.

"But that confession wasn't admissible in court, was it?" I queried.

"No. But he didn't know that. All we had to do was play the tape back to him and let him know I was an undercover officer and he broke down and confessed in the interrogation room. We got him cold," he said smugly.

LET HIM WHO HAS EARS,LISTEN!

The important thing to do now, before the need arises, is to gain all the knowledge you can about the law and how it works, so if by chance it ever gets too close for comfort, you will able to handle the situation wisely.

I hope you have found the law enforcement handbook mentioned in Chapter 1 and have begun to study your own state laws. State laws vary, but federal law, like the Miranda Decision (You have the right to remain silent) are, of course, applicable throughout the United States.

Find out how long the authorities can detain you for questioning before they have to make formal charges.

Note any breaches of legal arrest procedures that may make your arrest null and void.

How many days are allowed din your right to a speedy trial? One day over, and the have to be, according to law, thrown out!

Learn about making appeals and appealing appeal decisions. Tangle up the authorities in their own red tape and watch them squirm as you squander thousands and thousands of the taxpayers' dollars.

Establish a good relationship with a good attorney now Ask him about these things, and how the law works from his side of the bench, defending the accused. he won't want to know why you are asking and probably won't pry. And don't ever come right out and tell him what you do for a living. After all, he will be defending your innocence.

The fee you pay him establishes you to access to his professional wisdom, and the information you get is yours for the asking.

Of course, the true test of being a professional is that you won't ever have to face these legal predicaments. Your work methods, low profile, the way you handle your money and personal business, your knowledge and attitude will all be working to protect you.

Then, some day, when you've done and seen it all; when there doesn't seem to be any challenge left or any new frontier left to conquer, you might just feel cocky enough to write a book about it.

Long eh?