Search - Butcher Bird

From inside the cover: "If Hamid Kharameh had thought he was to receive only the scare of his life, now he seemed to reach a new and horrifying conclusion. He jerked his head around, then began to scan the heavens in a fruitless search, as the mouse might try to sense the descending falcon. Then, suddenly, he was running, in long bounds, heedless of the rocky footing, into the desert. Hafez Assad began to laugh.
A fluttering whirr passed somewhere above, its source unseen. It might almost have been the desert wind, but in any case it was gone in the space of two heartbeats.
When it came, the blast of ultraviolet energy from above was silent and invisible but its effects were dramatic. Kharameh, stumbling ahead, now reached both arms out, clasped his temples with both hands, took another step, then fell headlong, the long legs still driving. In moments, the man lay still.
'A head shot, somewhat to the right of center,' Clement said, coolly analytical. 'A bolt of that power, impinging for less than a second, simply destroys much of the brain inside the skull, even liquifying it.'
Assad nodded, said, 'Leave the corpse; they make the best warnings.'"

This is an excellent sci-fi story. A modern setting: Across the Middle East men are dropping dead, their brains broiled inside their skulls. US Intelligence is aware that someone, somewhere has built a hunter/killer aircraft. The assassination machine is on the loose. From the very first page you will be caught up in the hunt to destroy the BUTCHER BIRD. Very suspenseful reading!

Great for experimental aircraft, aviation, and adventure fans.