Spy Tips on Hotel Pools, Warehouses, Dominance, and more
In the intelligence community, an invitation to meet at a hotel pool is an olive branch. The person you’re meeting is offering you multiple escape routes, a crowd to mix in with, and the virtual certainty that nobody is concealing a weapon in their bathing suit.
Neighborhood watch is just a nice idea in most suburbs. But where you really see it in action is the inner city. Only there, it doesn’t protect against crime. It protects against cops. Just like cops have drug detecting dogs, some neighborhoods have cop-detecting kids. Once the alarm goes out, criminal activity shuts down like a picnic when it rains. And any fugitives run like jackrabbits.
In an army, a chain of command gets activated by unusual events Tanks amassing on a border, a hacking attack on a central computer, Assassinations of key personnel. A street gang’s chain of command is no different. Showing up in a stolen car and making a splashy entrance, will get a message sent up the ladder.
Because warehouses store bulk items and not people, they’re usually built cheaply. Most of the time, the roofs are just plywood and asphalt tiles. Attach a hole-Saw bit to a silenced drill, and you can bore through the roof without attracting attention. If you want to create a bigger opening, A few ounces of c-4 on the brackets holding the door in place will do the trick.
Dominance in the battlefield, Isn’t always about the use of a lethal force. Sometimes it’s more effective to leave a few targets around to spread the word.
Rubber-Composite bullets fired from a suppressed rifle won’t kill your enemy. But it will make them think twice about staying in the fight.
Selling yourself to an adversary is a bit like getting drafted on a sports team. You may look good on paper, but, eventually they’ll want to see you on the field.
The best defense isn’t always a show of force. Keep an adversary in the dark about what you’re capable of, and he has to assume the worst.
When you’re extracting a heavily guarded target, it’s important to choose the right entry point. Guards watch windows and doors. So if you come in through the common wall of a neighboring apartment, you’ve got surprise on your side. Of course surprise doesn’t account for much, if you’re walking into a trap.
Traditional rappelling requires holding a rope with both hands, which is inconvenient if you’re being shot at. That’s why Special Forces are trained to rappel in unconventional ways.
Camouflage is commonly associated with jungle warfare. But the truth is that it’s just as important in urban settings. You’re bound to draw attention setting up a bulletproof barricade on the sidewalk or toting a concussion charge down the street. But fruit stands reinforced with strips of steel-Belted tires and ice-Cream carts packed with explosives blend right in.
A paranoid enemy might go so far as frisking a hostage who’s wearing handcuffs, But people tend not to check if one of the handcuff links Is made of polystyrene or if there’s a listening device in the pinlock.