Jack Reacher's Rules

“I guess I don’t understand the military.”

“Well, don’t feel bad about it. We don’t understand you, either.”

“He was pretty sure he didn’t want to live in a house. The desire just passed him by. The necessary involvement intimidated him. It was a physical weight, exactly like the suitcase in his hand.”

Don’t own a house. You could be traced by paying property tax, insurance, electricity, heating, water … even by the electoral roll.

If you never rent an apartment, or even a room, they’ll never be able to trace you by your last known address.

“You’re the only person I know who wants to be homeless.”

Don’t own a car. You have to pay insurance, oil changes, inspection, tax, gasoline. You’ll be identified by your car’s registration number. Hitch a ride, or hop on a Greyhound bus.

“He knew people with houses. He had talked to them, with the same kind of detached interest he would talk to a person who kept snakes as pets or entered ballroom dancing competitions.”

Don’t use a phone. Especially not a smartphone. And especially not one with GPS to give away your location.

Don’t use a credit card; use cash.

Use aliases for checking in to motels.

“Now they broke my toothbrush, I don’t own anything.”

HOGAN’S ALLEY

WHAT

Where new FBI and DEA agents train to deal with mobsters, terrorists, and gunfights in a realistic simulated urban setting.

Built with the help of Hollywood set designers, it has a post office, the All-Med Pharmacy, a hotel, the Hogan Bank, a laundromat, a barber’s shop, the Dogwood Inn, several town houses, and the Biograph Theater.

WHERE

Occupies ten acres at the FBI training academy in Quantico, Virginia

HOW

In simulated hand-to-hand combat, shoot-outs, bank robberies, kidnapping, assaults, and carjackings, the trainee agents learn arrest procedures, street survival techniques, and control holds.

“We don’t teach them to fight fair, and we don’t start a fight.”

A liar usually has all the signs on display: gulps, false starts, stammers, and fidgets.

The memory center is in the left brain, the imagination in the right—so a glance to the left generally means they’re remembering things; to the right, they’re making stuff up.

They’ll avoid eye contact, and touch or scratch their noses or ears.

Truthful people are perfectly capable of saying no, but generally they stop and think about it first. The one who says no immediately is usually lying.

“I can lie with the best of them … sadly.”

LEARN TO READ THEIR BODY LANGUAGE

Q: Is he adjusting a cuff or watchstrap with his arm across his body?

A: He feels nervous and may have something to hide.

Q: Is he unconsciously covering his genitals?

A: He feels insecure in your company.

Q: Is she sitting with her legs crossed, dangling a shoe that is pointing at you?

A: She’s interested.

Q: Is he standing with his legs wide apart?

A: He’s getting ready to punch you.

“For a military cop, going into a bar is like a batter stepping up to the plate. It’s his place of business.”

Count the exits (there are usually three).

Work out which exits you can use.

Look at the crowd—where are the knots of trouble, who falls silent, who stares.

Look for weapons—antique revolvers, bottles, or—better—pool cues.

Stare everyone down.

Sit with your back to the wall, even if there are plenty of mirrors.

Call 911—the other guys are going to need an ambulance …

“It was a long, long time since he’d lost a two-on-one bar fight.”

A MEDLEY OF MILITARY ACRONYMS

ACU Army Combat Uniform

ALICE All-Purpose Lightweight Carrying Equipment

APFSDS Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot

ATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms

BDU Battle Dress Uniform

COS Chief of Staff

CYA Cover Your Ass

DEA Drug Enforcement Agency