3. Who are the men who caused a disruption in the inner courtyard of the Hoover Building, allowing for the assassination attempt undertaken by Nikki Williams?

4. What does Alex dislike about the prescribed protocol to deal with the Wolf and the aftermath of any bombing?

5. Why is the young woman who brings the Weasel home killed? What does this foreshadow for the remainder of the novel?

6. Who does the Weasel take home with him on the night in which the novel opens?

7. Who is the Weasel?

8. Who tortures the Weasel? For what purpose?

9. Who else lives on the West Coast that Alex Cross hopes to see?

10. What happens to a woman inside the building when the law enforcement agents raid the apartment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss structure. The novel is divided into more than one hundred twenty chapters. How does this number of chapters affect the tone and tension within the novel? Does the multiple use of short chapters increase the suspense of the plot? Does this number of chapters make the book easier or harder to read? Do these chapters offer all the information the reader needs to comprehend the direction of the plot? Discuss other elements of the novel's structure and the impact they have on the plot. Use examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss suitcase nukes. What are they? Do they exist? What kind of damage might they create? How? Why does Alex come to believe that the Wolf is using these in the target cities? What is significant about the way in which Alex comes to learn of these bombs? Who is the man who claims to be the Wolf when Alex is kidnapped? Why does he pretend to be the Wolf? How does this complicate the investigation? Are there suitcase nukes in the target cities? Do the police ever find them?