Once a Noble Endeavor

Once a Noble Endeavor is a story about, Nicholas J. Brennan and the clever analysis and devices he uses fighting crime and terrorism. As the tale opens Nick is in Vietnam on a mission for the US Army Security Agency. In the first scene Nick and his boss John Planner are tracking an enemy agent in the woods. The discovery of the Viet Cong spy results in Brennan killing one adversary and capturing the secret operative.

As the readers follow Nick into civilian life they witness Nick's police basic training, his marriage to the beautiful, brilliant and sexy Joann Termino, his police promotions and the beginning of his successful 20 year police career along with his graduation from law school.

One winter night Brennan while working as a police patrol supervisor, wounds and captures a young psychopath named Steven A. Clinton in a dark alley next to a popular bar. Clinton a trigger happy young man had just fired on and seriously injured several patrons in the local tavern and taken refuge between two buildings outside. Clinton later pleads guilty to several felonies and is sentenced to 22 years in state prison.

As a police lieutenant, Nicky becomes the commanding officer of the department intelligence unit and with the help of his squad, stops an attempted bombing at the Grand Terminus Plaza rail station during an open call for children to audition for media events. Police Officer Erin Peters, Brennan's competent subordinate, shoots and kills Aaffia Khan, just before Khan detonates the explosive device. A follow up investigation reveals that Aaffia is an agent for a terrorist organization led by Bhiren al Mohammed. Al Mohammed the mastermind of the attack, later slaughters a busload of children in a London suburban neighborhood. He enjoys the force multiplier effect of targeting and killing kids.

After the bus bombing Brennan somewhat reluctantly retires from the police and joins the FBI's elite counterterrorism squad and is assigned to find the murderer before he can strike again. Unknown to the FBI Bhiren is planning to kill a subway train full of Catholic school children in the Montague Street tunnel connecting Brooklyn and lower Manhattan.

Team 1, frustrated with their lack of progress is surprised when Brennan finds a substantial lead to pursue. The thread runs through England, Canada and New York. The messages between the conspirators are encrypted in a seemingly unbreakable code that Nick, with the help of his history professor wife is able to break at the last moment. Brennan pursues al Mohammed through the subway tunnel in a running gun battle which finally leads to Battery Park where Nick confronts Bhiren al Mohammed who begins firing at the tourists witnessing the gunfight.

Meanwhile, Steven Clinton is searching computer data bases in an effort to locate the Brennans to gain his revenge. He finally discovers their vacation home and violently invades the house while Joann and little Elizabeth Brennan are waiting for Nick to arrive. Brennan walking up the driveway in the darkness to the house realizes his neighbors, Tom and Carol DeBoer's house has been forcibly entered and both are injured inside. Tom tells Brennan he believes Clinton has captured Joann and Elizabeth next door. Nick devises a plan.

Though afraid of heights Nick surreptitiously climbs to the roof of the third floor of his vacation home with a knife in hand. There he cleverly makes noises causing Clinton to investigate. In the attic Brennan viciously attacks the larger and more muscular man. The battle takes the combatants who are fighting over a gun down two stairways into the living room where Joann is restrained in a chair. Working together Joann kicks the gun away as Nick stuns Clinton by slamming him with a lamp. Clinton recovers and begins to strangle Nicky, who starts to lose consciousness.