Note: all main, secondary, and tertiary characters from The Zurich Safari.
Admony, Shai—Mossad Officer; Brother David. The calm, self-assured, ever-present Shai, lives a double-life as a senior Mossad Katsa officer and as a founder partner (Brother David) of the transnational intelligence group known only as The Brotherhood – an Interpol-like society of like-minded professionals who’re intensely interested in learning more about the Saul/Zebra system.
Bahramani, Ali Hashemi—A former Pasdaran Captain, now senior Arab trainer at Black Star’s foreign operative school in Munich. One of the primary targets of the Marienplatz operation.
Bakunin, Alexander—Russian SVR (Foreign Intelligence Service); Brother Stephan. The Russian Oligarch of noble blood works as double-agent. Discovered existence of stolen ‘piggy-back’ program co-developed by Primakov/Southerland alliance.
Ballard, Austin—One of Connelly’s Tangent co-workers from a subsidiary that built sensitive (covert) facilities, including the CyOptics Labs.
Beck, Victor—Freelance operative. The German national, six feet five and heavily built, was a former SEK (Spezialeinsatzkommando) commando and trained sniper before being forced into early retirement. Gruff, short-tempered, and direct, with an immediately practical tactical mind; the local’s sharp analysis of the sniper challenges in the ‘square’ prove helpful to John setting up ‘Market’ plan.
Blome, Friederick—Senior operations manager at CyOptics Labs, Munich. An old friend of Connelly.
Bowman, Robert T.—Tangent Special Projects Manager. Harlan’s first cousin and best friend since youth. The gentle genius now appears in Southerland’s recurring nightmare of a teenage Bobby near-drowning on a canoe trip. While universally remembered as principled, kind, and honorable, others see he was too innocent and naïve for his own good.
Buettner, Conrad—GSG-9 tactical officer. The German operator, a close friend of Derek, has the no-nonsense competence of a seasoned commando. Hired to provide protection, the local is also a certified EMTA. His crucial tactical and medical support providing life-saving aid at a critical time.
Buettner, Ingrid—Conrad’s wife. Tall and imposing, she’s still softly feminine when not deployed in her position as a case-hardened tactical officer within the GSG-9. She follows the sniper’s ethos.
Burns, Sir Alexander—Assistant Director, Mi6; Brother James. The refined, graceful British intelligence official, an old school gentleman, understands well the needs of today as a founding member of the Brotherhood.
Chuvin, Arkady—Black Star Sergeant (Spetsnaz). Though he’s the number two at Black Star, Arkady has all the confidence and ego but not the training of number one, Vassily. A dangerous combination.
Connelly, John David—A highly capable, analytically sharp operative and the nephew of General Southerland, who adopted him after the death of his parents. While John is a trained security expert, the former director of global sales for Tangent’s Gateway security system, he now works as a simple engineer. He is driven by loyalty and a strong moral compass, though he operates in morally ambiguous territory. Self-reliant and sarcastic, he resists authority, but is deeply devoted to his friends, particularly Andy Heuer and Charlotte Copeland. Educated at Stanford and Caltech, speaks multiple languages, and pilots his own Cessna jet. The outsider everyone acknowledges but shies away from, he shares the same curse as his beloved cousin Bobby.
Copeland, Charlotte—Network Operations Specialist. One of only a handful trusted with access to the most sensitive areas within Tangent. And attractive thirty-something, ‘Charli’ struggles to balance her job, friendship with John, and life with her crazy lover ‘Andy.’ Loyal, brave, and strong willed, her biggest weakness is an inability to say ‘no,’
Covington, James—CIA Deputy Director. A political appointee of President John DeChancey, is called a ‘suit’ by his peers in the industry. Has an ongoing rivalry with General Southerland, and Connelly by connection.
Crandall, Joel—Tangent employee, and a former colleague of Connelly’s from another Tangent group that manages overseas classified assets.
Davis, Dave C.—U.S. Army Ranger (ret.); Brother Gregory. A hardened professional operator with over thirty years’ experience running black-ops missions. Handles aerial surveillance for the Brotherhood.
DeChancey, John D.—Sitting U.S. President. A personal friend and political ally of Southerland, sharing the same world view.
Fucillo, Carlo—Camora soldier. The Italian street informant frequents St. Rita’s Church, posing as a vagrant, in the hope of learning about Connelly’s investigation. When they do meet, ‘Daggetti’ offers up critical information about the robbery for the price of meeting his boss.
Gehlen, Walter Hans—CyOptics Operations (security) Director. Difficult and noncompliant, Gehlen refused to help the first investigations.
Giancanna, Terisio—Boss of bosses of the Neapolitan clan of the Camora. The soft-spoken charismatic leader is so smooth and diplomatic no one believes his clan could have had anything to do with the robbery.
Gogladze, Grigori—A hardened Spetsnaz captain, third in command at Chorna Zvezda. He flees the Marienplatz scene to warn Primakov.
Father Hans-Georg—A priest at St. Rita’s Roman Catholic Church across from the Arabella. He and his associate, Father Gregory, helped Bobby Bowman and unknowingly assisted in the heist by contracting the crane work.
Heuer, Andrew—John’s closest friend and operational partner. Cheerful, loyal, physically imposing, and recklessly enthusiastic. A self-described rule-breaker, Andy has no official clearance, credentials, yet has accompanied John on dangerous missions through sheer force of personality and mutual trust. He is Charlotte Copeland’s partner. Though similar in abilities to John, he’s judged as an unreliable loose cannon by peers due to his lack of any formal training. A comic-book hero brought to life.
Jafari, Eman Jalil—Arab freelance operative. The cold-eyed and quietly intense officer joins the locals at same time as Beck. Carrying the unmistakable bearing of a leader, he brings expert knowledge of the Arab world, helping to identify the student trainees for what they really are.
Though he presents himself as Lebanese, John discovers Eman is actually Iranian. The former Pasdaran police officer’s training helps settle several scores.
Kosekov, Yuri Pavlovich—A Black Star Captain described by his co-workers as a psychotic killer. Dimitri Shishkin discovers he was directly responsible for the deaths of the Arabella employees, ultimately making Yuri the primary target in Connelly’s mission.
Kumarin, Sergei—Head of the Solntsevskaya Bratva, Moscow’s top organized crime group. One of Primakov’s best clients.
Litvinenko, Anastasia Denisovna—Black Star Sergeant. A fellow Russian intelligence officer and close friend of Natalia Mitrokhina. She is perceptive, curious, and more openly playful than Mitrokhina. She knows about and supports Natalia & John’s secret relationship.
Mikhailov, Sergei—Russian Bratva leader. ‘Mikhas’ is a high-level commander within the Solntsevskaya crime group headquartered in Moscow.
Mitrokhina, Natalia Mikhailovich—Black Star Colonel. A highly decorated senior intelligence officer in Chorna Zvezda, ‘Tasha’ is sharp, elegant, brave, and compassionate in ways none of her male peers recognize. Trained as a doctor before joining Russian intelligence, she is stationed with Primakov’s group in Munich. Her incredible beauty hides a deep anger within her.
Mughniyah, Khudur Fa’iz—Freelance operative. A former Hezbollah fighter, the Lebanese Khudur enrolled in Black Star’s training school to learn how to be an assassin. Two other students graduated with him on his special day: Imad Ali Husayn and Muhammed Jada; both started with Hamas.
Patrick, Franklin—U.S. Army general and program manager of Pentagon Unified Battlefield project. A close ally of Southerland, he’ one of the very few government officials who knows of Harlan’s latest special project, Zebra.
Pohner, Humbertus—Munich Police Chief. Impatient, demanding, especially of attention and respect. He disliked anyone who questioned his observations.
Primakov, Maxim Alexandrovich—Commander of Chorna Zvezda (Black Star), a former top-Soviet intelligence general who has evolved his unit into a private military contractor and criminal services organization. Primakov is simultaneously terrifying and complex: a granite-faced old-school Soviet officer capable of genuine warmth and personal loyalty – the dangerous underworld leader still has a soft spot in his heart for past friendships with Southerland’s family.
Robinson, Carter—VP of Strategic Operations. Southerland’s sleek, ambitious right-hand man is a young-looking middle-aged professional who climbed through five management levels in just two years using charm, cunning, and manipulation; the only person capable of managing Southerland’s volcanic temper, one of the reasons he rose so quickly. His carefully groomed appearance and smooth social manner lead many to mistake him for the CEO. Connelly increasingly suspects Robinson is leading Southerland down their new unethical direction.
Schisler, Vilhelm—Munich Investigator. The sharp, polite chief investigator with the BKA, German Federal Police, is a Sherlock Holmes-style figure whose unconventional thinking and outlandish theories, have landed him in constant trouble with his superiors as well as help solve mysteries like the one they were facing now.
Shishkin, Dimitri Ivanovich—Black Star Captain. Primakov’s adjutant and old friend, ‘Dima’ is an emotional basket-case due to recent mistakes: he’s personally responsible for allowing the destructive Yuri Kosekov into the Arabella operation – a decision that led to Bobby’s Bowman’s murder.
Southerland, J. (James) Harlan—CEO of Tangent Global Corp. The Patriarch, a powerful, imposing figure who presides over the company from a dramatic eagle’s-nest office overlooking the Potomac River. A former military general turned defense contractor, Southerland is Washington’s most influential private-sector player. Outwardly paternal toward John, whom he adopted and calls his ‘son,’ is seen as ruthless, controlling, and morally compromised by his competitors. Haunted by his inability to save Bobby Bowman, his beloved cousin, is deeply affected by Bobby’s murder, and consumed with the desire to avenge his death.
Taylor, Katherine Anne—CIA Field Agent; Sister Anne. The perpetually disguised operative, is the most experienced case officer from her agency embedded in Europe. The real ‘Katie’ is in her thirties, attractive, with auburn hair. Initially tasked by Director Covington to gather intelligence for use against Southerland, she uses her covert relationship with a mysterious intelligence group known as the Brotherhood to help John instead.
Then, Martin—Director of Operations at the CyOptics Labs. A former colleague and friend of Connelly, Martin becomes cold and remote during the investigation, raising John’s suspicions.
Tomlinson, Issac—U.S. Army General. Director of procurement for the Pentagon’s most critical systems such as UB. General Patrick’s commanding officer.
Vanderschuur, Derek—Mi6 field agent (ret.) and ally. First to join John’s crew, the former British MI6 officer makes use of his deep connections to Munich’s intelligence community: bringing in ‘local’ temporary operators Victor Beck and Eman Jafari to run surveillance. The seasoned operator remains calm and functional under all circumstances.
Zaitsev, Vassily Antonovich—Black Star Sergeant (Spetsnaz). The number one ranked sniper in Black Star. A favorite of Primakov, Vassily doesn’t like hearing about another of the boss’s favorites… Connelly.