Without Remorse (John Clark, #1; Jack Ryan Universe, #1)

by Tom Clancy

The past happened because a hundred little random things had to fall exactly into place in exactly the right way, in exactly the proper sequence, and while it was easy to accept the good results, one could only rage at the bad ones.

Abuse was the weapon of the coward, after all, and those who applied it knew the fact as well as those who had to accept it.