2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion

Hunter and Khalia are at the scene of a bombing, described in detail from the moment the threat was eminent through the aftermath. Did the author adequately create a sense of setting for this scene? Could you picture it?

Yes, I thought the scene setting and its description was more than adequate to picture the devastation, both physical and emotional.

I could totally picture it, and I had a feeling it was going to happen before it happened.

I was there! I could smell the aftermath and felt the tremor created by the bomb. I could also feel Khalia’s fear. It was brilliantly captured.

It was a very descriptive portrayal. I felt Khalia's terror and fully understood her reactions. Khalia's honest, real reactions were an element of the book I liked the best.

I thought the bombing scene felt realistic and it's definitely true that there is often a secondary bomber trying to take out first responders. However, before the bombing happened I was wondering why there wasn't a second bodyguard with them. There's no way that if she's following Hunter through the crowds that Hunter can be watching her back. Since they are on high alert, I thought there should never be only Hunter. I would have thought a second bodyguard from the 2nd SUV would have joined them when they got out to walk. Did this bother anyone else?

No, as a second bodyguard would have drawn attention. Hunter was hyper alert and vigilant to where Khalia was at all times. That’s their skill.

I think I've read too many stories where someone's been knifed in a crowd. I thought when she was jostled from behind and bounced off the business man that someone was going to try to knife her.

Extremists look for the big statement, like a bomb going off in a crowded venue. Knifing her in a crowd without a big media splash doesn’t fit their behavior. They want the attention, not just to see Khalia dead.

At that point there had been no overt threat to Khalia. They were simply moving to her second meeting for the day. The only problem was the stalled traffic. That was why she and Hunter were on foot on the street. If the traffic had not stalled, they would have been in the building.

I thought it was very realistic. I think they, of course, didn't expect traffic to be bad and she would be in that building and would be killed, which was their ultimate goal.

I was totally there! I could feel her terror and the aftershocks of the explosions all the way back to the hotel where she was shaking and didn't even realize it. I really didn't know they often hit a second time to take out the first responders. I feel as if I should have known that.

I didn’t know about the second hits on first responders either. That makes it even more insidious.