Union Bust

Union Bust is firmly embedded in the format that most Destroyer novels will follow for the near future, with the familiar setups of the villain in Chapter 1 and Remo's introduction in Chapter 2, and everything really just falls into the same pattern. Not a complaint, but just an observation that the Destroyer is now officially in its groove.

Union Bust feels a lot like Mafia Fix, but with the organized crime element swapped out for organized labor. A mysterious entity is trying to create a global transportation union that would effectively cripple the US Economy, so the President (presumably still Nixon) calls on Cure to bust this super union. After almost dying from eating a hamburger (monosodium glutamate), Remo joins the union and show more tries to discover the "Mod" President's evil plan. There's a mysterious building, mysterious benefactors, and lots of hefty bags. Hefty Bags? A common plot device in destroyer novels is having dead people show up having been killed by a mysterious device, which in this instance seems to reduce people to puddles. Remo needs to find out who is behind the union, the puddles, and Jethro, before it's too late for the American economy.

HIS NAME WAS REMO: "HIS NAME WAS REMO, and he felt mildly sorry for the man who had erected the poorly hidden detection devices outside this elegant Tuscon estate."

THE BAD GUY: Union Bust features the introduction of Chiun's former student and mortal enemy Nuihc, and he is the ultimate puppet master pulling the strings of the book's more visible bad guy, Gene Jethro. Like many of the Destroyer novels from this early period, the villain is at least superficially representative of the counterculture of the seventies, this time mostly by his attire and pretty-boy looks that clash with the tough-guy aesthetic of the Teamsters. While Jethro meets his ultimate demise, Nuihc escapes and pops up in numerous books further on in the series.

REMO & CURE: The Hamburger Incident at the beginning of the book convinces Remo that there is no exit strategy for his roll with Chiun and Cure, resulting in Remo showing some loyalty to the organization by the end, and even Smith placing faith in Remo's abilities and judgement. No real infighting to speak of beyond the normal friction between Remo and Smith.

REMO & CHIUN: Remo and Chiun are well established in their admiration and adoration of each other, and both are seemingly comfortable in their Teacher/Pupil, Father/Son roles. Chiun's request to run instead of face Nuihc in order to save Remo's life shows how deep his affection is at this point.

SINANJU Wisdom: "Could and should are the same things for the wise man."

"What success was ever achieved without a failure? I tell you success comes from learning what will not work. If every man surrendered to the happenstance of fate, we would all be living in caves because the first house fell down." (This is a rare instance when Sinanju wisdom comes from somebody other than Chiun; in this case, Nuihc.)

"There were old assassins and bold assassins, as Chiun had said. But there were no old bold assassins."

"It is the height of arrogance to fling your chances of survival into the lap of the goddess of fate, demanding that she perform what you will not. This arrogance is always punished."

REMO’S LADIES: Remo only beds one unsuspecting woman this time, Gene Jethro's ditzy and scantily clad girlfriend/secretary Chris, who also happens to have a photographic memory. She serves the usual purpose, showing up in revealing outfits at inoprtune times. After pumping her for information (pardon the expression), he ditches her in a cab for her own protection, and we never see her again.

BODY COUNT: Remo hits a baker's dozen of 13 kills this go round, starting with 4 kills before he even starts on the Union mission; 3 contract kills during the opening Remo chapter, and the doctor Cure flies in to save Remo from his hamburger. Once he's on the Union case, he takes out 2 goons that try to flatten him with a truck, then 6 more during a hotel ambush (not counting Union goons killed by friendly fire), and then finally kill 13 goes to Union leader Gene Jethro.

Chiun only gets 3 confirmed kills this time, as he takes out three Union goons foolish enough to interrupt his soap operas.

Most creative kill goes to Jethro and his puddle making machine. show less

#139 in our old book database. Not rated.

4/5/22