Revenge

Revenge is a major theme of the book. It begins with the mission Zacharias is flying when he is shot down. When he fired, he said it was for the friends he had lost in combat. This isn't uncommon in combat situations, but it is still a part of a major theme of the book.

Revenge is also what motivates John Kelly. He is out to avenge Pam's death and does it by himself, without bringing in the police. When he is in New Orleans, he looks up Lamarck, a pimp whose name Pam had given him. He finds the man and kills him.

In Baltimore, his revenge is more premeditated, given the planning and attention to detail. He stalks the neighborhood where Pam worked, identifies two drug dealers, and kills them to get information about Billy. His attention to detail is evident in his making sure there...