Jack Reacher's Rules

“He was an observant man. He had made his living by noticing details. He was living because he noticed details.”

Think about everything you’ve seen and heard. Work the clues.

>>KNOW THE SIGNS OF BEING UNDER SURVEILLANCE

unexplained cars

parked vans

pairs or trios of dressed-down people with wires in their ears

clean taxicabs with two people in them

pedestrians you see inexplicably in two different places

The width of a person’s wrists is the best indicator of his or her strength.

People don’t like searching above head height. If you want to hide something, hide it on the top shelf.

People hiding and waiting give off human vibrations. If you don’t feel them, they’re not there.

An elected official always has a separate brass plate. (It makes it cheaper when the guy changes every few Novembers.)

The easiest way to spot a hooker is by her big purse—hookers have to carry around a lot of stuff (condoms, massage oils, gun, credit card machine …).

If a lock doesn’t have scratches around it, then no one uses the door.

“I think Reacher’s the kind of guy that sees things five seconds before the rest of the world.”

Look, don’t see; listen, don’t hear. The more you engage, the longer you survive.

If somebody’s got money outside of his salary, it shows up somewhere.

“Suicide bombers give out all kinds of telltale signs. Mostly because they’re nervous. By definition, they’re all first-timers.”

>>THE PERFECT OBSERVATION POINT

A soldier knows that the perfect observation point provides:

An unobstructed view to the front

Adequate security to the flanks and rear

Protection from the elements

Concealment of observers

A reasonable likelihood of undisturbed occupation

A result