The Innocent (Baldacci novel)
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
The Innocent is a suspense novel authored by American writer David Baldacci, featuring the debut of Will Robie, an expert assassin working for the U.S. government. Released on October 9, 2012, through Grand Central Publishing, this book initiates the Will Robie series.
Plot
Will Robie, an experienced CIA hitman, comes back to the United States following the elimination of a Mexican drug cartel leader and a disgraced Saudi prince. He maintains a personal connection with Annie Lambert, his neighbor who serves as a White House secretary. When assigned to eliminate Jane Wind, a woman suspected of terrorism, Robie experiences doubt. This hesitation leads his handler to dispatch an alternate assassin and forces Robie into hiding.
Julie Getty escapes from an abusive foster environment only to discover her parents have been slain by an unidentified killer. Both Julie and Robie board the same bus; during the journey, the assassin attacks, but Robie subdues him before the bus detonates, resulting in fatalities except for them. Robie then provides refuge for Julie at his secure location.
Robie's superior, known as "Blue Man," informs him that the assignment was a setup and suspects internal betrayal within the agency. Collaborating with FBI agent Nicole Vance, Robie investigates the murders and bombing. Their inquiry uncovers Jane’s ex-husband deceased and exposes them to multiple assassination attempts from operatives within both the FBI and CIA. Robie discovers that Julie’s father and Jane’s former spouse were Gulf War comrades. He entrusts Vance with Julie's protection while pursuing those responsible.
Turning to his mentor Shane Connors for assistance, Robie locates surviving members of their squad: Jerome Cassidy (who is actually Julie’s father) and Elizabeth van Beuren, who suffers from a terminal illness. Elizabeth was murdered by her husband George after she uncovered his scheme to assassinate the president and attempted to alert others. Racing against time, Robie and Blue Man rush to the White House only to find George unconscious; subsequently, Robie realizes Annie is the assassin and kills her to prevent harm to the president.
Talal, who survived previous assassination attempts, abducts Julie and Vance, demanding Robie's presence in Morocco. The negotiation fails as Talal seeks vengeance; however, an informant within Talal’s organization assists Robie's escape. With Connors' support, Talal’s forces are eliminated, and Talal is surrendered to Saudi authorities.
During a debriefing with Blue Man and Connors, it is disclosed that Annie was brainwashed by Iranian adoptive parents to spy on Robie. Talal orchestrated the killings of squad members aware of his conspiracy as psychological warfare against Robie. Talal has since been executed. The story concludes with Cassidy adopting Julie under Vance's guardianship.