I am Writing a novel and I have awkward Questions

[yellowdingo]

As the Title: I am writing a Novel and I was wondering if there was someone who might have an Idea on how to answer some awkward questions?

Um, OK: 1. how much do Hitmen kill people for in the real world?
2. How much did a Russian Suitcase Nuke sell for?

Its just that i dont live in that kind of scary world with a value on human life...but I dont want to put down something wrong...

 

[Starbreaker]

It depends on how good of a hitman you are and how important your target is! I would ask the mob... but you know.

 

[Data Holmes]

As the Title: I am writing a Novel and I was wondering if there was someone who might have an Idea on how to answer some awkward questions?

Um, OK: 1. how much do Hitmen kill people for in the real world?
2. How much did a Russian Suitcase Nuke sell for?

Its just that i dont live in that kind of scary world with a value on human life...but I dont want to put down something wrong...

1. It depends. You could hire a junkie off the street for a few hundred up to the ten's to hundred's of millions for a true pro like the jackal. Hell, you could even get a political or religious zealot to do it for free. You would have to provide more details for a more specific answer.

2. Back after the initial fall of the USSR, you could have gotten one on the black market for about ten or twenty million. It's harder to get now, so the price would be higher... if you can find one.

 

[JonathonWally]

As the Title: I am writing a Novel and I was wondering if there was someone who might have an Idea on how to answer some awkward questions?

Um, OK: 1. how much do Hitmen kill people for in the real world?
2. How much did a Russian Suitcase Nuke sell for?

Its just that i dont live in that kind of scary world with a value on human life...but I dont want to put down something wrong...

It depends who you want hit. About $10k - $20k average spouse hit. Depending on your target it goes up from there. It also depends on how you want it to "look". Suicide, accident or just vanish.

So I've heard.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I imagine those suitcase nukes are pretty much worthless by now. Nobody's been maintaining them, from what I hear-- of course, you could fix that with fictional plot elements, I suppose. But in real life, I think they'd only be valuable for the radioactive material they contain.

 

[Triskelion]

What country is your story in?

What kind of hitman are you looking to hire? Ex-military? Some guy? Bet you could find one for a hundred bucks in some countries.

The suitcase thing would be an auction, probably. On ebay in code writing, under "discounted art" or something. So who would the other bidders be?

 

[Starkers]

Well since most people have never hired a hitman, and never bought a suitcase nuke, I'd imagine you can get away with some artistic licence here.

As posters have said, hiring a hitman will depend greatly on the quality of the assasin and the target. If you want to hit Obama you're probably looking at spending exceptional amounts, if it's your ex wife less so. I've seen news articles where people are accused of offing people for just a few thousand pounds. I think we really need a few more details.

As for the nuke. Frankly just make that up, but I'd air on the side of (very) expensive rather than cheap.

So, this novel, I'm guessing romantic comedy?

 

[RoJoHen]

1. fitty dolla
2. fitty dolla

I'll take 2 of each!

 

[Roger Wilco]

Aren't suitcase nukes a myth? But I'd guess a real one could sell for billions rather than millions if you are able to find a legitimate buyer before you get taken out by the CIA or so.

And regarding the price for a hit, I recently watched the Australian tv show Underbelly, which is about a gang war that took place in Melbourne in the 90's and supposedly is quite realistic. And the hits there cost between $50K and $500K depending on the target.

 

[cultcross]

"Write about what you know" is often good advice

 

[Starkers]

Aren't suitcase nukes a myth? But I'd guess a real one could sell for billions rather than millions if you are able to find a legitimate buyer before you get taken out by the CIA or so.

I believe to an extent they are, I know when I looked into them for one of my novels the prevailing view seemed to be that it wasn't possible to create a nuclear bomb quite that small, but there's probably enough flexibility with the mythical/factual nature to get away with using one (I did )

 

[Jadzia]

I think it depends a lot on the feel of the novel. Making these cheaper than expected (1. $10,000, and 2. $1,000,000) would be more fitting for a depressing novel, set in a world which prices life so lowly.

On the other hand, if this is all top secret espionage CIA stuff novel, then these prices can be inflated allowing you can play around more with the fantasies surrounding them (1. $1,000,000 and 2. $1,000,000,000)

 

[captcalhoun]

suitcase nukes are a myth. there are BACK-PACK nukes, though...

 

[RoJoHen]

I prefer wallet or billfold nukes.

Very compact.

 

[chardman]

suitcase nukes are a myth. there are BACK-PACK nukes, though...

Sorry, but back in the early 1990s, in an episode of the BBC science/history series "Connections 2", host James Burke showed a suitcase nuke on television. And from the security precautions the scene involved, I'm utterly convinced that it was the real thing.

 

[Aragorn]

Now, his next "questions" for his novel will be what the exact ingredients are for making a dirty bomb and how do you go about making fake passports and ID.

 

[Holdfast]

suitcase nukes are a myth. there are BACK-PACK nukes, though...

Is there a Hermes Birkin nuke?

(it would be amusing to have a nuke where the container is more expensive than the contents...)

 

[Plecostomus]

Ok now how many people are going to take this seriously?

Um, OK:

1. how much do Hitmen kill people for in the real world?
2. How much did a Russian Suitcase Nuke sell for?

My prices are as follows: $1500 to fuc* some one up with an iron bar, $5500 to break limbs, $5700 for slashing and disfigurement, and $50 to kill 'em out right.

Suit-case nukes... I got three left... two 150 kiloton units and a 75 kiloton unit. Now if you are looking for a cruise-missile or something with a ballistic launcher I got options ranging from pickup-truck transportable all the way to elaborate self-contained submersible launch-platforms.

Drop me a PM and I'll give you a price-quote.

Brian Ricard
Smalltime Machine Services

 

[Candlelight]

Re: Ok now how many people are going to take this seriously?

Suitcase nuke...? No, but I do have a nerve gas toothbrush.

 

[Mike Farley]

Re: Ok now how many people are going to take this seriously?

Um, OK:

1. how much do Hitmen kill people for in the real world?
2. How much did a Russian Suitcase Nuke sell for?

My prices are as follows: $1500 to fuc* some one up with an iron bar, $5500 to break limbs, $5700 for slashing and disfigurement, and $50 to kill 'em out right.

Suit-case nukes... I got three left... two 150 kiloton units and a 75 kiloton unit. Now if you are looking for a cruise-missile or something with a ballistic launcher I got options ranging from pickup-truck transportable all the way to elaborate self-contained submersible launch-platforms.

Drop me a PM and I'll give you a price-quote.

Brian Ricard
Smalltime Machine Services

And somewhere, deep in some government agency bunker...Plecostomus's
name get's another checkmark.