A novel of modern warfare from the author of Sand and Fire and The Hunters… one of the most exciting new thriller talents in years (Vince Flynn). Lieutenant Colonel Michael Parson’s newest assignment is a welcome change of pace. Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan is a major stopover for planes in and out of Afghanistan, but his new job as safety officer is a pretty laid-back way to spend the next year. Or so he thought. A C-27 crashes on the runway, its fuselage packed with electronic gear-and raw opium. Recruiting Sergeant Major Sophia Gold as interpreter, Parson must investigate not only what caused the crash, but who supplied its cargo. And the answers they find lead to a nightmarish revelation. A new Balkan war is brewing, driven by a man of ruthless ambition. Parson himself flew during the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, so he knows their horrors firsthand. But neither he nor Gold has seen anything like what’s about to happen now.