DEA Special Agent Garrett Kohl must rescue a CIA officer after she has been kidnapped in Texas by a brutal band of mercenaries in this pulse-pounding thriller for fans of C. J. Box.

Special Agent Garrett Kohl has just taken down a powerful and deadly cartel boss with the Texas Rangers when he finds trouble brewing back on his family’s homestead. A powerful energy consortium, Talon Corporation, has started an aggressive mining operation that threatens to destroy Garrett’s land, his family’s way of life, and everything they hold dear. To achieve its goals, Talon is flouting the law, bribing public officials, and meeting anyone who challenges it with extreme physical violence. When the Kohls themselves are attacked by Talon henchmen, Garrett goes on the offensive, embarking on an investigation that will hopefully rid the Texas High Plains of the intruders once and for all. 

Garrett soon discovers that the company’s roots reach into the deep dark hinterlands of countries across the globe. Using coercion and assassination levied by mercenaries made up of former Russian special operations forces, Talon and the Russians are working to covertly secure the world’s supply of rare earth minerals, leaving the U.S. vulnerable economically and militarily. The tit for tat exchange between Talon and the Kohls erupts into a full-scale war when Russian spy, Alexi Orlov, kidnaps Garrett’s friend and ally, CIA operative Kim Manning and holds her hostage. While Talon may be accustomed to getting its way around the world, they have yet to encounter this rare breed of warrior down in Texas — a soldier who will fight to the death to protect those that he loves.