Cavanaugh, a former member of Delta Force who now works as a protector for those rich enough to afford him and his team, is hired by a brilliant scientist named Prescott who needs protection from a powerful drug lord seeking the highly addictive drug he has invented. At least, that is what Cavanaugh is led to believe. After Cavanaugh trains the scientist in escape and evasion, the unthinkable occurs: Cavanaugh's team is viscously attacked and entirely wiped out, and Prescott seems to be in collusion with the attackers. Now Cavanaugh must fight against his own tactics and anticipate his enemy's every move while suffering the consequences of the real secret Prescott is hiding: a unique weapon that induces fear.

David Morrell is one of America's most popular and acclaimed storytellers, with over eighteen million copies of his books in print. His thrillers have been translated into twenty-two languages and turned into record-breaking films and top-rated TV miniseries. His 1972 debut novel, First Blood, became the basis for the Rambo movie series. A former professor of American literature at the University of Iowa, he now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.