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Betrayal and Disaster in Africa As Jack, Maro, COL Minchao, and Admiral Falk anxiously await word, a combined strike force of U.S. Marines and Special Forces, Kenyan rangers and pathfinders, and French Foreign Legion airborne infantry descend upon the suspected hiding place of Flight 777.

But the terrorists, with help in high places, limitless funding, and highly trained field officers, have a horrifying discovery in store for the Allied forces.

The camo tent in the DRC jungle is not the hiding place of Flight 777, but an enormous bomb that goes off, killing or wounding many of the Allied forces. It is a nightmare within a bad dream, hatched by a wily adversary who must never be underestimated.

Jack's unit alone loses several key troops, including Captain Shep Sepak, the company commander, and his First Sergeant, Greg Boileau.

As a side note, I have U.S. Naval Support Facility under the command of a Captain Stuart Antonov, U.S.N.

Also, it is worth noting that, throughout this story, command keeps getting kicked up higher as the situation worsens (not an unrealistic phenomenon). In this scenario, the next higher level is a four-star U.S. Army general in Germany commanding AFRICOM, who now delegates a two-star Navy flag officer in Naples to take field command of the operation over Falk.

From Bad to Worse. Jack, a warrior, is sickened by the loss of his troops in this major ambush, and chafes at the bit. Like all commanders promoted beyond the field, he would rather be in the bush, slogging along with his troops, but he is now a headquarters officer answering to a line of chattering flag officers. He plunges into the mission of figuring out where Flight 777 really is hidden. Falk depends closely on him to save the day amid all this bureaucracy, not to mention losing more precious assets and avoiding any more major stumbles. Jack is ably assisted and supported by Maro, Minchao, Goldstein, and Mustafa (who prefers going by 'Don', wearing cowboy hats, and sporting something akin to a Southern accent). Yes, many of these individuals are set up, along with Jack, for future adventure novels.

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