In the latest military thriller from the retired Delta Force Operator and New York Times bestselling author, a hostage situation places America's most powerful political elite at the mercy of its worst enemies. nnWhen veteran operator Pike Logan and partner Jennifer Cahill receive a letter from Blaisdell Consulting-the umbrella cover company for their real employer, a top secret counterterrorist unit called the Taskforce-they expect orders for their next mission-impossible tasking. Instead, they learn that their latest actions have gotten them fired, despite having saved thousands of innocent lives.nnPike's shock and fury is redirected when their commander, Colonel Kurt Hale, asks him and Jennifer for help with a personal matter: His niece Kylie, an exchange student in England, has gone missing. Neither Pike nor Jennifer understands how critical her disappearance will become.nnMeanwhile, all Taskforce teams have been redirected to a developing situation. A terrorist organization has targeted military relatives of key members of the US government, including the vice president's son. Their seizure of hostages was far-reaching and meticulously coordinated, and the full extent of the threat-and potential demands-has thrown the government into turmoil. They face a terrible choice: Cease counter-terrorist operations, or watch hostages die one by one. How much is a single life worth? Unless the Taskforce can decipher the web of lies devised by their enemies, the United States is about to find out.nnFrom the Hardcover edition.
Praise for No Fortunate Son nn"[E]dge-of-your-seat thriller...nonstop action, intricate story line, and jaw-dropping plot twists."- Publishers Weeklynn"Smoothly switching between third-person narration and Pike's first-person point of view, Taylor skillfully unfolds the story until it feels like you're on a frenzied ride. A surefire page-turner that is nearly impossible to put down."- Kirkus Reviewsnn"Taylor has become the heir apparent to the late Vince Flynn, and his latest thriller featuring Pike Logan and his colleague and girlfriend Jennifer Cahill explodes with action from the first page... The surprises never stop, and the pace never relents. Logan and Cahill are a dream team, and military-thriller fans who seek realistic scenarios should consider Taylor mandatory reading."- Booklist nn"While there are countless authors who have tackled telling the stories of heroic men and women, only a few combine the ingredients of suspense, action, larger-than-life characters and some very appropriate dark humor in such satisfying measures. Whether he is picturing a country vista in some remote village or describing the antics of a spoiled military scion, Taylor writes with the accuracy of one who has been there."-Bookreporter.comnn"A chilling novel for our time, with a frighteningly realistic plot."- Huffington Postnn"Brad Taylor's Pike Logan books would still be great even if Taylor hadn't lived the kind of life about which he now writes. But he hits a new peak with the blisteringly effective No Fortunate Son ratcheting up both the professional and personal stakes for Logan's stalwart Taskforce team... With his latest, Taylor firmly entrenches himself on the level of James Rollins, Vince Flynn and Brad Thor as the modern master of the military thriller."- Providence JournalnnFrom the Hardcover edition.
This excerpt is from an advance uncorrected proofnnCopyright © 2014 Brad TaylornnDAY ONEnThe Misfirenn1nnThe woman caught Aiden's eye a second time and he realized she was stalking him. Which he found ironic, given he was in the process of hunting another, although he was fairly sure her idea of success was much different than his. Older than the average female at the bar, she projected an air of quiet desperation, with a sultry smile covering her misery like a cheap coat of paint, the pain clearly evident underneath.nnSurrounded on all sides by soldiers barely over drinking age, most having recently returned from a combat deployment with the 82nd Air borne, she longed to get away from the smell of stale beer and testoster one. She was searching for someone to take her from the bravado of arms. Someone who didn't have the stench of combat surrounding his every move. A civilized man who didn't believe that training to kill was a decent way to make a living.nnShe could be forgiven in her assessment, as Aiden Kelleher was much older than most of the men in the bar. His haircut, clothes, and de meanor did not mark him as a soldier. At least not a US one, with Tap out T shirts, shaved heads, and skull tattoos. If asked, he certainly considered himself no less a soldier than the rowdy men in the bar. He had taken lives in the name of a cause, and he most certainly knew that killing was a noble way to make a living.nnMaybe I'll come back here later. Taste a little American sweetness.nnHe smiled to himself, knowing that wasn't going to happen. He'd already raised his signature simply by opening his mouth, his accent causing the bartender to comment. He might be remembered, which wasn't good, considering what he had planned.nnHe felt his phone vibrate and checked the number. He held the cell up in the air, letting his partner see it at a table across from the bar, then exited so he could talk in private.nn"I have him in the bar, but I've raised my signature. The police will retrace his steps, and I might be mentioned."nn"Can you still get him?"nn"I think so, if you want to push it. I would prefer to wait."nn"We don't have time. He's set to go on a military exercise tomorrow, and we only have three days. You miss him tonight, and we lose him."nn"We still have the others, right?"nn"Maybe. All will have the same issues as you, so we might miss more than just this one. Once they connect who we're after, they will lock them all down tight. All six will be protected. It might even take less than three days for that to happen."nn"Then tonight it is."nnHe hung up, texting the numbers 11111 to his partner's phone, let ting him know the mission was being forced, then reentered the bar, looking instinctively at the target's table. He was gone, and so was Aiden's partner. He felt his phone vibrate and read the text.nnIn the cigar bar. Paying his tab.nnThe establishment their target had chosen was called Itz Entertain ment City, a large building with a multitude of different venues, includ ing a standard sports bar with the usual chain of flat screen televisions, a comedy club, a dance club, and a cigar bar. It was a place frequented by soldiers from the sprawling Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Caro lina. For the most part, their target had spent his time in the sports bar, drinking sparingly and talking with friends. He'd come alone, and, given his field time tomorrow, Aiden was sure he'd leave alone.nnAiden turned to exit, staging for the follow, and bumped into the woman. He saw she was considerably more intoxicated than he'd thought before, swaying slightly and using the bar for support.nn"Hey, I'd thought you'd left." She gave a crooked smile. "Did you come back looking for something?"nn"I'm sorry, no. I'm actually leaving now."nnHer eyes clouded in confusion, his accent struggling
