Back in Action Old Soldiers never die...except inside, when they lack a reason to live. Old soldier Wes Stauer is dying inside, from sheer lack of purpose. And then comes the knock on the door: "Our leader's son and heir has been kidnapped. We don't know where he is. We need you to get him back for us. The people who have him are numerous, warlike, and well armed. But money is no object." And then old soldiers - sailor and airmen, too - stop fading away and come back into sharp focus.

#2 in the breakthrough Countdown modern-day military adventure series. Brutally effective retired Army colonel Wes Stauer commands a crack outfit of former comrades to pull off a miracle mission. But Stauer must also harness and direct the brute within himself – a beast he will need in order to destroy an intelligent enemy who is as implacable as Stauer himself. War is brutal. Colonel Wes Stauer gets it. He ought to. He was once one of war’s most brutal practitioners – not to mention one of its most effective and least bloody. Brutal yes; stupid no. Now, not only must Stauer command his crack outfit of former comrades and pull off yet another miracle mission, he must also harness and direct the brute within himself – a beast he will need in order to destroy an intelligent enemy who is as implacable as Stauer himself. Okay, almost as implacable. There will be war. And there will be warriors like Wes Stauer who have the know-how and, once set in motion, the unstoppable professional drive, to see the bad guys to their graves and destroy every last earthly piece of their nasty legacies. About Tom Kratman’s military thrillers and military science “Kratman's dystopia is a brisk page turner full of startling twists…[Kratman is] a professional military man…up to speed on military and geopolitical conceits.” –Best-selling author of America Alone Mark Steyn on Tom Kratman’s uncompromising military SF thriller, Califate “Kratman raises disquieting questions on what it might take to win the war on terror…realistic action sequences, strong characterizations and thoughts on the philosophy of war.” – Publishers Weekly

#3 in the breakthrough Countdown modern-day military adventure series. Brutally effective retired Army colonel Wes Stauer commands a crack outfit of former comrades to pull off a miracle mission. But Stauer must also harness and direct the brute within himself – a beast he will need in order to destroy an intelligent enemy who is as implacable as Stauer himself. Welcome to the Philippines outback. It’s a true garden spot, if you happen to like drug running, bush-bound revolutionary movements, Balkanized tribal warfare, illegal weapons trading, and kidnapping for fun and profit. It’s hostage rescue time once again for Terry Welch's special operations company. But this is turning out to be one of those missions. No clue as to the hostage's whereabouts. An employer who is completely untrustworthy. An indigenous social structure coming apart at the seams. And it’s topped off by Welch and his crew having to endure a rifle company of hated competitors supposedly sent along for reinforcement. Part of the territory for Welch. But then an attack on both companies’ home bases leaves families and friends under threat of death and any available support scurrying to defend. Worse, advance team members sent to reconnoiter have been taken hostage as well. No help, no backup, team members in the soup. Welch knows there’s only one do whatever it takes . Use whatever means necessary to complete the mission. And if those means include force, guile, sneak attacks, and a small dose of heightened interrogation techniques for scumball terrorist enablers (okay, maybe a somewhat larger dose), then so be it. This is H Hour. And the fight is on.