Rogue Forces

What happens when America's most lethal military contractor becomes uncontrollably powerful?

Newly inaugurated President Joseph Gardner pledged to start pulling U. S. forces out of Iraq on his first day of office—no questions asked. Meanwhile, former President Kevin Martindale and retired Air Force Lieutenant-General Patrick McLanahan have left government behind for the lucrative world of military contracting. Their private firm, Scion Aviation International, has been hired by the Pentagon to take over aerial patrols in northern Iraq.

Yet when Iraq quickly re-emerges as a hot zone, can the president rein Scion in? And just where does McLanahan's loyalty ultimately lie: with his country, his commander-in-chief, his fellow warriors . . . or his company's shareholders?