by Brad Taylor
Part of Pike Logan, book 13.5
First published 2019
Pike Logan watches helplessly as Amena, the Syrian refugee he and Jennifer Cahill have taken in, struggles to adapt to life in South Carolina. After a heated argument, Amena flees to Charleston's streets, where she befriends another girl under the protection of a Serbian man. Pike frantically searches for the missing teenager, unaware that she has fallen into the hands of human traffickers. The Serbian gang operates with brutal efficiency, demanding a deadly exit fee from girls who resist their control. As Amena discovers the true horror of her situation, Pike races against time to locate her. The stakes escalate beyond personal rescue when classified nuclear secrets become entangled in the criminal operation. Pike must navigate a dangerous underworld where the cost of failure extends far beyond one girl's life. The mission will test every skill he learned in Special Forces as he confronts an enemy that shows no mercy to those who cross them.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Charleston, South Carolina, Syria
Period: 21st-century
160 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow Impulse
Content warnings: trafficking, violence