First published 1999
Jack Hummel is welding in his Maryland home when armed terrorists burst through his door. They drag him to the South Mountain MX missile facility and order him to cut through a titanium barrier protecting a launch key. The president calls in the elite Delta Force, but the mission requires disgraced Colonel Dick Puller, whose career ended in scandal during the 1979 Iran crisis. Puller must partner with Professor Peter Thiokol, the missile silo's original designer and the only man who truly understands its defenses. Leading the terrorist operation is Arkady Pashin, a Russian Military Intelligence commander driven by messianic fervor. Pashin believes launching this single American missile will provoke a devastating Soviet counterattack. As Hummel's torch burns closer to the launch mechanism, Puller and his team race to stop a plan that could ignite global nuclear war.
Genres: military-fiction, adventure, suspense, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: South Mountain MX Missile Facility, Maryland
Period: Contemporary
Audiobook · Random House Audio
Content warnings: violence