A former Marine with a past buried in blood. A forest ranger with questions that could get him killed. When the hunt begins, survival means striking first. Former Marine Recon Mackenzie "Mac" Jackson has spent years burying his past—missions erased, ghosts locked away, secrets never to be spoken. But when his old Fire Team is targeted for elimination, the past refuses to stay dead. A dangerous shift in political alliances has made one mission a liability—one the government is desperate to erase. And that means taking out everyone who was there. Forest Ranger Samuel Larson has spent years searching for the Marines who saved his life, hoping to say thank you. He doesn’t realize that his search has made him a target. Walking into Mac’s life, he stumbles into a storm of betrayal, violence, and bloodshed. Mac planned to disappear. Now, protecting Samuel becomes his only priority. However, as enemies close in and the body count rises, Mac faces an impossible choice: take his secrets to the grave or make the ones hunting them pay in blood. Because when the people you trust become the enemy, the only way out is to strike first.