Ground Game
By David Edward
Ex-Army agent Dirk Lasher embarks on a brutal revenge mission after losing someone precious, taking his war against human traffickers from Panama to Honduras in this unflinching military thriller.
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OverviewDirk Lasher thought he had found a measure of peace in Panama City, building a new life with unlikely allies and protecting a young survivor named Jill. But when Russian mercenaries led by the vengeful Mason strike at everything Lasher holds dear, they awaken something primal and unforgiving. The attack leaves Lasher's makeshift family shattered and sets him on a path of systematic retribution that will take him deep into enemy territory. Armed with intelligence from his partner Isa Kern and backed by the resources of criminal mastermind Kimberly Sharp, Lasher infiltrates the Honduras operations of the organization that has been trafficking children to private islands for the world's elite. His mission becomes a calculated dismantling of their Central American network, targeting each member of Mason's team with the same brutality they showed his people. But as the body count rises and Lasher pushes deeper into darkness, he begins to question whether vengeance can truly heal the wounds or if he's simply adding to the cycle of violence. The stakes escalate when Bill Barber, the organization's American trustee, sends reinforcements to seize the Panama banking hub that Lasher and Sharp control. With enemies closing in from multiple directions and unlikely alliances forming with both US military brass and Panama's strongman Noriega, Lasher must defend his territory while confronting the cost of his revenge. In a world where the lines between justice and vengeance blur, Lasher discovers that some victories come at a price that changes you forever. |
Questions this book answers
- How far will Dirk Lasher go to avenge those he's sworn to protect, and what lines will he cross in pursuit of justice?
- What drives Mason's obsessive need for revenge against Lasher, and how will their final confrontation unfold?
- Can Lasher trust his alliance with Kimberly Sharp when she has her own agenda with mysterious GlobalCredits?
- How does the organization maintain its network of trafficking operations across Central America?
- What role will General Noriega and the PDF play in the battle for control of Panama's banking infrastructure?
- Will Lasher's systematic elimination of enemies in Honduras satisfy his need for vengeance or destroy what humanity he has left?
- How will the team defend the banking building against a coordinated assault by Soviet-trained mercenaries?
Selected quotes
"He knew if he stepped onto the dock, he would become a murderer. Is there a difference between the government-sanctioned killing of an enemy and applying the same rules using morality instead?"
"The knowledge of the existence of a network of underage sex slaves for the rich and powerful ate away at his soul. He could not coexist in a world with it operational."
"You're always quitting, Dirk, so no, it's not settled. You have a chance here, with Sharp, with tremendous resources that you may never have access to again. And you are outside of the system; you can do almost anything you want."
Why it matters
Ground Game confronts the moral complexity of vigilante justice in a world where official channels have failed. This isn't just another revenge thriller - it's an unflinching examination of how violence changes those who wield it, even in service of stopping greater evil. Edward forces readers to question whether becoming a monster to fight monsters is ever justified, and whether redemption is possible after crossing certain lines. In an era of increasing awareness about human trafficking and institutional corruption, this story resonates with uncomfortable truths about the price of justice when the system itself is compromised.