Spetsnaz used to be a name to strike fear into the hearts of Russia's enemies. But now that the country has gone to the dogs, Dima Mayakovsky - once a revered figure inside the elite Special Forces unit - wants no part of it any more. But when a dangerous fugitive surfaces in Tehran, Dima is the man Kremlin wants to bring him in. There is no option: the ex-Spetsnaz legend must lead his team of battle-hardened operatives into combat, not something you can hide from the US recce satellites circling above.

This means that Dima and his men become Marine Sergeant Henry 'Black' Blackburn's problem. As Iran descends into chaos, Dima and Black are forced to question everything they believed in, and to fight to survive, for their comrades, their honour and the lives of millions. They're on their own. And the clock is ticking?

Read by Rupert Degas

(p) 2011 Orion Publishing Group