Elite mercenary Connor Rattakul can't escape his past.

After choosing the wrong side in a war against the Directorate, he becomes a fugitive, hiding in the ranks of the thousands of mercenaries always desperate for the next job. But a series of mishaps force his team deep into the Talon Sector, where the Directorate holds power. Only his former girlfriend's intervention can save him.

With Directorate assassins on his trail, Connor is forced to take on a job that his team might not survive from a client his boss says can't be trusted.

But that boss seems ready to crack, and the client is hiding deadly secrets from the mercenaries. Will Connor be able to lead his teammates through the dark world he's led  them to, or will they all die in the alien gloom?

Ill Fortune

When Kalpana wrapped her arm around Connor, he thought she might be making good on all her flirting, but she wasn’t even looking at him. Instead, she guided him toward the Badger.


The ringing in his ears relented enough that he caught the occasional crack of rock fragments raining down from the sky.


Most of the debris belched up from the pit was fine, white powder.


Kalpana stopped beside the pile of scorpion corpses, where Vicente had removed his helmet. Ichor coated the big man’s thick arms and sections of his face where the visor hadn’t covered him.


After a second, he looked Connor up and down. “You look like crap, Boss.”


Connor realized the heavy weapons expert must have shouted. “I feel better.” He nodded back toward Lem. “They took the worst of it.”


Vicente climbed free of the dead bugs and kicked a few body segments away. “I got ‘em.”


“Careful with Selen. Her arms are hanging on by the skin.”


Chapter 147