A vigilante ex-cop avenges the murder of a friend in this fast-paced thriller from the "New York Times" bestselling author of the Doc Ford series. When the police department told him to hold his fire, Hawker pulled the trigger anyway and killed a dangerous terrorist. Since losing his badge, this hardnosed vigilante has been exiled from Chicago, the city he loves more than any other. He returns for the sake of one man: Saul Beckerman, a friend from the old neighborhood who has become one of the richest people in the city. Since Hawker began his nationwide war against organized crime, Beckerman...

A disgraced Chicago cop launches a one-man war against organized crime A man holds twelve children hostage at gunpoint. Across the street, James Hawker dangles from a skyscraper, watching the terrorist through a sniper s scope. Hawker has a shot, and he wants to take it, but the police brass say no. By the time he gets permission, it will be far too late. The terrorist opens fire, killing two of the children before Hawker can take him out. When the smoke clears, the madman is dead, and Hawker s career is toast. No longer a cop, he s about to become America s deadliest defender. The father of...