Former CIA operative turned mercenary for hire Ryan Decker’s specialty is rescuing kidnap victims. Hired by an influential US senator to liberate his daughter from a human-trafficking ring, Decker never anticipated sabotage or that the assault could go so disastrously wrong. The hostage is dead. His team is wiped out, and so are their families, including Decker’s own wife and son—eliminated one by one by the Russian mafia. And he’s survived to take the fall.
When he’s inexplicably freed soon into a ten-year sentence in federal prison, Decker suspects another setup. And private investigator Harlow Mackenzie knows he’s right. She has evidence that a power greater than the Russian mob was behind the raid that ruined Decker’s life.
The next move in a nationwide cat-and-mouse game of high-level sedition is up to them. Fueled by revenge and an obsession to clear his name, Decker has only one mission: to destroy a growing conspiracy before it’s too late.
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Interview with Steven Konkoly
What kind of person is Ryan Decker?
Ryan Decker is the quiet professional type. Cautious, meticulous and constantly evaluating his circumstances/situation. He’s a dedicated family guy (or was, before what happened to his family), humorous in a dry and sarcastic way and loyal.
What kind of skills does he bring to the table that make him a hostage rescue operator?
Decker was a former U.S. Marine Corps field intelligence officer, who served overseas in various hot spots and conflicts. After the Marine Corps, he spent a few years in the CIA’s Global Response Staff (GRS), protecting overseas CIA assets, guarding sensitive CIA run facilities and participating in highly classified CIA missions. He got the idea to form the World Recovery Group (his VIP hostage rescue/recovery firm) while working for GRS. He met Brad Pierce, his main partner at WRG, and one of the main collaborators/recurring characters in the Decker books, in GRS.
Who is the US Senator who hires Decker and what role does she play in the story?
Senator Margaret Steele is a long standing senator from Maryland, whose daughter is kidnapped (backstory for book 1) and vanished. Another senator recommends that she hire Ryan Decker’s firm to find his daughter…and the rescue attempt goes terribly wrong.
What are Decker’s strongest traits that will help him survive the odds against him?
While Decker is a meticulous planner, he’s also an excellent improviser, constantly assessing and adjusting his plan. This saves him in a number of situations. He’s a good judge of character and accepts help when he needs it. He’s not above leaning on associates and friends to get a job done or survive a situation. He’s also a quick decision maker, which allows him to maintain a quick tempo during missions…his enemies have a hard time keeping up.
What did you enjoy most about writing this story?
I thoroughly enjoyed the revenge aspect of the story, and rebuilding Decker from scratch. At the start of the story, he’s lost everything…building him up again was one of the most satisfying aspects of the story. Equally as fun…assembling a new crew around Decker. He’s clearly up against nearly insurmountable odds from the outset of the book, which required him to accept help and seek help from the most unlikely people.
What was the most challenging?
Building the relationship between Ryan Decker and Harlow Mackenzie. Getting that right and not rushing their relationship took some rewrites.
What’s next?
Book 2, THE RAID. Release date is October 5. THE RAID will bring the team back together to unravel another conspiracy and tie up some loose ends from Book 1.
You can contact Steven directly by email (stevekonkoly@striblingmedia.com) or through his blog
