Kent 'Rat' Rathman

A small nation that bolsters the terrorist cause is flexing its military muscle in a far corner of the world. On a mission to the now-volatile Mediterranean, F/A-18 pilot Lieutenant Ed Stovic shoots down an Algerian MiG at the climax of a dramatic, high-stakes dogfight and becomes an overnight hero in the eyes of his countrymen - and the target of a zealot's revenge.

In the dead of night, Lieutenant Kent "Rat" Ratham and his secret Special Forces counterterrorism team parachute into the Sudanese desert, where an arms merchant is delivering weapons to Wahamad Duar, the world's most wanted terrorist. Eventually Duar is captured. But an enemy within Rat's own government sells him out - a cold-blooded act of betrayal that could lead to horrifying destruction for the United States, for Duar's organization is planning a major strike.