In this tense, action-packed thriller, the most penetrating portrait of a sniper since James Thayer's White Star, the author of Assumption of Risk explores the conflict between the justice the law metes out and an ancient retribution of blood, honor, and family.Ordered into battle for one last hurrah after U.S. troops have already begun their withdrawal from Vietnam, an American infantry squad decides that the only way to get out alive is to kill their commanding officer. Major Ralph Longbaugh's murder is set up to look like an ambush, and the Army, though it knows the truth, decides the case is too weak to prosecute. Longbaugh's family is told he died in action; his men seemingly escape the consequences of their crime.Years later, Longbaugh's son, Aaron, learns the cold-blooded truth about his father's death. Trained as an Army sniper, Aaron vows to gain revenge.

He changes his identity, goes underground, and methodically plans to kill off each of the surviving members of the murderous squad. But when the Army begins to investigate this new rash of murders, Aaron is caught between two codes of conduct: will he obey the laws of.