In the high-octane world of military thrillers, Rose Island by Zander Hatch stands out with its masterful blend of espionage and covert warfare inspired by the real-life experiences of a U.S. Marine. Below is an excerpt from the novel:

Chapter One

Frank Henderson moved fast, his footfalls echoing down the hallway.

Of average height with salt and pepper hair and matching facial hair, Henderson had a fierce work ethic, little patience for bullshit, and a commanding presence whenever he entered a room.

Formerly a general in the Marine Corps, he was barely one month into his new job as Rescue Operations Branch Commander for the Americas. He was far from inexperienced, however; Henderson had served in the Marine Corps for nearly thirty years and seen combat in Grenada, Somalia, Iraq (both Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom), and Afghanistan. Previously he had been the region commander of Austra- lia and Oceania. He was already missing the slow operational tempo of the region and the pristine beaches of Sydney.

He walked through a pair of glass doors and threw on a light jacket as he approached a bank of elevators.

The rescue operations branch had been set up because of the time- sensitive nature of such operations; almost every region had its own section. They needed to be able to move fast and focus solely on the mission at hand without having to still run an entire region spread across thousands of miles. They worked with the support of the region commander whose region they were operating in. And when any branch had an active mission on its hands, all requests, such as Team personnel and US military support, were granted immediately without question.

Taking out the ID card that also acted as an entry card, Henderson held it up to the scanner for the elevator. The light blinked red.

“Damn!”

“Hold it, Frank.”

Henderson turned to see The Team’s North America Region Commander. A few years shy of fifty with her hair tied back into a neat pony- tail, Lisa Warner had been a colonel in the Air Force and before that an F-16 fighter pilot with ample combat experience flying missions over Iraq and Kosovo in the 90s.

“Sorry, what?” Henderson asked and pointed at his left ear. Due to injuries sustained in Iraq, he was nearly deaf in his left ear.

Lisa understood and came around to the other side. “You gotta hold the card still for a second.”

Henderson held his ID card back an inch from the scanner and the light blinked green. He looked at Lisa and gestured to the technology around them. “We’re about one more damned microchip away from Skynet taking over.”

Lisa laughed and joined him in the elevator. Henderson hit the button and the elevator zoomed up.

“Have everything you need?” Lisa asked.

“Yeah,” Henderson answered. “All assets are being notified as we speak.”

Lisa nodded. “All arrangements have been made with the 2nd Fleet Commander and the 26th MEU has been re-tasked, now under your charge.”

She paused.

“I just got off the phone with the president.”

When Lisa received word that the reconnaissance flight she had sent to the island had taken fire and was going down, she immediately made a call to Henderson, activating the rescue mission. It was only after they had received the hard copy files from the Pentagon that they realized what they had stumbled onto.

Her next call had been to the president.

Lisa continued. “Given the circumstances, she’s concerned.” Henderson sniffed a laugh. “With what part? Us or this secret island that doesn’t exist?”

“Both,” Lisa answered. “She’s worried with whatever this island is, clandestine secrets will become exposed and back her and her administration into an awkward corner.”

“This ain’t my first rodeo, Lisa,” Henderson said as he turned and locked eyes with her. “Now tell the president that I didn’t make this mess, but I am here to clean it up and I have the best people on it so tell her not to worry her pretty little head.”

Lisa grinned. “That’s what I told her you’d say.”

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened to an underground parking garage.

“Good luck,” Lisa offered.

Henderson nodded. “You too.”

He made to leave when Lisa called out to him, “You know the man you picked to run this operation, some consider him to be a loose cannon.”

Henderson turned and smiled. “And yet others consider him to be pretty fucking good.”

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