Shoot'Em Up: "Deep Black" by Sean McFate

Shoot'Em Up: Deep Black by Sean McFate, 2017, 2000692364.

Another shoot-em-up with the same character from McFate's Shadow War. Tom Locke used to do super commando and political espionage and insurrection work for super expensive militaryu contractor Apollo Outcomes. Locke has been on the run after his boss, Winters, betrayed Locke and his team in the Ukraine. Locke has to run or die and he and two Super Commando pals end up in Northern Iraq battling Isis alongside Kurdish militia.

Locke and Co. have been off-the-grid taking rescue jobs from people wanting to get their relatives out of Isis controlled territory. Unfortunately for Locke that payment usually comes in the form of carpets and lamps because all the local wealth has been lost.

After hiding out in Iraq for a few months Locke and Co. come back from a job and discover a white suited Saudio hanging out in the courtyard of their house. Saudi wants to hire Locke and recover a Saudi Prince from Isis. The Prince used to be a Isis follower. Even worse the Prince used to be a Isis assassin. With a $100,000 retainer and a $1,000,000 pay day the fellas take the job.

Of course there is more going on than a simple rescue. Bad Guy Winters is in league with a Saudi government minister to smuggle nuclear weapons from Pakistan to Yemen. Winter is simultaneously playing the U.S. side by feeding information and ingratiating himself with powerful people. The Prince is wanted dead by his power hungry Saudi Minister father.

Locke is stuck once again. He's been trying to live decently after years of work with Apollo Outcomes where he overthrew democracies, murdered protesters for oil companies, and performed other rotten jobs. He gets stuck in Isis territory with the Prince's pregnant wife and trying to escape Isis, a kill team sent by Winters, the Saudis, Iranian Quds soldiers, and U.S. drones.

Comments:
1. Everyone is a "Tier One Operator" Ugh. Does every novel have to be populated by Super Duper Commando Ninjas?
2. The novel follows the Bernard Cornwell philosophy of "When in doubt have a battle and kill some Frenchmen." Except the Frenchmen are Isis and other bad guys.
3. The real politik life is depressing. Money and power rule the decisions of those in power. Everyone else better duck and cover.