Cirrus@Austlit

'A helicopter with the Russian President aboard is shot down over northern Syria and captured by the Scorpion, the last remaining and most feared ISIS combat commander. The only person who could possibly effect a rescue is former OSI Special Agent Vin Cooper. But unfortunately for the President, Cooper's not in the saving-the-world game any more.

'A small US Special Ops unit witnesses two Russian Hinds downed over northern Syria. The last remaining and most feared ISIS commander known as the Scorpion captures the survivors - the Russian President, his entourage, and the briefcase containing the launch codes for Russia's nukes.

'And those missiles are still mostly aimed at US cities.

'With this haul in his possession, the Scorpion is proclaimed the Madhi, the final caliph of the Koran's apocalyptic legends who will defeat the West and usher in the End of Days - when the dead shall rise and walk the earth.

'As millions of Muslims flock to the Scorpion's black standard and corpses rise from their graves, it's left to that lone US Special Ops unit to sort shit out. Only it's led by Major Vin Cooper, who is now a reservist and not into the whole saving-the-world thing any more.'  (Publication summary)