1992
After distinguished service in the Gulf War, Lieutenant Hector Cross has earned a spell of leave before returning to active duty. But for a young man like Hector, trained by the SAS to undertake cross-border raids and exfiltrate hostages, two months at home on his father's ranch in Kenya seems like a life sentence.
Meanwhile, in Uganda, Kelly Kinnear and Daniel Armstrong are starting work on a new documentary about the devastating effects of armed conflict on the environment. The country is in chaos. A Christian fundamentalist warlord is spreading terror across the land, and armed militias roam unchecked. When Kelly is abducted in the dead of night, Daniel is left desperate. The British government will not pay a ransom, and he has nowhere else to turn. Then he's given a name - Hector Cross. A man who spent his childhood amongst the Maasai, honing skills that even the finest SAS trackers cannot rival. If anyone can follow Kelly's trail, it is surely Hector.
But as Daniel and Hector put together a team to rescue Kelly, they begin to suspect that their mission is far more dangerous than they first imagined. Echoes of Daniel's past are everywhere. Nothing is as it seems.
In a land where violence rules and every step could be his last, Daniel and Hector will need all their skill, courage and determination to bring Kelly home alive. That is - if she is still alive . . .
From global bestselling author Wilbur Smith comes the explosive origin story of Hector Cross. A thrilling prequel to Those in Peril, Vicious Circle and Predator, featuring characters from Elephant Song, Hunter is a fast-paced thriller set in the heart of Africa.
