Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
This was the exciting conclusion to the Ranger Brigade's hunt for the elusive Dane Trask. In the previous three books, the Brigade searched for the elusive former army Ranger, never quite catching up to him. It became increasingly evident that Dane had an agenda, one that his former employers were determined to stop. I've been looking forward to Dane's story, and it did not disappoint.
The members of the Brigade have grown increasingly frustrated by Dane's elusiveness. The newest member of the team, Faith Martin, acts as their liaison with the press and other agencies. She is not impressed by Dane's actions and believes that he should turn himself in and get their help. It turns out that Dane half agrees, but instead of turning himself in, he kidnaps her as she leaves work one night.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Dane finally admitted he could no longer do it alone. He lucked out when he picked Faith as his target, as she was enough of a loose cannon to agree to help him. It wasn't an easy sell at first, as she wanted him to turn himself in, but she soon understood his reasons for going it alone. I enjoyed seeing them work together, as they had two different styles of taking action. Dane is more of a seat-of-the-pants guy, coming up with his efforts on the fly. Faith is a planner who lays out her objectives and lists needs, possible problems, alternate actions. I loved watching her call him out on his less-than-successful results doing things his way and convincing him to try it her way.
Neither Dane nor Faith expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them. Dane has spent so much time alone that he's surprised by how quickly she comes to mean something to him. I liked that he felt guilty about involving her and tried to get her to leave, and also that he appreciated her help and listened to what she said. Faith's attraction to Dane grew along with her belief in his innocence. I loved that she saw him clearly even through her love for him: "But for all that Dane challenged her and even annoyed her - or perhaps because of that - she belonged with him. He was the home she'd been searching for all these years."
The suspense of the story was outstanding. When the previous book ended and Dane still hadn't reappeared, it became clear that there must be something more going on. An attack on him emphasized that his bosses weren't going to give up trying to stop him. Dane's decision to kidnap Faith surprised me, as it seemed out of character for him. I could feel his intensity as he explained the problems to Faith. Her disappearance intensified the Rangers' efforts as they suspected Dane's involvement. I was glued to the pages as Dane and Faith went from one attempt to the next to get the evidence they needed to bring the bad guys down. The scene at the bad guy's house was wild, and I could feel Faith's fear for Dane. I loved that her fellow Brigade members trusted her enough to follow their instincts on that episode and its unexpected result. The final confrontation with the bad guy had me on the edge of my seat as Dane and Faith faced a desperate man. The resolution was a nail-biter, and I loved how it went down. I had to laugh at Dane's explanation of his knife-throwing skills - I'm well aware of the hazards of mixing Scouts and pocket knives.
The members of the Brigade have grown increasingly frustrated by Dane's elusiveness. The newest member of the team, Faith Martin, acts as their liaison with the press and other agencies. She is not impressed by Dane's actions and believes that he should turn himself in and get their help. It turns out that Dane half agrees, but instead of turning himself in, he kidnaps her as she leaves work one night.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Dane finally admitted he could no longer do it alone. He lucked out when he picked Faith as his target, as she was enough of a loose cannon to agree to help him. It wasn't an easy sell at first, as she wanted him to turn himself in, but she soon understood his reasons for going it alone. I enjoyed seeing them work together, as they had two different styles of taking action. Dane is more of a seat-of-the-pants guy, coming up with his efforts on the fly. Faith is a planner who lays out her objectives and lists needs, possible problems, alternate actions. I loved watching her call him out on his less-than-successful results doing things his way and convincing him to try it her way.
Neither Dane nor Faith expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them. Dane has spent so much time alone that he's surprised by how quickly she comes to mean something to him. I liked that he felt guilty about involving her and tried to get her to leave, and also that he appreciated her help and listened to what she said. Faith's attraction to Dane grew along with her belief in his innocence. I loved that she saw him clearly even through her love for him: "But for all that Dane challenged her and even annoyed her - or perhaps because of that - she belonged with him. He was the home she'd been searching for all these years."
The suspense of the story was outstanding. When the previous book ended and Dane still hadn't reappeared, it became clear that there must be something more going on. An attack on him emphasized that his bosses weren't going to give up trying to stop him. Dane's decision to kidnap Faith surprised me, as it seemed out of character for him. I could feel his intensity as he explained the problems to Faith. Her disappearance intensified the Rangers' efforts as they suspected Dane's involvement. I was glued to the pages as Dane and Faith went from one attempt to the next to get the evidence they needed to bring the bad guys down. The scene at the bad guy's house was wild, and I could feel Faith's fear for Dane. I loved that her fellow Brigade members trusted her enough to follow their instincts on that episode and its unexpected result. The final confrontation with the bad guy had me on the edge of my seat as Dane and Faith faced a desperate man. The resolution was a nail-biter, and I loved how it went down. I had to laugh at Dane's explanation of his knife-throwing skills - I'm well aware of the hazards of mixing Scouts and pocket knives.
