When Ben Tracey sets out with his cousin to spot hen harriers - a protected bird of prey - he doesn't expect to stumble upon a secret operation. But renegade researchers are using a military base near the birds' nest site to develop Project Vortex: a project concerned with a top secret, utterly illegal and highly lethal weapon!

As the clock ticks down, Ben and Annie are in a race against time to prevent disaster. But their enemies are determined to stop them and they will go to any lengths...

Chris Ryan joined the SAS in 1984. During the Gulf War, Chris was the only member of an eight-man team to escape from Iraq. Three of his colleagues were killed and four captured. It was the longest escape and evasion in the history of the SAS. For this he was awarded the Military Medal.

He is a bestselling author of thriller titles for adults and his first series for younger readers, ALPHA FORCE, has also proven very successful. He appears regularly on TV with series such as HUNTING CHRIS RYAN, PUSHED TO THE LIMIT, TERROR ALERT and HOW NOT TO DIE