Down Ballot
By David Edward
The explosive conclusion to Operation: Just Cause thrusts Dirk Lasher into Panama's 1989 election chaos where international assassins, corrupt politicians, and cartel killers collide. When protecting democracy means confronting the ghosts of your past, every choice becomes a matter of survival.
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OverviewStill recovering from devastating losses in the Panamanian jungle, Dirk Lasher is pulled back into action when Panama's democratic election threatens to descend into chaos. With dictator Noriega beating war drums and Colombian cartels flexing their brutal influence, Lasher and his team accept a protection contract for opposition candidates Guillermo Endara and Guillermo Ford, seeing it as their chance to help Panama escape darkness before leaving the country forever. As election day approaches, the stakes escalate dramatically when a professional kill team arrives to eliminate Lasher's crew and seize control of Panama's lucrative banking infrastructure. With traitors emerging from within their own ranks and the city erupting into violence when Noriega voids the election results, Lasher must navigate a deadly maze of international crime syndicates, rogue intelligence operatives, and street battalions while protecting the men who represent Panama's last hope for democracy. The election becomes a bloodbath as Dignity Battalions rampage through the streets, the team is scattered and hunted, and personal vendettas collide with political machinations. In this brutal finale where loyalty is currency and betrayal lurks behind every alliance, Lasher must decide whether killing his way to justice will save Panama or destroy everything he has left to protect - including the woman he loves and the future they're desperately trying to build together. |
Questions this book answers
- How far will international crime syndicates go to protect their money laundering operations when democracy threatens their control?
- What drives a Soviet commando to choose between loyalty to his employer and doing what's right?
- Can a team of ex-soldiers protect democracy when the entire government apparatus turns against them?
- What happens when personal relationships become weapons in a game of international espionage?
- How does a man trained to kill find redemption when violence seems to be the only answer?
- What price must be paid when standing up to dictators means painting a target on everyone you care about?
Selected quotes
"The harder you try, the more the world takes from you."
"We're not going to kill our way to a better world, Dirk. We're just going to create more problems for ourselves and be punished for trying."
"Rainbow flying chicken man can't leave a job like this undone. It's in his creed."
Why it matters
Down Ballot delivers a gripping conclusion that explores the real costs of intervention and the brutal mathematics of trying to help in a world that takes more than it gives. This isn't just another military thriller - it's a raw examination of how good intentions collide with realpolitik, where every victory demands a sacrifice and heroes must choose between their principles and survival. Miss this finale and you'll never know how Lasher's journey from soldier to revolutionary to broken man seeking redemption ultimately resolves, or understand the true price of standing against corruption when the whole system is rigged against you.