The 11th Hour (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798295805622)

In this gripping conclusion to the Darkness Trilogy, the remnants of humanity cling to survival after the catastrophic outbreak of the Darkness - a bioweapon that blinded and decimated the world's population. For nearly four years, the nuclear-powered USS Wisconsin, under Commander Joshua Seavers, has patrolled the oceans under strict orders to avoid all contact, their only clue to civilization's collapse being the silence of the airwaves and eerie distress calls that eventually went quiet.

As hope fades, the Wisconsin detects the impossible - a luxury yacht, the Sea Queen, actively moving through the Pacific. Seavers orders the submarine to intercept and discovers the yacht crewed by survivors, including a little girl who can see. The yacht's passengers - Colonel Phoenix Walker, his daughters Dani and Heather, and a team of Special Forces - are not only immune to the Darkness but possess a cure for it. They are also carrying the last spark of democracy: orders from the Joint Chiefs to rebuild a fighting force loyal to the "Democratic Society," the legitimate heir to the fallen U.S. government.

Together, the Navy and Walker's forces forge an alliance to strike back against the sinister Terra Nova Empire, the faction responsible for unleashing the Darkness and assassinating America's leadership. Their immediate goal is to reach Hawaii and rebuild military strength there. Walker divides his forces: Dani and her team continue to Pearl Harbor aboard the Sea Queen to begin recruiting, while Phoenix, Heather, and the Wisconsin detour to San Diego to recover the USS Barack Obama, an aircraft carrier whose captain has also resisted Terra Nova's betrayal.

Dani arrives in Hawaii and works with Vice Admiral Wolter to restore the sight of the remaining Pacific Fleet sailors and recruit new Special Forces, effectively rebuilding the 3rd Special Forces Group. Meanwhile, Phoenix successfully convinces the Obama's blind captain and crew of the Democratic Society's legitimacy and vaccinates them, gaining control of the carrier and its air wing. Heather becomes the bridge between the Air Force and Navy, earning her naval aviator wings in preparation for the coming fight.

But their enemies have not been idle. In Washington, now the Imperial Palace of the Terra Nova Empire, Emperor Robert and General Kowalski continue their ruthless campaign to extinguish resistance. They are racing to capture Walker and his daughters, aware that they hold the key to restoring sight - and to defeating Terra Nova.

As the forces of light regroup in Hawaii and prepare to retake the mainland, the stage is set for the final confrontation between the Democratic Society and the Terra Nova Empire - a battle for the survival of freedom, humanity, and hope itself.