The Hostage A Clint Smith Thriller (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781648834462)

Contrary to Section's policies, Deer sends Clint into Mexico in an attempt to find a missing young lady. She is the niece of the new person in the National Security Advisor's office with whom Deer interfaces. Clint doubts if he has any chance of locating the woman. If she is not already dead, the best guess is that she is being held hostage by El Ojo, a senior member if the Sinaloa cartel. Clint's efforts are going nowhere until, on a quiet country road, he accidently drives into a gunfight between cartel members and two Mexican federal police officers. With Clint's assistance, the two police officials survive, although one dies a little while later as cartel soldiers once again catch up with them. Clint and the remaining officer, Chica, continue their hunt for Minnie. After a couple more shoot outs with the cartel, they finally pinpoint the location of the hostage. Clint and Chica are frozen out of the major assault to rescue the hostage, but subsequently identified an escape route that the authorities have overlooked. They decide to monitor the escape route on their own, and when the major assault on the cartel compound begins, their decision pays off. Outnumbered, but with the element of surprise, the two ambush the fleeing cartel chief in hopes that he will be taking his hostage with him. A final, major gunfight ensues, but they rescue Minnie and a second hostage.