Hostage to Death (PDF) von L. Ron Hubbard

For Lieutenant Bill Reilly, a Westerner at war in the desert, the dream of joining the Foreign Legion has turned into a nightmare. It all starts with a severed hand. In it is a message from a Berber chief: Save the American woman he holds captive or she’s next up for dismemberment. But it’s a trick, leading to a terrorist attack. But who set the trap? Caught in a triangle of treachery between the French, Spanish and native Berbers, Reilly’s only hope is to uncover the truth in a desert of deception.

Running off to join the French Foreign Legion used to be every boy's dream of action and adventure. But for Lieutenant Bill Reilly-half Irish, half American, Westerner at war in the desert-the dream has turned into a nightmare. And it all begins with the gruesome delivery of a severed hand.... The dead, gnarled fingers hold a message from the Berber chief Abd el-Ulad. He challenges the courage of the Legion soldiers and says he holds an American woman captive-who, if Reilly doesn't come to her rescue, is next up for dismemberment. Reilly abandons his post guarding the trains and goes after her. But it's all a trick. In his absence, the railroad falls victim to a terrorist attack. But who set the trap and engineered the sabotage? Reilly is caught in a triangle of treachery as the French, Spanish and native Berbers vie for control. His fate-as well as that of the American woman-rests on his ability to escape a spider's web of double- and triple-crosses and uncover the truth in a desert of deception. "Excellent." -Midwest Book Review * An International Book Awards Finalists