Laura Lightner is in Panama looking for vacation rentals to add to the portfolio of properties for the company she represents. She is scheduled to meet with Juan Guiterra who has a high-end villa overlooking the ocean that he may be interested in renting out on a short-term basis. She is in Casco Viejo, a vibrant part of downtown Panama City, expecting him when two men abduct her. They deliver her to Guiterra who is a drug lord. He demands a ransom from her husband, Paul, but it is more than money Guiterra wants; he wants payback. A couple of years before the abduction, Paul initiated a drug deal with Guiterra that went bad, causing Guiterra to lose money and sending a couple of his men to jail.

Paul turns to the last person he wants to ask for help, John Wesley. John and Sam are two of Laura’s most trusted friends. Both have military experience; Sam was an expert sniper, and John engaged in dangerous covert activities. They know there is more to the story than Paul reveals. Regardless, John and Sam know they must try and get Laura back safely. What they don’t know could prove to be extremely dangerous and end in disaster for all involved.

Their pursuit of Laura leads Paul, Sam, and John to Panama; to back street bars, and the involvement of a few of John’s old acquaintances and a few new players as well. Getting Laura out safely is the only goal.

John, who is given to dark moods, was once romantically involved with Laura. Their encounter in Panama is the first time they have seen each other in four years. Feelings long suppressed by John smolder once again. Their relationship was always tumultuous, and John had abruptly ended it.

John Wesley is in the Bahamas aboard his forty-four-foot trawler, but he’s not on vacation. Once again he has been contracted by the government to handle a sensitive situation. He is tasked with safely extracting Jesse, another covert government contractor, from the islands when an operation goes south and now the police and other private forces are trying to track Jesse down and pin a murder on him.

With his good friend, Santiago, on board, and with the help of some trusted locals they are able to secure Jesse and set sail for Florida. But not before they are involved in a skirmish that leaves several people dead or wounded and expensive boats trashed.

As soon as they return to Florida they are drawn into another situation by Sam, another long-time friend and former military sniper. Sam is trying to locate a reporter that’s disappeared. The reporter, Tom, realized through his investigative reporting that faulty research results were about to be submitted and approved to manufacture defective drugs in Central America. In an attempt to stop the approval, he took the box that contained the research results; not realizing it also contained $50k, and a flash drive.

John, Santiago, and Jesse band together with Sam to find Tom before the corrupt forces do. A powerful man, Blake Gifford, has invested his and other people’s money in this drug venture. If it doesn’t go to market, millions of dollars will be lost, and some of his investors are just as corrupt and vindictive as Blake is. Blake’s focus is retrieving the box and if people die in the process, that’s the cost of doing business.

Securing Tom and delivering the box to the right people becomes more complicated when a fake states attorney and her cohorts nearly take possession of the box. Barely escaping the setup a chase across the panhandle ensues.

Blake’s corrupt group of local security personnel and hired mercenaries find out what hell is released when they confront John, Jesse, Santiago, and Sam.

Florida Writer Con 2025

October 17 – 19,2025

Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs
350 Northlake Blvd.
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

(407) 830-1985

An event filled with workshops and presentations.

Panama Canal Society Reunion

July 8-12, 2026

The 2026 Reunion will be at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort
t9939 Universal Blvd
.Orlando, FL

Attend the largest meeting of members from the Panama Canal Society, Inc. at the annual reunion.

Contact Info: office@pancanalsociety.org

River of Ruin

A novel by: Jack DuBrul

For fans of Panama and its history. Although written over 20 years ago I just happened upon this book at a Restore store.

From the book: In the heart of Panama, a volcanic lake feeds a serpentine river; its stone banks laid by the Incas, who took back the gold and jewels plundered from them by the conquistadors. Legend has it that the Twice-Stolen Treasure has been buried for centuries in the Panamanian jungle. Discovering it means surviving the unpredictable black waters of the River of Ruin…

Disrupt Menopause — Deborah McCarren

My wife, Deborah, is on a mission to change the way the world sees menopause. After navigating her own rocky road through midlife, she founded Disrupt Menopause to fight the silence, neglect, and outdated systems that still shape women’s experiences. Her platform trains everyday women to become powerful advocates—pushing for better healthcare, workplace support, and public policy. It’s not about selling products or quick fixes. It’s about truth-telling, grassroots action, and making sure the next generation doesn’t have to suffer in silence. I’m proud to stand with her. You can read more about her efforts and join the movement at DisruptMenopause.org and you can subscribe to her Substack newsletter, The Disrupt Dispatch, to follow along.