The Complete Delta Force Shooters

Introduction

Introduction

This story was born out of a curious debate with a friend, just how many nations are there in the world?

You would think this was a very straightforward question. Yes, it might change with time as one country is annexed or another breaks free, but it’s a known number.

Except it isn’t.

The UN states there are 193 countries and two “observer states” (Vatican City and Palestine). According to a 2019 article by Stratfor, there are:

five more that have been recognized by at least one UN member three to six others that are self-declared countries 206 nations eligible for the Olympics 211 who can compete in the FIFA soccer World Cup 249 on the ISO Standards list (you know, CH, JP, NZ, US, UK, etc.)One of the self-declared countries that is only recognized by three other non-UN countries is Transnistria. The UN classifies it as a part of Moldova; it lies between that country and Ukraine. They declared independence in 1990, which everyone around them declared was invalid, but neither was any action ever taken to reannex them.

So I had my setting, a strange little landlocked slice of a country. Their culture and heritage is very Russian, quite distinct from Moldova’s Romanian roots. Perhaps Moldova doesn’t want them back.

Because I write so much about aircraft and airports, that led me to their tiny, archaic air force, marooned at their lone, non-functioning airport.

But it also led me to another setting that I discovered they had in Transnistria. Six years earlier, I had greatly enjoyed writing in Where Dreams Are Born about a vineyard. In the months before this story, I had also written the Delta Force #3 novel Wild Justice, in which my heroine owns a vineyard that they visit in the middle of the book.

Here was a chance to return to these two lovely settings, but in a quite different fashion—in battle.

The final element that shaped this tale came from myself. Even with hearing aids, I don’t hear terribly well. I’ve often thought about what would happen if I were to totally lose my hearing.

I gave that challenge to my heroine warrior, and there I opened the story.