Into the Valley of Death

David Shaw

by Harrison Kone

It was supposed to be a textbook deployment—boring, even.
But for Sergeant John Wyatt there is always blood.

When his outpost in rural Afghanistan is overrun, Wyatt is cut off, outgunned, and alone. A Marine Scout Sniper with no way out, he must fight to survive the deadly siege. Communications are down. Reinforcements are just too far away.

To die would be mercy.

To be captured—unthinkable.

68 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2025

About the author

Harrison is ardently committed to story and narrative, that a good narrative is driven by believable and compelling characters whose struggles are sincere, difficult, and meaningful. Story has spurred humanity into the greatest of endeavors, and valuable contribution is made to the larger human narrative with the telling of a good story.

Inspired by the great stories of Tolkien, Pressfield, Dumas, and others, Harrison strives to build on the foundation of humanity’s story to inspire to action, provoke to thought, and call to integrity all who choose to read his work. His gratitude to you is sincere and deep.

Harrison lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Tim Getwellsoonjaymee]

A very satisfying short

I really enjoyed the story. It had amazing action. The author was able to deftly introduce and outline characters that are part of what will be a larger arc (I'm guessing). I very much appreciated the lack of a tidy ending and the complexity of consequences. Really looking forward to reading more.

[Ty Thorn]

Excellent story and character development! Kone guides you so deftly between deeper emotions and principals all the while keeping the action kicking nicely. Highly recommend the read.

[Suki Rickey]

Nnjjovella Book 0

This short story is a good kickoff to the series. I enjoyed the overall and it had a few errors throughout. I look forward to book 1