Eddie Hawkins, Browning M2 .50 caliber gunner, is good at his work. Some say the best in the business, although he still has plenty of demons to fight. Doubts about his ability still bug him, and things get worse with the arrival of a new platoon lieutenant determined to make his mark. No matter what the cost in men and morale.

The loss of their Humvee in a surprise ambush results in his crew being stood down. The word is things have gone quiet, and they relax.

Yet he is convinced the enemy is building their strength for a new offensive, and the chances are it'll come from an unexpected direction. His officers won’t listen, not without solid evidence. To gather that evidence, Eddie and his crew volunteer to carry out a sweep of the suspect area in a disguised jeep, a vehicle the enemy will assume is no threat.

Plans are the first casualty of war, and this one goes about as wrong as it could possibly go. Up against superior forces, massively outgunned and outnumbered, all that can save them is an act of exceptional, unbelievable skill and courage. A gamble with death, and the odds are astronomical. For Eddie Hawkins this is the biggest decision of his life. His crew is about to be wiped out, and all that will save them is a suicidal act of bravery that must result in his death.

Hawkins’ Heroes: Counterpunch is the sixth short novel in the Hawkins’ Heroes series. A collaboration between Todd McCleod and Eric Meyer, the bestselling author of more than fifty war novels.