The Blatant Prey (Stone Blade) (Volume 8)

When an innocent girl dies trying to get an autograph from her favorite movie stars it is a tragedy and a crime. When sensitive League military data is discovered in her possession it is a call to action for Micah Stone and his team. Their mission leads them from a glamorous gala full of movie stars and other celebrities to the shadowy worlds known as the Kensie Free Systems. There they discover a conspiracy fraught with illegal drugs, stolen weapons, kidnapping and worse. They are building an army suitable for conquering entire planets and the systems that hold them. Micah's only way into this group is through a brutal so-called sport named BloodRing. Death is common there as the holders of obscene wealth and power gather stables of fighters to do battle for their owners' pride and profit. Here he must navigate a maze of intrigue and violence as he works his way toward finding the source of the stolen League intelligence. Matters take a dark turn when he and his friends are abducted. It's up to Micah to rescue them all, starting with himself. Doing so leads him into combat with a man just as skilled as himself and twice as deadly. Past this he discovers two terrifying facts: the assassin he faced is not human and he is not alone. Within a stone's throw of the Consortium lies the source of these creatures and it is up to him to stop them.