Excerpt from The Vortex by Scott Carney , Jason Miklian, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

At the testing hall a hundred ambitious, freshly minted degree holders waited for the signal to start furiously scribbling in their exam booklets. Only Hafiz's seat was empty.

As the proctor gave the order to begin, Hafiz was in a cab on his way to the airport. Pelé would never give up on his dreams for some stupid test, and neither would he. The National Team had already left for Rangoon, but he was sure that they'd let him back on the squad. He was going to keep on playing football no matter what. Hafiz pushed down the nagging twinges of guilt at his father's unanswered prayers, but this was his life and his choice to make.

As the cab pulled up to the airport, Hafiz thought about the major's offer too. After one last season of success and fame, he'd decided to join the army. The major promised Hafiz could have the best of both worlds: being an officer and an athlete.

Hafiz had it all figured out.

Excerpted from The Vortex by Scott Carney and Jason Miklian. Copyright © 2022 by Scott Carney and Jason Miklian. Excerpted by permission of Ecco. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.