The Proving Ground (Paperback)
Language: English
Published by Independently Published, 2026
Series: Book 2 of 3 - The Haven Protocol
- Softcover
- New
Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.Grand Eagle Retail
AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005
Condition: New
£ 14.59
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Paperback. The Proving Ground continues the relentless, emotionally charged arc of Brandon Keeling - a man rebuilding himself under pressure that never lets up. Eleven days after the death of investigator Dana Chen, Brandon is thrown prematurely into a protection detail for Elena Vasquez, a bookkeeper whose testimony could collapse the Novak Network's criminal empire. What begins as routine overwatch quickly becomes a crucible that tests every fracture in Brandon's training - and every scar he carries from the night he froze in his own hallway.Across long nights in a beige safehouse, Brandon confronts the truth Waverly warned him about: the field doesn't wait for readiness. A single hesitation - four seconds - nearly costs the team their cleanest window to save Vasquez. That failure brings in Sasha Reyes, a brutally effective operator whose specialty is eliminating the gap between knowing and doing. Her methods are merciless, her insight surgical, and her mission simple: break Brandon's instinct to be right before he learns to be fast.Under Reyes's pressure, Brandon endures exhaustion drills, stress inoculation, and the humiliating grind of reporting nine false alarms before catching one real threat - a hostile recon van idling too long outside the safehouse. Reyes's verdict: "You're not hopeless." For Brandon, it's the closest thing to a standing ovation.But the Novak Network is already adapting. A deputy commissioner inside city planning is quietly fast-tracking permits for Novak shell properties - a pattern Dana Chen died trying to expose. Brandon's analytical instincts finally snap the case open, revealing a corruption pipeline that makes the Network far more dangerous than anyone realized.And then the retaliation begins.A chilling email proves the Network knows about Brandon's training, his daughter's schedule, and Reyes herself. When Mia is abducted, the fight becomes personal in a way Brandon never imagined. The man who once froze now faces the ultimate test: act without hesitation, or lose everything.The Proving Ground is a tense, character-driven thriller about pressure, transformation, and the cost of capability. It's about the moment when training becomes reality - and the moment when reality demands more than training ever prepared you for. With razor-sharp pacing, emotional depth, and escalating danger, Book Two raises every stake introduced in Book One and sets the stage for a trilogy that hits harder with every chapter. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…
Seller Inventory # 9798194128631
- Title
- The Proving Ground (Paperback)
- Author
- Darren Cern
- Publisher
- Independently Published
- Publication year
- 2026
- Condition
- new
- Binding
- Paperback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 13
- 9798194128631
- Series
- Book 2 of 3: The Haven Protocol
The Proving Ground continues the relentless, emotionally charged arc of Brandon Keeling — a man rebuilding himself under pressure that never lets up. Eleven days after the death of investigator Dana Chen, Brandon is thrown prematurely into a protection detail for Elena Vasquez, a bookkeeper whose testimony could collapse the Novak Network’s criminal empire. What begins as routine overwatch quickly becomes a crucible that tests every fracture in Brandon’s training — and every scar he carries from the night he froze in his own hallway.
Across long nights in a beige safehouse, Brandon confronts the truth Waverly warned him about: the field doesn’t wait for readiness. A single hesitation — four seconds — nearly costs the team their cleanest window to save Vasquez. That failure brings in Sasha Reyes, a brutally effective operator whose specialty is eliminating the gap between knowing and doing. Her methods are merciless, her insight surgical, and her mission simple: break Brandon’s instinct to be right before he learns to be fast.
Under Reyes’s pressure, Brandon endures exhaustion drills, stress inoculation, and the humiliating grind of reporting nine false alarms before catching one real threat — a hostile recon van idling too long outside the safehouse. Reyes’s verdict: “You’re not hopeless.” For Brandon, it’s the closest thing to a standing ovation.
But the Novak Network is already adapting. A deputy commissioner inside city planning is quietly fast‑tracking permits for Novak shell properties — a pattern Dana Chen died trying to expose. Brandon’s analytical instincts finally snap the case open, revealing a corruption pipeline that makes the Network far more dangerous than anyone realized.
And then the retaliation begins.
A chilling email proves the Network knows about Brandon’s training, his daughter’s schedule, and Reyes herself. When Mia is abducted, the fight becomes personal in a way Brandon never imagined. The man who once froze now faces the ultimate test: act without hesitation, or lose everything.
The Proving Ground is a tense, character‑driven thriller about pressure, transformation, and the cost of capability. It’s about the moment when training becomes reality — and the moment when reality demands more than training ever prepared you for. With razor‑sharp pacing, emotional depth, and escalating danger, Book Two raises every stake introduced in Book One and sets the stage for a trilogy that hits harder with every chapter.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Grand Eagle Retail
Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 6 to 14 business days | 6 to 16 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 0.00 | £ 0.00 |
Payment methods
Seller's business information
APOLLO ONLINE CORP.
605 Geddes Street
Wilmington, DE U.S.A. 19805
Terms of sale
We guarantee the condition of every book as it¿s described on the Abebooks web sites. If you¿ve changed
your mind about a book that you¿ve ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to contact us
and we¿ll respond within 2 business days.
Books ship from California and Michigan.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, Illinois, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Orders usually ship within 2 business days. All books within the US ship free of charge. Delivery is 4-14 business days anywhere in the United States.
Books ship from California and Michigan.
If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.