A Landscape of Darkness — John Blair

INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

John Sebastian Clay thought the mission to the planet Ithavoll promised light duty. With a small, elite team of professional warriors, he would slip into the jungles of the backwater planet, locate the possibly alien weapon rumored to be hidden there, and slip out again. Easy money for a veteran mercenary of his experience.

Once in the villages of Ithavoll's backcountry, though, Clay found unsettling signs that all was not right with the squatters and dirt farmers. Somehow, their quaint, antiquated culture had been changed into something bloodthirsty and savage. Something that chilled Clay's soul.

Then a solitary unknown assassin began stalking the team, intent on preventing them from reaching their goal. Clay had survived dozens of battles, but never before had he faced such an unusual and dangerous enemy--an enemy who was no longer quite human...