In the short novel Hell Island, written by Matthew Reilly, a team of elite Force Reconnaissance Marines led by Captain Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield is deployed to a mysterious, unmapped island in the Pacific. Upon arriving on the deserted aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the soldiers discover that other special forces units have been brutally slaughtered by an unknown enemy. The survivors soon encounter genetically engineered gorillas created by DARPA, which are equipped with neural implants and modern weaponry to serve as the ultimate expendable soldiers. As the team is hunted through the ship's hangar by this remorseless ape army, Schofield realizes the "failed experiment" may actually be a coordinated military exercise orchestrated by a legendary former commander. The narrative follows the remaining Marines as they utilize strategic ingenuity and unconventional tactics to survive a series of lethal ambushes. Ultimately, the team must transition from the ship to the island's World War II-era tunnel network to confront the masterminds behind the project.
