Jihad: The Breath of God

Status of my current thriller story. It is being reviewed by mainstream publishers, including Random House. I will announce the publication and release dates as soon as I sign a contract. Until then, here's a little tickler about the story.

Jihad:  The Breath of God (thriller genre)

In a desperate attempt to get bribe money for his daughter’s needed heart surgery, Dr. Rudenko, a Russian bio-weapon research scientist, sells a genetically modified form of small pox to Pakistan through a clandestine operative. The lethal virus gets diverted into terrorist hands and smuggled out of Afghanistan to a replication laboratory hidden in Mogadishu, Somalia. After testing the virus on a village in the Hindu Kush Mountains, suicide terrorists attack the US and our western allies. Their attack exploits weaknesses in current airport security.

Dr. Kati Ruden, a brilliant virologist with specialization in small pox, is suspended by the CDC for her unauthorized publication of a controversial article about global warming and the possible release of the lethal virus from melting permafrost. The first case of terrorist-caused small pox surfaces, and officials are quick to brand her the top suspect, pointing out that she had access to live small pox and is a disgruntled ex-employee. FBI and Homeland security agents pursue Kati relentlessly as she outwits them at every turn.

Death tolls rise quickly as the highly contagious virus spreads.

Jake Thorn, Kati's fiance, is an ex-black ops specialist operating a team of former military specialists called G.H.O.S.T. (General Hazard Onboard Security Team). While protecting cargo ships from pirates in the Indian Ocean near Somalia, his team investigates radio reports out of Mogadishu about strange deaths. They find the virus lab in the city and sneak in late at night. Kati reviews pictures of the equipment along with detailed reports and immediately understands the nature and scope of the terrorist threat. She also discovers that DNA was altered in this bio-weapon form. Traditional methods to eradicate small pox will not work.

Government leaders attempt to stop the spreading epidemic using out-of-date vaccines and ineffective quarantines. Kati’s warnings are ignored. She desperately needs to clear her name so she can get back into her lab and work to save millions. Despite the rapidly spreading virus, bureaucrats continue to reject her story . . . until she gets help from a prominent freelance journalist. He takes her claims seriously and gets widespread attention from the media. Even the president of the United States becomes involved.

People are dying. Government quarantines collapse interstate commerce. Stock markets close indefinitely, and the world economy grinds to a halt. Gangs in cities and survivalists in the countryside fight against martial law. Chaos, death and panic spread worldwide.

 

Will Kati find a cure? Will Jake and his team destroy the lab? Are YOU safe? This story is not a fictional account about what might happen. It is a prediction about what WILL happen in the future of terrorism.

 

Reserved copies:  When the book is published, the first 100 copies will be numbered and signed. If you are interested in getting on the reserve list, please send your name and contact information to:

AuthorDSault@comcast.net