First published 2010
Charlie Castillo opens a FedEx package that changes everything. Inside are photographs showing barrels filled with lethal biohazard materials. These same materials were supposedly destroyed when his team raided a clandestine Russian facility in the Congo. But here they are, very much intact and in unknown hands. Castillo's covert unit may be officially disbanded, but he still has the resources and personnel to tackle problems the regular intelligence agencies cannot handle. This case presents exactly that kind of challenge. Someone has acquired weapons-grade biological materials and photographed them for a reason. The question is what they want in return. As Castillo begins investigating who took the photos and where these dangerous barrels are now located, he realizes this threat could be more serious than anything his team has faced before. The materials in those images could kill thousands if released. Time is running short, and Castillo suspects the answers he uncovers will be worse than he imagined.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Congo, Russia
Period: 21st-century
432 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: violence