Part of Oregon Files, book 12
First published 2014
Juan Cabrillo accepts what seems like a straightforward job: locate stolen paintings valued at half a billion dollars. He and his Oregon crew expect a typical recovery mission. Instead, they discover the artwork finances a brutal Filipino rebel leader's violent campaign. The insurgent commander has uncovered something far more dangerous than stolen art. Hidden since World War II, a Japanese military drug transforms ordinary soldiers into superhuman warriors. The rebel plans to weaponize this discovery. Cabrillo faces multiple enemies converging at once. A South African mercenary wants the drug for himself. Swarms of torpedo drones target American naval forces. A massive storm approaches the region. The Oregon crew must stop all these threats before they trigger a continent-wide war. Cabrillo realizes that finding the paintings was never the real mission. Preventing global catastrophe has become his true objective.
Genres: science-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, high-stakes
Setting: Philippines, South Africa, United States
Period: World War II, Contemporary
436 pages · Hardcover · Putnam Pub Group
Content warnings: violence