A fast-paced adventure about globalization, murder, the Vatican, a mysterious operation known as Jericho ancient manuscripts, and an ancient feud that continues into our times.
John Michaels is angry. Years of hard work destroyed in an hour. His review committee falsely discredits his doctoral research. Michaels meets Janet Conway, also fired because she challenges a powerful government officials. The two discover their problems are related. They stem from the Directorate, a cabal heavily invested in world globalization. "Why does the Directorate care about his minor historical research, and why do they plot Janet's firing?" he wonders.
Michaels investigates. He uncovers the theft of chemical weapons from a US army base. When the Directorate learns that Michaels and Janet have discovered the theft, they pursue them to England. There, Michaels and Janet make friends with a retired, disillusioned Anglican Bishop, George Lancshire.
The three unveil a conspiracy called Jericho. Jericho will allow the Directorate to realize its centuries-old goal of imposing with the Vatican a theocracy, a modern version of the Holy Roman Empire, over a globalized economy. They also learn of a second group, the Société, that holds ancient manuscripts that can expose the Directorate.
Michaels, falsely accused of murder, is pursued across southern France by Interpol, the Société, and the Directorate. He must locate evidence that will prove his story and stop Jericho.
Excerpt
Prologue
It's time. Edna Fitzsimmons stood at a worn, steel gray desk at one end of the government-green room. She crushed her cigarette into a spilled ashtray and walked to a smeared window overlooking the campus. A few summer students ran across the university green, avoiding both the June rain and the muddy paths. Quaint colonial stone buildings stood here and there among modern brick buildings along the commons. She lit another cigarette and turned toward the room.
She picked up the telephone and dialed a long distance number. A low-pitched tone revealed the connection was complete. Fitzsimmons entered a code, followed by the star sign. At a second signal, she entered her ID code and that of the recipient.
A series of switches clicked somewhere in a labyrinth of computers, tripping several relays. A satellite picked up the coded signal and downloaded it to an underground complex hidden in a remote valley of the Allegheny Mountains in Western Pennsylvania. The incoming signal alerted a technician, who prepared to forward it to its recipient.
|
