George W. Bush’s words as he signed the Homeland Security Act. Neither he nor anyone else suspected that a traitor could be one of those public servants.Deep inside Homeland Security a group of elite officers is gathered — from the police, the FBI and the CIA — operating in deep cover, their contact with each other and with other agencies strictly compartmentalised.One is Brian Doyle, an NYPD detective, chosen for his determination as much as his deductive prowess. Another is ruthlessly using the carefully gathered intelligence to unleash a biological attack across America.And when Doyle does work out that person’s identity, it seems as though he will be too late to prevent the attack.
Science and progress has turned inward, creating new realities and entire new worlds. Fletcher works as a virtual reality tester to escape to the past, and longs for a bygone era when humankind could still gaze into space.
Twenty years ago, in EQMM’s February 1986 Department of First Stories, Brendan DuBois began his career as a published fiction writer. In the years since, he’s twice won the Shamus Award, been nominated three times for the Edgar, and had a story selected for Best American Mystery Stories of the Century. He has 80 short stories to his credit and he’s a celebrated novelist with two upcoming books from St. Martin ’s: Twilight and Primary Storm.
