"After Washington, D.C. is vaporized by a nuclear surface blast, Marc Beck, wonder boy of the American foreign service, prevails on Ashmead, covert action chief, to help him fly two batches of anticancer serum from Israel to the Houston White House. From the moment the establish their gritty relationship, life is filled with treachery and terror for Beck (who) must deal with one cliffhanger after another during the desperate days that follow. This novel shocks us with a sudden, satisfying ending." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Adventure, suspense, high-tech - this book has it all, from the best new storytellers we have. You have to read this one." - Dr. Jerry Pournelle, author of The Mote in God's Eye and Mercenary "Headlong and vivid - real characters drawn starkly against the catastrophe they race to undo." - David Drake, author of Hammer's Slammers