No forgiveness. No forgetting. Expect it.
The global financial system is in chaos. World leaders have been compromised. An unstoppable computer virus eats through the Internet. They are Anonymous. They do not forgive. They do not forget. Expect their signal.
"STEBBINS IS THE MASTER OF THE THINKING READER'S TECHNO THRILLER"
—Internet Review of Books
"HANG ON TIGHT FOR THIS ONE"
—Tome Tender
Book three in the INTEL 1 novels and the first book of an Armageddon Duology to be followed in 2016 by The Nash Criterion.
from the author
THE ANONYMOUS SIGNAL is the third novel in the INTEL 1 series of counter-terrorism/espionage global thrillers.
I've found myself fascinated by just how vulnerable the modern world is to cyberattack. Watching new and more devastating penetrations of computer systems from finance to national security, I began to wonder what might happen if someone decided to burn this fragile architecture on which the modern world depends to the ground. Thus, THE ANONYMOUS SIGNAL was born.
In the novel, I return to the cast of characters introduced in my debut thriller (THE RAGNARÖK CONSPIRACY) and my follow-up (EXTRAORDINARY RETRIBUTION). These talented and flawed operatives work under the umbrella of the experimental and secretive INTEL 1 division at the FBI, with numerous connections to other governmental agencies. These characters include:
John Savas: Former police officer and current head of INTEL 1 (appointed after the conclusion of book 1 in the series, THE RAGNARÖK CONSPIRACY), a Greek American who lost his son (and himself) in the tragedy of 9/11, but who found redemption from that loss in his work fighting terrorism.
Rebecca Cohen: FBI agent and spouse of Savas, who together with him form an effective investigative pair.
Angel Lightfoote: An unusually talented and troubled younger member of the group with a mysterious past that even Savas is not aware of. She begins THE ANONYMOUS SIGNAL as head of cybersecurity in the INTEL 1 division.
Sara Houston: former CIA agent, now FBI most wanted and framed for crimes against the nation, including terrorism and the assassination of the former Vice President of the United States.
Francisco Lopez: Defrocked Catholic priest turned killer, along with Houston he was framed for crimes he did not commit. With the aid of Savas and elements in the CIA, he has gone into hiding. EXTRAORDINARY RETRIBUTION details his and Houston's story.
With their backstories largely completed (with a few exceptions), they assemble as a formidable ensemble to resist the world-shaking events around them, often as much pursued and/or fighting the government as the criminal forces in the narrative. Indeed, just who is the real villain from which the public must be protected is always a lingering question in the novels.
THE ANONYMOUS SIGNAL is the third book of the INTEL 1 novels, but it is also book one of an "Armageddon Duology," with book two, THE NASH CRITERION, picking up where the THE ANONYMOUS SIGNAL ends and leading through a stunning series of events and revelations to a shocking conclusion.