 |
A viral outbreak, a manhunt, an occupation, counterinsurgency, and questions about who's really telling the truth combine to tell a frighteningly credible story. It won't take long for readers to be pulled into the middle of this involving tale as events begin to tumble one upon the other, leading to an excitingly violent climax.
A small town in the heartland of America becomes the scene of an occupation by the U.S. military. It seems a malevolent virus has broken out, and the vector zero (or original transmitter) of the extremely contagious disease is believed to be within the town's confines. The potential devastation of this lethal infection is so great that no one is allowed to enter or leave the city limits without the Army's permission. Fallon, the carrier of the disease, knows what he has and what he must do. Aldridge, the officer assigned to capture him, is prepared to do anything and everything to accomplish his mission. Shelly, a nurse who initially helps Fallon, is caught in the middle of forces beyond her control and fear of an outbreak more deadly than anything imaginable.
Author McBee has constructed a thriller that suits modern times. Seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world, it becomes much easier to believe the potential devastation the author's fictional virus might release. McBee has wrapped his tale of the opening of an all-too-real Pandora's Box with the personal stories of individuals caught in the middle of the melee. His characterizations of their past influences, present challenges, and unknowable futures infuse his narrative with empathy, immediacy, and anxiety, respectively. McBee has indeed penned a page-turner for today and a cautionary tale for tomorrow.