Will Lee, the hero of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Run Before the Wind and Grassroots, has finally established himself at the heart of American government as the respected Senator from his home state of Georgia.

The road to the White House, however, will be more treacherous - and deadly - than Will and his wife, Kate, an associate director in the Central Intelligence Agency, can imagine. A decent, courageous, and principled man,

U.S. Attorney General Allison Leahy is the Democrats' best chance for holding on to the Oval Office. But she's running neck and neck with her opponent, Republican Lincoln Howe, a retired four-star general and bona fide African-American hero. Then, days before the election, disaster strikes. Twelve-year-old Kristen Howe, the general's granddaughter, is kidnapped. As the nation's leading law enforcement officer, Allison launches a nationwide manhunt—even