The Raphael Chronicles Book II

Dane Black's latest installment of The Raphael Chronicles has it all: Exploding seashells, laser-shooting sharks, flesh-slashing seaweed, and-at the center of it all-a mysterious organization that will stop at nothing to destroy the world. The adventure begins when strange phenomena start plaguing the southwestern coast of Greece. Dead fish litter the beach, sea temperatures rise and fall at random, and scuba divers go missing. The CIA enlists the brilliant Tom Briggs, oceanographer extraordinaire, to investigate. However, Briggs soon finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy. Worse still, the Greek police begin to believe he's the culprit; his CIA partner-who has a mysterious past of her own-refuses to take him seriously; and his reputation among his oceanographer colleagues is sinking fast. Briggs is out of his league 20,000 times over, but he must solve this mystery....The world depends on him.

Page 342

Briggs sprinted down the hallway, cursing Chloe. His CIA babysitter-a brilliant physicist and yet so sensibly sexy-fell right into Damien's trap, and now he was going to have to rescue her. That's women for you.

Finally, he came to Room 210 and yanked at the steel door. Locked. He knew exactly what to do. He plucked a seashell from his satchel, placed it on the center of the door, and ran 50 feet back. Chloe taught me how to use these. Is she still alive? thought Briggs. The seashell blasted the door to bits like confetti at a St. Patrick's Day parade. Briggs burst into the room.

"Briggs!" Chloe cried out, her eyes watering like melted ice. "It's a trap!"

"I know! That's what I was going to tell you!"

"No! This is a trap."

"Wait, what?"

A familiar voice rang out, "I'm so glad you could make it Mr. Briggs!" He finally saw the swivel chair at the end of the room. The swivel chair slowly swiveled around.

Briggs gasped, "Adlai Stevenson! It was you all this time? But you helped us break into this Unbreakable Underwater Fortress of Secrets and Mysteries!"

"Yes," Adlai smirked, "and now I have you right where I want you."

"But why? Why are you building nukes in an underwater fortress? It just doesn't make any sense!"

"Oh Briggs, you're so naive," said Adlai, closing his eyes in deep thought. "We Mennonites have been longing for the day when we could wipe out the world and start afresh."

"Mennonites?" said Chloe. "I thought you guys were pacifists."

"Merely a front," explained Adlai.

Briggs said, "But...but that's impossible. Look at this place." He gestured around the room to the computer terminals, beaming lights, and coffee machine. "You guys don't use electricity."

"THAT'S THE AMISH!" screamed Adlai. "STOP CONFUSING US!" Adlai then recollected himself, returning to his eerily calm demeanor. "In any case, there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"I can!" yelled Chloe.

"You would stop-your own father? " said Adlai.

Chloe sunk to the floor. "You're my father?! No, it can't be true! It can't!"

"Oh, but it is! I have your birth certificate right here," said Adlai, pulling the certificate out from his wallet. "See, look, 'Birth Father, Adlai Stevenson.'"

To be continued...