"In an alternate 2009, the United States has been a second-rate power for a quarter of a century, ever since Argentina's victory in the Falkland's War thanks to their development of "psychopigments." Created as weapons, these colorful chemicals can produce almost any human emotion upon contact, and they have been embraced in the US as both pharmaceutical cure-alls and popular recreational drugs. Black market traders illegally sell everything from...

Alex is failing as a father. Ian keeps dangerous secrets. Jenn is pining for adventure; Mitch is pining for Jenn. Four friends just scraping by, finding comfort in each other and the hope that things will get better. But as their twenties fade in the rearview mirror, none of them are turning out to be who or where they hoped. In a time when CEOs steal millions while their employees watch savings dwindle, these four are tired of the honest approach....

"In a Syrian palace, the presidents of Russia and Syria undertake a clandestine meeting. No staff or advisors are permitted in the room. No records are kept. By necessity, however, there are two witnesses: the interpreters. The Russian, Ludmilla Kravchuk, returns to her hotel room burdened by what she has heard. When her Syrian counterpart is murdered before her eyes, Kravchuk fears she is next and goes into hiding in Syria. The CIA gets word of the...

Ryan Cross and the Shadow Squadron have been assigned to recover a chemical weapon that has been stolen by an extremist wing of the Syrian rebels before it can be launched against an unknown target.