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The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.Copyright © 2023 by James Patterson Cover design by Gregg Kulick Cover art © Arcangel Images Cover © 2023 Hachette Book Group, Inc.Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce creative works that enrich our culture.The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. 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For information, please contact your local bookseller or the Hachette Book Group Special Markets Department at [email protected] 9780316404693 LCCN 202294564320230330-NF-DA-ORI Table of Contents CoverTitle PageCopyright Prologue OneTwo Part One Chapter: 1Chapter: 2Chapter: 3Chapter: 4Chapter: 5Chapter: 6Chapter: 7Chapter: 8Chapter: 9Chapter: 10Chapter: 11Chapter: 12Chapter: 13Chapter: 14Chapter: 15Chapter: 16Chapter: 17Chapter: 18Chapter: 19Chapter: 20Chapter: 21Chapter: 22Chapter: 23Chapter: 24Chapter: 25Chapter: 26Chapter: 27 Part Two Chapter: 28Chapter: 29Chapter: 30Chapter: 31Chapter: 32Chapter: 33Chapter: 34Chapter: 35Chapter: 36Chapter: 37Chapter: 38Chapter: 39Chapter: 40Chapter: 41Chapter: 42Chapter: 43Chapter: 44Chapter: 45Chapter: 46Chapter: 47Chapter: 48Chapter: 49Chapter: 50Chapter: 51Chapter: 52Chapter: 53Chapter: 54Chapter: 55Chapter: 56Chapter: 57Chapter: 58Chapter: 59Chapter: 60Chapter: 61Chapter: 62Chapter: 63 Part Three Chapter: 64Chapter: 65Chapter: 66Chapter: 67Chapter: 68Chapter: 69Chapter: 70Chapter: 71Chapter: 72Chapter: 73Chapter: 74Chapter: 75Chapter: 76Chapter: 77Chapter: 78Chapter: 79 Part Four Chapter: 80Chapter: 81Chapter: 82Chapter: 83Chapter: 84Chapter: 85Chapter: 86Chapter: 87Chapter: 88Chapter: 89Chapter: 90Chapter: 91Chapter: 92Chapter: 93Chapter: 94Chapter: 95Chapter: 96Chapter: 97Chapter: 98 Part Five Chapter: 99Chapter: 100Chapter: 101Chapter: 102Chapter: 103Chapter: 104Chapter: 105Chapter: 106Chapter: 107Chapter: 108Chapter: 109Chapter: 110Chapter: 111Chapter: 112Chapter: 113Chapter: 114Chapter: 115Chapter: 116Chapter: 117Chapter: 118Chapter: 119Chapter: 120Chapter: 121Chapter: 122Chapter: 123Chapter: 124Chapter: 125Chapter: 126Chapter: 127Chapter: 128Chapter: 129Chapter: 130Chapter: 131Chapter: 132Chapter: 133Chapter: 134Chapter: 135Chapter: 136Chapter: 137Chapter: 138Chapter: 139Chapter: 140Chapter: 141Chapter: 142Chapter: 143Chapter: 144Chapter: 145Chapter: 146Chapter: 147Chapter: 148Chapter: 149Chapter: 150Chapter: 151Chapter: 152Chapter: 153Chapter: 154Chapter: 155Chapter: 156Chapter: 157Chapter: 158Chapter: 159Chapter: 160Chapter: 161Chapter: 162Chapter: 163Discover MoreAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorsSneak Peek of Cross Out What’s coming next from James Patterson?Get on the list to find out about coming titles, deals, contests, appearances, and more!The official James Patterson newsletter. Prologue OneIN FRONT OF President Kent and the historic Resolute Desk, General Wayne Grissom, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sits with his uniform hat in his lap and says, “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Mr. President.”President Lucas Kent nods. The former Maine governor and senator is sixty, in good shape, with thick brown hair and half-frame reading glasses that he never allows the public to see him in. He’s dressed casually in gray slacks, a blue oxford button-down shirt, a red necktie.He’s an old Yankee spirit, and he brought to the White House an insistence on saving money, which is why the Oval Office is only dimly lit, as if for a funeral, this mid-September afternoon. The heavy glass windows—bulletproof, of course—don’t allow much outside light in.President Kent is the third president Grissom has served under since he rose to the rank of general. Grissom finds this one as smart and dedicated as the previous two. Kent pays attention to detail and has a strong bullshit detector; his personality, a mix of flattery and hardness, is typical for a political animal. This president also has the same weakness as his two predecessors: he wants to be liked by all the people he serves.Which, Grissom thinks wryly, is a good attribute for a car salesman but not for the leader of the free world.Earlier, when Grissom arrived at the White House—by himself, with no aides or staff—he’d noticed the change in the Secret Service detail. Outside, they were in full tactical gear, with Kevlar vests, jumpsuits, helmets, and automatic weapons, and even inside, agents in tactical gear roamed the corridors. Grissom has never seen this before.At Grissom’s request, neither the president’s chief of staff, Helen Taft, nor any other presidential aides are at this Oval Office meeting. Grissom is sure Helen will raise hell about this with the president later, but that’s not his concern.Preventing leaks is his concern.It is just the two of them. A highly unusual step, but these are dangerous and unusual times.“Go ahead, General, please tell me what you’ve got,” the president says.Grissom says, “Ever since the attack on Fort Leavenworth, Army Intelligence has been aggressively working with other domestic intelligence and law enforcement agencies. We’ve operated within the bounds of the Posse Comitatus Act—the law barring the military from participating in civilian law—but I’ll admit we’ve pushed those bounds. I’m sure you’ve received complaints about how hard we’ve pushed, but we didn’t have much choice.”The president makes a dismissive gesture. “I’ve heard the complaints and I don’t care. You’ve been doing a good job under difficult circumstances. Go on.”“Sir, since April, more than three hundred Americans have been killed and thousands more injured in these attacks.”The president sighs. “With not one demand, not one reliable or verifiable claim of responsibility. Nothing! One week it’s a shooting in a Seattle office building, the next week, a pipe bomb at a supermarket in Omaha, and the week after that, poisoned bottled water given away on the streets of Manhattan.”Grissom nods. “Yes, sir, and those are just the attacks that we have concluded are originating from a terrorist organization.”The president pauses, then says, “You mean we may be undercounting the