[1] It was published in 2006 by Random House and tells the story of a CIA agent who has infiltrated Al Qaeda and, years after 9-11, struggles to stop a terrorist attack in the United States.

The book begins a few months after the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, with John Wells, an undercover CIA agent, in the middle of a battle in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, Jennifer Exley, his CIA handler, visits a prisoner of war being held on a Navy ship to try to get information on Wells, who has been incommunicado for two years.

Wells is put in a CIA safe house in Washington, DC but escapes in order to continue his Al Qaeda mission.

While in Canada, he meets with an Al-Qaeda member to collect a suitcase, really a scientist who has been working to grow the plague bacteria.