By Karen McCarraher
The Handler is a novel that depicts the many terrorist threats the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, Interpol and local police units actually face every day. The men and women in these agencies work hard to keep us all safe and I salute them.
Nicholas Reagan is a clandestine CIA agent who is in Shanghai to determine if a Chinese factory has been able to create a prototype of the ‘Ghost Chip.’ This new microchip supposedly can make cell phones impenetrable as well as provide the ability to detonate explosives from anywhere in the world. Should ISIS or al-Qaeda be able to get hold of this chip, the result would be devastating. Nick is picked up by the Chinese secret police and imprisoned. He manages to escape and returns to his base at Langley.
In the meantime, there is a huge earthquake in Pakistan. Three scientists from Cal-Tech decide to go to Pakistan to try to help the people. While there, they are invited to the home of the emir for dinner. After dinner, a van picks them up and they disappear. Nick is sent into Pakistan to extract them. He “visits” the emir, and forces the emir to tell him where the scientists are being held. When they debrief the scientists, they’re told that the kidnappers asked a lot of questions about buildings with roofs held up by piping, how an earthquake might rupture underground utility or water lines, but nothing about explosives. It was very puzzling.
Next, we move to Dearborn, Michigan, the Muslim capital in the U.S. The CIA has information that there will be three strikes in the U.S. According to a section of the Koran, these would consist of killing infidels with (1) flaming garments, (2) boiling off their skin, and (3) hooked rods. Nick’s team is challenged with trying to figure out when and where these attacks will take place.
After gathering all the intelligence, Nick determines that the first attack will take place on New York City’s High Line. Nick’s group and the police have people set at both ends of the High Line and soon they spot two suspects. They manage to capture one but the explosive vest of the other goes off and spews napalm on those around him. A number of people are injured but only a few people die. The Handler does not like this. He expected a huge number of deaths and his superiors in Pakistan are not happy with him.
Nick and his group begin looking for the next attack. They review hundreds of water venues and finally determine it will be the water fountain at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The terrorists have managed to buy 50 55-gallon drums of HCL, from different places in different states. Nick ‘s team arrives when the fountain is to start in 4 minutes. They have police and hotel employees moving people away from the fountain. But some do not move. The fountain starts its show but is shut down almost immediately. However, people who were too close got droplets on their skin which burned immediately. There was minimal damage to the populace in Las Vegas. This did not bode well for the Handler as his superiors were again disappointed. They expected mass casualties, and this was not the case.
Now Nick and his group had to try to determine the location of the next terrorist strike. Will they be able to figure it out in time? Will Nick be able to apprehend the Handler? And what about that ‘Ghost Chip?’ You will have to read on to find out.
The book is a real thriller—lots of action and plot twists. Yet you can appreciate the content as it refers to current world events. I truly enjoyed reading it and I hope the author continues his “Nick” series.
Author Jeffrey Stephens is a published author and a successful attorney in private practice. He has lived for more than thirty years in Greenwich, Connecticut where he and his wife. Nancy, have raised their two sons.
The Handler was published by Post Hill Press and is available from Amazon.com.