Unholy Code by Thomas Waite

The US is practically under siege. ISIS has sleeper cells all over the country. Terror attacks happen on almost a daily basis. And the attacks are getting creative.

Such as a nuke detonated in the South Pole setting numerous glaciers afloat, melting as they drift, raising ocean levels and scattering refugees inland in all the countries with a coastline, US included. Or the small boatload of Islamics off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. When confronted by the Coast Guard, they immediately surrender. No suicide vests. No weapons. Off to jail they go. And then everyone they meet in the legal process heads home, interacts with all their friends and their friend's friends. All now exposed, contracting, and dying from smallpox. Suicide 'bombers' don't always need explosives.

Lana Elkins runs a computer security company that contracts with NSA. She works the highest profile and most lethal attacks to the computer infrastructure. 'Steel Fist' is a blogger from the outback of Idaho who espouses violence of the worst kind. Genocide against anyone who doesn't look like him. And it's not like he's this generation's Unabomber. This guy has millions of followers. With every ISIS terror attack, the number of followers jump. And while he's technically good, he gets help from a mysterious guardian angel who is technically gifted. The Steel Fist gets shut down and within minutes he's back spouting his bile.

After getting attacked by Lana's company once again, the Steel Fist decides to take the glove off. He published pictures of Lana, her daughter, her daughter's route to/from school, where she hangs out, her boyfriend (high school classmate who immigrated from Sudan). Everything. And his followers are out in force primarily to kill her daughter. But her boyfriend has his own guardian angel. His uncle, a harsh man with a past tied to Al Queda. At times he's overly protective, other times he accepts what the two kids have with each other.

One of the Fist's followers manages to stage a successful kidnapping. To get her back, Lana has to go to Idaho alone.

This is the third 'Code' novel by Waite. It'd been awhile since I read Lethal Code (#1 in the series) and remember I liked it a lot. Well, Waite hasn't lost my attention. This is a tense, taut, light-speed story that sprints between Bethesda, the NSA, and Idaho. Numerous times. Lana and her daughter are no shrinking violets. Both are highly competant and resourceful with both a keyboard and a firearm. A serious story, serious actions, serious consequences.

I really need to find Trident Code.

ECD

available July 12, 2016