The Beijing Gambit

The Story

Forced by an ultimatum to join HPAT-21, a covert unit spun off from the IRS Criminal Division immediately after 9/11, Tax Man Bob Stone confronts dangers far beyond anything he expected.

When a surge in encrypted Internet traffic in Portugal suggests coordinated terrorist activity, Bob and his team are sent to investigate. Their mission begins in the streets of Lisbon and moves quickly to Fátima, where they uncover a scheme to convert illicit money into cryptocurrency through the international banking system, then divert the proceeds overseas.

Following the money trail takes them to the resource-rich Azores. The mission spins out of control when they uncover China’s audacious gambit to secure a chokehold on critical rare-earth elements essential to the next generation of warfare. Along the way, Bob confronts the same brutal weapons dealer he encountered on his last assignment in Istanbul. An unthinkable power grab, reminiscent of Cold War tensions, threatens America’s national security and global stability. At this overlooked Atlantic crossroads, adversaries converge.

As the world edges closer to catastrophe, the next move could decide the fate of nations.