A smallpox epidemic begins in a whisper with a single death, and then the name of the victim surfaces: Abdulaziz al-Sherhi. In a nation rich in imagination, this name requires none at all. In the weeks that follow, the epidemic fears crescendo into a national roar. People panic about dying from this horrific terrorist-incited disease and clamor for a vaccination. The federal government lurches along, hurriedly creating more vaccines to meet the demand. Maggie Rider, a weary road warrior for a high tech company, submits to the shot only to realize this is no ordinary immunization. Her husband, Eddy, posts his suspicions about this deeply sinister government requirement to his web site. Now he’s a target. And Maggie is the bait. The technology is real. Washington is corrupt. It’s only a matter of time before this isn’t just an intriguing idea for a political thriller.