The Sandman

Book excerpt: The technicians were sitting in front of the control panel to the main computer when they heard it. Deep in the underground nuclear facility three explosions ripped through the complex, tossing everyone violently against their desks and to the floor. The printer switched on and sheets of paper with automated-typed words spewed out at an incredible rate. A man ran to the printer and grabbed the papers. "What do they read?" Dr. Balim asked. There was a touch of desperation in his tone. The technician swallowed the growing lump in his throat and slowly raised his eyes to meet the doctor. "The Emergency Core-Coolant System has shut down!" The sudden gasp from those in the room was deafening. "What is going on here?" Colonel Benghazi asked. "My God...It's him," said Captain Mourak, who was standing behind him. "Can you be more specific?" Colonel Benghazi was becoming impatient. "It's the saboteur, you fool!" At Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Research Facility the countdown to nuclear disaster begins when the C.I.A.'s top saboteur codenamed: Sandman strikes a devastating blow. Deep in the underground facility a raging fire has knocked out the coolant system and threatens a reactor core meltdown. To save the reactor the Iranians must get the coolant back in operation...But the Sandman has barricaded himself in the alternate secondary control room to prevent that from happening...And so a brilliant army officer takes charge and is prepared to do whatever it takes to stave off disaster. The situation quickly becomes a match of wits as the Sandman defends himself in deadly gunfights against soldiers trying to retake the control room...And as the clock ticks he not only loses time to make good his escape, but the temperature in the reactor core quickly rises...and with each passing second bringing them closer to nuclear disaster!