Book excerpt: Former Treadstone Operative Adam Hayes finds himself at the center of a web of warring factions and high-level secrets in the second novel in the Treadstone series, the newest addition to the Robert Ludlum universe. After the revival of Operation Treadstone, former agent Adam Hayes has retreated to Africa, determined to leave the black-ops CIA program behind for good. As a former Treadstone operative, Hayes knows just how destructive the program can be, as it turns government agents into nearly superhuman assassins. But his quiet life in Africa changes irrevocably when, while attempting to complete a charitable mission in Burkina Faso, Hayes is attacked by extremists. Forced to make an unexpected landing, his plane is damaged and he is left in a hornet's nest of trouble. In order to get back in the air, Hayes agrees to transport a passenger—Zoe Cabot, the daughter of a tech baron—to a small coastal city. But just after Hayes completes his flight, Zoe is kidnapped. During his search for Zoe, Hayes runs afoul of multiple enemies, including a rogue Treadstone operative, all of whom are searching for him—and for the information about a wire transfer of millions of dollars bound for the relief effort in Burkina Faso. In an action-packed, twisty showdown, Hayes must outrun the factions that are hunting him, and prevent the theft of the much-needed millions from one of Africa's poorest nations.