Book excerpt: When the First Lady is kidnapped, a rescue specialist discovers her secrets—and a deadly conspiracy—in a thriller by the New York Times bestselling author. First Lady Anna Darmond’s penchant for late night parties in South East D.C. is a harmless open secret—until she’s kidnapped out from under the noses of her Secret Service agents in a bloody gunfight. It's an unthinkable crime that, if revealed, could cause public panic. That’s why hostage rescue specialist Jonathan Grave and his team must operate in absolute secrecy. But Grave soon realizes that, extraordinary as it is, the mission is not all it seems. There are shadows in Mrs. Darmond's past, cracks in the presidential marriage—and leaks in the country's critical shields of security. As Grave tracks the missing First Lady through a labyrinth of lies and murder, he confronts a traitor at the highest level of Washington power—and a devastating scheme to bring a nation to its knees.