Book excerpt: The year is 2028. Man's most ancient and feared enemy still walks the earth. For centuries, he has been consolidating his power and marshaling his dark forces for one last play. Walker Cain is the Man of Shadows and has only one agenda: to establish a one-world order through which he can control our destiny and remove our freedoms of personal choice. For him, no other plan can be worth his time and resources. He is the beast and intends for all to carry his mark. Benjamin Jasher has been a historian for as long as humanity has lived to record the advancement of civilizations. As a young man following The Great Flood, the ancient patriarch Noah presented him with a special duty and a challenge: to record the march of history. To ensure his life's work continued, he was permitted to live as long as necessary. But he needed to make special note of the acts and machinations of the most insidious man who ever lived, Cain.