Book One in the PROJECT thriller series. Former Recon Marine Nick Carter works for the Project, a covert counter-terrorism unit reporting to the President. He's taciturn and tough, with a dark history of emotional and physical scars that gives him depth and rich complexity. Selena Connor is a beautiful, strong and skilled linguist. When her wealthy uncle is murdered by someone looking for an ancient book about the elixir of immortality, she's thrust into Nick's dangerous world. Nick is assigned to protect Selena and help her recover the missing book, a routine task that escalates into a harrowing life and death adventure. They uncover a plot to overthrow the government of China and attack America A powerful relationship begins between them, forged from shared danger, combat and betrayal. The story spans the globe, from the gold country of California to the high mountains of Tibet, from the White House to the halls of power in Beijing. International intrigue, terrorist acts, budding romance, patriotism and the threat of nuclear war form the core of the book, the first volume in a series featuring Nick, Selena, the Project and the ongoing, complex relationship between the main protagonists.