Empire of Dust — Chet Williamson

HE IS OUT THERE. AND HE IS DANGEROUS BEYOND IMAGINING.

Two men walk the desert beneath the Arizona stars. By morning, one will lie buried beneath the blistering sands. The other will be the new Apostle.

Laika Harris, Tony Luciano and Joseph Stein are the Searchers--deep cover government agents directed by a man they dare not trust, exploring phenomena they cannot fathom. Now their hunt for the mysterious entity known as the Prisoner is leading them to a dessicated corpse in the Southwestern desert...and into the deadly midst of violent fanatics who are determined to set the enigmatic captive free. The Searchers are as close as a heartbeat to their quarry. But in this merciless place of ancient cultures and strange, mystical traditions, the echoing canyons form an inescapable labyrinth in which revelations, betrayals and death wait around every turn. For the Prisoner may be more--much more--than his hunters dream. And because of that, the most powerful forces on Earth are gearing up for the ultimate confrontation--one that no mere mortal can stop... or survive.