Black Vault: A Short Story — Alma Katsu

From the acclaimed author of Red London and Red Widow comes a heart-pounding thriller about a dispirited spy who gets a chance to find the truth as he tackles the mystery of unexplained aerial phenomena.

When CIA officer Craig Norton glimpses an unexplainable object in the sky over Mongolia, he can't quite believe it. Frankly, he isn't sure Langley will either. Despite his misgivings, Craig reports the sighting in a cable to headquarters detailing the incident.

Fast-forward fifteen years. Craig is still reeling from the report that tanked his career and his personal life. That fleeting moment on the Mongolian steppe made him a pariah at the Agency, and he still hasn't recovered. At this point, he doubts he ever will.

But when the navy confirms on national television reports of unexplained aerial phenomena, Craig finds himself pulled back into the fold. Assigned to a CIA task force investigating sightings of unexplained aerial phenomena -- including his own -- Craig stumbles upon a mystery that could strain global relations and expose an international cover-up.

For a spy humbled by his own instincts, the search for the truth could finally mean a chance at redemption -- or place him directly in the path of a dangerous conspiracy.