Death Watch

YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR DEATH STOP PRECISELY FORTY-EIGHT HOURS FROM THE TIME OF THIS TRANSMISSION YOU WILL DIE STOP THIS IS AN OFFICIAL DEATH WATCH NOTICE STOP Rookie news reporter Sydney St. James found the first Death Watch notice in a vehicle at the scene of a fatal accident. That was just hours ago. Now other notices are turning up worldwide---and Sydney finds herself paired with renowned international newscaster Hunz Vonner in a desperate attempt to unmask the terrorists. The wording of the notices is always the same---as are the results. There is no pattern to the victims' deaths. Every attempt to save the recipients fails. Government agencies and news organizations are stumped. Then it gets personal. People close to Sydney begin receiving Death Watch notices. The clock is ticking . . . and suddenly, Sydney finds herself in possession of an astonishing secret. It could break the power of Death Watch, save the lives of those she loves . . . and ruin her forever. Los Angeles television reporter Sydney St. James usually covers topics like erectile dysfunction and the birth of a hippopotamus at the local zoo. Then she suddenly finds herself in the middle of the story of her career: a terrorist plot that has baffled government experts and pundits. Terrorists are sending messages (e.g., by telegram or e-mail) to unsuspecting recipients, informing them that they will die in 48 hours. And the deaths come as promised. After Sydney stumbles across one of the "Death Watch" messages at an accident scene, people near and dear to her begin to receive threats, and she sets out to expose the perpetrators. But she doesn't face this awesome task alone. She's shored up by her strong, evangelical Christian faith, and she forges an unlikely partnership with German reporting star Hans Vonner. By Jack Cavanaugh And Jerry Kuiper.