Hidden Empire (Empire, #2)

Bestselling writer Orson Scott Card returns to the near-future world created for Empire - a world where the international power of the United States has grown too fast, and the fault lines at home have been stressed to the breaking point. The war of words between Right and Left collapsed into a shooting war, and raged between the high-technology weapons on each side, devastating cities, and over-running the countryside. When the American dream shatters into violence, who could hold the people and the government together? At the close of Empire, political scientist and government advisor Averell Torrent has maneuvered himself into the Presidency of the United States in the aftermath of the devastating insurrection and civil war. But the truth is, he engineered that war, and becoming President is just the next step in his plan. Now that he has complete power, he has two goals: To expand the American imperial power around the world, and to control or silence the very few people who know that he was behind the assassination of the last elected President. But Captain Bartholomew Coleman, known as Cole to his friends and enemies alike, sees the danger Torrent poses to American democracy. Cole quickly runs afoul of Torrent; on the run, he'll need to find hard evidence to prove what he knows to be true. The war of words between right and left collapsed into a shooting war, and raged between the high-technology weapons on each side, devastating cities and overrunning the countryside. At the close of Empire , political scientist and government adviser Averell Torrent had maneuvered himself into the presidency of the United States. And now that he has complete power at home, he plans to expand American imperial power around the world. Opportunity comes quickly. There's a deadly new plague in Africa, and it is devastating the countryside and cities. President Torrent declares American solidarity with the victims, but places all of Africa in quarantine until a vaccine is found or the disease burns itself out. And he sends Captain Bartholomew Coleman, Cole to his friends, to run the relief operations and protect the American scientists working on identifying the virus. If Cole and his team can avoid dying of the plague, or being cut down by the weapons of fearful African nations, they might do some good. Or they might be out of the way for good. In This Sequel To Card's Bestselling Novel Empire, President Averell Torrent Launches America Into A Get-tough, This-world-is-our-empire Foreign Policy Stance. When Captain Bartholomew Cole Coleman Sees The Danger Torrent Poses To American Democracy And The Potential Disasters Involved In His Foreign Military Adventures, He Quickly Runs Afoul Of Torrent And, While On The Run, Finds Proof That Torrent Orchestrated A Presidential Assassination. Orson Scott Card. A Tom Doherty Associates Book. A Sci Fi Essential Book--dust Jacket.