An action-adventure that rockets around the world, Acid Test is a novel of intense thrills, insider's detail, and unforgettable characters locked in a titanic struggle--as the U.S. and a top Air Force investigator face an enemy they never saw coming. In a chilling what-if scenario that could come true tomorrow, a ruthless warrior calling himself Batu Khan has forged a menacing new empire across Central Asia and Mongolia. Wedding his primitive killer instincts to a high-tech arsenal, Batu and his merciless armies approach Europe on a tide of terror and butchery. And after discovering a dark secret about the President of the United States, Batu seizes a terrifying advantage. At the center of this gathering storm is former fighter pilot Matt Wilder, now a counterintelligence operative for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. He is currently analyzing a bizarre string of murders committed by solid citizens who suddenly snap--ordinary people who possess almost superhuman strength and unnaturally heightened senses. Wilder's discovery of the shocking truth about these violent outbursts leads to an unforeseen connection to Batu Khan. When Batu's forces bring the world to the brink of conflagration, only a handful of U.S. military and White House insiders know the true gravity of this ominous situation. From the remote Mongolian steppes to Washington's corridors of power, from sudden acts of violence to the discipline of America's most highly trained warriors, Acid Test is a novel that conjures up the ultimate test--when there are no fail-safes, no fallbacks, and nothing left to trust but courage itself. . . . From the Hardcover edition.