Veil of the Goddess

Iraq is dangerous enough with insurgents firing, anger over US bombing of local mosques, and the general lawlessness there, but fellow Americans are supposed to be on your side. Life gets a lot more dangerous for US National Guard Sergeant Ivy Newland when the secretive spy-type she's guarding decides that she's seen too much and tries to kill her. What she's seen is the True Cross--hidden in what is now Iraq for hundreds of years since it was captured from crusaders by Saladin. The Foundation, a secretive US organization, has big plans for the Cross--but considering they tried to kill her, Ivy isn't at all certain she wants to help move those plans forward. What if, as the agent claims, the Cross is the ultimate weapon of mass destruction?

Ivy, accompanied by US Army Captain Zack Herrera are chased by the Foundation, by CIA drones and CIA-sponsored pesh merga, by insurgents, and by the US Navy as they flee across Iraq, Turkey, Greece, and finally Italy. Guided by a mysterios vision, or possibly a dream, Ivy knows she must seak something first in Istanbul, then in Venice. But getting there is more than half the problem--as the power of the Cross ensures that the Foundation is never far between. Their journey lets Ivy and Zack explore a growing attraction, puts them in contact with a number of unlikely allies and enemies, and explores both the history, faiths, and people of this crucial section of the world.

Author Rob Preece has done his research on both history and geography, making the story come to life. He handles both the Cross and the mysterious Veil of Mary in ways that both Christians and non-Christians will find intriguing--possibly sharing an enhanced understanding of the nature of the divine.