First Line Friday (week 343): False Shadow

Death steals through the Smoky Mountains.
Wildlife officer Charae Spencer has faced defiant hunters, drunken tourists, and angry bears, but nothing can prepare her for a mysterious disease that kills swiftly and without mercy. The first carcasses are wild animals, but the spread isn’t likely to stop there. Will the next wave of victims be human?

A secret investigation carries a steep price.
Special Agent Dalton Fowler quietly digs into the underground organization that has already gone after several of his friends. The more he digs, the more he discovers that The Shadows have greater influence and reach than he had ever dreamed. But his investigation catches The Shadows’ attention. As he investigates further, the danger to him – and those he loves – intensifies. Is trying to bring down The Shadows worth the risk?

The Shadows have a new weapon in their arsenal.
A body in the woods is only the beginning. Once perfected, their latest weapon will kill anonymously and silently. Their enemies will have no choice but submission… or billions will die.

As Dalton joins Charae in her investigation, the body count only rises. Can they catch the people responsible and stop The Shadows from releasing a weapon of mass destruction? Or will The Shadows end their investigation using lethal means?