
Part of Series
Father Michael Thomas works for a secret organization within the Vatican, and he delivers last rites to the greatest evils on earth. His boss just sent him to his own reckoning. Michael Thomas lives a complicated life. He’s a former street cop, and official church records show he’s a parish priest in Santa Fe. Secret files stored deep within the Vatican’s Division of Intelligence and Counterespionage confirm Michael’s also a covert agent engaged in a life-and-death struggle against the greatest evils that prey upon humanity. Michael hunts those who hunt others, and he’s very good at it. His biggest problem, though, is that his handler, a former boss at CIA, is convinced that Michael betrayed him and their secret organization ten months ago. They intend to retaliate. After months of isolation and radio-silence from the organization, Michael Thomas is suddenly dispatched to New Orleans, his first domestic assignment. The target is a prominent and well-guarded local businessman alleged to have the vilest secret Michael’s ever encountered, and he soon confirms his target’s businesses are mere fronts to conceal the real source of his extravagant income: modern-day international slave trading. Just as Michael’s prepared to offer the man a Final Absolution and send his soul on to judgment, new information changes everything. With dozens of innocent lives unexpectedly hanging in the balance, Michael must protect his target from external forces hellbent on killing the man, save his target’s victims from a literal hell on earth, and prove to his bosses that he hasn’t betrayed their confidence and secrecy. Should he fail at any one of these tasks, Michael’s life won’t be the only one lost. If he fails to save the innocent victims he swore to protect, Father Michael Thomas will wish that he only died.
Author

[ READ AN INTERVIEW WITH GAVIN: https://gavinreese.com/qa/ ] Gavin Reese grew up in the rural American Southwest and eventually moved to the Big City with his family. He considers both New Mexico and Arizona “home.” Citing his parents and grandparents as tremendous, motivating role models, Gavin felt an intense call to service and had planned on joining the military after college. Despite having worn his university’s uniform on the playing field and running half-marathons for fun, childhood medical issues prevented him from serving in that capacity. After two lifelong friends became patrol cops, they had Gavin out for a few ride-alongs, and he started the prolonged application process to join them. Since completing the police academy and field training, Gavin has enjoyed incredible success, and a lot of luck, in acquiring a diverse range of training and experiences that allowed him to be truly effective in almost every situation and service call. As a Jack of All Trades, Gavin’s ongoing course- and case-work in high-risk police operations includes street-level narcotics, combat medical care, international drug trafficking, organized crime syndicates, S.W.A.T. operations, human smuggling, outlaw motorcycle gang investigations, prostitution and sex trafficking, witness protection, hazardous materials incident response, radiation and nuclear terrorism, post-blast explosives investigations, and Dark Web smuggling operations. Before retiring from active law enforcement, Gavin comforted the dying, talked dozens out of suicide, and saved domestic abuse victims from their assailants. He’s taken child rapists, murderers, and human traffickers into custody, and Gavin’s had the distinct honor of protecting visiting foreign royalty and national American political figures from both sides of the aisle. He’s been trained by a variety of Special Forces operators, as well as those who trained them. Several of his friends and colleagues have been murdered or killed, and he’s occasionally been tasked to pursue those responsible. Despite yesterday’s successes, Gavin wakes up and dons his gun and badge with the sincere hope to again make a positive difference in the lives around him. Someday, he might save enough strangers that they, in turn, will collectively save him. When not donating his time to crime victims, first responders, and veterans’ groups, Gavin tries to relax with his family. He can frequently be found outdoors and involved in what his wife calls “reindeer games.” With a love of practical jokes and the long-con, Gavin’s been an accused, and occasionally confirmed, shenaniganator for most of his life. He summits tall mountains, swims in deep oceans, brews mediocre beer, and has a strong opinion on the Oxford comma. His curiosity about the world and the peoples and cultures within it have inspired a love of travel, spontaneous adventure, and lifelong learning. Gavin knows his greatest blessing is his wife, and he wakes each morning grateful she continues to play along. A portion of all Gavin’s sales is donated to charities that serve law enforcement professionals, their families and heirs, and honor the memory of our Fallen Heroes.