Ghost at Mach 3 (Echoes of Genius)

EIGHTY THOUSAND FEET ABOVE VIETNAM, A GHOST IS FLYING AT MACH 3.2. DEEP BENEATH SAIGON, AN IMPOSSIBLE ANOMALY IS ABOUT TO SHUT IT DOWN.

March 21, 1968. The SR-71 Blackbird embarks on its first operational combat mission over North Vietnam. Cruising at the edge of space, Major Jerry O’Malley and his RSO run right into a nightmare: three Soviet-supplied SA-2 missile batteries have locked onto their engine exhaust. Two Mach 3.5 missiles are rising fast.

Ten feet beneath Saigon's chaotic streets, ex-Army signal genius Connor "The Maestro" Bluton works frantically in his secret basement bunker. Using a custom array of high-voltage vacuum tubes and oscilloscopes, Connor is secretly boosting the Blackbird’s telemetry link and feeding vital countermeasure data back to the jet before it's too late.

Then his sanctuary is breached.

Green Beret Major Elias Cayman and Kanto, a legendary displaced samurai warrior, step into Connor's bunker carrying a dark, non-terrestrial artifact: the Star-Claw blade. The moment the weapon is drawn, an unnatural electromagnetic pulse tears through the room, smothering Connor's equipment and severing the Blackbird's telemetry link right as the Soviet missiles close in for the kill.

With seconds remaining and the world's fastest jet flying blind, can a rogue radio operator, a battle-hardened soldier, and an ancient samurai find a way to restore the signal? Or will America’s most advanced stealth aircraft be blown out of the sky.

Ghost at Mach 3 is an explosive, standalone technothriller short story set in the universe of Echoes of Genius: The Obsidian Sting. Blending authentic military aviation, classified Cold War technology, and ancient samurai lore, this high-octane and hard science adventure is perfect for fans of James Rollins, Tom Clancy, and Clive Cussler.