James Rollins · 2007 · thriller

James Rollins's 2007 Sigma Force novel revives an ancient plague that once afflicted Marco Polo. The route runs from Washington to a stricken ship off Christmas Island, to the Vatican and Istanbul on the trail of Polo's lost voyage, and finally to the Khmer temples of Angkor Wat.

1. 1
   Washington DC

   On leave in Washington, Gray Pierce is drawn back into Sigma when a Guild assassin arrives at his door with the first clue to a resurgent plague.

2. 2
   Christmas Island

   Off Christmas Island a toxic bloom rises from the deep, and a cruise ship of the stricken becomes a floating laboratory for the Guild.

3. 3
   Rome

   In the Vatican's secret archives, angelic script and dragon symbols link the plague to a hidden chapter of Marco Polo's voyage home.

4. 4
   Istanbul

   The trail runs on to Istanbul and a running battle beneath the dome of Hagia Sophia, where Polo once passed.

5. 5
   Angkor Wat

   Beneath the Bayon temple at Angkor Wat lies the primordial pool that is the source of the Judas Strain, and the only hope of a cure.