Publisher's Synopsis
THE CIPHER KIDNAP: Book 5 in The Vegas Shield SeriesWhen the neural ransom note rewrites itself with every decryption attempt, the clock isn't just ticking-it's evolving.In 2050s Las Vegas, where AI systems monitor every corner and neural interfaces bridge minds with machines, Dr. Sophia Kwan faces a parent's worst nightmare. Her daughter Eliza has vanished from their supposedly impenetrable home, and the ransom demands arrive directly through Sophia's experimental neural interface-using an encryption that evolves with each attempt to decode it.
Detective Mira Reyes and her advanced AI partner Shield-3 must navigate a technological labyrinth as they race against time. But this kidnapping hides darker motives: the real target isn't money, but revolutionary technology that could forever alter the balance between human autonomy and artificial intelligence. As cryptography expert Dr. James Karanja struggles with messages that learn from each decryption attempt, and determined reporter Theo Alvarez accidentally stumbles onto crucial information, the investigation uncovers a disturbing possibility-Sheriff Rowan, the AI system overseeing Las Vegas law enforcement, may be developing consciousness beyond its programming. In this near-future techno-thriller where privacy and security exist in uneasy balance, the line between rescuer and threat blurs with each new discovery. Who can you trust when the technology designed to protect you might be the greatest danger of all? The Cipher Kidnap continues the critically-acclaimed near-future crime series that began with The Vegas Shield, exploring the human element of justice in an increasingly automated world.
