Page 55 of The Secret of Secrets (Robert Langdon #6)

MetLife Stadium is located several miles south of Teterboro Airport in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and is one of the highest-grossing stadiums in the world.

Home to both the New York Giants and New York Jets football teams, the stadium was built with transformation in mind, regularly swapping out banners, field logos, and lighting schemes from Giants Blue to Jets Green each week to host the home team.

Take a minute, Jonas. Think.

He had been white-knuckling the SUV at ninety mph, and his nerves were frayed. This moment of calm was a welcome respite, especially as the warmth of the seat heater finally began permeating his body.

Alone now in the deserted parking lot, Faukman checked his phone, concerned that Langdon had not called back.

He’s got to be awake by now…it’s nine in the morning in Prague.

Faukman’s call history showed no missed calls except for several from a Penguin Random House IT extension, which at this hour Faukman imagined could only be the security technician, Alex.

Faukman tapped the button to call the tech back, hoping he might have information that could shed some light on what was going on here. The familiar voice of Alex Conan answered on the first ring.

“Mr. Faukman! Where have you been? Are you okay?!”

I’m nowhere near okay, kid.

“I need to warn you,” Alex continued breathlessly. “The hackers who deleted your manuscript…I think they may be very dangerous.”

No shit, Faukman thought, unconsciously touching his sore abdomen where he’d been punched. “I came to the same conclusion, Alex.”

“And…well…I’m just so sorry to have to tell you this, but…” The tech’s voice cracked, and Faukman felt a rising alarm.

Tell me what?

“I…I think they might have killed one of your authors.”

The editor hoped he had misheard the words.

As the young tech shared what he had learned, Faukman listened in shock, thinking he would be sick.

One mile away, having tracked Faukman’s phone from a safe distance, the two operatives—Auger and Chinburg—were now parked on a quiet residential street in East Rutherford, New Jersey, adjacent to MetLife Stadium. They were listening to the phone call through their iPad.

What they heard was alarming to them as well.

One of the American authors had been killed in Prague? Was it Langdon or Solomon? Clearly, something has gone terribly wrong.

Then again, Mr. Finch had made it abundantly clear that the recovery of Katherine Solomon’s manuscript was of vital importance. And Finch always accomplished his mission, whatever the cost.