So begins this tale of sea-to-stormy-sea international intrigue, much of it requiring helicopter rides straight from hell. Mitch Hughes -- an old friend of Daniel's father and the current director of the CIA -- is drafting Daniel to be his personal "eyes and ears" on a DARPA funded project called Deep Sky, currently in progress on an island off the Alaskan coast. There is, of course, no saying "no." The skeptical young scientist is provided with protection (Officer Erica Morillo) and transportation (a silver Mercedes SL500). The Mercedes has several bullet holes in it before the first evening is out; Officer Morillo manages to catch a few as well in the course of the truly non-stop action.

Not surprisingly, Spann is adapting "Imminent Threat" to a screenplay. The story's strengths -- the attractive young protagonists; the constant fleeing from danger; the certainty of betrayal; the uncertainty of the identity of the traitor; the secret scientific project; the beautiful locales (from the gentle harmony of the Florida Keys to the wild cacophony of Arctic seas) -- should make for a satisfying movie experience. "Imminent Threat" has both the pace and plausibility one looks for in genre thrillers, plus an added hook -- there is a sequel coming.