The Facade [first edition]

The plot of The Facade is driven by the fate of a team of scholars recruited for an Above-Top-Secret project against their will by a cabal of military insiders known only as "The Group." To gain the team's trust, the Group authorizes successive levels of disclosure to astonishing technologies, shocking alien artifacts, and documents which chronicle the clandestine history of the United States government's knowledge of UFOs - including Operation Paperclip, a secret program that recruited Nazi scientists for their technical knowledge. Nevertheless, it soon becomes apparent that nothing is what it seems. The Facade follows the team as they unpeel layer after layer of deception, uncovering a shocking revelation that will alter mankind's self-understanding forever - if they can discern which lie to believe. The unlikely center of the team is Dr. Brian Scott, a scholar of ancient semitic languages. Despite his credentials, Brian's life is overshadowed by his low self-esteem and his parents' unspeakable deaths. Brian is befriended by Father Andrew Benedict, a dignified but enigmatic priest, whose presence will dictate the direction Brian's life must take. After a tense initial briefing, Brian is confronted by Dr. Melissa Kelley for an insensitive remark made during the briefing. As angry as she is beautiful, Melissa's behavior toward Brian becomes increasingly antagonistic. Weeks of hostility pass until a selfless but reckless split-second decision on Brian's part alters their lives forever, leaving them dependent on one another for survival. A stunning climax leaves Brian and Melissa with only each other to trust, completely unaware of the larger, more sinister agenda only now beginning.