Description:

Trent lied about her age. Hal was convicted of statutory rape. Two lives, ruined.

Despite a brutal existence in prison, a desperate escape and a chance for a new life in Africa, Hal never forgets his first love. If only there were some way he could return home, return to Trent. Never, warns his wise friend Demetrio, reminding Hal that they are escaped felons, and to be caught is to go back to prison.

Trent can't forget Hal, nor can she forgive herself for his fate. The future holds no promise, and finally she seeks solace and expiation in a cult calling itself The Church of Hallowed Revelation. Her parents seek to have her deprogrammed, but instead lose her to ruthless kidnappers, who hold her in their African headquarters until her ransom is paid.

Seeking a hostage held by a quasi-military faction, Hal and Demetrio head into the wilderness. At the end of their quest is violence, death, and--just perhaps--another chance for Hal and Trent.

Excerpt:

The flight was long and tedious. They weren't able to leave the terminal during their four-hour stopover in Rio de Janeiro because they had no visas. Hal bought a magazine. It looked something like Cosmopolitan, but it was in Portuguese.

"Check this one out," he showed Demetrio a picture of a particularly beautiful woman. He paged through the magazine again and was about to toss it out when a name caught his eye "Trent McNaughton." Next to the text was a picture of a woman with close-cropped hair and a pale face, and tawny eyes.

"Demetrio," Hal shook his arm.

"Hey, my name is Paul," Demetrio scolded under his breath.

"Can you understand what this says? Please, it's important."

The many-faceted Demetrio had a good knowledge of Latin languages, of all languages it seemed.

"Millionaire Eric McNaughton's only daughter, Trent, has been a member of the cult, The Church of Hallowed Revelation, for six years..." He read some background information about Trent. The article ended: "Mr. McNaughton is confident that he will get his daughter back in the near future."

"I gotta help her, Dem... I mean Paul."

"Why? What do you mean?"

"It's her, it's my Trent."

"The one who got you in all the trouble in the first place?"

"Yeah."

"The one who caused you to lose thirteen years of your life?"

"Yeah."

"And you still want to rescue her?"

"Yeah. She's special. It wasn't her fault. She didn't mean it. Deme... Paul, you have to understand, I love her. She's the woman I love."

"You can't rescue her. For one thing, you would be back inside in no time. For another, those people don't want to be rescued."

This title is published by Uncial Press and distributed by Untreed Reads.