A heart-stopping novel of adventure and suspense from #1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins--the first in his critically acclaimed Sigma Force seriesA freak explosion in the British Museum in London ignites a perilous race for an earth-shaking power source buried deep beneath the sands of history. Painter Crowe is an agent for Sigma Force, a covert arm of the Defense Department tasked with keeping dangerous scientific discoveries out of enemy hands. When an ancient artifact points the way toward the legendary "Atlantis of the Sands, " Painter must travel across the world in search of the lost city-and a destructive power beyond imagining. But Painter has competition. A band of ruthless mercenaries, led by a former friend and ally, are also intent on claiming the prize, and they will destroy anyone who gets in their way. Ancient history collides with cutting-edge science-with the safety of the world at stake.