Abduction

ABDUCTION Internationally revered Boston cardiac surgeon Max Dent, MD, disappeared after a lecture he gave in Paris. His live-in girlfriend, Lilah Fischer, MD, a psychiatrist, traveled to Paris in search of him. Max awakens in a hospital in Iran brought there to perform surgery and discovers young men dying for no apparent reason. Their illness leads Dent to unearth a domestic plot leveraging portable atomic bombs to overthrow the ayatollah, destabilize Iran, and promote a terrorist offensive to shake up the Middle East. Could an Israeli save the ayatollah? Max Dent's history as a Mossad assassin catches up with him in a parallel plot of vengeance. Last year, Dent assassinated the two brothers of Shazia Khan, the sole remaining member of a Saudi Arabian terrorist family. Khan finances the abduction of Lilah to use her to bait a trap for Max. Financing terrorism, a coup in Iran, and the delivery of portable atomic weapons for terrorism are significant crises that only Max Dent can solve. Lilah establishes herself as a worthy partner.

Internationally respected Boston heart surgeon Max Dent, MD, a former Mossad assassin, completed his guest lecture in Paris. After leaving the conference center, two men confront him. Max is distracted by a blonde woman from the conference who speaks Hebrew like a native, and a third man sneaks up and shoots the surgeon with a tranquilizing dart. The three men and the woman carry Max into a van. Days later, his head clears, and he finds himself restrained in a small jet. The kidnappers brought him to a hospital in Tehran, where he encountered a former heart surgery fellow he had trained. Dent learns he was abducted to assist in life-saving surgery on the dying ayatollah, the supreme leader of Iran. Walking through the hospital, he encounters a line of very sick young men roped together who are speaking Arabic, not native Iranians. At first, Max can't explain their illness. After the successful surgery, despite the ayatollah's promise of safe passage, Max is assaulted and fights his way out for a ride to the airport and home. Lilah, Max's live-in girlfriend, a psychiatrist at the same Boston hospital where Max works, travels to Paris to find Max. With Mossad's help, she uncovers video footage that identifies the criminal group and the blonde who abducted Max. After Max and Lilah return to Boston, he is concerned about a conspiracy to overthrow the ayatollah. He sneaks back into Tehran and unearths a domestic plot leveraging portable atomic bombs to unseat the ayatollah, destabilize Iran, and promote a terrorist offensive to shake up the Middle East. Could an Israeli save Iran and the ayatollah? Max Dent's history as a Mossad assassin catches up with him in a parallel plot of vengeance. The previous year, Dent assassinated the two brothers of Shazia Khan, the sole remaining member of a notorious Saudi Arabian terrorist family. Khan hires a Palestinian terrorist to abduct Lilah as bait to trap Max. Max rushes back from Iran and, along with colleagues, saves Lilah. They return to Israel. Dent plans a return to Iran to save the ayatollah. This unlikely relationship drives the story and produces a surprise twist. While Max is out of town, Lilah strolls the streets of Tel Aviv—the man who abducted her earlier returns and captures her again. Lilah confronts the terrorist and, with the help of a new colleague, terminates the terrorist.

Mark R. Belsky, MD, with his wife Nancy, raised their family in the suburbs of Boston, MA, where he practiced hand surgery for forty years. His initial writing successes included co-authoring thirty-one medical literature peer-reviewed publications and eight book chapters. In addition, he co-founded The Hand Forum, a national study group for Hand Surgeons. Dr. Belsky's community commitments included the Board of Directors for Jewish Family and Children's Services of Waltham and Newton-Wellesley Hospital, each for twenty years. He serves on the Boards of Advisors for the Boston Symphony and the Tufts University School of Medicine. Retiring from hand surgery enabled Mark to pursue other passions, including writing, spiritual studies, baking, golf, fly-fishing, and spending time with his friends and family. He lives with his wife in the Berkshires. They have three grown children, four grandchildren, and two standard poodles.