Storm

Storm is an apocalyptic fiction novel by Evan Angler and is aimed at a middle grade audience. The third book in the Swipe series, it was published in 2013. Plot Storm finds the Global Union, and particularly its American component, in chaos. The Markless, non-citizens who have refused to undergo the Pledging process, are protesting their treatment. In the past, it has been easier for Marked citizens to simply ignore the Markless and go on with their comfortable lives. Now the Markless are forcing them to confront what they really believe about the government and its leaders—Chancellor Cylis, the head of the Global Union; and General Lamson, who oversees the American Union. 13-year-old Logan Langly, however, has more immediate concerns. His best friend, Erin Arbitor, is dying from a manufactured disease called Project Trumpet. Erin was vaccinated against the disease at her Pledge, but somehow she came into contact with an activation protein that causes vaccinated people to come down with the illness. The only hope for Erin is to find Dr. Rhyne, the scientist who designed Project Trumpet in the first place. Logan, Erin, Daniel Peck, and Hailey Phoenix undertake a cross-country drive to find Dr. Rhyne and cure Erin. But when they arrive at Dr. Rhyne's West Coast laboratory, they learn that the doctor cannot help them without knowing what protein triggered Erin's illness. Meanwhile, Logan's sister Lily, now a high-ranking member of the military, finds herself in a difficult situation. Cylis and Lamson are not working together as well as they would have the public believe, and Cylis wants to use Lilly as a double agent against Lamson. Lamson has his own operative on the ground, however—a teenager named Connor Goodman. Lily opposes both Lamson and Cylis, but Connor presents the most immediate threat against her plans to undermine the government. If Lily is to stop Connor, she must enlist the help of Logan and his friends, who are reluctant to trust her because of her calculated betrayal in Sneak. Logan desperately wants to believe in his sister, despite their past. Lily's secrecy, however, means that when Logan agrees to carry out her plans, he underestimates the cost.