RUBICON

by Barry T. Childs

RUBICON is an epic battle of good versus evil that threatens to cross Armageddon’s point of no return to control the ultimate cyberweapon. Xander Ridge battles Paul Ross in a war of cyberweapons and bullets. Paul Ross and his evil partners attack hospitals, crash planes, collapse power and communication grids, collapse economies, and wipe personal financial holdings. With the world on the precipice of a cyber and nuclear Armageddon, the American President presses Ridge into service.

Rubicon’s theme explores the depravity of evil and the enormity of victory’s ask — “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing,” Edmund Burke. The story explores the militant political divide engulfing the American body politic —allowing evil to hide in plain sight. The reader explores the Devil’s toll —what must Xander Ridge endure —what must Xander sacrifice to vanquish Paul Ross and Iscariot.

Xander Ridge must get muddy and bloody to take down Paul, risking his life, his soul, and the lives of family and friends. Endless attacks test Xander’s belief that the power of Rubicon is beyond control and must remain locked away and out of the fight.
Xander must not allow any government or military to wield the power of Rubicon, not even his friend, the President of the United States —Rubicon must remain in Pandora’s Box —at all costs.

Ross brings the fight to Ridge. Ross drags Ridge through fire and trial —ceaselessly attacking Ridge’s conviction to secure Rubicon. Ross is incapable of producing a Rubicon-esque cyberweapon. Ross must force Ridge to release a version to steal Rubicon.
Ross poisons Amelia, Xander’s terminally ill daughter, with a dastardly cyberattack altering the chemical makeup of the IV fluids and medicines. Ross tries to crash Xander’s plane. Unable to get at Ridge, Ross unleashes the cyberweapon on civilian aviation —spinning the world into terror.

Ross presses Ridge to the breaking point in a battle of personal terrorism that may cost Ridge his family, his country, his soul, and the lives of his wife and daughter. Ross
No network, encryption, or secret —civilian, government, or military is beyond Rubicon’s reach. Xander must not allow any government or military to wield the power of RUBICON, not even his friend, the President of the United States —RUBICON must remain in Pandora’s Box.

RUBICON is a story —waiting for a Ross to hit the enter-key —unleashing hell.

The plotlines of RUBICON exploit real-world vulnerabilities and expose the potential of the next 9-11 —asymmetrical cyber warfare. Standing on the foundation of a thirty-plus-year career as an executive industry insider, I assure you that RUBICON is just one small step of fiction beyond real-world vulnerabilities.

328 pages, ebook

Published April 2, 2022

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book, the writing was just too much "tell me" not "show me." The wording and sentence structure was often laborious and ackward.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rubicon is an excellent story that illustrates the drastic consequences when nations fail to think creatively about their defenses. Adversaries continuously try to think outside the box to inflict damage, yet this innovative thought is not always present when creating defense systems.

Barry Childs demonstrates in an exciting and captivating way how these vulnerabilities can allow other nations, sometimes even just an individual, to exploit these weaknesses with minimal resources. The cyberweapons used were not new or special in any sense, and remained relatively the same throughout the story.

An incredibly entertaining read, I feel more informed and interested in what can be accomplished in the cyber realm. Though the vulnerabilities pointed out were worrisome, I am also at ease knowing there are so many people working in the background to protect against these types of attacks.

[Rocco Marcello · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all!

Rubicon by Barry Childs is a current day exciting thriller that should be on everyone’s “must read” list. It delves into the political, military, and private sector interactions when faced with a serious worldwide crisis brought about by a series of major cyber-attacks. While Rubicon is thrilling fiction, it is based on the author’s intimate knowledge of cyberweapons and how they could easily disrupt and destroy all aspects of today’s day-to day interconnected world if deployed with evil intent. Get a copy of this book and you won’t be disappointed……its clearly headed for best sellers’ status!

Rocco Marcello

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great and fun read. A good thriller set against the present, and a potential future, where the world of physical threats, global politics, and advanced cyber terrorism all merge into a huge page turning, roller coaster ride. I loved the character development in this book, each with their own progression and consequences.

The ending of the book leaves you guessing what's going to happen right to the last page, no one is safe in this story. In the end you ask yourself, especially in our current times, how close we are to this type of evolving threat?

Do yourself the a favor, pick this one up and give it a read! It's a blast!

[Malcolm Gregoire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't get past the first chapter. The writing was more like a journal or a police report. The cast of characters in the beginning was like a who's who and way too much to ingest. Another misguided story of the threat of the misguided Iranians against the Evil Incarnate America and the rest of the western civilized world.