AGBM.com Book Club Presents:
ATC Emergency Code 7700

Yazid Bin Kadir, charismatic leader of a small terrorist militia group based in southern Lebanon, endeavors to plant a bomb in downtown Israel, and to kidnap Efrem Gamaliel, a government official in the Israeli Knesset. Yazid is captured, along with some of his followers. After being subdued, blindfolded, and forced inside one of Israeli attack helicopters, Yazid utters three words in answer to his captor's taunts: "ihtares te bean adda." Translation: Beware of snakes.

Within hours of his capture, six of Yazid's loyal comrades in the United States and Canada hatch a do-or-die plan to force his release. Three of the terrorists, led by Ja'far Paieendah, drive across Canada to sabotage their first target, the Seattle Space Needle.

The other set of terrorists is led by Amir Al-Kaman, a small Middle Eastern immigrant. He solicits the help of a disgruntled airline maintenance employee, and the terrorists eventually steal Dale's ID and computer code, allowing them access to the airport tarmac area. They gain entry to a jetliner where weapons and a bomb are planted.

Raymond Parker, Director of National Security Affairs, and his wife, Anita, board a plane bound for Madrid with hopes of saving their failing marriage. Two hours into the flight Amir and his comrade commandeer the aircraft and go on a killing spree... ATC Emergency Code 7700 begins.

"ATC EMERGENCY CODE 7700 is about a group of aviation professionals and a politician who find themselves in a dangerous situation while on a routine flight," says novelist E.L. Crenshaw. "When the one person trained to handle a highjacking is killed, they reach deep within and devise a daring plan to save themselves and the passengers as they deal with several life-threatening emergencies."

Although the book was written before the hijackings of September 11, Crenshaw believes that many people still take for granted the ease at which an airplane can be used as a weapon, and the huge responsibility the flight crew has in doing their job of transporting passengers to their destinations.

"Usually during a highjacking you have specially-trained personnel to handle the situation," says Crenshaw. "I wanted to put ordinary untrained people in that scenario and show that they too could be victorious."

After two years of work and hard research, Crenshaw has achieved two goals: publishing a mainstream action novel, and teaching readers about the need for passengers and crew to cooperate, especially in this time of air rage and highjackings.

E.L. Crenshaw has spent over three decades as an Aviation Electronic Technician with two airlines, and has used this insider knowledge to craft ATC EMERGENCY CODE 7700. In his spare time, Crenshaw is an avid reader, and has been married to Linda for 16 years. They live in Washington State with their youngest son Kevin.

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