Search for the heart of the bison

the long version

Novice archaeologist Sandi Hartwell finds exactly what she wants in the hills of northern Pakistan - hard fossil evidence that Neandertals and Cro-Magnons successfully produced offspring. Her future looks promising, but less than one month later, the attacks of 9/11 will change everything. Sandi soon finds herself plunged into a diabolical plot to arm a global network of terrorists with WMDs. She discovers that only she can find the key to stop a sadistic worldwide attack designed to kill five out of every six humans on Earth. Desperate to stay even one step ahead of Solero, the mastermind behind the attacks, she joins Neandertal expert, Garrett Chambers, and his assistant Jektu, who lead her through a morass of intrigue. Rescued by a flying saucer, Sandi is taken into an alien world governed by an arthritic old man named Ronaldo. There, she finds herself questioning everything she thinks about herself, her life, and her own world.