over 3,000 of america's finest teachers are selected for the prestigious national federation of academic excellence in education award for an all-expenses-paid three-month sabbatical to study topics of interest in nfaee hubs all across the country. at the end of the sabbatical, only 288 participants are left. what happens to them is the result of an insidious plot to rid america of its best and brightest educators. who is behind the plot, and why? for the handful who finish, the chilling answer is in their struggle to survive … the sabbatical directive. when teachers mitzie galloway, colby cameron, and cassidy phelps win the coveted nfaee award, they look forward to three months of pampered luxury with similar colleagues from all over the country. instead, they find themselves in a hostage-type situation which demands their collective intellects and survival instincts, not only to complete the sabbatical, but to finish with their minds and their very lives intact. not everyone will make the cut. the sabbatical directive is psychological warfare that could already be playing out in today's reality. "the risk is real … the fate of our country hangs in the balance … the minds of our nation's children are in jeopardy." ~ cheryl k. chumley, the washington times