This text is an excerpt from the thriller novel Dead Silence by Randy Wayne White, featuring the protagonist Doc Ford. The narrative centers on a political kidnapping involving a teenager named Will Chaser, who is abducted by Cuban operatives to extort sensitive government files. Much of the tension involves a race against time to locate the boy, who has been buried alive in a coffin. Doc Ford utilizes his intelligence background and the help of his friend Tomlinson to track the kidnappers through the Florida landscape. The plot ultimately connects the modern crime to the dark history of Fidel Castro’s private papers and a secret fraternity. It concludes with a high-stakes confrontation on a remote island where Ford attempts to rescue the victim.