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Chapters (102)
  1. Cover
  2. DAW BOOKS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF W. MICHAEL GEAR:
  3. Dedication
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. 84
  89. 85
  90. 86
  91. 87
  92. 88
  93. 89
  94. 90
  95. 91
  96. 92
  97. 93
  98. 94
  99. 95
  100. 96
  101. EPILOGUE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Okay, two out of the three. I’m not so big on the bondage thing. I’m more of a give-and-take kind of guy. But, yeah, strap me in. The last time was too damn close for comfort, and my clothes still smell like mobber guts.”

So she’d tied him down with cargo straps. Couldn’t have been comfortable. The good news was that he was still here.

And Talina’s problem was as vexing as ever. More and more, the man kept saying he loved her. But was that Dek or the quetzal? Did he truly feel that way? Or was that Demon’s TriNA slipping little bits of tRNA into Dek’s limbic system to give his hormones a romantic rush?

“How the hell do I tell the difference?”

“When do humans ever know?” Rocket wondered.

“Yeah, well, little buddy, there’s truth in that.” She pulled her blanket back and swung out of the bed. Standing, she stretched, yawned, and pulled on her overalls.

When she had returned from the bathroom, Dek was watching her through half-lidded eyes, as if he weren’t really seeing her.

“Hey, you okay?”

Dek responded with a mocking laugh, voice slurred as he said, “Miko, you are such a blood-sucking spineless parasite. You think you’re a spider? A spider needs to have a grip on each thread of its web. Be ready to pull the prey in and strike. You’re pathetic . . . don’t have the discipline necessary to be completely ruthless. Now, me . . . if I were going to take your father down . . . I’d make sure he knew in those last instants that it was me. You get it? Grind him with my heel . . . so he knows he has nothing left but the extent of his own failure. Call it . . . Call it . . . a parting gift, like a poison kiss . . .”

Talina made a face. “Hey! Wake up. Dek, you in there? Or is it just the monster today?”

She reached down, shook him. Didn’t get a reaction.

Dek’s words dropped into a mumble, kept repeating, “ . . . Such a pus-licking piece of shit . . .” over and over.

“Demon is winning,” Rocket told her from her shoulder.

Down in Talina’s gut, Demon chortled in delight.

49

Why didn’t I shoot? The thought kept repeating in Michaela’s head. She kept reliving that moment when the lobster monster had been face-to-face with the sub. If she’d shot? If the torpedo had driven into the thing’s mouth, blown it up? Would the detonation, so close, still have destroyed the sub?

If, if, if. Such a little word with huge implications.