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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

Anna shook her head, panic let loose inside. “Let it go, Sheena. You can’t let him out. All of you, it’s over. I know what you are. I’m going down to tell the rest.”

Sheena gave the isolation tent’s plastic one last tug.

Anna could barely hear Felicity singing, “London bridge is broken down . . .”

That’s when Toni sat up. Stared around. His black eyes seemed oddly focused through the clear plastic as they fixed on Anna.

Sheena turned, head slightly cocked. “No. You’re not telling.”

“Not by a long shot. As soon as I tell them . . .”

The rustle came from behind. A fast patter of bare feet. In the polished stainless steel of the cabinet, Anna caught a shadowy reflection: thin, moving incredibly fast. It lifted something high, pulled it back, ready to swing.

Felicity!

Anna’d be damned if . . .

The sharp pain in the small of her back coupled with an impact surprised her. The effect was so strange. Instantaneous. Anna’s hips, legs, feet. They just vanished. Went totally numb. She was falling, reached for the counter, snagged a tray of beakers. Her stunned brain couldn’t process why as she collapsed, hit hard on the floor. Glass was smashing and crashing around her, fragments clattering. Her face smacked painfully into the sialon, blasting lights through her head. The hollow thump of the impact barely registered in the shock and surprise.

From behind, it made no sense as Felicity said, “Lumbar spinal column: Vital and armored.”

Dazed, Anna stared at the base of the counters; the overhead lights gleamed like a thousand diamonds in the shattered glass that surrounded her.

Felicity sang, her girl’s voice soft: “Gabarron has fallen down, fallen down . . .”

Anna tried to get up, managed to pull her hands under her shoulders. Pushed up.

“Got to do this right,” Felicity said from behind.

Anna glanced up. Sheena stood over her, a scalpel in her hand. The little girl’s face was oddly blank as she said, “Neck: Blood vessels, windpipe, and spinal cord. Vulnerable and vital.”

Anna tried to shove herself up again, but she couldn’t feel her legs.

She filled her lungs to scream for help when Sheena leaned down with the scalpel.

72

The way Felix understood things, he was pretty much doomed.

That morning, Mother had come to see him, crying the entire time, sobbing, asking absolutely stupid questions. Why had he done this? Why had he done that? Was it her fault? Was it Yee’s? Had Felix planned out Bill’s murder?