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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
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  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
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  32. 28
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  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
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  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
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  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“The raging river we crossed, the river that swept Baptiste away, was the breeding ground for a rare parasite which enters through any orifice. Mouth, nose, eyes, anus or any wound. Once inside a body, they find the organs, burrow into them and breed. And spread. Left unchecked, they’ll consume liver, heart, lungs, kidneys...”

Elle sat up in dawning horror.

“The return from the Amazon was ghastly. Publicity. Reporters wanting to interview me on camera. Civil suits from the families of Baptiste and Nevaeh. All the while, those parasites consumed me bit by bit.”

“Adam...” She rested her palm on his chest, felt the heat of his body, the pump of his heart, and realized how close she had come to losing him before she’d even found him.

He paused, breathed as if he needed the assurance that he could breathe. “I realized something was wrong, but not soon enough. They caused permanent damage to my lungs. I spent almost a year in treatment to eliminate the parasites.”

She was almost afraid to ask. “A terrible, painful treatment?”

“Yes.” His voice was clipped. Clearly, he did not intend to elaborate. “I contacted Hammer, told him he should be tested and treated. Instead he announced his candidacy for governor, escalated his appearances.”

She felt consumed, too, by disbelief, shock and the dawn of fear...for Adam. “What does this mean? Why should he try to kill you now?”

“The brain is the organ the parasites relish. Soft, blood-engorged, oxygen-rich. I suggested to my doctor, and she conceded that it was possible, that Baptiste went mad because he tumbled down a river of parasites in search of a host. Water was forced up his nose and into his eyes and mouth.”

She knew that sensation. She feared it, and her fingers curled and clutched the material of Adam’s shirt.

Adam put his hand over hers. “Baptiste almost drowned in that river, and when he came out, the parasites were already gnawing at his brain, driving him mad, making him imagine conspiracy and ultimately killing him.”

“You think Big John Hammer is insane,” Elle whispered, “and he’s coming after you.”

“The parasites are chewing on a brain that already housed a dangerous personality, and yes, in the best of circumstances, he would never have forgiven me for tossing him in the river. But as he gets closer to his goal, to the office of governor and that video circulates more and more widely to more people who fear him or long to mock him... I suspect he’s coming for me.” With terrifying finality, Adam said, “And he won’t fight fair.”

39

ZSÓKE STEPPED OUT OF the stairwell and up onto the Live Oak’s roof and looked up at the stars, twinkling so brightly in the midnight sky, and laughed. Who would have thought everything about this job would be humorous?