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Back The Nest Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Copyright page
  3. Introduction by Will Errickson
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. TREMORS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. SUSPICIONS
  13. 1
  14. 2
  15. 3
  16. 4
  17. 5
  18. DREAD
  19. 1
  20. 2
  21. 3
  22. 4
  23. 5
  24. 6
  25. WITNESS
  26. 1
  27. 2
  28. 3
  29. ALERT
  30. 1
  31. 2
  32. 3
  33. 4
  34. 5
  35. ENCOUNTER
  36. 1
  37. 2
  38. 3
  39. 4
  40. 5
  41. 6
  42. HAVOC
  43. 1
  44. 2
  45. 3
  46. 4
  47. 5
  48. 6
  49. SEARCH
  50. 1
  51. 2
  52. 3
  53. 4
  54. 5
  55. CLASH
  56. 1
  57. 2
  58. 3
  59. 4
  60. 5
  61. 6
  62. 7
  63. COUNTERATTACK
  64. 1
  65. 2
  66. 3
  67. 4
  68. 5
  69. 6
  70. 7
  71. VICTORY
  72. 1
  73. 2
  74. 3
  75. 4
  76. 5
  77. 6
  78. 7
  79. 8
  80. 9
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. About the Author

His opening the kitchen door brought a blast of wind and sent flying the papers on which the sheriff had drawn a rough map to mark the roach sightings so far.

Elias Johnson pinched his nose and nodded toward the sky. “She’ll be nasty in another hour or two.”

Craig Soaras returned from the phone, moving fast. “Chatham’ll give us all the tanks we need.”

“Use my boat!” Stephen Scott said loud, wanting to be part of the action. Craig ran out to his car.

“Need any help?” Johnson called.

“Nope!”

Bonnie was at the door, tense. “Take care, Craig!”

Johnson told her, smiling, “He’s the best sailor on the island.”

Stephen Scott was asking the scientists, “How does dry ice stop them?”

Hubbard replied, “Like other insects, cockroaches breathe through spiracles, the little holes along their bodies. The dry ice will suffocate them and freeze them to death.”

“Ha! Good!”

Reed Brockshaw rushed into the room from the telephone in an obvious state of panic.

Amos Tarbell asked, “Hey! What’s wrong, Reed?”

“You can’t believe it!” the man choked out in misery. “Doreen reminded me the Sunday School kids were supposed to have a picnic up in the woods today. Because of the ‘spraying,’ the new minister took them on a boating party in the Tub instead!”

The sheriff said encouragingly, “Well, she’s a good sailor.” The Tub was an old harbor boat-­of-­all work, stout and seaworthy, and the coming storm wasn’t looking to be one of the big blows. But Tarbell understood the solicitude for his children that made Brockshaw shout furiously, “He doesn’t know spit about sailing a storm!”

Elias Johnson tried to lighten the atmosphere. “Well, he’s new and he didn’t want to disappoint the children. We’re lucky to have got George Kinray here, Reed. They might have sent us one of those ministers who try to stop the gulls from flying on Sundays . . .”

Brockshaw was in no mood for even mild levity. He shouted again, “There are times to listen to the Lord, and times to listen to the weatherman!”

ENCOUNTER

ENCOUNTER

1

ONE

In the lighthouse kitchen, cleaning up after the lunch they had prepared for the group, Elizabeth and Bonnie were preoccupied with their own thoughts. Uppermost for Elizabeth Carr was the way Wanda Lindstrom and Peter Hubbard—alone in the laboratory again—moved in a private fraternity of their work. It was clearer than ever that she was out of her depth against Wanda Lindstrom. Fortunately, Elizabeth told herself, she had no special reason to be involved.

She forced herself to pay attention to what Bonnie, at the sink, was saying. “Do you think that really happens, Liz?” Elizabeth stopped drying dishes and looked up. Was Bonnie going to tell her it had been love at first sight with Craig Soaras?