Prologue
Kim
pushed
through
the
dense
jungle
vines,
surprised
she’d
run
into
yet
another
thick
cluster
of
them.
They
cut
at
her
skin,
digging
deep
in
some
places
and
breaking
open
cuts
she’d
sustained
only
the
morning
before.
A
branch
shot
back
and
caught
her
cheek.
The
sting
told
her
it
too
had
drawn
blood.
The
tour
guide
in
front
of
her
paused
and
glanced
back
at
her,
having
the
decency
to
appear
apologetic.
She
gave
a
tiny
wave
indicating
she’d
be
fine
and
wondered
if
the
man
was
qualified
to
be
leading
the
way.
He’d
told
her
the
day
before
that
the
trails
they’d
be
taking
today
were
fairly
clear.
Guess
we
have
different
views
on
clear
paths,
she
thought
as
she
glanced
down
at
the
shallow
lacerations
covering
her
hands
and
forearms.
They
would
heal
over
relatively
quickly,
within
a
day
or
two,
but
that
wasn’t
the
point.
Face
it.
You
just
might
not
be
cut
out
for
a
life
of
this.
She
trudged
along,
wishing
she’d
brought
more
bug
spray.
So
far,
she
was
averaging
a
bite
a
minute.
At
least
it
felt
that
way.
A
prickly
vine
dug
into
her
lower
legs
and
she
was
thankful
she’d
at
least
thought
to
wear
long
pants.
One
of
the
other
students
on
the
trip
had
suggested
she
put
the
bottoms
of
her
pant
legs
into
the
tops
of
her
socks.
Wisely,
she’d
listened.
When
her
professor
had
asked
her,
along
with
several
other
students,
to
go
on a
trip
to
South
America
for
a
few
weeks,
she’d
thought
it
was
the
opportunity
of a
lifetime.
She
wasn’t
so
sure
now.
They
were
there
to
study
plants
native
to
the
area.
Kim
had
an
interest
in
studies
reporting
amazing
results
with
the
fungi
in
soil
and
leaf
litter
samples.
She
also
had
a
curiosity
about
the
antibacterial
qualities
associated
with
several
of
the
plant
extracts
she
recently
began
studying.
The
news
was
making
its
way
through
the
scientific
community,
not
quite
at
the
rate
she’d
like
but
moving
all
the
same.
It
wasn’t
something
that
fascinated
most
people
but
Kim
enjoyed
the
work.
She’d
also
enjoyed
the
chance
to
study
in
the
Brazilian
Rainforest
or
at
least
she
had
until
recently.
The
trip
had
started
out
fine
but
had
become
progressively
odder
from
there
on.
Professor
Krauss
wasn’t
acting
like
himself.
Back
at
the
university
he
seemed
even-tempered
and
basically
boring.
All
in
all,
a
nice
man.
Now,
in
the
wild
of
the
jungle,
he
was
agitated
and
virtually
impossible
to
talk
to.
The
other
students
had
noticed
as
well.
Everyone
was
in a
hurry
to
get
their
day
excursion
over
with
so
they
could
visit
the
nearest
town
without
Krauss
trailing
close
behind
them.
Already
today
the
professor
had
snapped
at
the
guides
and
even
turned
his
temper
on
one
of
the
male
students.
Kim
wasn’t
extremely
close
to
any
of
her
classmates
because
of
her
condition
but
she
didn’t
like
seeing
them
berated.
Vic
and
Brad
were
the
two
classmates
she’d
dare
to
label
friends
but
even
that
was
weak.
They
never
did
anything
outside
the
confines
of
the
class
or
lab.
The
trip
to
South
America
had
left
them
spending
more
time
together
than
they
had
in
the
year
she’d
known
them.
Brad
had
been
the
male
student
Krauss
had
focused
his
foul
mood
on.
Brad
took
it
in
stride
but
the
act
still
bothered
Kim.
Krauss
had
been
a
mentor
to
her
back
at
school
and
it
was
disheartening
to
watch
his
metamorphosis.
Something
was
certainly
off.
What?
She
wasn’t
sure.
Kim
swatted
a
bug
on
her
neck
and
inwardly
cursed
about
how
damned
edible
she
seemed
to
be
to
insects
as
of
late.
She
was
an
all
you
can
eat
buffet,
traipsing
around,
sweaty
and
barely
covered.
Standing
near
the
roots
of a
Kapok
tree,
Kim
lifted
a
leg,
swatting
yet
another
bug
from
her.
She
couldn’t
help
but
stop
and
admire
the
sheer
size
of
the
tree.
A
grown
man
could
lay
on
the
ground,
stretching
his
arms
and
legs
as
far
as
he
could
and
still
not
come
close
to
the
width
of
the
trunk.
It
didn’t
matter
how
many
Kapoks
they
passed
on
their
expedition,
each
one
amazed
her.
Vic
walked
up
beside
her
and
tapped
her
arm
lightly.
“Here.”
He
held
a
bottle
of
bug
spray
out
to
her.
His
sandy
blond
hair
flopped
over
into
his
green
eyes
and
his
lips
twitched
as
if
he
were
trying
not
to
laugh
at
her.
“You’re
going
to
be
miserable
later.”
“I
so
have
bug
guts
smeared
on
my
forehead
right
now,
don’t
I?”
She
returned
his
slightly
flirtatious
look
with
one
of
her
own.
He
was
handsome
and
she’d
had
a
dry
spell
in
the
way
of
relationships
for
the
last
few
months.
Vic
simply
stared
at
her.
Something
about
the
expression
on
his
face
made
her
breath
catch.
“No.
You’re
perfect.”
“Uh,
thanks,”
she
said,
taking
the
bottle
from
him
and
misting
her
face,
arms
and
torso.
The
spray
was
supposed
to
have
a
fresh,
clean
scent.
She
begged
to
differ
with
the
manufacturers.
She
went
to
hand
the
bug
repellant
back
but
Vic
shook
his
head.
“Nah,
hang
onto
it.
I’ll
get
it
back
from
you
later
tonight.”
He
grinned.
“Besides,
I
kind
of
think
the
bugs
only
have
a
taste
for
you.”
“It’s
because
I’m
so
sweet,”
she
said,
before
rolling
her
eyes
at
her
own
lameness.
Vic
let
out
a
soft
laugh
as
he
stared
around.
“Kim?”
“Yes?”
“Something’s
wrong.”
She
sensed
it
too.
Vic
pulled
her
close
to
him
and
turned
in a
slow
circle
before
letting
her
go
and
motioning
for
her
to
stay
put.
She
wasn’t
keen
on
being
left
alone
but
nodded
all
the
same.
She
glanced
around,
trying
to
figure
out
what
had
caused
her
inner
alarms
to
go
off.
The
telltale
sounds
of
the
jungle
came
to a
grinding
halt.
It
was
a
noisy
place.
To
have
it
all
come
to a
stop
wasn’t
natural.
The
tension
in
the
air
carried
with
it
the
threat
of
danger.
At
first,
she
assumed
a
larger
predator
was
near
them,
stalking
them.
It
wouldn’t
have
been
the
first
time
on
their
expedition
that
they
had
found
themselves
near
a
large
animal.
There
was
a
loud
thud
followed
by a
groan
from
somewhere
behind
her.
She
glanced
around,
unsure
what
was
going
on
and
found
the
professor
watching
an
area
off
to
their
right.
It
took
a
moment
for
Kim
to
register
what
she
was
seeing
but
when
she
came
to
her
senses,
she
screamed.
Vic
was
there,
face
first
on
the
floor
of
the
jungle,
a
dart
sticking
out
from
his
upper
left
shoulder.
“Ohmygod,
Professor
Krauss,
Vic
is
hurt!”
She
looked
to
her
left
and
found
another
of
her
fellow
students
lying
on
the
ground,
unconscious.
“So
is
Brad!”
Kim
turned
and
yet
another
classmate
was
fallen.
Confused,
her
gaze
snapped
to
the
professor.
For
a
split
second,
it
appeared
as
if
Krauss
was
smiling.
Something
sharp
pinched
her
neck
and
she
swatted
at
it
assuming
it
was
a
bug.
Coming
away
with
a
tiny
dart,
Kim
shook
her
head
as
her
body
began
to
feel
heavy.
Her
vision
blurred
and
she
staggered.
She
reached
out
for
the
professor,
screaming
once
more,
as
blackness
swallowed
her
whole.
*
* *
Wilson
Rousseau
lifted
his
head
and
pain
radiated
throughout
his
body.
His
vision
blurred
and
for
a
moment,
he
could
have
sworn
he
heard
the
cry
of a
female.
One
who
needed
help—one
who
needed
him.
A
distant,
yet
constant,
low-grade
sound
emitted
from
something
his
captors
liked
to
refer
to
as
the
“scrambler”.
He
knew
enough
about
the
shit
Krauss
and
his
band
of
insane
followers
were
into
that
Wilson
surmised
the
device
was
built
to
prevent
other
supernaturals
from
sensing
the
presence
of a
cluster
of
them.
If
his
hunch
was
right,
it
was
some
sort
of
modified
L.R.A.D.—long-range
acoustical
device.
In
short,
it
blocked
his
ability
to
mentally
or
electronically
call
out
to
the
I-Ops
and
the
rest
of
the
I-Op’s
ability
to
call
in.
If
they
even
were
still
looking
for
him,
which
he
was
fast
beginning
to
doubt.
But,
if
they
were,
static
would
be
all
that
greeted
them.
Again,
he
sensed
the
call
of a
woman
in
need
of
him
even
when
he
shouldn’t
have
been
able
to
receive
any
form
of
mental
links.
He
struggled
against
the
silver-coated
chains
digging
into
his
wrists
and
ankles.
They
would
cut
through
his
limbs
if
he
dared
to
continue
to
push.
Understanding
that
fact,
Wilson
still
tugged,
needing
to
get
to
her,
get
free,
anything
beyond
spending
the
rest
of
his
days
locked
in a
cell.
Dead
or
alive,
he
would
be
free.
Whatever
his
captors
had
injected
him
with
dulled
his
senses,
making
things
blur
and
his
body
weak.
At
random
times,
he
could
feel
the
Fae
power
his
friend’s
wife,
Melanie,
had
passed
onto
him
trying
to
surface
but
the
magik
either
wasn’t
sure
what
to
do
or
knew
he
was
clueless
so
it
didn’t
bother
lending
a
hand.
It
probably
figured
he’d
kill
himself
attempting
to
wield
it.
At
this
rate,
he’d
rather
be
dead
than
living
like
he
was,
so
he
was
open
to
the
idea.
Groaning,
he
moved
his
head
around,
trying
to
work
the
kinks
from
his
upper
shoulders
and
neck.
It
didn’t
work.
Beyond
that,
his
throat
was
dry
and
his
body
was
weak.
The
food
wasn’t
fit
for
human
consumption.
Maggots
infested
the
majority
of
it
and
the
rest
was
in a
state
of
decomposition.
After
a
certain
point,
Wilson
had
forced
some
of
the
food
down
only
to
find
it
coming
back
up
quickly.
Still,
any
nourishment
he
could
get
was
needed
if
he
planned
on
regaining
his
strength
and
escaping.
In
shifted
form,
Wilson
wasn’t
too
particular
about
what
he
ate
or
drank—that
being
said,
his
rat
form
wouldn’t
even
eat
the
food
his
captors
continued
to
try
to
pawn
off
on
him.
Considering
his
rat
form
tended
to
eat
just
about
anything
that
was
saying
a
lot
as
to
how
dire
his
situation
was.
He
tipped
his
head
back,
giving
in
to
the
need
to
sleep.
He
was
almost
completely
out
when
a
scent
like
he’d
never
smelled
before
came
to
him,
causing
his
cock
to
harden
and
his
body
to
light
with
need.
He
looked
up
to
find
Krauss’
men
dragging
an
unconscious
woman
past
his
cell.
The
fierce
need
to
protect
her
overtook
him.
Wilson
surged
forth,
yanking
with
all
his
might
against
his
restraints,
reaching
for
her.
He
knew
then
it
had
been
her
call
for
help
that
he’d
tried
to
answer.
“Get
away
from
her!”
Wilson
roared,
his
body
protesting
his
every
movements,
pain
lancing
through
his
limbs.
The
men
stalled
and
stared
at
him
before
sharing
a
curious
look.
“He’ll
want
to
hear
about
this,”
one
said.
The
other
nodded.
“Definitely.”
They
continued
down
the
hall,
dragging
the
unconscious
woman
behind
them.
Wilson
struggled
against
his
chains,
trying
to
get
to
her,
until
the
pain
was
so
unbearable
that
he
passed
out
cold.
copyright(c)
2011
