shorts with those piercing eyes, as if passing along a telepathic message.
The guy, probably self-conscious about locking eyes with someone else’s woman, broke the transmission.
The doors closed.
“I need some ice for my Diet Coke. Packed my own, but it’s warm. Need to chill it for first thing tomorrow.”
“Diet Coke for breakfast?”
“Can’t take coffee. Too much caffeine. Makes me jittery.”
“Do what I do. Cut it with bourbon.”
Kowalski looked at Kelly and gave her the slightest squeeze on her hand.
“Right, hon?”
She was still staring at the Diet Coke guy.
The elevator car stopped at five. The doors opened. He nodded at both of them and stepped out of the car, ice bucket in hand. The car continued its descent. Kelly looked up at Kowalski.
“I don’t want to die.”
“I didn’t say anything about dying. If death had been on the menu, it would have already been ordered.”
The car reached the ground floor.
“You don’t understand.”
The doors opened. She leaned closer to him.
“I don’t want to die. But if I
have
to …”
Kowalski felt Kelly’s hand slip away from his. He snatched at her, but she’d already stepped back, grabbed the rail of the elevator car with both hands, and rabbit-kicked him. The blow knocked the wind out of him. He was airborne. Kowalski spun in midair, flinging his hands out behind himself to break his fall, at which he half-succeeded. The palm of his left hand caught the carpeted ground cleanly, but his right wrist twisted awkwardly. By the time he’d staggered to his feet, the pain in his wrist was sharp and real, the doors were already closing, and she was saying, “Tell the Operator
I fucking won
.”
2:48 and 30 seconds
Sheraton, Room 702
J ack Eisley rolled over to drape his arm around Theresa, like he did every morning to see if she was awake yet. But his handdropped straight down to the mattress. Funny—the mattress was rock-hard.
His eyes popped open. Short-term memories rushed back: drinks, blonde, cab ride, hotel room, Mary Kates, San Diego …
You’ll be joining the dead, all because you kissed me. No, not because of that. Because you kissed me and you didn’t believe me. Do you believe me novo, Jack?
“You okay, buddy?”
Jack rolled over to the other side. His neck and head were throbbing.
Oh, man …
It was the hotel security guy, on his knees next to Jack. This guy was just waking up, too. The black name tag pinned to the man’s uniform read VINCENT. Was that a first name or a last?
“Look, stay right here. I’m going to get us some help.”
Jack nodded, but he heard faint alarm bells go off somewhere. In the hotel? No. It was more a tingling sensation. A high-pitched tone, like an audio test from grade school. Tones, cycling higher and higher, clunky headphones pasted over your ears, school nurse asking you to raise your hand if … No.
Wait
.
… 35 seconds
K elly White—which wasn’t her real name, at least not the one her parents had given her—knew she was going to die.
It would take only eight seconds, and the throbbing of the veins in her head would grow worse, the Mary Kates rushing north to expand and destroy all they encountered, and then the gushing …
And then it would be over.
She knew it would happen sooner or later. At least she had been able to choose it.
The elevator car continued its ascent.
But in the passing of one second to the next, her brain ignored the invading swarm of nanomachines, and a series of synapses fired.
An idea.
… 36 seconds
T here was screaming in Jack Eisley’s head, and he’d never felt it before, but now he could … the blood in his veins. On
fire
. And the throbbing in his head growing stronger with every heartbeat, and the screaming whine in his brain growing louder.
Jack shook his head, pounded his fists on the carpet.
Listen to me. I am infected with an experimental tracking device. If I am alone for more than ten seconds, I will die
.
Christ, she
The guy, probably self-conscious about locking eyes with someone else’s woman, broke the transmission.
The doors closed.
“I need some ice for my Diet Coke. Packed my own, but it’s warm. Need to chill it for first thing tomorrow.”
“Diet Coke for breakfast?”
“Can’t take coffee. Too much caffeine. Makes me jittery.”
“Do what I do. Cut it with bourbon.”
Kowalski looked at Kelly and gave her the slightest squeeze on her hand.
“Right, hon?”
She was still staring at the Diet Coke guy.
The elevator car stopped at five. The doors opened. He nodded at both of them and stepped out of the car, ice bucket in hand. The car continued its descent. Kelly looked up at Kowalski.
“I don’t want to die.”
“I didn’t say anything about dying. If death had been on the menu, it would have already been ordered.”
The car reached the ground floor.
“You don’t understand.”
The doors opened. She leaned closer to him.
“I don’t want to die. But if I
have
to …”
Kowalski felt Kelly’s hand slip away from his. He snatched at her, but she’d already stepped back, grabbed the rail of the elevator car with both hands, and rabbit-kicked him. The blow knocked the wind out of him. He was airborne. Kowalski spun in midair, flinging his hands out behind himself to break his fall, at which he half-succeeded. The palm of his left hand caught the carpeted ground cleanly, but his right wrist twisted awkwardly. By the time he’d staggered to his feet, the pain in his wrist was sharp and real, the doors were already closing, and she was saying, “Tell the Operator
I fucking won
.”
2:48 and 30 seconds
Sheraton, Room 702
J ack Eisley rolled over to drape his arm around Theresa, like he did every morning to see if she was awake yet. But his handdropped straight down to the mattress. Funny—the mattress was rock-hard.
His eyes popped open. Short-term memories rushed back: drinks, blonde, cab ride, hotel room, Mary Kates, San Diego …
You’ll be joining the dead, all because you kissed me. No, not because of that. Because you kissed me and you didn’t believe me. Do you believe me novo, Jack?
“You okay, buddy?”
Jack rolled over to the other side. His neck and head were throbbing.
Oh, man …
It was the hotel security guy, on his knees next to Jack. This guy was just waking up, too. The black name tag pinned to the man’s uniform read VINCENT. Was that a first name or a last?
“Look, stay right here. I’m going to get us some help.”
Jack nodded, but he heard faint alarm bells go off somewhere. In the hotel? No. It was more a tingling sensation. A high-pitched tone, like an audio test from grade school. Tones, cycling higher and higher, clunky headphones pasted over your ears, school nurse asking you to raise your hand if … No.
Wait
.
… 35 seconds
K elly White—which wasn’t her real name, at least not the one her parents had given her—knew she was going to die.
It would take only eight seconds, and the throbbing of the veins in her head would grow worse, the Mary Kates rushing north to expand and destroy all they encountered, and then the gushing …
And then it would be over.
She knew it would happen sooner or later. At least she had been able to choose it.
The elevator car continued its ascent.
But in the passing of one second to the next, her brain ignored the invading swarm of nanomachines, and a series of synapses fired.
An idea.
… 36 seconds
T here was screaming in Jack Eisley’s head, and he’d never felt it before, but now he could … the blood in his veins. On
fire
. And the throbbing in his head growing stronger with every heartbeat, and the screaming whine in his brain growing louder.
Jack shook his head, pounded his fists on the carpet.
Listen to me. I am infected with an experimental tracking device. If I am alone for more than ten seconds, I will die
.
Christ, she
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