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  "No kidding?" He scratched his stubbled chin. "You know, I've seen a fair number of people going in and out of there lately. I'd heard he was sick and I just figured it was friends and family, or some prayer group or something."

  "The police will be questioning him again today." At least that was what McCann had said. The new victim, Ellen Blount, had died on McCann's turf so now he was directly involved. "But besides extra visitors, have you noticed anything strange going on?"

  "Like what?"

  "Shouts, screams."

  The man shook his head. "Can't say as I have."

  That seemed to be par for the course. One lady had heard what she thought was chanting once, but that was it.

  "Hey, there he is now," the man said, pointing over Sandy's shoulder. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

  Sandy turned and saw Terrence Holdstock hurrying down his walk to a green Accord parked at the curb. He got in and drove off with a squeal of tires.

  "Wherever he's going, it looks like he's in a hurry."

  "Thanks for your time," Sandy said and rushed for his own car.

  Wherever you're going, he thought, looking after the retreating Honda, I'm going.

  The first raindrops hit his windshield as he pulled away from the curb.

  7

  The rope had been no sweat—Jack had found some reasonably soft half-inch nylon cord he could use to tie Kate securely without hurting her. Neither were the extra-thick quilts—a bedding store had supplied those.

  But the bag to hide her while he carried her from his apartment to the car, that had proved a problem. After searching from store to store he'd finally settled for a huge canvas duffel bag that would hold Kate with room to spare if she bent her knees. Once she was in the trunk, he'd open it and let her stretch out.

  As he got rolling again the rain hit, and his thoughts veered toward the Otherness. Everywhere he turned these past couple of months he seemed to be bumping into something related to it. All seemed to start after that conspiracy convention back in April; he'd stood on the edge of a bottomless pit and sensed that some sort of torch had been passed to him. He'd written it off, but maybe that was what the Russian lady had meant by, Is war and you are warrior.

  He hadn't signed up for anything, but she'd said something about, One does not join. Is chosen.

  Chosen? By whom? Or what? What was happening to him? He'd shaped his life for maximum autonomy, but lately he seemed to be increasingly pushed and pulled by outside forces. Made him feel trapped, and that gave him a crawly sensation in his gut.

  She'd said "the Adversary" was behind the virus. Was that her name for the Otherness? No, she'd said, You have met. That sounded like a person. Who—?

  Jack's big Ford swerved as he realized: Sal Roma. He'd run up against Roma at that conspiracy convention, and damn near died as a result. That was why the mysterious unauthorized name on Fielding's culture sign-in sheet had seemed familiar. Sal Roma… Ms. Aralo. Cute. Just too damn cute for words. Jack already knew his real name wasn't Roma, and certainly Ms. Aralo wasn't either. So who was he, really? And how did he fit? As a tool? Or a player?

  Not that it mattered now. What mattered was Roma was somehow pulling the strings that had put Kate in harm's way. And Jack already had witnessed the level of harm Roma could muster.

  This changed everything. Taking Kate on a trip might turn out to be far too little way too late.

  His search for the bag had brought him down to the West Thirties. Jeanette's apartment was only a few blocks away. Maybe he should swing by, just on the outside chance…

  The downpour slowed traffic while the dark sky crackled with lightning. As he approached The Arsley he saw lights in Jeanette's windows. Maybe Holdstock was there with her. Maybe the whole gang.

  Jack parked across the street and waited. If Jeanette or any other member of the Unity came out, he'd follow; if offered a chance to go in, he'd take it. Didn't have a plan yet; he'd play it by ear until one came along.

  After about ten minutes a woman stepped up to the door and began fishing through her handbag. Jack jumped out of the car and was right behind her when she stepped into the lobby.

  Smiled at her as he ducked into the stairwell. "Lousy weather, isn't it.

  On the third floor, he pulled his Glock and quietly chambered a round as he stepped up to Jeanette's door. Inside he heard the phone begin to ring. It went on ringing. Whoever was there was ignoring it. Maybe he'd arrived in the middle of one of their seances or whatever they did. Wouldn't that be neat.

  Pulled out his trusty defunct Visa card and slipped the latch. Eased the door open—if the chain was on he'd have to try another tack, but it wasn't. He slipped through, closed the door softly behind him, and looked around.

  All the lights were on and he heard someone moving around in the bedroom. Sidled over to the doorway where he saw the tenant herself packing a suitcase—two, in fact. One with Kate's stuff.

  Lifted the pistol and sighted on the back of Jeanette's head. He was cool> his anger confined. Here was the one who'd infected Kate, here was part of the group that had tried to kill him this morning. With her dead there'd be only six left. Maybe not enough to dominate Kate.

  As his finger gently squeezed the trigger, the thought of Kate brought back her words…

  … the individuals are innocent. They didn't ask to be infected…

  And would Kate ever forgive him for killing Jeanette?

  "Going somewhere?" he said without lowering the pistol.

  Jeanette whirled with a gasp. "You! You're not with Kate?"

  "You don't see her, do you."

  Her frightened gaze settled on the Glock, then she took a deep breath.

  "Scream," Jack said softly as she opened her mouth, "and I'll shoot you dead. Just give me an excuse."

  Jeanette must have believed him. She paused, mouth still open, then said, "Where's Kate? What have you done with her?"

  They don't know, he thought. They've really lost contact. So why not throw them a curve?

  "She's waiting down in the car."

  "You lie!"

  "No. She found a way to kill off the virus."

  "Impossible."

  Jack shrugged. An idea was forming. "Believe what you want. I

  don't care. We were just stopping by to pick up her clothes. Which I see you've been so kind to pack up for her. Why?"

  "She's going on a trip."

  "To the Bronx for another hand-holding party? Those days are over. And the Unity's days are numbered."

  "No! That can't be true!"

  "Come downstairs and see for yourself. Say hello to your ex-friend."

  Jeanette's lips smiled. A pretty smile. Too bad she wasn't behind it. "You're bluffing. I'll call you on it."

  Jack's thoughts raced ahead as he followed her out the door, along the hall, and down the stairs.

  Raining outside… cuts down the number of pedestrians… almost dark as night… if he can get Jeanette to the car maybe he can clock her on the head.

  Trouble was, the Glock was mostly polymer, and didn't double well as a sap. But it was the best he had.

  And once he had her, then what? Take her to Holdstock's? Pick him up too? That sounded like a plan. Start collecting members of the Unity in his trunk.

  Collect them all! as the TV ads used to say.

  But would that help?

  Only one way to find out.

  She paused at the apartment house entrance. Lightning still strobed the street but the downpour had died to a drizzle, prompting a few more pedestrians to brave the pavements.

  Jack cursed silently. A lot of potential witnesses. Too many perhaps. Could he risk it? He'd have to play it by ear and decide when the moment came.

  He pointed to his car across the street. "There. Kate's in the passenger seat. See her?"

  Jeanette squinted though the gloom, then shook her head.

  "Come on," Jack said, taking her arm and leading her onto the sidewalk. "Say hello."

  He had h
er in the street, ready to cross, when headlights from a passing cab made it clear Jack's car was empty.

  Jeanette pulled away and began screaming. "Rape! Rape!" She backed toward the curb, pointing a finger at Jack. "Stop him! Don't let him touch me!"

  Up and down the block heads turned, looking their way. Feeling as if he were in a spotlight, Jack sidled across the street through a break in traffic.

  "If you want us, you know where to find us," she said in a lower voice, then started running away, screaming again. "Rape! He tried to rape me!"

  Keeping his head down, Jack turned and walked in the other direction. He went around the block. The rain picked up again and he was soaked by the time he returned to his car. He got in and pulled away.

  Seemed to Jack like the Unity had issued a challenge. He'd accept it. But first he'd need a few supplies.

  He headed uptown, toward Abe's.

  8

  Despite all the houses slipping by on either side, hundreds of them, Sandy felt like he was in the middle of nowhere. Maybe because most of the houses looked empty.

  He knew he was somewhere at the Jersey shore, but that was all he knew. He'd heard of it—couldn't listen to much Springsteen without hearing of the Jersey shore—but had never been here.

  He'd been following Terry—somewhere along the way he'd started calling Holdstock by his first name—for an hour and a half now: across the George Washington Bridge, down the Turnpike to the Parkway, and now along this spit of land with a bay—Barnegat?—to the right and ocean dunes far to the left across the wide, house-choked island that separated the north- and southbound lanes. They didn't waste a square inch of buildable space around here.

  Right now he and Terry made up half of the cars on the road.

  The whole area would probably be jumping come the weekend, and every day after July Fourth, but at the moment it had the pre-season lonelies.

  What's this all about, Terry? Where are we going? Another murder, perhaps?

  Part of him hoped yes, but another part prayed no. Because if he saw a killing about to go down he'd have to do something about it, wouldn't he? He couldn't just stand and watch it happen, then report it later. Like the Savior had said after he'd clobbered that purse snatcher: to do nothing would make him an accomplice.

  But this Holdstock was a hefty guy, and Sandy a featherweight. He thought of the Savior's little Semmerling and wished he had something like it.

  Maybe he's just going to plot his next murder, check out his intended victim. That I can handle.

  Sandy called his apartment for the fourth time. On the last three his voicemail had picked up but he hadn't left a message. This time Beth answered.

  "I'm glad you called," she told him. "I expected you back by now. Where are you?"

  "Believe it or not, the Jersey Shore. A last-minute assignment."

  "Not that murder cult thing, I hope."

  He didn't want to worry her. "Something entirely different. But I won't make it home for dinner."

  "Aw, and I just got in the fixings for my world famous bean burritos. How late are you going to be?"

  "Not sure."

  "Whatever. I'll wait up."

  "You will?"

  "Sure."

  Someone to wait up for you… how great was—

  He'd just passed a sign that said WELCOME TO OCEAN BEACH, NJ and now the blinker on Terry's Honda was flashing a left.

  "Oops, gotta go," he said, poising his thumb over the END button. "Call you when I'm on my way back."

  Sandy couldn't follow the car into the same turn—Terry would guess he was being followed—so he cruised past to the next left, then gunned across the inhabited median to the northbound lanes.

  Sandy groaned as he saw the Honda turn north again. Was it heading back to the city?

  What's going on? he thought. Is this all some wild goose chase?

  But his sinking feelings reversed when he saw the Honda make a quick right onto one of the residential streets.

  Sandy grinned. Looked like Terry Holdstock had reached his destination.

  9

  Kate sat on the kitchen floor, hugging her knees, her back against a cabinet. She'd been unable to get comfortable on the chair Jack had left her; this was better. She was listening to the storm and wondering about the future—if she had a future—and whether she'd ever see Kevin and Elizabeth again—

  Oh, dear Lord! Lizzie's recital! It starts in less than two hours! I'll miss it!

  She pawed through her shoulder bag for her cell phone but when she found it, the battery was dead. And the charger was at Jeanette's. She leaped to her feet and was reaching for Jack's kitchen phone when it began to ring. She snatched it up.

  "How's it going, Kate?" Jack's voice.

  "As well as can be expected." She didn't want to go into the recital business. How would Lizzie ever forgive her?

  "The storm had me worried. I thought I'd give a call."

  "Aren't you a good brother. So far, so good."

  "Do me a favor, will you? Hold the phone up to the microwave."

  "Are you serious?"

  "I just want to know it's still running."

  She did as requested.

  "Satisfied?"

  "At least now I know I'm talking to my sister. The other reason I called is I ran into Jeanette at her place."

  "Jack, you didn't—"

  "She got away. But she gave me an idea. If they're all gathering at Holdstock's, I might be able to work something that will give you a little more breathing room."

  "What?"

  "I'd rather not say. Not because you'll object to it—"

  "But because you don't want the Unity to know."

  "Well, yeah."

  "It's safe, Jack. I know from experience the Unity has no idea what's going on while the microwave is running."

  "I'd still rather keep it to myself. But I'll call you as soon as I get it done—if I get it done."

  "Okay." She was unhappy not knowing but she didn't see that she had much choice. "In the meantime I have to call home and my cell phone's dead. Okay if I use yours?"

  "Call away. Talk to you later."

  Kate cut the connection and immediately began dialing Ron's number. They wouldn't have left yet. How was she ever going to explain this to Lizzy? What could she say to—

  An ear-numbing crash of thunder shook the kitchen and the lights went out.

  "Oh, no!" Panic spiked Kate's heart as she jumped to her feet in the suddenly dark kitchen. "Oh please, God, no!"

  Twelve seconds before the Unity seized her again—and she couldn't see the clock. What could she do? She couldn't think, couldn't—

  The overhead fluorescents flickered, almost died, then returned to full brightness.

  Yes!

  But the microwave remained off. Kate all but leaped on it. The clock display was blinking 12:00. Never mind that. The timer buttons. Her trembling fingers found the numerical pad. Press them, jab them, stab them, any numbers, just get it going again: 8-8-8-8. Now START. Find START. There!

  As her fingertip darted toward it—

  The hum.

  The warmth.

  The glow.

  The Voice.

  Kate! You're still there? Tonight you must—

  And then she hit the START button. If her finger had not already been on it, she might not have pressed it. Might never have tried.

  As the oven hummed to life, Kate sagged against the counter, weak with relief. She sobbed. Once.

  Too close. More unsettling was how quickly the Unity had gripped her. Kate hadn't been watching a clock but she was sure the oven had been off less than twelve seconds. Which could mean only one thing: she was becoming further integrated. The Unity's contact might be broken by the microwaves, but the virus was still doing its nasty work inside her head, invading more and more of her brain cells.

  I'm lost, she thought. Without a cure, I'll be gone.

  What had the Unity said? You're still there? It had sounded surprised.
And pleased.

  Kate closed her eyes and tried to sift through the residue that had seeped through with the words. Why surprised? And then she knew: Jack had lied to the Unity about her whereabouts. It must have thought he'd locked her away somewhere.

  She realized with a start that it was glad to know where she was because it probably was sending someone for her. Not too much to worry about if they were. No one without a power saw and a sledgehammer was getting through Jack's front door.

  And then she realized that the Unity had lied to Jack, sending him in the wrong direction. They weren't meeting at Holdstock's as originally planned. They needed a set amount of time in close contact for the Great Leap, and it had been decided—whether by them or for them, Kate couldn't be sure—to find an isolated location where they would not be interrupted. Or disrupted. Holdstock had become the object of further police interrogation, might even face incarceration—the thought of losing another member before the Great Leap terrified the Unity. Luckily they'd found the perfect spot, a place owned by another member. The exact location hadn't yet come through… all Kate could glean was something about "Joyce's rental property"…

  9

  But the word tonight … so laden with emotion… mostly anticipation about the Great Leap, but concern as well… and something new there…

  Kate closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and tried to relax enough to let the residue seep to the surface where she could see it.

  Slowly it came… tonight… the Great Leap… a mutation.

  "Dear Lord!" she cried aloud.

  Tonight the virus would mature enough to change itself, mutate within all the members into an airborne strain.

  And then the plan goes into motion: As soon as the mutation is complete, all the members of the Unity will fan out to the transportation hubs—Grand Central Station, Penn Station, La Guardia, JFK, and Newark airports—where they'll go from gate to gate, especially targeting the international terminals, coughing, sneezing, touching, spreading the virus far and wide. They will continue this day after day, week after week, until the Unity has worldwide scope.