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Then, a ht away That would keep everybody calo in" His words died as his gaze traveled to the marina "Dekka Jack Look"

They looked

Creatures, like giant silvery cockroaches, cockroaches the size of minivans, clustered on the shore Maybe a dozen

It had to be an illusion A trick They were ihtmare out of some ancient science fiction movie

Sam reached for the binoculars he’d found in a locked case on board He raised thes," he said He couldn’t keep the awe out of his voice "But they’re huge"

He traversed his binoculars and then saw a hu atop one of the creatures He could not see the face well enough to identify it But there was no er locked in his basement prison

Sam’s Garden of Eden had its own snake

Howard’s first io to the so-called hospital and find Lana But what profit would be in it for Howard?

Orc was off so out, hammered, faced, blasted He’d coone, and Drake’s escape was a sort of black eye for Howard

In the back of his calculating mind, Hoondered if Orc was just determined to pull a Mary and off himself He was nowhere near the deadly fifteenth birthday, but Orc et hiht just drink himself to death And then what? What did Howard have if he didn’t have Orc?

On a level still deeper was a genuine sadness that Orc would abandon hih everything together Orc wasn’t just Howard’s main asset, he was Howard’s only friend

He cared for Orc Genuinely cared for him Obviously Orc didn’t carethe decision Took his time and a fully clothed shower, too But finally he y butkids

It wasn’t far to Albert’s place He found the door open, and quickly located Albert The young ul’s eyes were closed He definitely looked dead Very definitely dead

He advanced cautiously, as though AlbertHe pressed two fingers against Albert’s neck He didn’t feel a pulse

But he did feel warmth The body should be colder

He squatted in front of Albert and with his finger pushed up one eyelid The dark iris contracted

"Yaaah!" Howard said, and fell backward "Are you alive,