The Double Human
Page 23
Finally he said, “I really can’t think of anything to say except that I’d do anything for you to move up here.”
“I’d love to be closer to you but the people in the Quarantine Zone need me as much as ever. You can see we’re making progress. It won’t last if the residents flee.”
Wilner nodded. “I just want to see more of you.”
“You could move to the zone. You’re a hero down there. That’s all anyone can talk about. The UPF cop who stopped the Vampire.”
Wilner let out a laugh.
“No, really, you could set up the first police department. A real police force would change a lot of things.”
“Chief Wilner. I kinda like the sound of that.”
Mari leaned down and gave him a long, deep kiss. “The perks would be great.”
Just then the door burst open and the kids rushed in with news of the sheep that was living like a king downstairs.
Wilner looked up at Mari and said, “I love your idea but for two obvious reasons, I have to decline.”
The disappointment on her face stayed with him longer than the dreams of Leonard being eaten alive.
Olive Lolley had been born on the island of Jamaica when it was a destination for tourists from the United States and England. Moving to Florida had been easy when she married a retired U.S. Army sergeant. Then after they had settled in the town of Homestead, south of Miami, everything changed. She had always been gifted in languages and her Spanish was excellent, which made her popular with her Cuban neighbors. She had moved to this little house on the Zone River six years ago and planned for it to be her last home. Although she had been lonely since her husband died in the first terror attack in Miami, she had made a slow, quiet life for herself.
Then a few months earlier she had found a man who had washed down through the various tributaries of the main river and had been stuck on a cypress knoll behind her house.
She couldn’t believe the burned, bloodied, shattered man was still alive. She had cared for him using the basic skills she had learned as a long-term care nurse. She had managed to find gauze and antiseptic to clean and bandage him.
She had sung Spanish songs to him every evening.
She prayed to her beloved Jesus that infection wouldn’t kill him and her prayers were answered. Although he could do little other than move his dark eyes, he had seemed to make some improvement over the past weeks.
Today he had startled her as she unwrapped his face. The melted and scarred flesh had healed dramatically.
Then her patient said, “You have done me a great service.” His voice was clear and strong. She noticed the accent and careful pronunciation.
“My name is Tiget Nadovich and you speeded my recovery by years.”
Olive fanned her face as she felt a little faint. She couldn’t believe the mess of flesh she had fished out of the water would ever be able to talk or look so good.
“You’re a good woman,” he said.
“I never thought you’d look so…” She searched for a word.
“Human?” offered her patient.
“Yes, I suppose so. I’m so glad you’re feeling better. You may have no fear, Mr. Tiget. You can stay as long as you wish.”
“I appreciate your offer but I have things to do.”
“Such as?”
“First I must retrieve my children. Then the world is open to me.”
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to: Bob Gleason and Eric Raab for guidance on a number of issues; Meg Ruley for her sharp insight and unending support; Justin Golenbock for his efforts to publicize my novels; Matthew Kuhn for his help in explaining the mysteries of websites; Florida statewide prosecutor William Shepard for his incredible support through all my novels; and Buch Buchanan for outstanding editing and proofreading skills.
About the Author
JAMES O’NEAL is a native Floridian who spent his youth exploring the ever-shrinking wild areas of his home state. The changes he’s seen over the past four decades pushed him to write this series of novels set in the near future of Florida. He has written extensively about Florida history.
After graduating from Florida State University, O’Neal started a career in law enforcement. He was a special agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and has spent the past twenty years as a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He has seen the evolution of police work and made logical choices for the novels of where police procedure will be in the near future. His research included conferring with armorers about future calibers and projectiles as well as speaking with biologists about the underlying theories of the novels regarding human development and related issues.
O’Neal has created a series of videos highlighting books of different genres. The videos feature appearances by writers such as Michael Connelly and W. E. B. Griffin. The videos have been featured on television news shows and in publishing industry newsletters. The videos can be found at www.jamesonealbooks.com.
He is a lifelong fan of science fiction and has read widely, from Robert Heinlein and Philip Jos Farmer to his contemporary favorites, Harry Turtledove and John Scalzi. After a visit to Seattle’s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, O’Neal started his first science fiction novel, The Human Disguise.
O’Neal currently lives on a quiet lake in Florida with his wife and children. He spends his free time windsurfing, running, and diving in the warm waters of the Atlantic. He also continues his practice of martial arts, which he has pursued for thirty years. He holds a black belt in Shotokan karate and a black belt in Isshinryu karate.
O’Neal writes under the pen name of James O. Born. As James O. Born, he has written five police thrillers. He is a recipient of the Florida Book Award. In 2009, he won the Barry Award for his short story “The Drought,” which appeared in Michael Connelly’s The Blue Religion. He was also named as one of the Twenty-one Most Intriguing Floridians by Florida Monthly magazine.
Tor Books by James O’Neal
The Human Disguise
The Double Human