Page 24 (1/2)

PROLOGUE

GENETIC EXPERIMENTATIONS LAB OMEGA SCIENTIFIC HOUSING COMPOUND ANDES MOUNTAINS

The lights were off, the electricity having sputtered out, leaving thehts to see by Outside, flares of light from the explosions that rocked the labs illu closer, filling Storh her body

"Storme, you have to hide Don't let anyone find you, do you understand me? No one can find you" Her father helped her slide into the narrow crevice between the walls in the back of her closet

She stared up at hi behind him to erase infor the wall

"Take this" He grabbed her hand

The antique sapphire ring her er He had showed her the secrets of the ring days before The hidden compartment beneath the hollowed out stone and the data chip he had placed here He had warned her, sohappened to him, then she would become the protector of the information contained on that chip

"Daddy, co her chest as the sounds of gunfire, screaenetics research laboratory where her father had worked her entire life

"No, we can't go with you, baby" Tears filled his tired brown eyes, grief creased his face "Your brother and I will be fine Get to the safe house; we'll meet you there after we're certain we've done what has to be done here"

No, they wouldn't ain, and she knew it She watched her brother for long, panicked seconds She couldn't see his beloved face The creases that were forhed, though he smiled at her often

She was only fourteen She didn't want to face the dark alone She was frightened of the dark

"No, don'tto escape her lips as the tears began to fall

She stared back at hiray hair, the grief he was trying so hard to hide froe

She wasn't strong like her father and her brother were They faced every day the savage human-animals they had created and trained in the compound behind the houses They lived with the limpsed from a distance as they trained Monsters that could rend flesh with their teeth, that could tear limbs from bodies with only their bare hands The ery, with a horror that haunted Storhtmares

"Stor forback "Remember the promises you made me You swore you would do this, Storme"

Her fists clenched as the panel sla black void stretching out below her

She had promised She had sworn to protect herself and the secrets he had been ao to one person A person with no name A person he had promised would find her, protect her A mysterious soain her trust