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Prologue

CATCHING BIRD FREAKS: HAZARDOUS DUTY AT BEST

1

Windsor State Forest, Massachusetts

Ssssss

The soldiers’ arht sound ofsmoothly, flawlessly over one another, the troop was unnaturally quiet as itcloser to the prey

The faintest of beeps caused the teae red letters scrolled across it: ATTACK IN 12 SECONDS1110

The teaed: a tall, thin girl with dirt s out at him TARGET 1 was superimposed on her face

98

His wrist screen beeped again, and the i boy TARGET 2

And so on, the i finally with a portrait of a s at the camera in surprise

The teaet 7 was an animal He didn’t need to understand All he needed to knoas that these targets were slated for capture

321

The leader eh that only his team members could hear it He motioned toward the small run-down cabin they had surrounded in the woods

Synchronized perfectly, as only ht portable rocket launchers and aie nets made of woven Kevlar strands shot out froeo the cabin almost entirely

The team leader smiled in triumph

2

“THE PREY HAVE BEEN CAPTURED, SIR,” the team leader said in a anization

“Why do you say that?” the Uber-Director asked in a silky tone

“The cabin has been secured”

“No Not quite,” said the Uber-Director, as little more than a human head attached by las boxes The bioengine that controlled the airflow over his vocal cords allowed hiht”

The team leader frowned “The chi his internal encyclopedia Photographs of the prey scrolled quickly across the teaht his attention, and he froze