by Debra Webb
With her mother’s death there was no one left in Paradise. Home was here now. Though she did occasionally think of Willa Dean and the few villagers who had managed to survive the fire. Jill had sold her childhood home and donated the proceeds to helping the villagers rebuild. It was the least she could do after what they had sacrificed for her family.
She moved to another window and watched Kate digging in the flowerbeds. Her sister did love her flowers. It was good therapy and it made her feel a sense of accomplishment. Kate was doing fine now. Whatever they’d done to her during that week she and Jill were imprisoned at MedTech, it had worked, brought her almost all the way back to her old self.
The idea that it could happen again and that no one would know what to do still worried Jill, but she tried not to dwell on it. Every week there was more news about some failure with the cloned animals in different parts of the world. Shortened life spans, accelerated aging, rare diseases. Jill avoided those programs as often as possible. She didn’t want to live dreading the future. She wanted to live each day God had blessed her with to its fullest with no fear of what tomorrow held. Kate felt the same way.
A closed session of Congress had decided it would be best not to reveal to the public the full extent of MedTech’s and LifeCycle’s work for the protection of the victims. Those like Kate and Cody, who were clones, would never be revealed as anything other than normal humans. The remains of dozens of failed experiments had been properly buried. Even now she shuddered to think of all the children who had been sacrificed in the name of an unholy science. Agent Cuddahy had ensured the remains Chief Dotson had attempted to pass off as Cody were recovered and given an appropriate burial as well.
For now, no one outside the investigation would know the evil done in Paradise. The world would continue to believe that those things only happened in the movies or in a book.
Cody, the ball clutched to his chest, ran toward his mother. Kate opened her arms to him. Paul knelt down and scratched Skipper behind the ears. He saw Jill in the window and waved, that charming smile that lingered about his mouth more often than not these days spanning the distance between them and warming her heart.
Their life was peaceful and good.
A frown tugged at her brow. The FBI had rounded up and was in the process of prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law those involved with MedTech and LifeCycle. Senator Wade had turned state’s evidence and ratted on all his pals. Unable to stand the pressure, Mayor Hammersly had committed suicide the night after Paul rescued Jill from that dark tunnel. Richard Lawton was claiming innocence and would, knowing his legal cunning, probably find a way to get off scot-free.
Everyone had been accounted for except one man.
Jill’s mother had said there were three, one American, two Europeans, who came to Paradise all those years ago. At least she thought they were European, German or Austrian she believed. Richard was the American, of course, and had referred to the other two as the Manning brothers. One had died a few years back but the other one had simply vanished. Every time Jill thought of him, a chill skittered up her spine. Was he dead by now? If not, was he off in some other city, American or otherwise, working his gruesome creation experiments?
God, she hoped not.
She moved back to the bassinet and smiled down at her precious child... her gift.
Some things just weren’t meant to be tampered with.
No man should try to play God.
And though her life was as perfect as human life could be with all its limitations and trials, until that last man was found, Jill would always be looking over her shoulder.
And waiting...
...for the other shoe to drop.
“There are no judges,
only avengers.”
Josef Mengele
The Angel of Death
A note from the author:
From 1982 – 1985 my husband and I were stationed with the United States military in Berlin, Germany. During that time I came to understand the horrors of all who suffered through the cruel reign of Adolf Hitler. Hitler’s desire for brutal domination and the development of a master race is a heinous chapter in mankind’s history. As ugly as that chapter is, we should never forget the evil that men can do lest we doom ourselves to repeat those same mistakes.
About the Author
DEBRA WEBB, born in Alabama, wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain—and a five-year stint with NASA—that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has penned nearly 100 novels including her internationally bestselling Colby Agency series. Her debut novel, OBSESSION, in her romantic thriller series, the Faces of Evil, propelled Debra to the top of the bestselling charts for an unparalleled twenty-four weeks and garnered critical acclaim from reviewers and readers alike. Don’t miss a single installment of this fascinating and chilling twelve-book series!
Order REVENGE and RUTHLESS now!
Visit Debra at www.thefacesofevil.com or at www.debrawebb.com. You can write to Debra at PO Box 12485, Huntsville, AL, 35815.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
A note from the author:
About the Author