—Philip Eisner, for his writer’s eye and dark sensibilities.
—Dana Kaye, publicist extraordinaire.
—And of course Maureen Sugden, my dream copyeditor.
—Thing One (Simba) and Thing Two (Cairo), who accompany me into every chapter.
—Daughter One and Daughter Two for making me happy to come out of the book every evening.
—And Wife One. For that thumbs-up you flashed on September 26, 2013.
About the Author
Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous thrillers, including You’re Next and The Survivor. Critically acclaimed, Hurwitz is a two-time finalist for ITW’s Best Novel prize and a finalist for CWA’s Steel Dagger. In addition to his novels, Hurwitz is a screenwriter, TV producer, and comic book author. Orphan X has been sold in sixteen countries. Hurwitz, who lives in Los Angeles, is writing the screenplay adaption of Orphan X for Warner Bros. and Bradley Cooper. You can sign up for email updates here.
Also by Gregg Hurwitz
The Tower
Minutes to Burn
Do No Harm
The Kill Clause
The Program
Troubleshooter
Last Shot
The Crime Writer
Trust No One
They’re Watching
You’re Next
The Survivor
Tell No Lies
Don’t Look Back
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue: Trial by Fire
1. The Morning-Beverage Measure
2. Fortress of Solitude
3. Broken Like Me
4. I’ll Be Waiting
5. Other Things
6. Please Don’t
7. Who’s Who in the Zoo
8. Unmarred
9. A Damn Saint
10. Cloak and Dagger
11. What Now?
12. A Woman’s Job
13. Professionals
14. Dream Come True
15. Tick, Tick, Tick
16. The Two Wolves
17. Broken Pieces
18. Look Closer
19. Advertising Cost
20. Red Hands
21. Dead Drop
22. Pieces of His True Self
23. Reading the Chessboard
24. Fucked-Up Date
25. Business of a Certain Type
26. Unnerved
27. Cat and Mouse
28. Unholy Union
29. There and Gone
30. The Calling Song
31. More Truth than Lies
32. Nowhere to Go
33. The Long Haul
34. The Samurai-Sword Incident
35. Hymn to Freedom
36. Special Girl
37. Sooner or Later
38. A Shield of Killers
39. A Noise that Kept Not Coming
40. Blind Spots
41. Emotional Centers
42. The Inside of a Conspiracy Theorist’s Mind
43. Scary, Scary Man
44. Self-Fueling Engine
45. Human Hive
46. Pyrotechnic Horrors
47. One Breath
48. Shot-to-Shit
49. Scarlet Trail
50. The Ghost of Her Lips
51. *&^%*!
52. The Other Guy’s Hand
53. A Backstroke with No Water
54. No
55. Silent Work
56. The Tenth Commandment
57. Another Lit Window
58. Parting Gift
59. Next Time
Epilogue: Loss
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Gregg Hurwitz
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
ORPHAN X. Copyright © 2016 by Gregg Hurwitz. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by Ervin Serrano
Cover photographs: man by Silas Manhood; street by Andrew Cribb/iStock
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-25006784-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-7651-4 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466876514
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: January 2016
Orphan X Page 32