{"product_id":"siege-line-isbn-9780425269664","title":"Siege Line","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn Myke Cole’s latest high-octane, action-packed military fantasy, the fate of undead Navy SEAL James Schweitzer will be decided—one way or another...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Gemini Cell took everything from Jim Schweitzer: his family, his career as a Navy SEAL, even his life. Hounded across the country, Schweitzer knows the only way he can ever stop running, the only way his son can ever be safe, is to take the fight to the enemy and annihilate the Cell once and for all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut the Cell won’t be easily destroyed. Out of control and fighting a secret war with the government it once served, it has dispatched its shadowy Director to the far reaches of the subarctic in search of a secret magic that could tip the balance of power in its favor. Schweitzer must join with the elite warriors of both America and Canada in a desperate bid to get there first—and avert a disaster that could put the Cell in control.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eGemini Cell\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eJavelin Rain\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Intense and explosive–Cole tells a hell of a story.”—Mark Lawrence, international bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eRed Sister\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Myke Cole’s novels are like crack: they’re highly addictive, and this one is no exception.”—Buzzfeed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A heartfelt, action-packed military fantasy that punches readers in the guts and takes their breath away.”—Fantasy-Faction\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Cole] delivers on both action and character in equal measure.”—SFRevu \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Great, vital speculative fiction.”—Tor.comAs a security contractor, government civilian, and military officer, \u003cb\u003eMyke Cole\u003c\/b\u003e’s career has run the gamut from counterterrorism to cyber warfare to federal law enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He recently joined the cast of the TV show Hunted on CBS as part of an elite team of fugitive hunters. All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late-night games of Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons, and lots of angst-fueled writing. Myke is the author of \u003ci\u003eJavelin Rain\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGemini Cell\u003c\/i\u003e, prequels to his Shadow Ops series, which includes \u003ci\u003eBreach Zone\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFortress Frontier\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eControl Point\u003c\/i\u003e.Chapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Public Servant\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e One Week Earlier\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e James Schweitzer fled into the darkness and the city of Des Moines      roused itself to action.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Senator Don Hodges bounced on his shoulder, grunting with each      jostling step. His suit was rumpled along with his elder-statesman      dignity; only his hair remained perfect. Schweitzer's magically      heightened sense of smell was nearly overwhelmed by the generously      applied spray that held it in place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Put me down, damn it!\" Hodges managed winded gasps between bumps.      \"I can walk.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"If you can walk, you can run,\" Schweitzer said, \"and if you can      run, you can run away.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I know I can't outrun you,\" Hodges choked. \"I'm not stupid!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're a politician,\" Schweitzer replied. \"It's a job      requirement.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The explosions and gunfire in Hodges' office had drawn the      attention of the police. Schweitzer could see the dancing colors      of police car lights reflecting off the undersides of the thick      clouds that hung low and close over the city. A living man      wouldn't have noticed anything, but death and reanimation had made      Schweitzer's senses more powerful. He knew how he would look to a      passerby, a ragged corpse, missing an arm, running as fast as a      speeding car, as silent as a stalking cat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Or he would have been if it hadn't been for the man flopping on      his shoulder. Hodges wheezed. \"Where are you taking me?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Somewhere we can talk.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We can talk right here.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The lights may have been faint, but the sirens were loud enough to      be heard by anyone. It sounded like every cop in the world was      converging on the building Schweitzer had just fled.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nice try,\" Schweitzer said. \"I don't think the cops would take      too kindly to a zombie kidnapping a Senator. I'll put you down as      soon as it's safe.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'll call them off,\" Hodges said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Do you think I'm stupid?\" Schweitzer asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges went silent for a moment, and Schweitzer could almost hear      the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure a way out of      this. But it was just a moment. The man thought fast. \"I just      watched you take out my entire security detail in the blink of an      eye. Surely, you can handle a few cops.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Surely, I can,\" Schweitzer agreed, \"but you're forgetting that      I'm one of the good guys here. I don't want to hurt other good      guys.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, you're hurting me now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'd hardly call you one of the good guys, and I'm not hurting      you. Not yet.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges went quiet again. Schweitzer's real gut had stopped      churning the moment he died, but his spiritual gut more than made      up for it, his anxiety's phantom limb. He hated threatening      Hodges, even if it would secure his cooperation. Schweitzer's      death and resurrection had made him into a horror-movie monster,      but those changes were physical. His heart and soul were still his      own, and he had fought like a lion to keep it that way. He wasn't      a man who bullied others. Life in the SEALs had made him no      stranger to the utility of violence, but that didn't mean he liked      it. Stealth was key to his former role, but he had always      preferred a stand-up fight, facing the enemy, showing the world      who and what he was.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He thought of his wife, Sarah, and his son, Patrick, both gone      now, one to the afterlife, the other to the care of his former      enemy. He remembered how they'd looked at him as they'd fled      through the woods from the Gemini Cell. Sarah, eyes forced wide so      as not to betray her disgust; Patrick showing his naked fear of      what his father had become.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges might be his prisoner, but he hadn't taken the Senator to      punish him. Eldredge had said that Hodges was the man who knew      about the Cell and authorized its funding, which meant he was the      man who could help Schweitzer shut it down. But that was nothing      compared to the fact that threatening Hodges made Schweitzer feel      like the monster he knew he looked like. His spiritual gut churned      with the worry that if he acted that part often enough, it would      eventually become a distinction in search of a difference.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer raced for an unlit alley snaking its way between two      office buildings, windows dark at this time of night. His      augmented hearing brought him the sharp intakes of breath and      mutters of every nearby security guard, street sweeper, or couple      out for a late-night stroll. There were precious few of these in      Des Moines. It was a city that truly died after dark.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He could smell the metallic tang of the Des Moines River, the soft      stink of garbage and motor oil. He shouldered a Dumpster aside,      careful to keep Hodges' head clear, then burst out into the      streetlights, speeding toward the railing that separated the      asphalt from the dark water flowing beneath it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges, seeing what was about to happen, began to thrash. \"Wait!      What are you . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer leapt the railing and yanked Hodges' body off his      shoulder, locking the Senator close to him and arrowing him into      as graceful a dive as he could manage. Despite his best effort,      there was still quite a splash, and then all sound was swallowed      by the river water enveloping them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges flailed, but he might as well have been a child, for all      the good it did him against Schweitzer's magical strength.      Schweitzer pinned him easily in place, his single arm as      unyielding as an iron bar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He kicked his legs, righting them and preparing to swim to the      surface if Hodges panicked and swallowed water. But the Senator      kept his cool, and Schweitzer could feel the muscles in Hodges'      throat constricting as he pushed the air down out of his neck in      an effort to keep his lungs inflated.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer swallowed his surprise and took advantage of the      reprieve. He kicked along, moving them underwater for about thirty      seconds. Schweitzer could easily hear the rapid beating of the      Senator's heart. When the oxygen starvation made the beats come      slower, Schweitzer kicked off again, this time up to the surface.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Don't screa . . .\" Schweitzer was whispering in Hodges' ear, but      he needn't have bothered. Hodges wasn't screaming, wasn't even      gasping. He was taking short, shallow breaths, hyperventilating      like a rabbit. That was good. They had taught Schweitzer to do      that in training, a little trick that would help them stay down      longer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer kicked off again, dragging them underwater until he      heard the slowing of Hodges' heartbeat, then surfaced so he could      take a breath. \"Just relax,\" Schweitzer said. \"I'm not going to      drown you.\" But above the water, Schweitzer had a good scent of      the blood in Hodges' carotid. He was frightened, to be sure.      Excited, but not panicked. Not by a long shot. Hodges ignored him,      taking one deep breath, then hyperventilating again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer could hear the whirring of helicopters, the screaming      of sirens, but they were much fainter now, the response focusing      on the Senator's office. Schweitzer moved down the river, away      from the sounds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At last, he dragged the Senator up onto the rocky shore under a      bridge overpass, the tons of metal and concrete above them      occasionally vibrating beneath a passing truck. Hodges lay on his      back, gasping freely now, giving full rein to his lungs' desperate      scramble for air. He coughed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You okay?\" Schweitzer asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges waved a hand weakly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I told you I wasn't going to drown you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I figured . . . I figured if you wanted me dead, you would've      done it back in my office.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I don't want you dead.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges propped himself up on his elbows, spat. \"What do you want?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What's with that breathing trick?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You hyperventilated each time we surfaced.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I was panicking. You try being dragged under the water by a      living corpse.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer shook his head. \"Don't fuck with me. They taught me      that in BUD\/S. Purges the CO2 in your blood so you can hold your      breath longer.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges opened his mouth to respond, then finally shrugged. \"You      know what I did before I got elected?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I know you were in the CIA. I always figured you were an      analyst.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Maybe I was, and maybe I wasn't. We all had to go through      training before we went overseas.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What'd you do for them?\" Schweitzer asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"How about you answer my question first?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Anger flared. He was the stronger here. He had saved Hodges' life      and now Hodges was in his control. He would decide who asked the      questions. No, that's how jinn think. You have to be smarter. If      he was going to get what he wanted from Hodges, they would have to      work together.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I need your help,\" Schweitzer said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges looked genuinely shocked. \"What the hell could I possibly      help you with?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer thought of Sarah stopping him in the forest as they      fled the Cell what seemed a lifetime ago. Still alive, still his      wife, him still clinging to the illusion that they were together,      as they had been when he still breathed. Wherever you are, they      will come. It's the government. They don't give up. They don't run      out of money. You have to stop this threat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sarah was dead now, her body torn to bloody scraps, her spirit      drifting in the soul storm. Alongside all the others he'd known      and loved. His brother, Peter. His best friend, Steve. His mother.      So many dead. But his son was still alive. Even now, Patrick was      on his way west in the care of Dr. Eldredge, the scientist who'd      overseen Schweitzer's resurrection before going rogue himself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sarah was right. If he ever wanted a chance to be reunited with      his son, if he ever wanted Patrick to have a life that consisted      of something other than looking over his shoulder, he'd have to      take the fight to the enemy. He'd have to find a way to stop the      Cell in its tracks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges took Schweitzer's silence for consideration. The      burnt-sugar smell of his adrenaline increased. \"You are going to      kill me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"That depends on you,\" Schweitzer said. It was a lie and he knew      it. Schweitzer wasn't above killing, but killing Hodges would      solve nothing. If Hodges was going to help him, he'd have to be      breathing to do it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But it was too soon to play his whole hand. He crab-walked a step      closer to Hodges. \"Tell me what you know about the program that      created me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I don't know a goddamn thing abou . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Quick as a striking snake, Schweitzer seized Hodges by the throat      and stood. He locked his hand precisely around the Senator's      windpipe, knuckles digging up into the hypoglossal nerve. He would      be able to breathe, but the pain would be extreme.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges gave no sign of his discomfort other than a slight tipping      of his head to ease the pressure. Schweitzer recognized the \"four      by four\" breathing technique he'd been taught in BUD\/S. Four      seconds in and four seconds out. Not a guarantee, but it would go      a long way toward keeping Hodges from fainting or even wincing.      Whatever he had done for the CIA, he was no analyst.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I told you not to fuck with me.\" Schweitzer put an animal growl      into his voice; he hoped it was enough to convince Hodges that he      wasn't human and therefore wasn't prone to human sympathy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But Hodges didn't so much as blink.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer snarled and lifted the Senator off his feet, letting      his spinal column take his entire body weight. He couldn't hold      him like this for long without injuring him. \"Just because I'm a      good guy doesn't mean I won't hurt you until you tell me what I      want to know.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges actually smiled. He gurgled around Schweitzer's vise grip,      saliva bubbling out of the corners of his mouth. \"Look at you.      You're exactly what you look like. A cartoon monster. Same on the      inside as on the outside.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A spike of hot rage mixed with sick shame. He remembered Sarah      looking at him, fighting to keep the disgust off her face. Before      he knew what he was doing, he'd shaken Hodges hard enough to      rattle his teeth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges coughed, choked. His face had turned dark purple, his      cheeks beginning to swell, but he kept smiling. \"You're not going      to hurt me, Jim. I know that much.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The rage bled out of him, and Schweitzer sagged. He could play the      monster, but in the end, it was just play. He had been a monster      to his targets and their lackeys when he'd still worked for the      Cell. He had been a monster to his wife and son. Why not be the      monster? Why are you trying so hard to be human? You're not a      human anymore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But when Schweitzer searched his dead heart, he knew the answer.      Rightly or wrongly, he still wanted life. Not the parody of his      current existence, a soul driving a dead machine, but real life. I      didn't have enough time, he thought. I was robbed. The world owed      him years, and all he knew was that he couldn't possibly collect      if he acted the animal it was trying to make of him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He jerked his fingers open, and Hodges slid down to his feet,      hands going up to his throat, massaging the red blotches beginning      to form there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're right; I'm not going to hurt you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges smirked. \"I know.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"But you're a dead man anyway,\" Schweitzer said. \"The Cell will      come for you. You'd have been dead back in your office if I hadn't      been there. Worse, you'd be walking around with something like me      looking out through your eyes.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're lying,\" Hodges said, but Schweitzer could smell the terror      in the chemical makeup of his bloodstream, could hear it in his      quickening heart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You know I'm not. There's only one thing that can fight this      force you supposedly know nothing about, Senator, and you're      looking at it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And that's what you want? To fight them?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Schweitzer nodded.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"So . . . why save me?\" Hodges asked. \"You're the only force that      can fight them, go do it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You also know that this program you know nothing about employs      many creatures just like me,\" Schweitzer said. \"I can't fight them      all. Not myself. But you can shut the program down.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges sighed. For a moment, Schweitzer thought he would continue      the I-Know-Nothing line, but he only shook his head. \"It's not      that simple.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"The Director is dead,\" Schweitzer said. \"You know that? He's      living dead, like me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hodges head jerked up, the color bleeding from his face. \"How do      you know that?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eldredge, Schweitzer thought. But he wasn't about to sell out his      one ally, the man who even now was caring for his son. \"I have my      sources.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"If we're going to trust one another, then we have to trust one      another.\" Hodges spread his hands, smiling. At least he had a      sense of humor.","brand":"Ace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300405596389,"sku":"NP9780425269664","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425269664.jpg?v=1767736605","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/siege-line-isbn-9780425269664","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}