“I’ve photographed lions in the Serengeti from twenty meters. Does that count?”
Siena turned.
“You must be the tracker,” Siena said.
Venandi looked at her—really looked. “Now you go home. Write your article. Name names. Burn this whole operation to the ground.” Venandi by KC Luck EPUB PDF
They used Siena’s emergency raft pump. As the mist rose into the jungle air, the infected in the clearing stopped. Twitched. Then, one by one, they collapsed—not dead, but sleeping. The blue fronds withered. The blisters began to recede.
“You’re late,” said a voice like gravel wrapped in silk.
She lunged forward, but Venandi caught her, pinned her against the tree. “That is not your sister anymore.” “I’ve photographed lions in the Serengeti from twenty
Venandi didn’t speak unless necessary. When she did, it was clipped. “Dr. Vargas. Your sister, Mira. She was studying a rare fungal venom. Cyanopepta venandi .”
“No.” Venandi pushed off the drums and picked up her own pack—a sleek, military-grade rucksack with no flags or insignia. “But it means you know how to stay still. That might keep you alive.” The boat ride took fourteen hours. By the end, the jungle had swallowed the sky. Siena’s ears rang with the chorus of howler monkeys, cicadas, and the distant, wet crash of a tree falling into black water.
“Ah,” he said, not turning around. “Venandi. I wondered when you’d track me down. And you brought the photographer. Excellent. I do love before-and-after shots.” Venandi looked at her—really looked
Venandi’s eyes—pale green, almost wolfish—flicked over Siena’s frame. “You’ve never fired that Glock in anger.”
It smiled. Its teeth were stained blue. Venandi didn’t hesitate. She shoved Siena behind her, drew a suppressed pistol, and fired twice. The figure crumpled—but not before Siena saw the name stitched on its hazmat suit: M. Vargas .
Siena took one last photograph. Not of the man. Not of the infected. Of Mira’s peaceful, fungus-free face in the dawn light. Then she tucked the camera away.
“I think my sister is alive,” Siena replied evenly. “And I’ll pay you the other half of your fee when we find her.”