"I've resigned. I quit."

Emma wasn't impressed, and she let him see that she wasn't.

"I want you to know that I've decided to make some changes."

Emma said nothing.

"May I call you sometime?"

"No."

He heaved a sigh. Emma turned to walk back into the infirmary.

"Emma?"

She stopped.

"I want to be the type of man someone would trust with their life."

Emma went back through the door to two such men.

EMMA STRETCHED AWAKE. She sat in a large armchair placed next to Sumner's bed. She checked her watch by the light of a small reading lamp on the nightstand. It was five o'clock in the morning. She glanced up. Sumner's eyes were open, and he watched her in silence.

"When did you wake up?" Emma spoke in a whisper.

"Ten minutes ago."

"How do you feel?"

He grimaced. "Like a hatchet's been inserted into my brain."

Emma smiled.

"Did everyone make it?"

"Everyone except Herr Schullmann. Ha.s.sim's fine. Not a scratch on him. Marina's not so fine. They patched her up as best they could and are flying her to a real hospital. Doctor says she's critical."

"Does she know about her father?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't think so. She wasn't conscious. They'll probably hold that information until she's better. And Block asked me to keep this near you." She bent to the floor and slid the Dragunov out from under the bed. She showed it to him. She was glad to see Sumner smile. "He and Cindy said they'll stop by later."

Sumner shifted. "I'm very, very happy to see you."

"I think you already told me that on the cruise ship."

He nodded. "Well, I'm saying it again."

"We have to stop meeting like this," Emma said, trying to lighten the moment. She was suddenly nervous about the direction the conversation was taking.

He moved to shake his head but hissed in pain. He gave a weak wave of the hand. "I agree. I promise to make it better next time."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? How?"

"I'm going to teach you how to shoot a rifle."

Emma laughed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Little did I know when creating this story that the Somali pirates would explode into the news. Books are written long before they are printed and sold, and this one is no different. When I began with the concept of pirates attacking a cruise ship, no one really thought such an event could occur. The people at Morrow responded with a polite "Pirates? Like Jack Sparrow?," but to their credit, gave me the green light anyway.

Many thanks to Commodore Ronald Warwick, master of the Queen Mary 2 for more than thirty years. His son, Samuel Warwick, put us in touch, and Commodore Warwick graciously agreed to answer some questions. I appreciated his suggestions about crew size, ship maintenance, and his comment that while turning off the lights and radar to begin "running dark" (my term) is illegal, he doubted anyone would fault the captain in the instance of an attack. Any mistakes are mine.

I also wish to thank Paul Salopek, a Pulitzer Prizeawinning journalist who helped me with information about Somalia. Mr. Salopek wrote an article on the subject for the Chicago Tribune, though Somalia is only one of the more dangerous places that he has traveled to and reported from. He answered my questions about khat, Somalia, and Somali fishermen as pirates quickly and from G.o.d knows where. Wherever you are, Mr. Salopek, be safe.

The jellyfish bloom idea came from my own experience encountering one and the subsequent research that I did regarding the phenomenon. Thanks to Dr. Jennifer E. Purcell, marine scientist and adjunct professor at Western Washington University, for her input, especially regarding the fact that even dried jellyfish tentacles will fire.

Certain types of jellyfish are among the most dangerous creatures on earth, and although box jellyfish are not commonly found in the Indian Ocean, they are migrating more as the pollution in our seas force the blooms to grow and move.

Wilson Vanderlock is a fictional character, but the khat flights from Kenya to Somalia are real and some do take pa.s.sengers along for a nominal fee. Khat is legal throughout most of Africa, but Somalia's fields were burned during the wars that raged there. They are forced to import it daily as described.

The drug injected into Emma and others in the book is a fictional compound, but I got the idea from two separate drugs that can both increase endurance and create addictions. Neither drug, however, will kill on the second injection.

One drug is called a dopamine agonist and is used for Parkinson's sufferers. Dopamine agonists sometimes have the unfortunate side effect of creating addictions in people who have had none before. I found the idea of turning on an addiction to be fascinating and wanted to explore what would happen to people in positions of power when such a side effect occurred.

The endurance pill also exists, although it's currently investigational. The compound, called AICAR, can increase endurance by a whopping forty-four percent with a single dose. I loved the whole idea of getting such a huge boost while doing nothing-who wouldn't? To my knowledge the endurance drug hasn't been approved for use as yet, so I guess we're all still stuck training to increase ours. I'll be running on Chicago's lakefront and in whatever city or town I travel to, and I look forward to seeing you there!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

I'd like to thank the readers, whose enthusiasm and friendly e-mails made my debut launch special, and who continue to cheer me throughout the year.

Many thanks to Tavia Kowalchuk, Danielle Bartlett, Shawn Nicholls, Marisa Benedetto, Wendy Lee, and the entire Harper Collins and William Morrow staff, who helped me time and time again during the launch of the first novel and who made a debut author feel great.

I'm indebted to my editor, Lyssa Keusch, who made suggestions that were right on target and remained patient when I went on a tear and revised an entire section. Her keen eye for detail is greatly appreciated.

Barbara Poelle, my literary agent, trusted adviser, and good friend, keeps me balanced and makes me laugh. Working with her is always a joy.

Quite a bit of research went into this novel, and I'm grateful to Paul Salopek, Commodore Ronald Warwick, Samuel Warwick, and Dr. Jennifer E. Purcell, whose contributions are more fully explained in the author's note at the end.

I was unbelievably lucky to receive the support of two of the most talented authors in the writing world. My heartfelt thanks go out to Tess Gerritsen, who went above and beyond the call by not only giving the first novel a blurb, but taking steps to see that it made it to Harper Collins at just the right time, and to Lee Child, who also donated his name to the cause and who continues to answer all my industry questions with good humor and an insight that I find invaluable.

Dana Kaye, friend and now princ.i.p.al of Kaye Publicity, a.s.sisted me with local publicity and the myriad of day-to-day details that go into a book launch. I couldn't have kept it all straight without her.

Darwyn Jones is a trusted reader who I can always count on to give me excellent feedback. My thanks to him for his reactions and suggestions on a key scene.

And, finally, to my husband, Klaus, who worked his own business travel schedule around mine. At one point during the tour my flight was late arriving and his was late leaving, and I'll never forget his smile when we b.u.mped into each other at the airport terminal. He suggested lunch, and dining at O'Hare has never been better. Thanks, my love, for the fun.

About the Author.

JAMIE FREVELETTI is a trial lawyer and a runner. The author of the international bestseller Running from the Devil, she lives with her family in Chicago, Illinois.

www.jamiefreveletti.com.

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ALSO BY JAMIE FREVELETTI.

Running from the Devil.

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