“Walter,” Bell said, that deep, soothing voice of his, pitched low and gentle. “Why don’t we sleep on it for a few days. After everything we’ve been through, we’re not in any shape to be making important decisions about the future.”
“My decision-making process has never been clearer,” Walter insisted. “Destroying the formula is the only rational option.”
“Well,” Bell said, taking his little red notebook out of the pocket of his sport coat. “While I want it to be known that I strongly disagree, I supposed I have no choice.”
He opened the notebook to the formula for the special blend and tore the page out, crumpling it into a tight ball.
“William, don’t!” Nina said, hand on his arm.
He shot her a look and set the balled-up paper into an ashtray on a low coffee table. She withdrew her hand slowly.
“Give Walter your lighter,” Bell said.
Nina narrowed her eyes at him, but he just nodded, expression serene. She did what he asked.
Walter took the lighter.
“This is the right thing to do,” he said.
He sparked the flame and touched it to the crumpled paper. The page went up quickly, burning brightly for a moment, and then dying down to thin black ash.
For a full minute, no one said anything. The three of them just sat there, staring at the crisp, delicate blossom of ash. Then Walter prodded it with the butt of the lighter, and it collapsed to powder.
“Well, I don’t know about you, Belly,” he said, setting the lighter down beside the ashtray and getting to his feet, “but I feel better already. It was the right thing to do.”
“I suppose so,” Bell said, his face unreadable.
“So,” Walter said, clapping his hands together. “Who wants pancakes?”
“That would be great,” Nina said, her curious gaze still locked with Bell. “Thanks.”
Walter disappeared into the kitchen. Cat-Mandu followed, mewing in anticipation of Tender Vittles.
Nina stepped up beside Bell, silent questions in her eyes. He smiled and opened the notebook, revealing the formula for the special blend, unharmed on a previous page.
Beneath the complex chemical formula was a list of several potential brand names for the blend. The last one on the list was circled twice.
Cortexaphan.
That had a nice ring to it.
“He’ll come around,” Bell said. “Just give him some time.”
Nina smiled. She knew that he was right.
Bell closed the notebook and put it back in his pocket.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author would like to thank Al Guthrie, Steve Saffel, Anna Songco, JoAnne Narcisse, Angela Park, Noreen O’Toole, Rob Chiappetta, Glen Whitman, Joel Wyman, and Nathan Long.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christa Faust is the author of a variety of media tie-ins and novelizations for properties such as Supernatural, Final Destination and Snakes on a Plane. She also writes hardboiled crime novels, including the Edgar Award-nominated Money Shot, Choke Hold, and the Butch Fatale series. She lives in Los Angeles. Her website is christafaust.net.
COMING SOON FROM TITAN BOOKS
FRINGE
THE BURNING MAN
By Christa Faust
As a child, Olivia Dunham is “Subject 13,” exposed to the experimental drug Cortexiphan. It has strange effects upon her—effects that manifest when her stepfather assaults her mother—with dire consequences.
All of her life, Olivia hides the strange things Cortexiphan has done to her. But the older she gets, the more difficult it becomes to suppress them. And when faced with a life-or-death situation, she can no longer deny her true nature. For if she does, someone close to her will die.
July 2013
TITANBOOKS.COM
Table of Contents
Also Available from Titan Books
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Part One
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Part Two
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Acknowledgements
About the Author
Also Available from Titan Books
Table of Contents
Also Available from Titan Books
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Part One
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Part Two
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Also Available from Titan Books