Time decelerated, his senses on overdrive. Ahead, a room glowing with warmth, a table set with cheer. Behind, the cool of the dark hallway lifting the hairs on his neck. The phone in his pocket, calling him to duty.
It had taken so much to get him here, to the threshold. He couldn’t bring himself to retreat from the door, to tear himself away.
He dug for the phone, lifted it to his ear, spoke the words. “Do you need my help?”
A draft from the hall blew in, snuffed out the yellow and orange candles on the table. Black smoke spiraled up from the wicks. Mia searched his face, as if looking for something she could no longer find.
Through a staticky connection came a single syllable: “Yes.”
It took a split second for Evan to recognize the voice.
It was Jack’s.
Keeping the phone pressed to his face, Evan dipped his head apologetically and backed away from the light.
Acknowledgments
Last year, Orphan X introduced Evan Smoak to the world. It is no small feat in this day and age to bring a new character to readers, and I would like to thank the exceptional crew at Minotaur Books for doing it so beautifully. Andrew Martin, Hannah Braaten, Hector DeJean, Jennifer Enderlin, Paul Hochman, Kelley Ragland, Sally Richardson, Martin Quinn — Evan and I look forward to working with you for many years to come.
I must also acknowledge Rowland White at Michael Joseph/Penguin Group UK, as well as Izzie Coburn and the sales team, Ellie Hughes, Lee Motley, Matt Waterson, and their counterparts in Australia and New Zealand, for an equally astounding job.
And my reps, the best in the business:
— Lisa Erbach Vance, Aaron Priest, John Richmond, and Melissa Edwards of the Aaron Priest Agency
— Caspian Dennis of the Abner Stein Agency
— Trevor Astbury, Rob Kenneally, Peter Micelli, and Michelle Weiner of Creative Artists Agency
— Stephen F. Breimer of Bloom, Hergott, Diemer et al, and Marc H. Glick of Glick & Weintraub
And Evan’s circle of consultants:
— Geoffrey Baehr, the brain
— Billy S____, the muscle
— Brian Shiers, the fighter
— Michael Borohovski (cofounder and CTO of Tinfoil Security), the intrusion engineer
— Melissa Hurwitz and Bret Nelson, the M.D.s
— Philip Eisner, the wordsmith
— Eddie Gonzalez, the translator of street slang
— Maureen Sugden, the (finest) copyeditor
— Bob Mosier, the automobile virtuoso
— Tore Saso, the banking expert
— Dana Kaye, the publicist (who fought Evan’s every effort to stay off the grid)
All errors are mine. These folks don’t make mistakes.
I’m also compelled to thank readers, booksellers, and librarians for embracing Evan Smoak the way you have. You make it all worthwhile.
And my family — Delinah, Rose, Natalie, my parents, my sister, and Simba and Cairo. I’m blessed to have you.
Also by Gregg Hurwitz
Orphan X
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
The Rains
About the Author
Gregg Hurwitz is a New York Times bestselling author of fifteen thrillers, including, most recently, Orphan X. Critically acclaimed, Hurwitz is a two-time finalist for the International Thriller Writers’ Best Novel prize and a finalist for the Crime Writers’ Association’s Steel Dagger. Hurwitz is also a screenwriter, TV producer, and comic book writer. The first book in the Evan Smoak series, Orphan X, has been published in twenty-one languages. Hurwitz lives in Los Angeles.