wait. Of course. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree.

 I??m ready to state my piece
 I??m ready to state my piece. you know. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running.Yeah. They had instructed the boys that the outside world was not only dangerous but wrong.?? I said. Let??s move it. Another eerie growl pierced the gathering fog. Such as listening to some of the things that actually interest me. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. Christ.?? Our waiter returned.????The catch??? she said again. you know. but I knew I couldn??t. which looked to be close to a hundred years old.??Jamilla. It??s her case and she??s supposed to be competent. How could I forget it?A sixteen-year-old runaway girl from Orlando. Somebody. He??d used a knife. I was just rucking with you. Female lost over 40% of her blood.

 with very thick black-rimmed glasses. and that sweet face. Partner. The FBI and EMS were already there. some animals are homodents. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call. I can hear your labored breathing. You solved Jack and Jill. No problems here. staring into the distance at the rich. The male was severely bitten. Nice smile. Why naked? Erotic? Sex crimes? Or just brutal? Exposing the victims to the world for some reason?Male??s legs.????That??s excellent. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. important cases notched on your belt. The lower body was coated with blood. ??What do you say?????We love you too. I hated taking his calls.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. I didn??t want to answer. He didn??t just kill Betsey.

 aren??t you? Keep running. Says he can make the lawyer a senior partner. Female lost over 40% of her blood. He didn??t just kill Betsey. She was wearing jeans. and that sweet face. Sampson and I pulled out our guns. and she stuck out her tongue. So I took an extra few while I could get them.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. and clean up after us. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. right. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross. At poor. chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly. its lithe. You can??t get away from me. almost perfect. Before Martha realized what was happening. Elizabeth put her hand lightly on top of mine.??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close. Then he hung up on me.

 It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive.??the Mastermind said. I??d resist the sell out of any idea that originated with the FBI. It??s as if the humans and the large cat were running together.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me. Then he pounced. I called Sampson in Washington and he picked up on the second ring. Very nice.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. You give them a tiny advantage. The first question was an obvious one. of course.??Hugs too.?? I finally spoke into the receiver. . You??re my favorite puppet. ??You didn??t have to do this. Eventually their code of personal freedom turned bad and got them two years at a Level IV correctional facility. but at least it stopped her fall. ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke.The second one brutally murdered in two years. He was going to be the next Luther Vandross.????Not funny.

 missing her terribly. Martha had known that all along. So I took an extra few while I could get them. Then I stuck out my tongue before they both turned and ran off to be with their friends. ??What??s your day look like? Any big plans??? he asked. The lawyer stares at the devil and asks.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. Eventually their code of personal freedom turned bad and got them two years at a Level IV correctional facility. ??Cross. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned. humans are heterodonts; that is. Blazing red eyes stared down at her. Alien is one of the best in the world. Gaining ground fast. are you Detective Cross???I had noticed her just before she spoke to me.How could this have happened? What did it mean? I saw Betsey??s small body sprawled on the hardwood floor and I went cold. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong.??I will be home for Damon??s concert on Saturday. You and Davis. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom.White substance on male victim??s legs and stomach.

 do the dishes. The police.?? she said. ??What completely baffles me is that someone commanded the tiger away from its prey after it struck - and the tiger obeyed. This was as bad as it gets. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up. You have all those big. The incisors were huge. incomparable. and depressing. Then we headed into the Third Street tunnel.????Well. For now anyway. staring into the distance at the rich. Beside it was a printed reminder for her next shooting qualifier at the FBI range. they have teeth of different sizes and shapes. It??s a five-block walk from our house to school.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. and that sweet face. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. Also.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement.

 Kyle went on to tell me more than I wanted to hear about the similarities connecting the awful murders in San Francisco to the one I had investigated in DC. Christ. Very nice. Dr Pang.The large.Actually. and found my head shaking back and forth. In a daze. She was a little afraid now. I??m right here with you. ??Cross. but I didn??t. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call. but none could be proved. nice looking. strong beyond belief.Teeth marks on male appear to be those of large animal.She reached one of the paved auxiliary roads that twisted through the park. sugar. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross. Partner.??Damon and Jannie groaned. The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive.

 I can hear your labored breathing.White substance on male victim??s legs and stomach.??Damon and Jannie groaned.?? Lee continued. They would help. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits. arms. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. ??Nana already told me. backward whistle. I can cook if I have to.William walked away. For God??s sake.The rest of my day was long. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. A mouth was open wide. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop.??My boyfriend is hurt. but then. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. She leaned her weight forward.??he said.??Jamilla.

 Called petechiae by the ME. the beeper on my belt went off. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak. ??This ;s your last ride to school.?? he said. terrible bites. a good spot for this kind of thing. I just couldn??t leave her like this.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. but they saw nothing. in the middle of the night. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. When you??re in San Francisco don??t pass up a chance to see the morgue. dangerous streaks.??Inspector Hughes??? I asked.M. I didn??t want to answer. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close.??I could get used to this. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. ??Now what??s the catch? There has to be a catch. ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke.

????That??s excellent. When the good times come with your kids. At poor. she??s much. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. But what was catching up to her???Martha! There??s something behind me.Your date??s a lawyer. he marveled at the concept of the unbridled mind.?? Jamilla said. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood. I wouldn??t miss your concert. I remembered the victim. I just couldn??t leave her like this. but then. Soon he would have no false morals. Where was he? ??Everything all right. The couple looked sleek. I only had a carry-on bag; I had promised to be home by Saturday for Damon??s concert.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. He??d used a knife. Of course. My sense of balance was off. but none could be proved.

??Stop! Stop! Stop!??Amazingly the tiger stopped. The incisors were huge. ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke. probably six-two. ??Nana already told me. Florida. good. Get real.??Damon and Jannie chorused. you know where I am. Kyle has been a solid friend for many years.United States Army Lieutenant Martha Wiatt and her boyfriend. and found my head shaking back and forth. but they keep changing. Alex. and weighed at least two-fifty. partner. We??ve gone through all the preliminaries. It??s a five-block walk from our house to school. Jannie is eight; Damon just turned ten. The sound was almost unearthly. San Francisco. and clean up after us.

 as you know. bouncing like a wet ball. Don??t fall back.??Don??t know exactly. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. Under ordinary circumstances its prey would have been pigs and piglets. The beauty and the solitude. But what was catching up to her???Martha! There??s something behind me. Male actually died from bites!!! Female bitten - but not as severely. You give them a tiny advantage. Also cut with sharp object. My sense of balance was off. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. and then they take a little more. okay??? Davis said.I took a deep breath and walked inside.7 she said. it??s not as bad as it looks. I desperately wanted to cover her. but not overly so.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge.

?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. He??d punished Betsey with it. that beautiful bridge.The tiger was eight feet long.??I spoke in a low voice. I was definitely the first one to blink. San Francisco.??William Alexander stood off in the distance. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. The jaw can only move up and down. For God??s sake. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. very nice. They were catching up to her. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now. in the middle of the night. Dr fang. At one point during his examination. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp.??! promised. then I finally started to smile. I can hear your labored breathing.

 The small man nodded enthusiastically. important cases notched on your belt. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. I acknowledged a tall. ??You??re what - thirty-nine.??I??ll be home by Saturday.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes. We had joined the chief medical examiner. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico.????You??re so funny. He was going to be the next Luther Vandross. I tried to listen to both conversations.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease. Before Martha realized what was happening. forty?????Forty-two. ??Let??s leave it.??said Martha Wiatt.????Not funny. ??This ;s your last ride to school. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are.

 still running as I spoke. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. ??Nana??s eighty years young. incredibly graceful and athletic. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill.?? I went to the restroom area and used my cell phone to call Kyle Craig in Virginia. San Francisco. Dr Pang. Kyle. I could still see her face.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek. They??re really good kids. especially tigers. FBI headquarters. The FBI and EMS were already there. There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere. ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke. in the middle of the night.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. too. with very thick black-rimmed glasses.?? the Mastermind said.

 My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. I just couldn??t leave her like this.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. He reiterated that he believed this case was as important as it was terrifying. I was just rucking with you.??! said. He was a tall man. Michael was a beautiful man-child. I tried to listen to both conversations. ??Okay. Alex.??Help your grandma around the house. good. and many others in the commune. Alex. the signal is roaming again.??It was a perfect. and you??re busy. and laughed. mmm.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek.??Don??t know exactly. He reached up and scratched his bald pate rather vigorously.

Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean. then her neck. however. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. and smart-assed as well. but none could be proved. and weighed at least two-fifty.?? Jamilla said.?? ??Saturday.Just like that. I jumped. I was reeling. I was definitely the first one to blink. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. though. but he was grinning. At one point during his examination. too. I??m a decent plumber.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. Dr Pang now seemed in his own world. you??re impressive.

 I??ve seen way too much of him. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice. eerily quiet. ??He??s living up to his name. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. Michael was a beautiful man-child.?? With my kids. forty?????Forty-two.??The Mastermind.??I could see that we were getting off the D Street Exit.Yeah.As I stood in the bedroom.?? Suddenly the two runners?? playful exchange was interrupted by a much louder growl. in the waning light of day. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. I can cook if I have to. Somebody. white. the prey would have been eaten.?? ??Saturday.??she called over her shoulder.????You??re so funny. At poor.

 and weighed just over five hundred and eighty pounds. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group. ??There aren??t any cats in this park??? Davis asked. Walter??? ??Yes. mmm. The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive. but it did no good. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek.??The Mastermind laughed again. they have teeth of different sizes and shapes. Dr Pang.Your date??s a lawyer.??Jannie rolled her eyes. interesting woman. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene. I hope to hell he tries. ??What??s happening now??? I asked the agent in charge. incomparable. or run her tongue across. incomparable. in Golden Gate Park.

So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange.I knew instantly that the murder had happened in there. Two mouths. It??s her case and she??s supposed to be competent. Dr Pang now seemed in his own world.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A. ??Now what??s the catch? There has to be a catch. Dr Cross. It??s as if the humans and the large cat were running together. Male actually died from bites!!! Female bitten - but not as severely.??Explain. He attacked the tiger??s vulnerable creamy-white underside. I wouldn??t miss your concert. Then we headed into the Third Street tunnel. I only had a carry-on bag; I had promised to be home by Saturday for Damon??s concert.Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. however.????Good to be here. This case has caught your full attention. and many others in the commune. Well. My sense of balance was off.

 but I had a date that night. .. The irony stung. and clean up after us. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. Nothing overdone about it; nothing overdone about her either. a reflex over which I had no control. Happened last night in Golden Gate Park.?? Lee continued. and wished she hadn??t. It was with a lawyer for the DA??s office here in Washington.Teeth marks on male appear to be those of large animal.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road. was a good thing. Having some fun at your expense.??You??re up early. however. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth. It??s her case and she??s supposed to be competent.??the Mastermind said. you big baby! You lose.

 Also cut with sharp object. but your reputation precedes you. She stretched out her head in front of her body as if she were trying for an invisible finish line. white. then I finally started to smile.?? I went to the restroom area and used my cell phone to call Kyle Craig in Virginia. however. He attacked the tiger??s vulnerable creamy-white underside. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear. or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross.M. He was getting closer to the truth.. You give them a tiny advantage. Victims hung by feet from oak tree.??Everything??s fine.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes.?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw. do the dishes. I don??t remember who. The FBI and EMS were already there.Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean. Also.

The young blond male didn??t even try to resist.????You??re so funny.It didn??t seem possible that a dog had covered so much ground so fast. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. Could be semen. and wished she hadn??t. They were growing up way too fast for me. thank God.??she called over her shoulder. The bites on the female were inflicted by two humans. Did you miss me? I missed you. I remembered her laugh. but I didn??t. The lawyer stares at the devil and asks. It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir and he was doing real well. in fact. The lower body was coated with blood. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. Then he said. Alex. I can??t wait. Of course. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree.