Hunting Daylight (9781101619032)
Read Hunting Daylight (9781101619032) Online
Authors: Piper Maitland
PRAISE FOR
ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT
“Piper Maitland skillfully crafts edge-of-your-seat, otherworldly suspense laced with a wicked sense of humor.”
—Lori Wilde,
New York Times
bestselling author
“This book is fantastic. A perfect blend of Dan Brown’s religious intrigue, Michael Crichton’s scientific thriller, and Anne Rice’s vampire novels. The writing is wonderfully done, keeping the reader engaged, not letting go until the last page has turned. The science and explanation behind how vampires came to be and their folklore is believable, and by the end of the story, readers may find they are checking over their shoulders to see if a vampire is close behind…excellent.”
—
Portland Book Review
“Bulgarian vampires and nonstop sex (not with the Bulgarian vampires), PLUS an illuminated lost manuscript in a twisty tale of family mystery, murder, and corporate greed.”
—Diana Gabaldon,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Outlander series
“A twisted and complex take on vampire lore and legends…If you’re a fan of unusual vampire stories, this action-packed and fast-paced book will please you immensely.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“A fantastic read. Smart and sophisticated…A DaVinci Code–esque adventure with a fresh take on vampirism and an emotional, sexy romance.”
—Virna DePaul, author of
Chosen by Sin
“A singe-your-fingers page turner. Don’t miss this one.”
—Shirley Hailstock, author of
Some Like Them Rich
“This is an exciting action-packed Brownian fantasy with several twists that keep the reader obsessed with a need to know what’s next.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“Maitland puts her more literary spin on the UF genre with this rich, compelling novel. She’s a talented storyteller and the ending leaves open the possibility of sequels. I for one would enjoy visiting this world again!”
—
RT Book Reviews
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Berkley titles by Piper Maitland
ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT
HUNTING DAYLIGHT
HUNTING
DAYLIGHT
PIPER MAITLAND
BERKLEY BOOKS, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
HUNTING DAYLIGHT
A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley premium edition / February 2013
Copyright © 2013 by Michael Lee West.
Cover design by Rita Frangie. Photo composition by S. Miroque.
Sinister Eyes
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Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.
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ISBN: 978-1-101-61903-2
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| ALWAYS LEARNING | PEARSON |
Prologue: The First Expedition
Part Seven: Timing is Everything
THE FIRST
EXPEDITION
BIROUGOU RAIN FOREST
GABON, AFRICA
JANUARY 10
The first time Dr. Ray-Bob Campbell died, he was fifty-two years old, a tenured zoology professor at Auburn University, a big-shot bat expert who resembled the creatures he studied. The jocks called him Dr. Squeak. They made fun of his gangly arms, tapered ears, and wide-set eyes, each one no bigger than a raisin.
Probably he’d still look that way if he hadn’t taught that night class and squabbled with a skinny Goth co-ed. Jesus, what a bitch. He’d given her an F; she’d turned him into a vampire.
Actually, Campbell didn’t mind being undead. That little catch in his right knee had gone away, and his blood pressure returned to normal. His face seemed different, too, just this side of handsome, and women were always
calling his house now, suggesting dinner or more toothsome activities.
He might have stayed in Alabama forever if he hadn’t taken a job with the Al-Dîn Corporation. They’d offered him fifty thousand dollars just to poke around in an African rain forest and study bats. Not bad for a thirty-day gig, he bragged to his girlfriends. Not bad at all. The expedition started on January tenth, and he’d be home by Valentine’s Day.
On a chilly January night, the company jet flew Campbell to Franceville, Gabon, first class all the way, right down to the blacked-out windows and plush layovers. When he arrived, he was given an English-speaking Baka guide and a cooler with A negative blood. That night, he and the guide took a dirt logging road to Birougou National Park. The truck rattled over potholes, bugs splattering against the windshield, bushes clawing at the tires.
The red dirt path ended in the forest, and the guide unloaded the gear. Campbell strode ahead, moths swarming around his lantern, primates shrieking alarm calls from the dark trees. He felt like a man of the jungle, but with a conservationist twist. If Tarzan and Al Gore had a baby, it would be Campbell.
He was supposed to hook up with the expedition team just beyond the Ngounie waterfalls, but like he told the guide, he’d get there when he got there. It wasn’t like he was dawdling. This part of the Birougou wetlands hadn’t been mapped, and it was impossible to see a damn thing because the rain kept falling in punishing torrents. Twice he skidded in elephant dung, but he pressed on. As he hacked through vines and leathery bushes, he thought
about those fifty thousand dollars. He’d buy a red BMW and find a big-titted woman.