Authors: Paula Stokes
Vicarious (40 page)
“Thanks for calling St. Louis Medical,” the operator says in a bored voice. “How may I direct your call?”
“Hi, I was wondering if you could give me a patient's room number. Jesse Ramirez?” I dodge a patch of ice on the sidewalk and nod at a man who's methodically unwrapping silver and green garland from a light post. The walk signal turns red as I approach the corner.
“One moment.” The operator puts me on hold and I get to listen to some elevator music while I wait for her.
The light turns green, but I'm still waiting. I duck into a recessed alcove in front of a pizza place, my phone trembling in my fingers.
“Mr. Ramirez is currently in ER-3,” she says finally.
My body goes weak with relief and I have to lean against the glass window of the restaurant to keep from sinking to the ground. “Thanks. Can I ask about one other patient? Baz, er, Sebastian Faber. They were in the same ⦠accident.”
“Faber. F-A-B-E-R? Yes, here it is. Mr. Faber is in ER-4.”
“Thank you.” I like that they are next to each other.
I leave the shelter of the alcove and return to the sidewalk. I barely see the people who push past me. I barely feel their bulky coats brushing up against my arms. It's like I'm playing the ViSE of the overdose again: I'm back in that rushing tunnel of light, but instead of death, it's freedom awaiting me at the end. Rebirth. Like I'm once again shedding my skin and becoming someone new.
When the MetroLink station rises up in front of me, I pause for a moment at the stairway to the platforms. East leads to Dr. Abrams's office. West, to the airport. I know which way I should go, but unfortunately it's not the way I need to go. I hurry down the stairs toward the westward platform. There's no time to waste.
My brother needs me.
My vengeance is waiting.
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As always, endless thanks and love to my family and friends for putting up with my mood swings and neurotic middle-of-the-night e-mails during the drafting and revision of this book. You help more than you know.
More thanks:
To my agent, Jennifer Laughran of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, for supporting me in writing whatever books I want to write. Also for being level-headed, laid-back, informative, and basically everything I am not.
To my editor, Melissa Frain, whose feedback encouraged me and pushed me to keep making the book better and better. Your enthusiasm for Winter's story was evident throughout the process, and that kept me energized and motivated during some tough revisions.
To my publisher, Kathleen Doherty, for making this book possible. To Amy Stapp, for taking such good care of my manuscript (and for teaching me how to use Word!). To everyone else at Tor Teen, for the editorial, design, publicity, sales, and marketing support and for a cover that is everything I dreamed of and then some.
To everyone I met while I was living and working in South Korea. Thank you for sharing your stories with me and for being part of an experience that changed my life forever. To the authors, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, and readers in St. Louis who were supporting me way back when I actually wrote this book. To my rock star blurbers, Lindsay Cummings and Victoria Scott. Gratitude times a million.
To all of my beta readers and experts. The following people were kind enough to provide feedback on elements of story, psychology, biology, technology, medicine, adventure sports, and Korean culture: Marcy Beller Paul; Jessica Fonseca; Cathy Castelli; Antony John; Heather Anastasiu; Philip Siegel; Tara Kelly; Kristi Helvig, PhD; Christina Ahn Hickey, MD; Peter Kriepke; Paul Suhr; Eli Madison; Elizabeth Min; Minjae Christine Kim; Yun-A Kwak; Jen Albaugh; MarÃa Pilar Albarrán Ruiz; Debby Kasbergen; Stacee Evans; and Sarah Reis. Any mistakes are mine, not theirs.
To all of my amazing industry friends and colleagues: the girls at Manuscript Critique Services; the YA Valentines; the Apocalypsies; my street teamers; and all the bloggers, booksellers, librarians, and teachers who interact with me in person and on social media. I couldn't do it without you.
And finally, to the readers. I couldn't do it without you either. I will never forget that.
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Winter's history is fiction, but according to the United Nations, over two million people across the globe are victims of human trafficking at any one time. This is not a problem that happens predominantly in foreign countriesâcases have been reported in all fifty states. Anyone can be trafficked regardless of gender, age, race, class, education, or citizenship.
In addition to sexual exploitation, victims of trafficking are forced to work as domestic servants, manual laborers, soldiers, street beggars, and more. They are coerced and controlled by fear, and many are afraid to seek help from local authorities. Some do not even realize that what is happening to them is a crime.
For information on how you can help or get help, visit:
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center
www.traffickingresourcecenter.org/report-trafficking
The Salvation Army International
www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/antitrafficking
Unicef
www.unicefusa.org/mission/protect/trafficking
U.S. Department of State
www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/index.htm
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PAULA STOKES
grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where she studied psychology and nursing. In between pursuing her degrees, she spent a year teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. Paula is the author of several novels, including
Liars, Inc
. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon.
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Visit her at
www.authorpaulastokes.com
, or sign up for email updates
here
.
    
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Contents
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
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VICARIOUS
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Copyright © 2016 by Paula Stokes
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All rights reserved.
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Cover art by Craig White
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A Tor Teen Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
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Tor
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is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
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ISBN 978-0-7653-8094-4 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-7620-0 (e-book)
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e-ISBN 9781466876200
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Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
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First Edition: August 2016