The Deaths of Tao (51 page)

A minute later, Roen flatlined.

Jill held on to Cameron tightly as she watched in horror, being nothing more than an observer of her husband’s death.

“No,” she moaned.

I am sorry.
 

After a minute of attempts with no change to the ECG, the doctor pulled off his mask and read the time of death. Jill collapsed to the ground in sobs. Dylan knelt next to her and held her tightly as her body shook.

A sparkle of light left Roen’s body and circled the room. Tao flitted around the ceiling of the room and then moved down to where she and Cameron lay. Then he brushed by her face as if trying to reassure her, blinking softly.

Tao says he is so sorry and that he loved Roen more than anything.
 

Then Tao swirled around Cameron, as if caressing him, as if trying to tell him something as well.

Jackson walked up at attention to Tao and bowed. “Tao, by the request of the Keeper, I would be honored to be your host. Please, sir, when you are ready.”

Tao rose up to eye level with Jackson and paused, his membrane pulsating with light as he studied his new assigned host, and then he moved past Jackson’s head and circled around the room. Then finally, instead of settling into Jackson Riley, he moved back down to Jill and Cameron.

A second later, Cameron began to scream with pain. His voice echoed through the room like a piercing siren. Jill clutched her little guy as tightly as she could as he writhed in pain.

What is Tao thinking?
 

“What Roen would have wanted I think.”

Then, joining Cameron’s scream, the ECG suddenly blipped. Once. Twice. Three times.

 

A lone figure, haggard and dirty, limped up to the MP at the gate of Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. He shuffled forward as if a zombie, half dead, weaving left and right, barely able to stand on his feet. The man was nearly bald with odd tufts of white hair sticking out of his head. All the other parts of his head were red with blood, as if he had been tearing hair out by the fistful. He stank of alcohol and stale clothing. His odor reached the two MPs before they even saw him. His eyes were vacuous and he moaned as he crept toward them.

As he got closer, the two MPs exchanged glances and lifted their rifles. “This is a United States Command Post. Step back immediately. This is your only warning.”

The half-dead man stopped and stared at them for several seconds. Then he opened his mouth and spoke in broken English, the words misshapen as if foreign to the tongue speaking them. “Code: The greatness of man is secondary to his use.” He paused, as if still formulating the thoughts in his head, before speaking again. “I am Shiva the Destroyer, and I must see Zoras. You will take me to him right away.”

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I never expected to write another acknowledgement so soon after the release of
The Lives of Tao
. After all, it’s only been a short six short months since my debut novel was introduced to the world and now
The Deaths of Tao
is following hot on its heels.

For that, I have to first thank all the readers and fans that made Lives such a smashing success. You guys rock! The first book in the Tao series was received so well the overlords at Angry Robot Books decided to bump the release date for Deaths up from Summer 2014 to Fall 2013. You guys get all the credit for that.

To the folks at Angry Robot, Thank you for your continuing support and keeping my crazy at bay. You guys—Marc, Lee, Amanda, Caroline, and Mike—are awesome. Special thanks to Stew and the rest of the crew at Argh! Oxford for the jump-off-the-shelves covers.

To my kick-ass agent, Russell Galen, this is only the beginning. Special thanks to Sasha, who moved a mountain when I needed one moved.

To my crack beta reading posse, you will always have an open bar when you’re with me.

To my family, Mike, Yukie, Stephen, and Amy, your support means the world to me. Special thanks to my nephews Roen and Cameron, I hope you’re enjoying the ride.

To Paula, my source of inspiration against self-doubt, hopelessness, and pessimism, you are my cure-all and phoenix down all wrapped up into one.

Special thanks to my Airedale terrier, Eva, for being the only reason I work out these days.

Lastly, to Tao and Roen. Hey, I know I put you two through some rough shit in this book. I’m sorry. Actually, no I’m not. Suck it up. It’s going to get worse.

 

Wesley Chu, Chicago, October 2013
 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wesley Chu was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Chicago, Illinois when he was just a pup. It was there he became a Kung Fu master and gymnast.

Wesley is an avid gamer and a contributing writer for the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. A former stunt man and a member of the SAG, he can also be seen in film and television playing roles such as “Banzai Chef” in
Fred Claus
and putting out Oscar worthy performances as a bank teller in Chicago Blackhawks commercials.

Besides working as an Associate Vice President at a bank, he spends his time writing and hanging out with his wife Paula Kim and their Airedale Terrier, Eva.

 

wesleychu.com
 
 

twitter.com/wes_chu
 
 

 

ANGRY ROBOT
 

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Through the ages

 

An Angry Robot paperback original 2013

 

Copyright © Wesley Chu 2013

 

Cover art by Argh! Oxford

 

Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York.

 

All rights reserved.

 

Angry Robot is a registered trademark, and the Angry Robot icon a trademark of Angry Robot Ltd.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

 

ISBN: 978 0 85766 333 7