Melvin Crew stopped, blinking in the bright sunlight.
The shots rang out, so close together they sounded like firecrackers, and his father was abruptly punched back into the darkness of the doorway.
“Dad!” screamed Gideon, leaping over the barrier and running across the hot asphalt of the parking lot. “Dad!”
Shouts erupted behind him, cries of “Who’s that kid?” and “Hold fire!”
He leapt the curb and cut across the lawn toward the entrance. Figures raced forward to intercept him.
“Jesus Christ, stop him!”
He slipped on the grass, fell to his hands and knees, rose again. He could see only his father’s two feet, sticking out of the dark doorway into the sunlight, shoes pointed skyward, scuffed soles turned up for all to see, one with a hole in it. It was a dream, a dream—and then the last thing he saw before he was tackled to the ground was the feet move, jerking twice.
“Dad!” he screamed into the grass, trying to claw back to his feet as the weight of the world piled up on his shoulders; but he’d seen those feet move, his father was alive, he would wake up and all would be well.
Dear Friend and Reader,
About a dozen times a year we send a short, entertaining note to a select group of our readers. It brings you information available nowhere else. We call it The Pendergast File Each missive includes a surprise or shock: an outlandish bit of Pendergast history, a marvelous giveaway, a contest, hidden clues to buried treasure, a sampling of horrible reviews, upcoming book signings, snide and nasty comments about reviewers we dislike, and other amusing tidbits.
In short, The Pendergast File is not your ordinary “newsletter.”
If you would like to sign up for The Pendergast File, please go to our website, www.prestonchild.com, and click on the sign-up button. You can opt out at any time.
With warm regards,
Doug & Linc
P.S.: We will never, ever, under any circumstances, share your e-mail address or information.
By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Gideon’s Corpse
Gideon’s Sword
Fever Dream
Cemetery Dance
The Wheel of Darkness
The Book of the Dead
Dance of Death
Brimstone
Still Life with Crows
The Cabinet of Curiosities
The Ice Limit
Thunderhead
Riptide
Reliquary
Mount Dragon
Relic
In answer to a frequently asked reader question: The above titles are listed in descending order of publication, though almost all of them are stand-alone novels that need not be read in order. However, the pairs Relic/Reliquary, Dance of Death/The Book of the Dead, and Fever Dream/Cold Vengeance are ideally read in sequence.
By Douglas Preston
Impact
The Monster of Florence (with Mario Spezi)
Blasphemy
Tyrannosaur Canyon
The Codex
Ribbons of Time
The Royal Road
Talking to the Ground
Jennie
Cities of Gold
Dinosaurs in the Attic
By Lincoln Child
Terminal Freeze
Deep Storm
Death Match
Utopia
Tales of the Dark 1–3
Dark Banquet
Dark Company
#1 BESTSELLING FOR:
Weekly • Chicago Sun-Times • Publishers Weekly
• Baltimore Sun • Chicago Tribune • Denver Post
• Arizona Republic • Buffalo News • Orlando Sentinel
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Newsday • New Jersey
Star-Ledger • Detroit Free Press
READERS ARE HOT FOR
COLD VENGEANCE!
“I’ve just finished reading the book, and as usual, it was not possible to put it down for longer than two minutes without getting itchy fingers. Another fabulous read which leaves more questions than answers, but what a ride to the end. Keep up the good work!”
—Paul Bevan, Basildon, UK
“Well, gentlemen, I just finished COLD VENGEANCE. I would like to say that the book is marvelous and perfect. While I abhor the cliffhanger, I love it at the same time. I congratulate you on your latest work, and cannot wait until your next book!”
—Adam D. Ferguson, Indianapolis, IN
“I read COLD VENGEANCE in twelve hours. I was up till 3:30 a.m. reading, had to be at work at 6:30 a.m. I am so tired today but your book was worth the time. So many words could describe how good your book is, all I can say is ‘mind-blowing.’ I loved it! Thank you for the excellent read and I look forward to the next.”
—Joshua Hudson, Pensacola, FL
“What a page-turner! I couldn’t put it down, even called in and canceled several appointments because I just had to keep reading. Seriously, I want to thank you both for the outstanding writing that you do. Really looking forward to see what unfolds in the follow-up to COLD VENGEANCE.”
—Andreia Morrison, City Island, NY
“Just finished COLD VENGEANCE and per usual it delivered twists, turns, and thrills! And also left this reader eager for the next Agent Pendergast novel. Your writing so captivates me that I get absolutely nothing else done until I finish a book! Thanks and appreciation, gentlemen, for such wonderful and inventive entertainment!”
—Dawn McKeone, Nashua, NH
“I want to thank you for the years of enjoyment your novels have given me. While I have a favorite list of protagonists: Joe Pike, Jack Reacher, John Rain, and Burke, none equal Pendergast. I love this character. I can’t wait for the next novel.”
—Murphy Nolan, Toronto, ON
“Once again, you have left me speechless and craving more at the end of COLD VENGEANCE. Cruel and inhumane to leave us hanging like this, but understandable. I love all the plot twists. Can’t wait to see what comes next.”
—Steve Mueckenhoff, Woodstock, IL
Acclaim for the Novels of Preston and Child
COLD VENGEANCE
“Before you even open the cover of a Preston and Child book, you know you’re in for a good, if chilling, even thrilling time.”
—Asbury Park Press
“[Preston and Child are] still going strong… Such is the talent of our authors that we happily follow their characters… all over the globe, from the moors of Scotland to the loony bins of New York City; the recipe is mixed well with a dash of assassins here and a soupcon of Nazis there, a couple of traitors and some really fascinating secondary characters… COLD VENGEANCE is a hot hell of a fun read.”
—Examiner.com
“4½ stars! Top Pick! Preston and Child continue their dominance of the thriller genre with stellar writing and twists that come at a furious pace. Others may try to write like them, but no one can come close. The best in the business deliver another winner.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have outdone themselves once again, and with COLD VENGEANCE at the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list, it’s proof this is without a doubt the best in the entire series. The third book can’t come soon enough.”
—GoodReads.com
“5 stars! This fast-paced series continues to provide the reader with many twists. What you thought you knew from prior Pendergast novels may not necessarily be true.”
—TheMysteryReader.com
FEVER DREAM
“This is no dream; it’s the authors’ best book in years.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“A thrill a minute.”
—San Jose Mercury News
“[One of the] summer’s best beach books.”
—Newark Star-Ledger
“Preston and Child up the emotional ante considerably in this thriller featuring brill
iant and eccentric Pendergast… Once again, the bestselling authors show they have few peers at creating taut scenes of suspense.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Together [Preston and Child] reach an entirely different level, achieving a stylistic grace and thematic resonance neither has so far matched alone. This may be the best of the Pendergast novels… a definite must-read.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Pendergast has never been more brilliant, eccentric, and intriguing.”
—TucsonCitizen.com
Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
A Preview of Two Graves
A Preview of Gideon’s Sword
By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Readers Are Hot For Cold Vengeance!
Acclaim for the Novels of Preston and Child
Copyright
Copyright
While most towns and other locations in Cold Vengeance are imaginary, we have in a few instances employed our own version of existing places such as Scotland, New York City, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge. In such cases, we have not hesitated to alter geography, topology, history, and other details to suit the needs of the story.
All persons, locales, police departments, corporations, institutions, museums, and governmental agencies mentioned in this novel are either fictions or used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2011 by Splendide Mendax, Inc. and Lincoln Child
Excerpt from Two Graves copyright © 2011 by Splendide Mendax, Inc. and Lincoln Child
Excerpt from Gideon’s Sword copyright © 2011 by Splendide Mendax, Inc. and Lincoln Child
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
www.twitter.com/grandcentralpub
Second e-book edition: August 2011
Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
ISBN 978-0-446-57600-0