7.
On the first of July, I flew back to Baltimore to see my brother and his family.
Em seems to think it was all a dream. She hardly ever has nightmares anymore. Ali has enrolled her daughter in jujutsu classes. She studies, too. So does Sean.
My brother and I have had a lot of long talks since this began. They started at Uncle Jack’s funeral, and we’ve talked almost every day since. I thought all of this would drive him away. Drive us farther apart. That’s not what happened, though. I think Sean got to see enough of what I do to understand how it’s changed me. And I see him—the cop, the husband, the father, the man—and I respect him more than I ever did. Maybe this whole “brother” thing will work out for us. Time will tell, but I like our odds.
And Lefty?
Mr. Church has a lot of friends in the industry.
A lot of them.
It was a long road, and there’s a chance that Lefty won’t ever pitch in the major leagues.
But then again he might.
Kid throws a hell of a fastball. Even I can’t hit it. Even when I try.
ALSO BY JONATHAN MABERRY
NOVELS
Kill Switch
Predator One
Code Zero
Extinction Machine
Assassin’s Code
King of Plagues
The Dragon Factory
Patient Zero
Joe Ledger: Special Ops
Dead of Night
Fall of Night
The Wolfman
Mars One
The X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate
The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army
The Nightsiders: Vault of Shadows
Deathlands: Ghostwalkers
Bits & Pieces
Fire & Ash
Flesh & Bone
Dust & Decay
Rot & Ruin
Bad Moon Rising
Dead Man’s Song
Ghost Road Blues
Dark of Night
ANTHOLOGIES
V-Wars
V-Wars: Blood & Fire
V-Wars: Night Terrors
X-Files: Secret Agendas
V-Wars: Shock Waves
Out of Tune
X-Files: Trust No One
X-Files: The Truth Is Out There
NONFICTION
Wanted Undead or Alive
They Bite
Zombie CSU
The Cryptopedia
Vampire Universe
Vampire Slayer’s
Field Guideto the Undead
(as Shane MacDougall)
Ultimate Jujutsu
Ultimate Sparring
The Martial Arts Student Logbook
Judo and You
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine
Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher
Marvel Universe vs. The Avengers
Captain America: Hail Hydra
Klaws of the Panther
Doomwar
Black Panther: Power
Marvel Zombies Return
Rot & Ruin: Warrior Smart
V-Wars: The Crimson Queen
V-Wars: All of Us Monsters
Bad Blood
COLLECTIONS
Whistling Past the Graveyard
A Little Bronze Book of Cautionary Tales
Beneath the Skin:
The Sam Hunter Case Files
BOARD GAMES
V-Wars: A Game of Blood and Betrayal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestseller and multiple Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Kill Switch, Predator One, Code Zero, Fall of Night, Patient Zero, the Pine Deep Trilogy, Mars One, and The Nightsiders. His work for Marvel Comics includes The Punisher, Wolverine, Black Panther: Doomwar, Marvel Zombies Return, and Black Panther. His Joe Ledger series has been optioned for film. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note
Part One: Small Monsters
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Part Two: John the Revelator
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Part Three: Watching the Detectives
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Part Four: The Education of Zephyr Bain
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Chapter Seventy-Six
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Chapter Seventy-Nine
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty-One
Chapter Eighty-Two
Part Five: Havoc
Chapter Eighty-Three
Chapter Eighty-Four
Chapter Eighty-Five
Chapter Eighty-Six
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Chapter Eighty-Eight
Chapter Eighty-Nine
Chapter Ninety
Chapter Ninety-One
Chapter Ninety-Two
Chapter Ninety-Three
Chapter Ninety-Four
Chapter Ninety-Five
Chapter Ninety-Six
Chapter Ninety-Seven
Chapter Ninety-Eight
Chapter Ninety-Nine
Ch
apter One Hundred
Chapter One Hundred and One
Chapter One Hundred and Two
Chapter One Hundred and Three
Chapter One Hundred and Four
Chapter One Hundred and Five
Chapter One Hundred and Six
Chapter One Hundred and Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Ten
Chapter One Hundred and Eleven
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen
Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen
Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen
Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen
Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Seven
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Eight
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Nine
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two
Epilogue
Also by Jonathan Maberry
About the Author
Copyright
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.
DOGS OF WAR. Copyright © 2017 by Jonathan Maberry. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Rob Grom
Cover photographs: man with gun © Aaron Amat/Shutterstock.com; robotic dog © Ociacia/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-09848-1 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-250-09849-8 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781250098498
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First Edition: April 2017