03040cam a2200289 4500 2087592512 TxAuBib 20250403120000.0 ||||||s2024||||||||||||||||||||||||und|u B0CBXLPBZ4 Amazon d27ce1e1-1fdb-4a70-b82a-fc1d40e9934d OverDrive (Reserve ID) 9988782 OverDrive (Product ID) TxAuBib Kimelman, Emily. Brutal Mercy [Bridges eBook]. Emily Kimelman, 2024. Format: OverDrive OverDrive Read. Format: OverDrive Kindle Book. HTML:<p>The dog's howls echo the mechanical whine of the sirens blaring from the speakers. The sounds undulate, rising and falling like the jungle-draped topography around us.</p> <p>The airfield we stand on is a swath of ochre in a sea of riotous green—the sky above a cerulean dome hazed in tremulous clouds. Sunlight beats through them, baking the dirt, mixing with the moisture of the jungle and wrapping itself around us in a heavy, sweaty embrace. My arms tighten around my son.</p> <p>Frank presses his snout to James's foot, a low whine escaping as he looks up at me. Nila joins with Blue circling us as though forming a defensive line. They know we are in danger but don't know from what.</p> <p>The dogs in the jungle, trained to protect the compound's perimeter, continue to howl even as the sirens wind down.</p> <p>Blue leads us to the jungle path. Darkness closes in around us, the air stifling and humidity thick. Over the cascading insect orchestra, a resonating hum grows louder. James looks up at the canopy above us. "Vroom?" He asks.</p> <p>"Vroom," I agree, keeping my focus on the winding path. Roots criss-cross the dirt. Big wet leaves and spidery vines encroach, tugging at my clothing as if to stop me from entering. Sweat slides down my spine under my shirt.</p> <p>Nila jogs ahead, taking the lead, her nose to the ground while Blue stays by my side and Frank behind us—a train of people and dogs. A pack moving through the jungle. A formidable force.</p> <p>A bird squawks loudly, jerking James's attention. He pulls his arms from around my neck to clap.</p> <p>The drone's mechanical hum grows louder.</p> <p>Nila stops, turning her head to the sky, nostrils flaring, trying to find its scent. I crane my neck. Through the thick foliage the sky is just a few flashes of blue. Three shadows darken the diamonds of light cascading to the jungle floor, and flashes of white glint above us. No bombs drop. No bullets rain.</p> <p>Yet.</p>. Suspense. Thriller. Fiction. Mystery. Media Type: eBook. Importer Version: 2014-01-08.01 Import Date: 2025-04-01 20:00:03. https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=d27ce1e1-1fdb-4a70-b82a-fc1d40e9934d&.epub-sample.overdrive.com Excerpt (Kindle Book) https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=d27ce1e1-1fdb-4a70-b82a-fc1d40e9934d&.epub-sample.overdrive.com Excerpt (OverDrive Read)