The hunt took place on the final Friday of the year. Participants arrived before dawn at Johnson's forty-acre farm. Dogs whined and sniffed the air. Rifles lay broken across the hunters' arms. At daybreak, the prey was released--fourteen teenage girls--and the dogs gave chase.

The scrapbook held tokens from her youth--a state fair ribbon, school certificates, grade school valentines. Yolanda flipped through, reliving events she hadn't thought about in years. In the back, behind an old birthday card, was a photo of her with a man that wasn't her father.

Rendering the competition impotent was the ultimate goal and the main reason Shady Waters had hired her. Jen Meryl's list of conquered companies was long and impressive--as was her willingness to succeed, no matter the cost.

This wasn't his first war. He'd been boots-on-ground in the Kuwaiti conflict, then Kosovo, and Egypt following. He had more miles in Afghanistan than entire Marine platoons--and the Pulitzer to prove it. But this time, this time, it was so much worse.

The need to vomit rolled in waves through her body, causing her lunch to sit at the top of her throat. She fought to control the nausea, to staunch the cold sweat, and to ignore the sight of so many innocent people slaughtered in front of her.

Except for a bottle of drain cleaner and a shower cap, the shelves of the convenience store were empty. The power went out soon after the storm struck, leaving citizens cold and hungry and desperate. The contents of the tiny store weren't its only victims.

Smoke oozed from the car parked at the end of the culdesac. The builder was bankrupt and the neighborhood incomplete--making it the perfect hangout for bored teenagers and occasional druggies. Thirty minutes after the smoke started, the car burst into flames.

Wearing tap shoes and a bunny tail, Honey clicked her way through the warehouse store. Some people laughed, a few guys heckled, but most people ignored the strange girl in the large city that never slept.

She woke up but couldn't see. The absence of light disoriented her. Feeling around, Kari had two feet on either side, she stood at the base of wherever she was, and she couldn't touch anything above her head. And the door, an arms length in front of her body, was locked.

Baskets containing fruits and vegetables lined the bed of the truck. After two summer weeks locked in the barn, the smell of rot and swarms of flies filled the dusty gloom. The sheriff wondered: Why did Brown load his truck for market and fail to make the delivery?

In the week before her death, Sam's diary pages contained two words each. Monday: I tried. Tuesday: He lied. Wednesday: How come? Thursday: She promised. Friday: It hurt. Saturday: Two thousand. Sunday: I died.

With a soft click, the door on the back of Simon's head swung open. Wires and lights surrounded a central set of moving gears. The technician adjusted settings and switched out the hard drive, then closed the door again and turned Simon's power on.

The Ultimate Gamer contest was in the final rounds. The single-elimination bracket was now down to sixteen players, all vying for bragging rights and a large cash prize. No one asked what happened to those knocked out or what happened afterwards.

The band around her wrist tightened each hour. Her assignment--collect the items on the list provided--had a tight deadline and the band a no-so-subtle reminder. She ran between locations, darted between cars, and hoped she could finish in time.

The coach blew his whistle, and the team dropped to the ground. He whistled again, and the players popped up to run in place. The routine continued in the 100-degree heat until one player stopped. "I've had enough." Pulling out a gun, he took aim and fired.

The blizzard closed the airport and caused a massive rush at the rental car counter. Anxious to get ahead of the storm, travelers rented cars that weren't clean and had empty tanks--which was why it took so long to find the head in the trunk.

Friday morning, between eight and eleven, the collectors would arrive. "Donations" were accepted, based on each family's worth and earnings. Farmers gave a portion of their crops and cattle. Bakers supplied bread and pastries. Carter gave three pints of blood.

The first strike of the wrecking ball caved in the outside wall, scattering bricks and debris. The second one knocked over a portion of the inner wall which teetered before falling and distributing skeletal remains across the building floor.

Simmons spent two years getting the room ready. Batteries, water, and dried food lined one wall, tools, blankets, and electronics another. After one last scan of the perimeter, Simmons engaged the security system and fastened the locks. Then he armed the bomb.

Potty training a puppy ranked next to dentist visits and doing taxes. Potty training a puppy during a blizzard was the absolute worst. Sherman pulled on his winter gear, put Kiya on the leash, opened the door and shrieked when the frozen man fell inside.