Hunting Daylight (9781101619032)

PRAISE FOR

ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT

“Piper Maitland skillfully crafts edge-of-your-seat, otherworldly suspense laced with a wicked sense of humor.”

—Lori Wilde,
New York Times
bestselling author

“This book is fantastic. A perfect blend of Dan Brown’s religious intrigue, Michael Crichton’s scientific thriller, and Anne Rice’s vampire novels. The writing is wonderfully done, keeping the reader engaged, not letting go until the last page has turned. The science and explanation behind how vampires came to be and their folklore is believable, and by the end of the story, readers may find they are checking over their shoulders to see if a vampire is close behind…excellent.”


Portland Book Review

“Bulgarian vampires and nonstop sex (not with the Bulgarian vampires), PLUS an illuminated lost manuscript in a twisty tale of family mystery, murder, and corporate greed.”

—Diana Gabaldon,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Outlander series

“A twisted and complex take on vampire lore and legends…If you’re a fan of unusual vampire stories, this action-packed and fast-paced book will please you immensely.”


Fresh Fiction

“A fantastic read. Smart and sophisticated…A DaVinci Code–esque adventure with a fresh take on vampirism and an emotional, sexy romance.”

—Virna DePaul, author of
Chosen by Sin

“A singe-your-fingers page turner. Don’t miss this one.”

—Shirley Hailstock, author of
Some Like Them Rich

“This is an exciting action-packed Brownian fantasy with several twists that keep the reader obsessed with a need to know what’s next.”


Midwest Book Review

“Maitland puts her more literary spin on the UF genre with this rich, compelling novel. She’s a talented storyteller and the ending leaves open the possibility of sequels. I for one would enjoy visiting this world again!”


RT Book Reviews
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Berkley titles by Piper Maitland

ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT

HUNTING DAYLIGHT

HUNTING

DAYLIGHT

PIPER MAITLAND

BERKLEY BOOKS, NEW YORK

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa), Rosebank Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North 2193, South Africa • Penguin China, B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

HUNTING DAYLIGHT

A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley premium edition / February 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Michael Lee West.

Cover design by Rita Frangie. Photo composition by S. Miroque.

Sinister Eyes
copyright © Dundanim / Shutterstock.

Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-101-61903-2

BERKLEY
®

Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
Table of Contents

Prologue: The First Expedition

Part One: Jude and Caro

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Part Two: Hunting Daylight

Chapter 5

Part Three: Ten Years Later

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Part Four: Heart-Shaped World

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Part Five: Bloodstream

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

Part Six: Tear in My Hand

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Part Seven: Timing is Everything

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

PROLOGUE
THE FIRST
EXPEDITION

 

 

 

BIROUGOU RAIN FOREST

GABON, AFRICA

JANUARY 10

The first time Dr. Ray-Bob Campbell died, he was fifty-two years old, a tenured zoology professor at Auburn University, a big-shot bat expert who resembled the creatures he studied. The jocks called him Dr. Squeak. They made fun of his gangly arms, tapered ears, and wide-set eyes, each one no bigger than a raisin.

Probably he’d still look that way if he hadn’t taught that night class and squabbled with a skinny Goth co-ed. Jesus, what a bitch. He’d given her an F; she’d turned him into a vampire.

Actually, Campbell didn’t mind being undead. That little catch in his right knee had gone away, and his blood pressure returned to normal. His face seemed different, too, just this side of handsome, and women were always
calling his house now, suggesting dinner or more toothsome activities.

He might have stayed in Alabama forever if he hadn’t taken a job with the Al-Dîn Corporation. They’d offered him fifty thousand dollars just to poke around in an African rain forest and study bats. Not bad for a thirty-day gig, he bragged to his girlfriends. Not bad at all. The expedition started on January tenth, and he’d be home by Valentine’s Day.

On a chilly January night, the company jet flew Campbell to Franceville, Gabon, first class all the way, right down to the blacked-out windows and plush layovers. When he arrived, he was given an English-speaking Baka guide and a cooler with A negative blood. That night, he and the guide took a dirt logging road to Birougou National Park. The truck rattled over potholes, bugs splattering against the windshield, bushes clawing at the tires.

The red dirt path ended in the forest, and the guide unloaded the gear. Campbell strode ahead, moths swarming around his lantern, primates shrieking alarm calls from the dark trees. He felt like a man of the jungle, but with a conservationist twist. If Tarzan and Al Gore had a baby, it would be Campbell.

He was supposed to hook up with the expedition team just beyond the Ngounie waterfalls, but like he told the guide, he’d get there when he got there. It wasn’t like he was dawdling. This part of the Birougou wetlands hadn’t been mapped, and it was impossible to see a damn thing because the rain kept falling in punishing torrents. Twice he skidded in elephant dung, but he pressed on. As he hacked through vines and leathery bushes, he thought
about those fifty thousand dollars. He’d buy a red BMW and find a big-titted woman.

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