The Fall

The Fall
Chuck Hogan

Guillermo Del Toro

The tension-filled sequel to THE STRAIN, now a popular Amazon TV show.Humans have been displaced at the top of the food chain, and now understand – to their outright horror – what it is to be not the consumer, but the consumed.Ephraim Goodweather, director of the New York office of the Centers for Disease control, is one of the few humans who understands what is really happening. Vampires have arrived in New York City, and their condition is contagious. If they cannot be contained, the entire world is at risk of infection.As Eph becomes consumed with the battle against the total corruption of humanity, his ex-wife, Kelly, now a vampire herself, is ever-more determined to claim their son, Zack.As the Biblical origins of the Ancient ones are gradually revealed, Eph learns that there is a greater, more terrible plan in store for the human race – worse even than annihilation…

THE FALL

BOOK II

OF

The Strain Trilogy

GUILLERMO DEL TORO

and CHUCK HOGAN

Dedication (#ulink_9e33f5ce-3daf-5253-9c9c-757c07783afa)

This one is for Lorenza, with all my love.

—GDT

For my four favorite creatures.

—CH

Contents

Cover (#u9b11f075-8dc2-5ec4-aa8e-26d851e10112)

Title Page (#u0aefb250-3bac-5417-a3d1-e5e918c09bd2)

Dedication

Extract from the diary of Ephraim Goodweather (#u79222e07-b15e-5be7-8645-0378e84f46f7)

Gray Skies (#u97cd7d38-d171-53d7-8f05-5b54daad108c)

Knickerbocker Loans and Curios, East 118th Street, Spanish Harlem (#u4348539d-c96f-53e4-8dc6-ae3ed3a65e84)

The Master—Part I (#u405fb345-e5d6-51a2-a018-6182ca45e6f1)

Interlude I: Fall 1944 (#uebc8eafc-3104-53a4-ab5c-f0ff7a88877d)

Cold Wind Blowing (#litres_trial_promo)

Knickerbocker Loans and Curios, East 118th Street, Spanish Harlem (#litres_trial_promo)

Interlude II: Occido Lumen: The Story of the Book (#litres_trial_promo)

The Master—Part II (#litres_trial_promo)

Fallen Leaves (#litres_trial_promo)

The Sewer (#litres_trial_promo)

Interlude III: Setrakian’s Heart (#litres_trial_promo)

The Flatlands (#litres_trial_promo)

Rainfall (#litres_trial_promo)

Thud-Bump! (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract from the diary of Ephraim Goodweather (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract from the diary of Ephraim Goodweather (#ulink_b8cb2001-853a-5fa3-a56c-186e7b2b1abe)

Friday, November 26

It took the world just sixty days to end. And we were there to account for it—our omissions, our arrogance …

By the time the crisis went to Congress, and was analyzed, legislated, and ultimately vetoed, we had already lost. The night belonged to them.

Leaving us longing for daylight when it was ours no more …

All this mere days after our “uncontestable video evidence” reached the world—its truth drowned in thousands of smirking rebuttals and parodies that YouTube’d us beyond all hope.

It became a Late Night pun, smart-asses that we were, hardy-har-har—until dusk fell upon us and we turned to face an immense, uncaring void.

The first stage of public response to any epidemic is always Denial.

The second, Search For Blame.

All the usual scarecrows were trotted out as distractions: economic woes, social unrest, the racial scapegoating, terrorist threats.