Friday, October 21, 2011

HOTWIRE (ALEX KAVA)


Story Description: 

On a crisp fall evening in western Nebraska, what started as a group of kids filming their drug-induced party ends in an explosive light show, leaving the victims apparently electrocuted, with odd scorch marks being the only evidence.  While Maggie tries to make sense of the different stories, sifting through what is real and what is hallucination, she realizes that the surviving teens are being targeted and systematically eliminated. 

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Army Colonel Benjamin Platt is at the scene of a deadly outbreak, desperate to identify the pathogen that has infected children at a Washington, D.C., elementary school.  Despite the miles that separate them, the two cases collide as Maggie and Platt uncover the secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the remote Midwest landscape. 

My Review: 

Dawson Hayes was a geek who did odd things like wearing all black on Football Fridays when everyone else wore school colours.  He’d brought his Dad’s “taser” to the party in the Nebraska National Forest which made him feel powerful.  Dawson felt like he could do anything!  The taser was easy to use…just point, aim and bam! 50,000 volts of electricity would be delivered to the recipient and Dawson knew that he could control anyone and everyone with it. 

Johnny B. was a quarterback, homecoming king and was charming beyond words.  He liked to conduct “experiments” like the one he was doing tonight and his guest list at this party only included 7 people.  Dawson had already helped him set up the video camera amongst the trees where it couldn’t be seen.  All the kids, including Dawson and Johnny were chewing “salvia”, a more potent type of weed that Johnny said was like: “rock-‘n’-roll fireworks squeezing your brain, convincing you that you could fly.”  Johnny was secretly filming this drug-induced party. 

Dawson saw something among the trees, a pair of fiery red eyes that suddenly came running out of the brush racing straight at him.  He held up his arm, pointed the taser and pulled the trigger.  The creature moved backwards and fell and Dawson began running.  The branches in the bush tore his clothing, slashed his skin and he couldn’t see. He hit a wire, “hard”, and the jolt of electricity knocked him off his feet and by the time he had hit the ground, his shirt was slick with blood!!

Special Agent Maggie O’Dell of the FBI specialized in criminal behaviour and profiling.  She had advanced degrees in behavioural psychology and forensic science.  Her boss, Raymond Kunze had sent her to Nebraska to teach some classes but she ended up at the crime scene of the teenagers in the forest off Highway #83.  A group of teenagers had been severely injured, each with varying degrees and numbers of wounds.  One girl had a large bite mark on her arm but the absence of blood perplexed Maggie.  Then she tripped and fell her penlight rolling about 3 feet away from her in the brush.  She reached her light and the beam shone directly into the wide-open eyes of a boy who appeared dead.  Then he blinked!!  His body was wrapped in barbed wire.  Altogether there were 2 dead teenagers and 5 injured. 

What is going on in this forest?  Who or what has attacked these kids?  Well, hang onto your hats folks for this is one rollercoaster ride of suspense you don’t want to miss!  Alex Kava never misses the mark!

No comments:

Post a Comment