****From bestselling author Dean Koontz comes an eBook original novella, the first of two tales that pave the way for* Ashley Bell,* his new novel of dark suspense! A woman with a good heart and a troubling gift. A man with a twisted soul and a terrifying talent. In this literal war of wills, only one can survive.** ** ** ** With just a touch, Makani Hisoka-O’Brien can see the deepest secrets that others conceal—and it frightens her. There’s danger in the terrible knowledge that floods her mind and haunts her conscience. With just a touch, Rainer Sparks can learn the biggest problems that others bear—and it thrills him. There’s profit to be made making problems go away, by *any* means . . . including murder. In a place as big as Southern California, these two might have never met and discovered one another’s chilling abilities. But good and evil have a way of colliding . . . with shattering consequences. * * * **Acclaim for Dean Koontz** * * * “Dean Koontz is a prose stylist whose lyricism heightens malevolence and tension. [He creates] characters of unusual richness and depth . . . with a level of perception and sensitivity that is not merely convincing; it’s astonishing.” ***—The Seattle Times* ** * * * “Demanding much of itself, Koontz’s style bleaches out clichés while showing a genius for details. He leaves his competitors buried in the dust.” ***—Kirkus Reviews* ** * * * “A rarity among bestselling writers, Koontz continues to pursue new ways of telling stories, never content with repeating himself.” **— *Chicago Sun-Times*** * * * “Tumbling, hallucinogenic prose. ‘Serious’ writers . . . might do well to examine his technique.” **— *The New York Times Book Review*** * * * “[Koontz] has always had near-Dickensian powers of description, and an ability to yank us from one page to the next that few novelists can match.” ***—Los Angeles Times* ** * * * “Koontz is a superb plotter and wordsmith. He chronicles the hopes and fears of our time in broad strokes and fine detail, using popular fiction to explore the human condition.” **— *USA Today*** * * * “Characters and the search for meaning, exquisitely crafted, are the soul of [Koontz’s] work. . . . One of the master storytellers of this or any age.” **— *The Tampa Tribune*** * * * “A literary juggler.” **— *The Times* (London)**