Free The Stones of Angkor (Purge of Babylon, Book 3) by Sam Sisavath

here.”
    “So that’s settled,” Mike said. “When do you head back?”
    “I’m not in any hurry,” Will said. “If you want, I can help out with the Archers tomorrow.”
    “I’d be an idiot to turn down an Army Ranger’s offer.”
    The two men shook hands.
    *
    After dinner, Gaby walked back to her room. She saw a boy watching her from a partially open door. He had a pale face and hollow eyes, and for a brief instant she thought she was looking at a ghoul child.
    The boy closed the door as she walked past.
    She finally made it back to her room, feeling less than full after dinner. She hadn’t wanted to say anything, because Mike and the others went out of their way to welcome them. The food wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t island food.
    There was still enough light outside, so she decided to strip down her Glock and clean it, too, and was slightly annoyed when there was another knock on her door.
    “Come in.”
    It was Will this time. He closed the door softly behind him.
    “Thank God,” she said. “I thought it was that Benny kid again.”
    “He likes you.”
    “He’s a teenager, Will. He likes anything with tits and ass.”
    That got an amused grin from him.
    “What’s up?” she asked.
    Will had a small bundle wrapped in red felt and tied with brown twine in his hand. He tossed it to her. “Happy early birthday.”
    “It’s not—” She stopped herself.
    Oh my God.
    “I forgot,” she said quietly. “I can’t believe I forgot my own birthday.”
    “Lara didn’t. Eighteen, right?”
    “Nineteen.”
    “Right. Nineteen.”
    “Can I…?”
    “Knock yourself out, birthday girl.”
    “It won’t be official until tomorrow.”
    “Close enough.”
    Gaby pulled at the twine and it slipped effortlessly free. She realized she was trembling slightly when she peeled the felt wrapping to reveal a can of Dole Pineapple Chunks.
    “It’s the last can on the island,” Will said. “Lara saved it two weeks ago to give it to you. She’s been hiding it in the freezer without telling anyone, so…” Will put a finger to his lips. “Mum’s the word.”
    “I don’t know what to say.”
    “I told her we should have gotten you something else. Like jewelry. Teenage girls love jewelry, right?”
    Gaby gave him a wry look before beaming. “This is great, Will. Thank you.”
    “Yeah?”
    She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. I mean it. You guys are awesome.”
    “Glad to hear it.” He fished a plastic spork out of his pocket and tossed it to her. “Go crazy, kid.”
    Gaby anxiously pulled the tab off the can.
    Will headed for the door, singing badly off-key, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you.”
    Gaby was too busy fishing out a chunk of pineapple dripping with heavy, artificially-flavored syrup to reply. She plopped it into her mouth and sighed with bliss.
    *
    Amy warned her to keep her blinds closed at night, and she did. Even so, once darkness fell, Gaby heard them almost immediately.
    She knew the ghouls could climb, and there were enough handholds along the sides of the hospital for them to use. Even so, she was stunned by the speed with which they appeared once the sun set. It had been so long since she was this close to a ghoul, she almost cringed at the realization that they were outside her window at this very moment.
    She sat on the floor, back against the side of the bed, and listened to them moving. The M4 lay across her lap, the magazine in it, like the ones around her waist, loaded with silver bullets. They had stopped carrying regular ammo a long time ago. Silver killed a human being just as well as a ghoul.
    The window blinds were made of thick, hypoallergenic fabric that did a tremendous job of reflecting sunlight in the daytime, and was just as effective at night against moonlight. She could barely make out the lone, thin figure clinging to the windowsill on the other side. She didn’t have to see it to know what it was, though. There was nothing human about the