The Last Rodeo in Kingdom Come (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781977287830)

Vernon is a failure. When the lab mixed up coyote DNA with Doberman Pinscher, he got all the wrong traits for a loyal assassin. Now he's trapped with a bunch of deadly but not-too-bright peers, and the boss has decided to have him destroyed. It won't be a total waste. His death will provide much-needed party entertainment for the man who owns him, billionaire weapons magnate, Charles Bellwether. But Vernon has a better idea. He thinks he might just crash that party and kill Charles, along with both his sons. He figures he'll go down in history, a worthy prize even if he has to die for it.

Emmylou sees ghosts. She can hear people thinking. Her dreams direct her through the world, and now they insist that she save it. But they don't provide much concrete guidance so, when Vernon offers to free her from the lab where she's kept as a research subject, she agrees to go with him despite her doubts. Together they stow away to Bellwether's Rocky Mountain resort, Kingdom Come, where his holiday party is about to begin.

Charles Bellwether V has risen to the top of the heap in weapons production. He controls his sons like he manages his business, each is a long-term investment with expected returns. Older son, Chuck, will be head of security, while younger son, Hayden, will bring his scientific genius to bear in biowarfare R&D, whether he likes it or not.

Hayden Bellwether is told he's a lucky young man, but he doesn't feel lucky. His brother's a bully, his mother's depressed, and Dad wants total control of his future. Saying no is not an option to the most powerful man on earth so, when Dad scuttles Hayden's dream of going away to college, he begins a secret campaign of revenge.

Chuck has very different dreams. He sees himself as the rightful heir to the family business and Hayden a threat to his turf. Chuck does everything to suck up to Dad but cannot seem to outshine his younger brother. He thinks he might have to kill him.

Chuck's trophy wife, Hyacinth, misses life as a social media star. Her sunny disposition has been overcast ever since moving to Kingdom Come. She loves the high life, but Chuck's ridicule and growing abuse makes her wonder if it's worth the price. She finds solace in party planning and, along with her best friends and fellow lifestyle influencers, she's got an epic hoedown in the works for this year's holiday party. All she has to do is survive it.

The Bellwether's party is renowned for its sumptuous merrymaking. The festivities run from Christmas to New Year's Eve, climaxing with a bloody spectacle known as 'the Rodeo.' Featuring all the failed animals from Bellwether's bioweapons lab, the rodeo allows audience members to indulge their darkest impulses while swilling champagne and gobbling gourmet treats. This year, everyone has a surprise in the works. Hayden plans to destroy his father's company, Chuck's going to murder his brother, while Charles is plotting to blow up the planet and declare himself king. Vernon wants to kill them all, but not if Emmylou can help it. With nothing but ghosts and dreams to guide her, she still has to save the world.