Mikel Maxwell gets the two biggest shocks of his life at once: he's attacked by an inhuman monster, and he's saved... by his dead lover. Nineteen months ago, Mikel was told Slate died during his final mission for a mysterious government group. While not dead yet, Slate will be soon--he's been exposed to a terrible virus, and as much as he wants to live to be with Mikel, there's no guarantee the cure is any better.