Dr. Tori Bay—Tori might be one of the top plant-disease specialists in the US National Parks Service, but she’s never before seen anything like the disease in Bear Claw’s Forgotten Forest…or been paired with a local like Jack. When it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want them near the hot zone, she must rely on Jack for 24/7 protection. Chondra—Tori’s friend and head lab tech is willing to help her out on the sly when their bosses shut down the increasingly dangerous investigation into the Bear Claw outbreak. Percy Proudfoot—Bear Claw’s mayor is a notorious penny-pincher…but is there something far more devious going on? The Shadow Militia—The armed men and their military trucks disappeared into the forest months ago…but are they really gone? And what do they want? Detective Tucker McDermott—Jack’s boss and good friend is being run ragged trying to get the deadly drugs off the city streets on one hand, while trying to protect the vast state park system on the other.
