Vanish Quotes

“My name is Mila, and this is my journey.
There are so many places where I could begin the story. I could start in the town where I grew up, in Kryvicy, on the banks of the Servac River, in the district of Miadziel. I could begin when I was eight years old, on the day my mother died, or when I was twelve, and my father fell beneath the wheels of the neighbour’s truck. But I think I should begin my story here, in the Mexican desert, so far from my home in Belarus. This is where I lost my innocence. This is where my dreams died.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“She pressed her fingers to the woman’s neck and felt icy skin.
Bending close to the lips, she waited for the whisper of a breath, the faintest puff of air against her cheek.
The corpse opened its eyes.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“Now we sit and wait,” the woman said, and she settled into a chair, the gun on her lap.
“What are we waiting for?” Jane asked.
The woman stared at her. Said, calmly: “The end.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“(these are my highlighted parts of the book)

Not human, thought Maura, as the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. My god, what have I brought back from the dead?

This poor woman's already died once. Let's not have it happen again.

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give to the court in the case now in hearing shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Corpses have woken up in morgues. Old graves have been dug up, and they have found claw marks inside the coffin lids. People are so terrified of the possibility that some casket makers sell coffins equipped with emergency transmitters to call for help. Just in case you're buried alive.

The resurrection of Christ wasn't a true resurrection. It was merely a case of premature burial.

When they ask you to play a child, it means they want you to be scared. They want you to scream. They enjoy it if you bleed.

It's not strength, Mila. It's hate. That's what keeps you alive.

Duplex rounds are designed to inflict maximum damage.

In marines, we call them "torso meat tags" because they're useful for identifying your corpse. In a blast, there's a good chance you'd lose your extremities. So a lot of soldiers choose to get their tattoos on their chest or back.

The world is evil, Mila, and there's no way to change it. The best you can do is to stay alive...and not be evil.

You're worse tan a whore. You don't just sell out yourself. You'd sell out anyone else.

But these bars look different; these are not to trap people in; they are meant to keep people out.

Come on baby. Stop being so goddamn stubborn. Help your mama out!

Some babies are born screamers. They refuse to be ignored.

God put mothers on this earth for a reason. Now, I'm not saying it takes a village to raise a kid. But it sure does help to have a grandma.

Human. A02/B00/C02(7cm)/D42
Scalp hair. Slightly curved, shaft is seven centimeters, pigment is medium red.

Reality's a bitch, ain't it? And so am I.

Whenever there are big boys playing with a lot of money, you can bet sex comes into it.

When I open my eyes again, I see more of Anja peeking out from the sand. The curve of her hip bone, the brown shaft of her thigh. The desert has decided to give her up, and now she is re-emerging from the earth.

Nothing that happened to you was your fault. Whatever those men did to you - whatever they made you do - they forced on you. It was done to your body. It has nothing to do with your soul. Your soul, Mila, is still pure.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“This is what love does to you, Jane thought. It makes you afraid, not brave. It gives the world carnivorous teeth that are poised at any moment to rip away chunks of your life.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“She needed so badly to sleep, but could not quiet the chaos in her head.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“But if you get hurt, you’re not the only one who bleeds, Jane. I do, too.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“She looked down at their hands and thought: This man never wavers. No matter how hard I push against him, he is always right there for me. Whether I deserve him or not.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“clanging”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“Oh Mom, I never realized how much I still need you. Do we ever stop needing our mothers?”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“Now, I’m not saying it takes a village to raise a kid.” She lowered her gaze back to the baby in her arms. “But it sure does help to have a grandma.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“A lifetime’s worth of memories atomized.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“I never had to worry about anyone else before, about what I could lose. I didn't know it would scare me so much. Now I've got this big exposed Achilles heel, and all I can think about is how to protect it.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish

“She knew Rollo was trying to intimidate her with the evil eye. Rattle the cop, throw her off balance. He was like too many other assholes she’d known, and his stare was nothing new. Just the last resort of a loser.”
― Tess Gerritsen, Vanish