The Pitcher Plant

Summary: A scientist, Dr. Branner, discovers a new species of carnivorous plant living in the Amazon. He takes it back to his lab in the VanAndel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to study it. The plant seems to have animal-like characteristics, including the ability to sense its prey nearby and snatch at them quickly as they go by. The plant had contracted a strange virus that caused these abilities. Unfortunately, the virus is sensitive to gamma rays, and when the plant is accidentally exposed to a gamma generator it starts growing, as well as its appetite...

Prologue
The phone on Chief Officer Thomas McGrady's bedside table rang. He awoke slowly, rubbed at his eyes and picked it up. "Hello?" he said, irritatedly. "Unless this is important, I'd like to be left alone."

"Officer!" came an exasperated voice. "Officer McGrady, there's an emergency!"

"If this is another false alarm..."

"No!" replied the voice desperately. "This is serious!"

"What is it?"

"Two scientists have disappeared from the VanAndel Insititute last night!"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed the officer, suddenly wide awake.

"Yeah, that's what happened! All that remained was&mdash;ugh&mdash;their skeletons!"

By now, McGrady was jumping out of bed and reaching for his clothes. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he said urgently. "Do you have any idea of how this happened?"

"Not really," answered Officer Brenton on the other end. "But whatever it was was able to digest them at an incredible rate!"

"All right, just sit tight until I can get there," replied McGrady, pulling on his pants. But he knew what it was. He had had an encounter with the one responsible before.