Right Through Me (The Obsidian Files #1)(13)

She never came back. CPS had been farming them out to foster homes when Noah took his younger brother and sister and ran away.

He’d kept them going for quite a while. Scrounging, stealing and scamming was all he knew how to do at the time, so he’d clenched his teeth and done it. They had to eat.

He and Asa were both skilled, having learned the craft from Mom and Dad. Places to stay were more complicated, but they managed, sleeping in flophouses, or on the streets. They might have gone on like that indefinitely but for a run of bad luck. Hannah had pneumonia when the Midlands recruiter found them. Asa was being surly and secretive, sneaking out at night. All of them were hungry, dirty and cold.

The recruiter overdid his promo spiel. The way he told it, Midlands was an elite school for magical superkids. Like any elite, desirable place would be free, ever. The guy said Midlands would give them powers, abilities that would make them special.

Riiiight. It sounded like a big f*cking fairy tale to him, but he figured, why not go with it for now? Get some hot food, a shower, antibiotics for Hannah. As soon as they were on their feet again, they’d pick a lock and breeze on out of there.

Asa had disagreed violently. Fuck, no, he said. Don’t get near the place. Those scumbags would shackle them and eat their livers.

Noah lost it. Told Asa to f*ck off. Big fist fight. And Asa had f*cked off.

Permanently.

His brother never did get to gloat about being right. Midlands had been worse than he’d ever imagined. And Noah had led his baby sister in there by the hand.

He shoved that thought down into the dark where it belonged. Or tried to. Despite his best efforts, he could still feel its cold dead weight inside him. He needed to leave that stuff behind. He had problems enough to deal with right now.

Like Asa’s mysterious message. Aside from its content, the message implied other alarming things. Asa knew Sisko’s codes, Noah’s cell private number, the secret Batello deal. He knew about Noah’s engagement, which had never been announced.

Most of all, he knew about the Obsidian Group, the investors who had funded the Midlands research facility. But how?

He put on the contacts and shield specs again, and raised the shield shades so he could stare at Mount Rainier again. To an unmod the mountain would be completely hidden in the gathering dusk. He could see it just fine even through shield specs.

He’d chosen this office for that mountain. The view chilled him like an analog hook. He’d climbed it many times. Even from a distance, he could could almost smell the snow, feel icy air burn his nose and the jagged black rock scraping his fingertips.

He pictured huge, cold spaces around him, vast and empty. Big enough even for him to breathe, to move. To fully exist without crashing into anything.

He wondered if he’d screwed them all, with this one impulsive, stupid move.

Asa could be lying about Batello, of course. But why would he? Asa had his faults, sure, but dishonesty was not one of them.

Only death could be more honest than thirteen years of silence.





Chapter 4


The door burst open. Noah blocked his eyes, but not before the light flooding in gave his head a sharp, rattling zing. Shit.

Stupid, not to lock the door while his shield specs were off. He was getting sloppy.

Zade Ryan entered, the door shut, and the light dropped back to manageable levels.

“You could knock,” Noah said.

“I don’t believe in giving advance warning,” Zade replied.

“This isn’t a surprise attack.” Noah rubbed his throbbing forehead. “I hope.”

“Relax, Noah. Sisko told me that I was summoned into your exalted presence, so here I am. I’ve been out there, doing your bidding.”

“Yeah? What bidding was that? Refresh my memory.”

“Keeping tabs on Mark Olund’s girlfriends, among other things,” Zade said. “Did you like your dance? Sisko said the chick made a big impression on you. Sorry I missed it, but I couldn’t let her see me, since I’m the one who’s been tailing her.”

Noah’s jaw ached from tension. “You had your heads up your asses to bring her in here without telling me.”

Zade looked unrepentant. “She might know something about Luke. Look at this.” He tapped at his phone.

Noah turned his AVP on Zade as he established the data connection to do a quick scan. Nothing unusual. Zade looked the same as always, outwardly, which made Noah’s teeth grind. He urged his people to blend in visually, with varying levels of success. But Zade took his rejection of Noah’s advice to a whole new level. The guy was six-four and two-thirty, and more good-looking than was good for him, though even Noah couldn’t fault him for that. But the rest was over the top. The black mane, the earring, the tattoos, and the studded leather jacket, distressed not by a fashion machine but for real after getting scraped a quarter mile over a rough road when Zade wiped out on his motorcycle. Another accident he’d survived somehow. He took chances.

“Is Mark here in town with her?” Noah asked.

“Can’t say,” Zade said. “I haven’t seen any signs of him. Just her. Look. Check this out.”

A photo popped up on the wall monitor. Noah narrowed his eyes against the light as a photo of a beautiful girl appeared on the monitor. Long dark curly hair. Pale skin. Light green eyes. She looked younger, more vulnerable, somehow, without the dancer’s makeup.