Allegiance: A Jackson Quick Adventure Read Online Free PDF Page B

forehead. My stomach feels tight. There’s an acidic ache in my chest. Bullies have always made me want to puke.
    “You’ll be of more use to me this way.”
    “Useful for what?”
    There’s the honk of a car horn and the line goes silent. He’s hung up. I check the number on my phone and hit redial. Maybe he’ll answer.
    It rings five times.
    “Hello?” It’s a woman’s voice on the other end. She has a thick Texas drawl which catches me off guard.
    I’m not sure what to say. “Uh, yeah. Where am I calling?”
    “Dude,” the woman sounds incredulous. “This is a pay phone at the Stop N Go on Sahara Drive. You probably have the wrong number.”
    “Are you in San Antonio?”
    “No, Sahara Drive in Austin.” She hangs up.
    I sit on the edge of my bed holding the phone. My mind is racing through my options, though it seems I have none. Unconsciously rubbing the soreness from my right knee, I try to evaluate my situation.
    I can’t tell anyone where I’ve been for five days. I’m in danger of being kidnapped again. The iPods I’ve been faithfully delivering all over the world are somehow connected to the assassination of the man who wants my boss’s job. Whatever information is downloaded onto those iPods is treasonous.
    I’ve got to figure out what is on those iPods. I need to draw the connection between that information and the shooting. Maybe, if I can do that, The Saint will leave me alone. He, and whoever he is working for, will let me go back to my life. I can focus on my future with Charlie.
    Charlie !
    It seems like more than five days since I’ve seen her. It feels more like a year. Actually, I feel like I haven’t slept in a year. I fall back onto the bed and stare up at the spinning fan. If I focus on a single spot long enough, I can see the individual blades as they turn counterclockwise. It’s a welcome distraction.
    I need to see Charlie .
     
    ***
     
    “I have missed you sooo much!” Charlie’s grip around my neck is tight. I don’t want her to let go. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” Charlie loosens her hold and moves back to look me in the eyes. She brushes my hair off my forehead. Her fingernails tickle.
    “I’ve missed you too.” I have. She has no idea how much. “I’m sorry about leaving you at the bar on Thursday. I—”
    “I know,” she interrupts and turns to lead me to her sofa. Her left hand grabs my right. “You felt sick. I got your text when I was still in the Ladies’ room. I was a little pissed off you left me there, but I got over it.”
    I sit on the soft chenille of her overstuffed sofa and she straddles me, sitting on my lap with her legs tucked behind her. I rest my hands on her hips. She’s wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans. I thumb the copper rivets on the pockets of her jeans. It’s good to be with her.
    She has her hands on my shoulders. Her T-shirt reads “Bush Cheney ‘04”. She’s more politically conservative than I am. I’m right-leaning moderate. We both, though, found our way onto the Governor’s staff ahead of his reelection.
    “You look like you’ve lost weight, poor baby,” she noted. She pouts her lips and frowns, running the back of her hand along the right side of my face. “I wish you’d have let me come and nurse you back to health.”
    “Yeah, well, I didn’t want you to see me like that.” I’m guessing my kidnapper had dissuaded her.
    She leans forward and slides her hands onto my chest. Her lips meet mine and we kiss for a few moments. She’s an aggressive kisser and I like it. She can tell.
    Twenty minutes later we’re cuddled together under a blanket on the sofa. I’m lying on my back and she’s curled around me, her left leg draped over me. We’re holding hands, playing with our fingers.
    It’s dark outside and the soft lamplight in her apartment radiates warmth. There are framed reproductions of French impressionists and wrought iron sconces boasting thick candles. The walls are beige with thick