Arkadium Rising Read Online Free PDF Page B

pulled his cell from his pocket, but he didn't have a signal. "What kind of town doesn't have cell reception?"
    "Maybe it's the hills," Delaney said. She stayed close to Jason, but she looked like she wanted to run as fast as possible in the opposite direction.
    "Don't hurt me." The boy moved around the tree, and Jason followed, his hands outstretched to show him he meant no harm. "I don't want to die," the boy whispered, still moving.
    The boy's words were like a slap to the face. Jason stopped after a full circle of the tree, trying to collect his thoughts. "Who did this to you?"
    "Jason, my God, what's going on?" Delaney asked.
    "I don't want to... I can't even swim. Mom and Dad aren't back from work yet. They should'a been home an hour ago. And they're not home, and then... and then they broke down the door."
    "Who did this to you?"
    "The God-man and the preacher-man." The boy started crying, his shoulders hitching with emotion. He blinked through tears as he looked up at Jason.
    "What are you talking about?" Jason took the boy by the shoulders, kneeling to his eyelevel. Something clicked in his brain. "Who is this God-man?"
    "He tied me up. Kept saying, 'water is salvation.' Over and over."
    "Does this man have a tattooed arm?"
    The boy's crying intensified. "I can't swim!"
    "Does he have a tattooed arm?" Jason demanded, coming close to shaking the boy. He took a deep breath.
    Delaney kneeled next to the boy. "These tattoos make his arm all black, like a sleeve? Like someone dipped his arm in a can of paint to the elbow?"
    The boy calmed, got control of his hitching chest. "Yeah, that's him. I wanted to punch him, but I got scared. Can you punch him for me, mister?"
    "When I find him I'll do more than punch him," Jason said. He felt somewhat vindicated knowing that there was a sinister element to Marcus's plans in Concord. "Do you know where he is?"
    The boy pressed himself against the tree. Peeking out from his hiding spot, he pointed over the leafy canopy across the street. Pointed as if to indicate the moon.
    At first, Jason thought the boy had lost it. But as his vision focused farther away, he saw the rise of the surrounding hills veiled in a fine mist rising from a dam's turbines. And movement atop the hill. A gathering of people.
    Are they watching us?
    Jason grabbed hold of Delaney and forced them both flat to the ground.
    "Jason, what are you doing?" Delaney said and broke free of his grip. She sat up and brushed her clothes.
    "Marcus, he's up there!"
    Jason peered through the slats of the picket fence. He felt like a fool with his cheek against the ground while the boy looked down on him from his hiding spot. But seeing his rope burns and duct tape necklace... he wished his cell had reception. Or that he had a gun.
    "Hey, can you guys swim?" the boy asked.
    Jason ignored the boy's question. "I'm going to go up there to get to the bottom of this."
    The boy looked disappointed as if Jason had just made the worst possible decision.
    "Jason—" Delaney started to protest.
    "And you're staying here."
    "The hell I am. I'm going wherever Marcus is."
    "It might not be safe."
    "For you, maybe, but Marcus would never hurt me. And no, you can't stop me, either."
    "Fine, but if anything crazy happens, I'm tearing out of there, with or without Marcus."
    Without another word, Delaney climbed back into the car. Jason leaned over and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy trembled with fear under his touch.
    "Will you be here when I come back? I'll take you to the police. We'll find your parents."
    "There's nobody. Nobody's coming back," he said.
    "I'll come back. I promise. Just meet me by this tree."
    The boy scrunched up his shoulders in an I guess motion. His expression still hadn't changed, though. He obviously thought Jason didn't know what he was doing, and his innocence didn't allow him to hide his feelings.
    "I'll be okay. That's my brother up there. I know how to talk to him. Everything'll be fine."
    "I'm gonna