Babel Found Read Online Free PDF Page B

prices!”
    They laughed it off and continued around the wave pool, eventually passing a section of kiddie slides and other activities.
    “Ketchakiddee Creek,” Olivia said, carefully pronouncing the title. “Cute name.”
    “Don’t even try,” Kane said inbetween slurps. “They don’t take too kindly to grown-ups splashing around in the kid zone.”
    Before Olivia could ask why he knew that, Kane pointed to another small tiki bar, already finished with his drink. “Round two?”
    Olivia shrugged, slurped down the rest of her own drink and shambled over. She wasn’t nearly as big as Kane and had a much weaker tolerance to the liquor-infused drinks. But they were on vacation and the CIA was paying for everything.
    What the hell? she thought, accepting the even bigger drink.
    “You trying to get me drunk?” she asked, half-joking.
    “Are you trying to say that I’d intentionally get you schnockered and take advantage of you?” His acting job was perfect, making her shoulders sag a little. “Because if you are…” He tilted his head a little and shrugged his shoulders, sucking down the extra-large drink, revealing his flawless performance, something he’d honed while in the CIA. You needed to act the part in certain situations when out in the field.
    “God,” she said, stamping her foot, “you and your drama skills are so insufferable sometimes. It’s like you majored in theater or something.”
    “I did,” he said, continuing forward. “They had us take acting classes right when I joined up with the company. Instructors said I was a natural at lying.” He laughed at the last part, but Olivia didn’t.
    He stopped and reached a hand out. “But I don’t lie to those I care about.”
    She blushed in the summer sun and accepted the offered paw of a hand.
    “Let’s find that slide so you can finally get your jollies off.”
    Kane smiled, holding back another joke, saving it for later.
    You’ve got time. It’s only noon…
    As they neared their destination Kane thought back to the first time he and Olivia shared that ‘moment.’ It was the first time he saved her life.
    They were on the steps of a stone pyramid in Teotihuacán, being attacked by living golem-made serpents. The snakes were the size of Hummer limos and were slithering up after them.
    Olivia tripped, twisting her ankle in the process. As the nearest snake closed in, about to consume her, Kane leapt over her prone form and landed inbetween her and the beast.
    He acted like a hero from the movies and jammed his rifle into its mouth, pinning it open. Then he swiftly drew his twin Desert Eagle handguns and unloaded them into the back of its throat.
    Kane looked down at his still healing left hand. It had been crushed later, in D.C., while chasing the mastermind behind the mercs, his old army teammate, John Frost. Their Jeep flipped, mangling his hand in the process, ending his dual-wielding days. His hand still ached, having just gotten the cast off, but it was a livable pain. He was alive after all.
    Unlike Dr. Boyd…
    It hurt him to think of Hank’s dad as dead and gone, but he was. They couldn’t bring him back, but at least they got the bastard that shot him. Frost eventually killed himself, accidently stepping in front of a train outside Washington. He freaked when Hank showed off his…abilities.
    When Hank’s emotions are off-the-charts, he can summon the fires of Atlantis. It resembles the Greek fire that’s been fantasized in lore and myth, covering his entire body if he chooses. Most of the time he wills it to only cover his hands, using it when he needs to beat the shit out of someone.
    And melt their faces.
    Hank’s powers were tricky, though, only being easily conjured when he’s in contact with an Atlantean relic made of their signature metal, orichalcum.
    Which is few and far between.
    They have only found two such objects so far.
    The first was actually found five years ago by Nicole and her late husband, Tomas. They