Cragbridge Hall, Book One: The Inventor's Secret Read Online Free PDF

I’ve been locked out of my room,” Abby said, careful to maintain her composure.
    “It’s past curfew dear, and Cragbridge has strict rules. You’ll just have to sleep in the hall tonight. That will help you learn to be in your room tomorrow.”
    “But my roommate—” Abby started.
    “No excuses,” the woman said, looking stern. “You have to take responsibility for your own actions. Now try to get some sleep.”
    “But—”
    “Is this an emergency?” the woman asked. “Is there a fire? A flood?”
    “No.”
    “Then night-night. I’m not going to send the teacher in charge of your floor over just because you were irresponsible.” The woman closed the sync.
    Abby exhaled, trying to keep the tears from returning. Deep breaths. Wipe eyelids. She tried not to think of home. She tried not to think about what it would be like when everyone else woke up and found her and all her stuff in the hall.
    Abby nestled against her things and hoped tomorrow would be better.

4
     
    Three Days until They Are Dead
     
     
    Oscar Cragbridge woke up suddenly from pain running up his spine. His lower back was stealing his sleep again. In some ways, he could thank his herniated disk. It had kept him up many nights that had then led to great discoveries.
    As he propped himself up on his bed, he was careful not to twist his back. With a wince, he stood. A tingling sensation went down one leg. The disk had pinched a nerve.
    He thought back over the previous day, and a smile crept over his face. He was so proud of his two grandchildren. Now that he looked back on it, he thought they were more of a marvel than anything he had ever invented.
    He heard a faint click. Oscar’s eyes grew wide. They were here.
    What could he do? He couldn’t write a message to those he trusted to come to his aid; those who were after him would simply find and destroy it. He couldn’t sync, or they would check his history and hunt down whoever he’d talked to. Maybe he could leave a clue. He grabbed his electronic reader from the nightstand. He only used it when he couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to make his way to his bookshelves.
    He opened the cover and scanned the book titles. He selected one, and then unselected it. He set the reader in the middle of his bed, and then made the bed over the top. It was a sloppy job, but he didn’t have time for anything else.
    Oscar walked out of his room and into the hall. He heard a swoosh like a rustling curtain. Something pricked his neck. A second later, he fell unconscious on the hallway floor.
    • • •
    Oscar woke up with a pressing headache. It felt like his skull had his eyes between vises.
    “I must apologize for such a rude awakening,” a thin voice said.
    Oscar’s eyes could not seem to focus, but he made out a slight man in front of him. He had slicked-back gray hair, and he wore a classic business suit. He sat in Oscar’s old chair with two figures flanking him. Both were dressed completely in black, with neither of their faces exposed. Oscar guessed that one of them had shot the dart into him.
    Oscar thought of all the security measures to his house. “How did you get in here?”
    “There are ways to get in anywhere,” the man said. “There are ways to do anything.”
    Oscar blinked several more times. The tranquilizer was wearing off. He might know ... yes, he was sure of it. His whole body tensed as he recognized the man. “Hello, Charles.” He clenched his eyes closed for a moment, trying to get rid of the haze from being unconscious. “Did you decide to spend your fortune breaking into old men’s houses? I know you want to revolutionize the world, but I thought you’d have something a little nobler in mind.”
    Charles Muns smiled. “We’re getting to that,” he said. “I have made a discovery—quite a discovery.”
    “You mean the scientists you pay made a discovery,” Oscar corrected. He tried to keep his body from tensing. He knew where this was going, but refused