Disruptor Read Online Free PDF Page B

happy to eat it.”
    A few minutes later Kevin was alone.
    Not long ago he would have been happy to take
another pain pill and climb into bed. There were only two left in
the bottle and he was ready to move on to ibuprofen whether his
body was or not. He’d never say it to Tyler, or even Brandon, but
Tyler’s casual offer to supply him with drugs spooked him. It was
one thing to score some molly for a long night of clubbing back
when they were in college, but this felt different.
    Coasting through life the way Tyler did just
didn’t have the same appeal as it used to, and it hadn’t for a
while now. But Kevin couldn’t see himself adapting to the corporate
lifestyle, spending his days trapped in an office like Sean and
Brandon. Olivia had a thriving pediatric practice, and she
volunteered at a free clinic on a regular basis. Maybe volunteer
work was something Kevin should consider, until he figured out what
he wanted for the long term.
    The big apartment felt too empty. Normally
that feeling sent Kevin out into the night, to see friends, to flit
from one nightspot to another. Tonight his melancholy mood and his
battered body kept him in. The city lights beckoned from the floor
to ceiling glass that separated the living room from the
balcony.
    Kevin picked up his new cell phone and
crossed the room. A cool spring breeze greeted him as he stepped
out onto the balcony. Point Sable blazed with light, a vivid
painting against the black backdrop of night. His corner penthouse
had views of the north and west sides of the city. When he’d moved
in he’d had a choice between this apartment and one with a view of
the lake. Beyond the pretty lights of the harbor lay only gloom,
dotted with the occasional light of a ship or pleasure boat. Too
lonely for him, too dark. He liked the brightness and cheer of the
downtown view, full of color and life.
    Tonight all that light made him wonder about
the slivers of darkness in between. Who lived there? Were they safe
tonight? From his vantage point he couldn’t see the South Side but
he knew that area was darker than the rest of the city. It was the
first major difference he’d noticed when he crossed
110 th Street on his way to the shelter. Fewer
streetlights, many of which didn’t even work. Fewer businesses with
lights. Long stretches of unnerving darkness lit only by the
headlights of his car. It made the occasional orange flares of a
pedestrian’s cigarette all the more unsettling.
    Was the Ghost out in that darkness tonight?
Did she have somewhere safe to sleep, or was she more concerned
with the safety of others? She hadn’t responded to his message. The
temptation to leave another was great. Feeling a mixture of morose
and lonely and curious, he gave in and placed the call.
    Kevin wasn’t expecting her to answer and he
wasn’t wrong. “It’s me again. Just calling to check on you. I
wanted you to know that my offer is still open, if you need any
help with anything. You seemed okay when you ran away but I was
worried about you being injured. That was a lot of guys you took
on, all by yourself.” He paused, not sure how to broach the
subject. “If you’d like to tell me how you managed that, I’d love
to hear it.” A nervous laugh slipped out.
    “The city lights are beautiful tonight. It’s
a little chilly. The breeze is off the lake and strong enough that
it pushed some of the haze away. So the lights are bright, the
colors really vivid. Like a digital painting in a video game. I
hope you’re safe tonight, and that it’s not too dark wherever you
are.”
    Suddenly feeling ridiculous, he hung up. It
was a long time before he went back inside.

Chapter
6

    Dani watched from the shadows as the police
completed their roust. The old, abandoned factory was an easy place
to make an arrest quota. At any given time, drug addicts and
dealers, pimps and prostitutes and johns, could be found in the
many nooks and crannies of the large industrial space. Except, of
course, for