Eve of Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page A

this, knowing what you went through. Can’t just walk away.”
    Burke turned back toward him, looking much like a prizefighter who had come up on the short end of a bout. “Admit it, Officer Martinez. You haven’t given me the slightest thought since you were pulled from the case. You haven’t wondered. You haven’t cared. Now you come along wanting to make things better. Well guess what? You can’t make it better. You can’t help me, and I don’t want you to try.”
    Martinez opened his mouth to say more and then thought better of it. He knew this was not the way to handle the situation. “If that’s the way you want it. You’re right. Life goes on, and we forget about those who aren’t in our lives anymore. I’m sorry about that.” He rubbed a hand over his smooth head and sighed. “Nothing seems right anymore.”
    Martinez sensed Burke felt the same way, though probably not for the same reasons. “It’s not much of an excuse, but we just don’t have time to think about much beyond surviving another day.”
    For a moment John Burke stood there, then shrugged himself deeper into his coat, buried his hands in his pockets, and limped away.

    THE MAN WHO called himself the Serpent watched from deep within the shadows. He wished he could hear the conversation, but that was not really necessary. He knew pretty much what was being said because he knew John Burke. A tight smile crossed his lips. Oh yes, he knew John Burke very well indeed. Of course, Burke didn’t know the Serpent, though he should. They had spent a lot of time together recently. Oh yes, a lot of time. Trouble was, and the Serpent knew this well, when people are feeling sorry for themselves, they really don’t pay attention to anything else. The John Burkes of the world bury themselves so deep in their pain that they don’t even know that there is a world around them.
    The Serpent had felt the presence of the other one this morning. He had been wondering when one of them would show up. Lord Denizen had said they would eventually. The other had appeared to Burke as a little girl, but the Serpent knew that it was much more than that. Much more, indeed.
    He had really been looking forward to Burke blowing his brains out. Had been almost giddy about it, actually. Not for the event itself—that was of no real consequence—but for what it would do to the plans of both sides in this little game in which the future of everything was at stake. No, it didn’t matter, not to him. It just made life more interesting. After all, he really didn’t care how this turned out, as long as it was not as it was supposed to. Chaos, after all, followed no plan. The Serpent’s smile grew larger as he turned and followed the inked punks into the shadows of the canyon. It was time to step things up a bit.

 

     
    L ong after dark, John Burke pulled his car to the curb in front of his house. He turned off the headlights and motor and sat there staring into the darkness. His mind was numb with exhaustion, but he was not yet ready to attempt standing. He had no idea how long he had been driving, but night had fallen over the city long ago.
    Finally, he steeled himself, opened the car door, and pulled himself free. His body screamed as his bruised muscles straightened, throbbing. As he turned toward the house, something caught his eye. He blinked and watched more closely. There it was again—a flash of light through the second-story window. Aside from that, the house was dark. Burke tried to remember if he had left any lights on, but he wasn’t even sure when he had last been home. He ignored the pain coursing through his body as he limped across the street. His eyes scanned the stucco house for anything out of the ordinary. He felt the familiar pang of regret at the sight of the dead rose bushes that lined the front. Laura had been so proud of those roses. The way the bright red of the flowers popped out in front of the off-white stucco had been a beautiful sight.