Faith Defiled (Gray Spear Society Book 14) Read Online Free PDF Page A

towards the door of the theater. Her legionnaires followed close behind.
    * * *
    Marina was already gritting her teeth with frustration, and she hadn't even reached the intersection yet. She, Katie, and Hanley were on foot. As she had feared, a thick, obnoxious crowd was in her way, and she had to press to make forward progress.
    The Columbus and Broadway intersection was near the northeast corner of San Francisco. It was a funky part of town with Chinatown to the south and the remnants of Little Italy to the north. Many great restaurants were located in this neighborhood, and it had a vibrant nightlife. All the cultures of the city intersected here.
    Marina was headed east on Columbus where the "adult entertainment" establishments were located. Storefronts advertised X-rated magazines, DVD's, and video arcades. Liquor and naked girls were available in several locations. One travel agency promised erotic tours of foreign lands. There was even a cigar store, an anomaly in California where smoking was practically a crime. The famous and historic Condor Gentleman's Club was on the corner.
    Marina didn't care about any of that now. She was just trying to reach the scene of the crime without committing crimes of her own along the way. Patience and politeness weren't her strong points.
    She tried to distract herself by examining the crowd. She could tell the difference between tourists and locals by their clothes. The tourists were dressed either far too lightly or too warmly, and the natives were more stylish. Police officers were trying to establish some kind of order, but the best they could do was keep most of the foot traffic out of the street. Not that it mattered. The cars were moving at exactly zero miles-per-hour.
    "Get out of my way!" Marina yelled.
    She forced herself to settle down. She looked back at Hanley and Katie, and they appeared embarrassed on her behalf.
    The team finally reached the intersection, but a dense mass of humanity made further progress impossible. It seemed all of San Francisco wanted to be where the angels had flown.
    Symbols had been burned into the wall of an apartment building. The black circles and squares formed interesting patterns that begged interpretation. Marina had seen the divine mathematical writing used by the twins in Chicago when communicating with God, and this script was nothing like it.
    A shrine of sorts had been constructed on the sidewalk below the symbols. Men and women were lighting candles, rubbing beads, flipping through books, and praying very loudly. Some were screeching as they tried to make their voices heard above the others. Marina wondered what they were hoping to accomplish. God could hear a whisper as easily as a yell.
    "I don't think we're going to collect much evidence here," Marina said.
    "Unfortunately, I have to agree, ma'am," Hanley said. "This is a mess. Hopefully, the authorities managed to find something useful before the mob arrived."
    "We'll read the police reports when we get back to headquarters. What's interesting is how the person responsible is clearly going for maximum publicity, but the message is mysterious. There is just the writing."
    "The mystery adds to the excitement, ma'am," Katie said. "It's a puzzle that everybody wants to solve."
    Marina nodded. "That's true, and I have a feeling we won't like the solution."
    Some stores had surveillance cameras pointing along the sidewalk, and one in particular had a good shot of the intersection. That camera was above a place called "The Speakeasy."
    "Follow me," Marina said.
    She pushed through the crowd to reach the front door. A big, muscular man in a black T-shirt was standing by the door, and he gave her a long look before allowing her to enter.
    She walked into a strip club. A long, narrow stage ran the length of the room, and it had several shiny poles. Chairs were arranged around the stage and along the wall. The dim red lighting provided plenty of shadows for shy patrons. Colored spotlights