Ghosts of Koa, The First Book of Ezekiel Read Online Free PDF Page B

guards at the Converge after they'd harassed a Civilian girl, and by their smug attitudes, it hadn't taken him long to figure out the local ethos: dicks and donuts. These guys looked hungry, though; it was new blood syndrome, prevalent only in the most dysfunctional of police precincts, and he'd heard that the Fifth was the worst. He half expected their pupils to contract as they watched him walk by.
    "Cannibals..." he muttered, but Joseph hadn't heard him. He was still talking, not having noticed that the hallway had turned into a gauntlet.
    "It's hard, you know, getting knocked off the perch," Joseph said. "But you're back on your game. If your training's still worth anything, you'll be king of the ring in no time."
    Caleb actually found it in himself to laugh. "Yeah, well, I'm not here for that. I'm here to serve and protect. That's always been the plan. Don't see a need to change now."
    "Right... you'll be singing a different tune once you get a load of the local coos coos. You'd be amazed at how quick civvie skivvies drop for the badge. 'Specially a high-ranking badge. Drives 'em crazy." Joseph winked at him, and Caleb chose to ignore the gesture as they made another turn, going deeper into the station, leaving the main offices, and the predatory glares, behind.
    Over a decade had passed since he'd last been at the old Kingsbridge Armory. Now, he took it in with curiosity, memories that had been mere outlines in his mind now filled in with colors, sounds, and smells, all different than what he knew from his childhood. The once empty space was now crammed with desks and drenched in soft, overhead lighting. Yellow, blue, and red flags woven from rich velvets all hung from the rafters, sporting the blue and silver insignia of the Alchemic Order. Interspersed between the Alchemic Order's flags were the gossamer banners of the Civic Order, exhibiting its own insignia, a stylized wolf silhouetted against a full moon. But over the years, the banners had turned ragged and moth-eaten, practically withering off the wood.
    Caleb's office just happened to be flush to one such tapestry, and Joseph ripped it off, tossing the decrepit thing to the side.
    "So please His Majesty, it's not as cozy as I'm sure you're used to," Joseph grinned, putting a key into the lock.
    "Yeah, yeah." Caleb smirked, and he nudged Joseph in as the door opened.
    They were both greeted by a dust bunny uprising as fresh air followed them in. The office hadn't been used in years it seemed, but it was small and cozy, just enough to get work done without getting too comfortable. A flaking oak desk and a high-backed chair were shadowed by a large double-hung window that stretched across the back wall. Steel bookcases that reached from floor to ceiling flanked the desk itself, and the only free space was the one that he and Joseph were standing in. Caleb cocked his head, wondering how exactly to set up his cot when sleepover time came.
    Joseph clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome home, buddy. I'll get Sam to fix it up a bit for ya."
    "Sweet, thanks," Caleb muttered absently as he set his box down. He frowned. There was no way a cot would fit in here.
    And you do? You got more to worry about than a cot, officer. Let's get the job first, eh?
    Caleb smiled to himself. Good point. Sometimes his left brain did actually work from time to time, and it was nice to feel it put him at ease with... well, everything. As screwed up as his life had been for the past two years, he'd learned the hard way that it was better to manage his expectations. The captain still needed to see him, and Caleb still needed to pass his tests to get to stay here. Better to strap his high hopes to a parachute and keep the office decor in his box until that meeting was over.
    "Hey, wanna grab something to eat real quick before the debrief? We got a damn good caf here, and I can show you around a bit. The gym and showers are right there too, and we also have a kick ass sparring room..."
    Joseph