Off the Grid Read Online Free PDF

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    Behind all that were several work tables with different tools and a fascinating array of objects spread out on their surfaces. Ethan wanted to get a closer look, as he assumed that area to be Ciana’s, but Maline still spoke in low tones to Andre, so he stayed where he was. Danny completely ignored him, and Ciana herself didn’t appear to be in the room.
    He glanced over and noticed a couple of tables with various medical devices and machines next to them. If someone took a hit, they probably couldn’t go to the hospital, so it made sense to have stuff here, but right out in the open? Was that sterile?
    Was the trainer’s room sterile? Not by far. And I’ve managed this long.
    The more he saw and heard about the operation, the more the idea appealed to him. He thought about all those terrified children, kidnapped by some monster. Hopefully they were still alive and the asshole hadn’t messed them up.
    I wanna take guys like that down.
    It always pissed him off when a bigger guy picked on a smaller one on the ice, and now he felt that emotion, but ramped up about a hundred times. They were just kids; defenseless kids being used as pawns in some sick game of chess.
    His situation with his parents flitted through his mind, and he almost felt bad for being so upset about it when this other shit went down every day. Really, though he definitely held a lot of anger toward them, along with a good measure of resentment, the prevailing emotion could best be described as aching, agonizing pain. A bone-deep sense of feeling wounded that Ethan couldn’t be sure would ever go away.
    Maybe doing this could help. If I made the world a better place, this hole in my gut might start to close.
    A woman who had rich, honey-colored hair in a braid down her back and was wearing a blue dress burst into the room, a man the size of Cleveland lumbering behind her.
    Holy fuck. That guy’s gotta be seven feet tall.
    The woman continued her animated conversation with the man. “And I finally got the compound stabilized. I put it into some syringes for you guys. You should be able to just throw them in one of your pockets when you’re ready to go.” Ah, so maybe this was Ciana?
    “And it’ll keep the guards down while we go in and get the kids?” The oversized lumberjack-looking dude asked.
    “It should, and without causing, those, um,” a small, seemingly embarrassed smile passed over her face, “unpleasant side effects.”
    “Hey, it didn’t bother me none to have those guys puking their guts out when we found that armored car thief.”
    Ciana shrugged. “It’s not good business sense for you, not to mention unsafe, to use an item if we don’t fully understand the ramifications of the aftereffects.”
    They stopped dead about ten feet away from Ethan. Maline stepped in front of him. “I’m so sorry, Ethan. Andre and I got carried away.” She raised her hand. “This is Ciana, who I mentioned to you, and this hulking guy is Frank.”
    Ethan turned toward her. “I thought you didn’t use real names, or is that only when you’re away from here?”
    Frank laughed. “It’s short for Frankenstein. These guys have a real imaginative sense of humor.”
    Now that he said it, Ethan could see the reason why, but kept his mouth shut.
    Maline ignored his question, addressing her comments to Frank and Ciana. “Ethan is considering joining us.”
    That got a toothy grin from Frank and an assessing look from Ciana. She jerked her head toward him. “What’s his background, or can’t you say? He doesn’t look military or law enforcement.”
    “Ethan, do you feel comfortable telling them? I trust everyone I work with, so you don’t have to worry about your current location showing up on the evening news. We wouldn’t stand for that. Discretion is of the upmost importance in a job like this.”
    He wondered briefly what would happen if someone broke that rule. For a moment he hesitated to tell them but then figured, what the