Orphan X: A Novel Read Online Free PDF

now,” Evan said.
    She looked at him.
    “The whole street?” he asked.
    She sank back into her chair. “The whole block. ” Again her voice faltered. “I just don’t want him to get my little sister.”
    Evan said, “You don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

 
    4
    I’ll Be Waiting
    On his way home, Evan ran the circuit of his safe houses, checking up on them. He owned numerous properties spread throughout the area—a town house on the Westside, a cottage in the Valley, a ranch-style home in the crappy neighborhood beneath the LAX flight paths. He made sure the lawns were watered, junk mail cleared off the porches, lighting-control systems varied. The banal façades hid alternate vehicles, mission-essential equipment, weapon caches. Jack had always stressed the importance of maintaining multiple “loadouts,” gear prepped for a grab-and-go.
    After all, Evan never knew when he’d have to vanish. He held a place of honor on numerous most-wanted lists, but none that could be advertised. He had to be careful at airports, borders, and embassies, though he’d been to an embassy only once in the past five years, and that was to neutralize a clerk who’d been a key player in a human-trafficking ring.
    By the time Evan reached Castle Heights, the setting sun bathed the building’s side in an orange glow. He parked and headed through the lobby, passing a half dozen kombucha bottles floating in a tub of melted ice on the refreshment stand. Apparently the beverage initiative had not been the rousing success the HOA had hoped for.
    In the seating area across from the door, the L.A. Times sports section rustled and dipped, Johnny Middleton’s face appearing above the top of the page. He was staking out the kombucha.
    Evan sped up. The swish of nylon sweatpants accented Johnny’s slide off the cushioned chair. “Evan. Evan! ”
    Evan had no choice but to halt.
    Johnny caught up. Clearly peeved, he glanced over at the forlorn beverage tub. When he looked back, a smug expression filled his round face. “You should really come by for a workout.” He tapped the martial-arts logo on his sweat jacket, which showed two fists colliding. Innovative. “I can get you a free pass.”
    Before Evan could respond, Johnny feinted at him with a jab.
    The fist came in lazy and offline. Evan saw the angles with perfect clarity—a double-hand deflection, gooseneck the wrist, shatter the bone and rake the elbow tendons, then a chicken-wing arm control for the takedown, his knee crushing Johnny’s floating rib upon impact with the floor.
    Instead he flinched slightly. “Not really my thing,” he said.
    “Okay, chief,” Johnny said, backing away, arms spread in a show of magnanimity. “Consider it an open offer.”
    Even walked over to the elevator and stepped inside when a tumult by the door to the garage drew his focus. Mia and Peter stumbled into view, their arms laden with grocery bags. Evan held the elevator for them while they shuffled inside, crowding him. As they ascended, he could barely make out Peter beneath the oversize shopping bags.
    “Need a hand?” Evan asked.
    “We’re good, thanks,” Mia said.
    An iPhone rang somewhere on her person, the theme from Jaws. Kneeing apart the various items she was carrying, she fumbled for her purse. A plastic drugstore bag slid off her hand, and Evan caught it before it hit the floor. The phone stopped ringing, and Mia sighed with resignation, then began hoisting various bags back into position.
    Evan became aware of Peter’s stare on the side of his face. Peter lowered his head, scrutinizing Evan’s ankle. Evan subtly tugged up his pant leg, a ta-da move to show off the sock. Move along. Nothing to see here.
    The intense stare returned to Evan’s face.
    “Evan what ?” the boy asked.
    “Excuse me?”
    “What’s your last name?”
    “Smoak.”
    “Like from fire?”
    “But spelled different.”
    “What’s your middle