Owl and the City of Angels Read Online Free PDF Page A

argument that would have followed.
    “We agreed you’d tell me what jobs you were doing.” Rynn tried to hide his frustration, but I’d gotten a lot better at picking up on it lately.
    “And I’m telling you now—” I started.
    “Before something tried to kill you!”
    “Well, we also said you weren’t supposed to become Mr. Kurosawa’s new security.”
    “I told you that’s temporary—”
    “Well, so is Egypt!”
    Rynn sighed. “Roman mummies don’t do well with bright light. UV is best. Has to do with degeneration of the retina.”
    OK, that was useful. I patted my jacket until I found my UV flashlight. Never leave home without it. I aimed and shone it on the surface. “He’s under the water—how do I find him?”
    “Just keep the flashlight on the water. He shouldn’t resurface.”
    I switched the setting to flood, illuminating the whole room. “Rynn, I know you hate the whole thieving thing, but man, if you saw half the stuff in here . . .”
    “Keep me on the phone until you’re out of whatever hole you’ve crawled into.” Rynn kept his voice professional. He usually did on business, but there was genuine concern under the irritation.
    I was guessing Rynn also needed me on the phone to get a signal on my whereabouts—considering the circumstances, I didn’t think that was half as bad an idea as I normally would. “All right, what do you want to talk about?” I said, and began tying the loose end of the rope around Mike, making sure it would hold.
    “I think the fact you’re in Egypt is a good start.”
    “There’s not much to tell. I saw an opportunity to get both pieces on Mr. Kurosawa’s list, so I took it.”
    “We agreed to do it my way—”
    I tested the rope one last time to make sure it would hold me as I climbed up. “Yeah, but your way means I end up aborting the job halfway through because it’s too dangerous.”
    “No fucking offense, Alix, but considering the circumstances, I’m the only one in this conversation with a point. And this is the second time you’ve done this.”
    My first instinct was to tell him this conversation would end as soon as he quit Mr. Kurosawa’s security job, but my thought process was interrupted as bony, clawlike fingers reached through the water and dug into my khakis.
    Shit.
    “Got to go. Work is rearing its half-rotting head,” I said, and tossed my pack and phone onto the sarcophagus before Caracalla pulled me under.
    Eyes closed, I kicked at Caracalla’s face with my free boot as he towed me under and towards the deep end. I dragged my hands across the bottom on the off chance I’d come across something to use as a weapon.
    My lungs were burning by the time my fingers grazed something that felt like a stick. I gave one last kick at Caracalla’s head. I didn’t dislodge his hand, but I did dislodge my boot. Good enough. I broke through the surface and swam for the safety of the sarcophagus in the shallows. I heard, rather than saw, Caracalla surface a few feet behind me.
    I scrambled back up on top, finding my flashlight on the edge of the pedestal just short of the water. I reached for it just as Caracalla broke the surface.
    He offered me another grin as I jumped back, tightening my grip on the bone.
    “Well, you can’t blame me for trying,” he said, his voice raspy from vocal cords as dry and tight as sinew. “Why don’t you leave me the large one and we’ll call it even?”
    I almost dropped the bone out of sheer shock. “Wait just a fucking minute. You speak English ?” To think I’d spent the last ten minutes terrified I was dealing with some ancient, mindless monster . . .
    Caracalla’s smile widened. “Of course I speak English. I’ve been listening to you insects natter for over a century—your kind, and your superiors,” he said, and I picked out the mix of British- and American-accented words, along with something else foreign to my ears. “And I see they’ve sent me—what is it your ilk calls