Repossession (The Keepers Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF

to full height, bringing a large door vertical with him, grunting while the other men worked to join him in pulling it open.
    A cloud of dust exploded around our feet and my captor brought me forward to stand at his side. I could feel his eyes jump to my gun. “This is a Black Hole?” he asked suspiciously.
    “See fer yerself, sonny.” Instead of waiting for us to descend the wooden staircase and into the ground, he started down the steps first, his friends following right behind. The wood creaked beneath their feet as they lowered themselves into the pitch-black hole, their flashlights doing little to illuminate whatever awaited them.
    “Is it a trap?” I whispered to my guide.
    “Don’t think so. But don’t let go of me, and fire on my mark, got it?”
    “Yeah.”
    His gaze bounced to my gun again. “Finger on the trigger.”
    I obeyed and gripped the back of his shirt again with my free hand, letting him lead us after the men, down the same wooden stairs and into the ominous hole in the ground. I wasn’t sure I liked this idea, but then again, nothing about this journey had been pleasant, and right now, my only hope for a drink of water or a good night’s sleep was in front of me, trusting me to follow him. I wasn’t sure why I cared if he trusted me or not, or why he said he needed me. He seemed to be able to handle himself just fine on his own. Wasn’t I slowing him down? I wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing. Didn’t that make me a liability?
    The dark stairwell finally gave way to some dim light; the sound of low chatters and glasses clinking floated toward us.
    “You got lucky ther, boy,” the man in the lead said, stopping when we all reached the bottom of the stairs. “This here is one of the few in the area that still has room fer people such as yerselves.”
    “Who do we speak to?” my captor asked.
    “Lillian. She’s in charge. Find ’er right over there, behind the bar. Say Fred sent ya.”
    “Fred?” He extended his hand for a shake. “I’m glad you didn’t shoot, sir.”
    “Same here, sonny. Same here.” The man turned and gave me a wink and moved along, gesturing his friends to follow. They disappeared into the hustle and bustle, leaving us in the thick of the action. Occupants shuffled by with baskets of clothing, and buckets carrying everything from pails of water and soap to canned goods and electronic odds and ends.
    “Come on.” My captor took me by the wrist and we weaved our way over to the bar, which by the looks of it, didn’t just serve alcohol. People lined up to speak to the woman in charge, holding boxes and jars of coins in their hands, hugging them tight against them as if someone would snatch their belongings at any moment.
    “A trading post?” I whispered.
    “Looks like it.”
    “What can I do fer ya, darlin’?” the woman asked when it was our turn at the counter. She had frizzy gray hair tied up in a loose bun, her eyes tired, full of nothing but business. “Need to trade or need a place to stay?”
    “Um, maybe both,” my captor said, releasing my hand to lift the necklace from around his neck. He didn’t hesitate to hand it to her. “What can I get for this? Any water?”
    The woman laughed. “Yer new ’round these parts, ain’t chya?”
    “Yes, ma’am. We need water and a place to sleep. Maybe a bath.” He glanced at me and rubbed his hand over his chest.
    “Well yer can’t have both, darlin’, ’specially not fer this here necklace.”
    “It’s real silver.”
    “Water or a bath, what’ll it be?”
    “Can’t we just drink the bath water?”
    “Suit yerself, but yer better boil it or God knows what yu’ll wind up with by drinkin’ it, now.”
    “Yes, ma’am. We’ll take the bath, thanks.”
    She nodded to the far side of the room, past a row of mattresses to a curtained area. “Tubs ’er over there, and you can take the last mattress on the left. Should fit ya both.”
    “Thanks, thanks a lot.” He turned to lead