Sky Zone: A Novel (The Crittendon Files) Read Online Free PDF Page A

America !
    Once to the floor, Jack walked to the circular stage, which featured a large drum kit, main microphone and stool, several backup microphones, and six guitars lined up offstage—likely for Everett Lester and whoever would be playing with him that night. Pam would be so jealous.
    Near the stage, four very large colleagues milled around where they would form a human barrier later in the evening. It was cold down there because the arena’s wood floor covered up the home ice for the Columbus Spoilers, who had lost in overtime the night before.
    “Base to Charlie,” Jack’s radio chirped. “What’s your twenty?”
    Static.
    “This is Charlie. All clear from floor up to club level. Over.”
    “Roger that,” Clarissa said. “Keep going all the way up to the Sky Zone, Charlie. Let us know it’s clear.”
    Jack made his way toward the ops tunnel, acknowledging his orange-clad coworkers stationed at various floor entry points along the way. Doors hadn’t opened yet, so some colleagues were sitting, some were standing, many were texting—probably to let loved ones know of the threat. About fifteen EventPros had gone home, and Jack second-guessed himself. Should he have been one of them? Pam would definitely say yes.
    He scanned the arena for any sign of police or special-ops people, but all he saw were the regular few Columbus police officers who stood at different spots along the perimeter of the main concourse.
    About thirty feet above the main seating in the big bowl was an additional narrow strip of seats that ran the entire circumference. This was the mezzanine section, the cheapest seats in the house, but still good. Now it was dotted with several colleagues, either sitting or wandering the aisles. Tonight the upper level was adorned with half-moon-shaped red-white-and-blue flags positioned every thirty feet.
    Partitioned off from the mezzanine section was the club level. EventPros who worked there had to wear coats and ties because it was a higher-priced VIP section. Its concourse featured plush carpeting, recessed lighting, polished wood floors, bars and restaurants that overlooked the arena, corporate club suites, and elegantly framed photographs of famous entertainers who had performed here at the arena. Jack had worked there several times but didn’t get to see the events as much as when he was ushering in the bowl.
    Above the club level, a large black curtain ran the entire circumference of the arena; it blew and waved from the air being circulated near the top of the building. Above the curtain, about six stories above the floor up in no-man’s-land, were press boxes for radio announcers and hockey officials. Jack could see several people stirring up there now. Were they aware of the threat?
    Something orange above the announcer boxes caught his eye. It was Charlie, way up at the top of the venue in the area known as the Sky Zone. He was clutching a black railing that circled the rim of the facility. From there, two black catwalks ran across the top of the arena about seven or eight stories off the ground. Jack would never want to go up there; he didn’t like heights.
    He passed through large strips of plastic curtains and found Sid waiting for him in the ops tunnel next to the huge doors and docks where roadies loaded and unloaded stage equipment.
    “Dude, this is nuts,” Sid said.
    “Is Lester here yet?”
    “En route. From what I hear, the show’s going on. I wish they’d just cancel. I mean, why would you take the chance?”
    “I agree,” Jack said. “But I guess if we stopped every event where there was a threat, the country would eventually be crippled.”
    “I guess,” Sid said. “I called my girlfriend. There’s nothing about it on the news yet.”
    “Base to Charlie.” Clarissa’s voice filled Jack’s headset. “Have you finished your sweep?”
    There was no immediate response.
    Jack said to Sid, “Look at it this way—we’re about to meet a rock legend.”
    They both