Stackpole, Michael A - Dark Conspiracy 02 Read Online Free PDF

him.
    ”Sir, you shouldn’t be here.”
    Sin rolled his eyes to heaven. “I have a valid ID, Miss.
    I’m in.”
    She smiled nervously and lowered her voice. “No sir, that’s not the problem.” She gently took hold of his upper Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    right arm. This is just the normal lounge. If you’ll come with me.”
    Curious, Sin took out the ID card he’d used and looked closely at it. It resembled the one his father’s corporation had issued except in three things: the corporate hologram in the corner represented Lorica, his job description was executive vice president for Special Liaison Affairs, and it had a white border around it. He’d never seen the white border before. This surprised him because, as a security officer at Build-more, he thought he had seen everything.
    She led him to a door near the point where the front of the train would end up when boarding began. “Your carte blanche, please,” she whispered as she gently tugged at his ID card. He let go and she slipped it into a slot beside the door. The door itself slid up into the ceiling, admitting them to a dark alcove. When the door shut behind them, another opened in front, and they stepped into what looked to Sin to be a bar.
    The rectangular room had a full bar with two bartenders behind it across from him. The far end had a sound system and a dance floor complete with a revolving mirrored ball and a floor that changed colors by blocks. Tables with candles glowing softly filled the space between the door and the dance floor. Doorways leading into smaller alcoves appeared every 10 feet or so along the walls and two of them were shut.
    Sin frowned. What in hell?
    Lounging at the bar, sipping drinks from tall glasses, Sin saw a half-dozen young men and women all look at him when he came in. The attendant pressed his ID card back into his hand and smiled. “I will be leaving now, sir.”
    Her smile broadened hopefully. “Unless you want me to stay.”
    Sin shook his head to clear it, which killed her smile.
    She started to drift from sight, but Sin turned and thanked her. “And the door over there, at this end of the bar, that’s where I board the train?”
    She nodded. “Your ID will open it for you.”
    Sin thanked her again, then drifted to the bar. He glanced down at the women, then looked up at the bartender. “I never knew this was here.”
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    The man gave him a chummy wink. “I had you pegged as a first-timer. Yeah, you get a corp to issue you a carte blanche and anything goes. What do you want?”
    “A beer—Henry Weinhard’s if you have it.” Sin saw a leggy brunette who reminded him too much of an un-pleasant memory named Christina approaching from farther down the bar. He held his hand up. “Just a beer, thanks.”
    She stopped and returned to her stool with the sort of walk that made Sin almost regret his decision. The bartender set a sweating bottle down in front of him, then headed back to talk to the loungers, leaving Sin alone. Sin took a long pull on the beer, letting it burn its way down his throat. Giant spiders invading Phoenix? Coyote must have known this place existed and I didn’t. Perhaps he does know what he is talking about The nurse on the 10thfloor of Phoenix General kindly directed Sin to Wing 5 and Room 42. Sin felt he probably could have found the room on his own, but his introduction to the hyperspeed lane of corporate life in Phoenix had disoriented him somewhat. While the carte blanche section of the maglev did not offer the wide range of services supplied by the lounge, it did have a small gift shop section, so he grabbed some candy to bring with him.
    Sin knocked lightly on the door as he pushed it open.
    ”Mr. Garrett, I’m Sinclair MacNeal. I don’t know if you’ll remember...” Sin’s voice trailed off as he saw he was not Garrett’s only visitor.
    Garrett