The Burning City Read Online Free PDF

mouth was dry. Hopefully, all the water she’d drunk wouldn’t come back up in front of everyone.
    That would be festive on the front page of the newspaper.
    They had nearly reached the car when someone grabbed her hand, which she’d foolishly left dangling at her side. She panicked and tried to yank it away. Something was shoved into her palm, and the hand released her. She almost flung away whatever it was, but she glanced down at it.
    A small folded piece of paper. Surely some schlub hadn’t just given her his phone number.
    She wrenched her head around, trying to see who it was, but so many faces swam in her vision.
    They reached the open back door of the car. Sam took his arm from around her and gently nudged her inside. He didn’t need to, though. She scrambled in.
    Cindy climbed in next, followed by Sam, and then Aaron. June scooted over as far as she could on the seat. Cindy sat across from her, next to Aaron, and Sam at her side. When the door slammed shut, June sagged, the commotion outside muffled. People huddled around the car, but they were all cops and FBI.
    “This is so exciting!” Cindy clutched her hands to her chest. “Oh my God, Sam, listen to them. You’re gonna be mayor without question.”
    Sam gripped June’s arm. “You okay?”
    “I am now. I’m not cut out for the limelight.”
    “You guys sounded great up there, though.” Cindy leaned over and squeezed June’s knee. “You handled those questions like a pro.”
    “Some of us more than others.” Aaron eyed Sam.
    June plucked the paper out of her palm.
    “What’s that?” Sam asked.
    “Someone shoved this in my hand when we were walking through the crowd.” She unfolded it. “It’s probably a love letter for you.”
    Cindy laughed. “Do you like me, future Mr. Mayor? Check yes or no.”
    It was a torn sheet of notebook paper. Her brain recognized the handwriting before she read the words.
    Good job holding up Micha’s end of the bargain. I’m going to be a very busy man for the next couple days. If you call out for me, I may be slow, but I’ll come.
    The note was signed “O.”
    June lurched forward and stared out the window. Her heart pounded against her ribs, her breath short, gunshot wound aching.
    “What is it?” Sam grabbed the paper from her.
    “Occam was here.”
     

Chapter 4
     
    June sat on the bed in their hotel room—home for the past two weeks—staring blankly out the window at the city. She held the note. Sam was in the other room of the suite with Aaron, receiving their final instructions from the FBI.
    A hand squeezed her shoulder. “So they’re finally cutting you loose.”
    Trina stood over her. Her dark hair was pulled back and she had glasses on, the whole effect very mom-like. She held a plastic bottle out to June. “I brought you some more vitamins. Have you been keeping them down?”
    Since the FBI had sequestered them, June hadn’t been able to go to Trina’s facility for an extensive battery of tests—something she was apprehensive about, anyway, given her past with scientists. In the meantime, Trina had prescribed her an intense vitamin regimen to help with the malnutrition from not being able to put most food in her mouth.
    June took the bottle. “Most of the time. They don’t irritate my stomach too much. That has to be a miracle in itself.”
    Trina knelt in front of her. “We’re going to find a way to fix you. I’m good at what I do. We’ll figure this thing out and reverse it.”
    June didn’t bother to argue that no paranormal person dying from their powers had ever been saved—at least, not according to the extensive research June had done on the Internet.
    “I want to believe you.” June spoke softly. “The alternative is much worse.”
    “So what’s the plan? Where are you going? What are you going to do?”
    “There are still rules we have to play by. We’re not allowed to leave Chicago, which means I’m not going home.”
    “Where will you go?”
    “Sam says