The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession Read Online Free PDF Page A

I can’t wait to see what Dr. Ben-Judah has to say about you-know-who when he’s no longer really himself.”
    “You think there’ll be any of the man left of him?”
    David cocked his head. “His body, sure. Maybe he’ll sound like himself and have the same mannerisms, but he’s supposed to be indwelt, and indwelt means indwelt.
    When I was promoted, I moved into the quarters of that director who was reassigned to Australia, remember?”
    “Yeah.”
    “It’s the same place. Same walls, same bed, same lav, everything. It looks the same, but it’s not. I’m the new dweller.”
    She held him tighter. “I don’t want to know the new dweller of the potentate.”
    “Well, it’ll be no more Mr. Nice Guy.”
    “Not funny,” she said.
    “They should be here any minute, babe.”
    “I know. My ears are tuned to the ‘16.1 know how long it takes to get the hangar doors open and to position the forklift and winch. I hope security keeps its distance. Did you see all of ‘em out there? Have you heard all the rules?”
    “Have I! You’d think you were off-loading the body of the king of the world.”
    She snorted. “Tell you the truth, I’d like to drop the box and run over the whole thing with the forklift. Let’s see that come back to life.”
    David tugged her toward the door. “What if he comes back to life while you’re transporting the body?”
    She stopped and closed her eyes. “Like I wasn’t freaked out enough. You’d have to find me in heaven.”
    A hum vibrated the office window. “You’d better go. They’re about three minutes away.”
    Rayford could not believe his luck at Tel Aviv. He hurried past the busy counters and out a side exit toward the small-craft hangars. The Gulfstream sat gleaming in Hangar 3.
    An armed guard doing double duty as manifest coordinator checked Marv Berry off his list and said, “Wait a minute, there’s something else I’m s’posed to ask.
    Ah, yeah, flight plan reported to tower?”
    “You bet,” Rayford said, “but they weren’t happy with how slow the small craft were being cleared, so I’d better keep you out of trouble by getting out of here quick.”
    “I ‘predate that,” the guard said, clearly more comfortable with a gun than a pen. “They expect lots of passengers on the big birds tonight and want to get the little ones out of the way.”
    “Understandable,” Rayford said. “I’ll do my part.”
    “Wish I’d a been in Jerusalem tonight,” the guard said as Rayford circled the Gulfstream, doing a quick preflight.
    “Yeah?”
    “I’d a killed somebody, guilty or not.”
    “That so?”
    “Dang straight. Somebody’d pay for that. Who’d wanna go and kill our only hope?”
    “I can’t imagine.”
    “You’re American, right, Mr. Berry?”
    “You could tell?”
    “Sure, me too.”
    “You don’t say.”
    “Colorado,” the young man said. “Fort Collins. You?”
    “What’re you doing here?”
    “Wanted Gala duty. This is as close as I got. Hoped for potentate bodyguard, but I guess that’s all political.”
    “Like everything else,” Rayford said, pulling open the Gulfstream’s door and steps.
    “Need some help there, Mr. Berry?”
    “Got it, thanks.”
    “Where’d you say you were from?”
    I didn’t, Rayford thought. “Kalamazoo,” he said, mounting the steps and tossing in his bag.
    “That’s what, Midwest?”
    Rayford hated the small talk, not to mention the delay, only slightly less than the prospect of being detained and put to death. “Michigan!” he called out, pulling the door.
    “Hang on a second, sir,” the guard said. “Squawk box is for me.”
    “I gotta go,” Rayford said. “Nice talking to you.”
    “Just a minute, please,” the young man said with a smile. “Another minute won’t kill you, will it?”
    It just might. “I’ve really got to go, son.”
    “Wyatt.”
    “Why?”
    “Wyatt. That’s my name.”
    “Well, thanks, Wyatt, and good-bye.”
    “Mr. Berry!”
    “Yes,