The Last City Read Online Free PDF Page B

she had been killed in the ensuing high-speed chase into the desert. The commander had never bought it and Eli hadn’t either.
    The secondary entrance to the interrogation area slid open. The commander stood in the doorway, with Diega and Jude behind him. The guardians snapped to attention and each slapped an arm across his chest to salute their superior officer.
    The commander entered the room, his steps soundless on the stone floor. He acknowledged Eli with a nod, then spoke to the guardians.
    ‘Stand down,’ he ordered, adding for Tiny’s benefit, ‘leave.’
    Both guardians jumped to obey. They exited the room as Diega and Jude entered. Diega flashed Eli a beautiful smile that made her eyes shimmer like the stars of her bloodline marks. She went to stand beside the commander, both of them staring up at the screen monitoring Keets.
    Jude came to Eli’s side. ‘Well done, my friend.’ He extended his hand and Eli clasped it, the metal cold against his skin. ‘Have I told you lately that you’re a genius?’
    ‘About an hour ago,’ Eli replied, grinning at his Ar Antarian friend and the spider robot sitting on his shoulder.
    ‘Well, I feel like I need to say it again,’ Jude said.
    ‘If you must.’
    ‘You’re a genius.’
    ‘Thank you. So are you.’
    ‘Well, birds of a feather . . .’ Jude shrugged and SevenM bobbed up and down.
    ‘Eli,’ the commander cut in. ‘Turn this off.’ He gestured to the monitor.
    Eli went to the control panel in the wall and disconnected the signal. Keets’ image faltered and vanished.
    ‘Where did you apprehend her?’ Copernicus asked.
    ‘I don’t know,’ Eli said before he could stop the lie.
    The commander watched him with infinite patience and waited for him to get it right.
    ‘I mean . . .’ Eli took a deep breath and Jude gave him an encouraging slap on the shoulder. ‘I do know . . . it was between the towns of Scudera and Fletchy, just beside Outpost 43.’
    ‘What happened?’
    ‘I was there installing the spyers to monitor if she was using the outpost as a hideout. I heard a loud thump against the outpost wall. I went outside and saw someone getting up off the ground. I told them to identify themselves. They went for their weapon, so I stunned them. When I went to cuff them, I saw it was Ev’r Keets.’
    ‘And she let you bring her in?’ Jude asked.
    ‘Well, she didn’t actually regain consciousness until I got her here,’ Eli confessed.
    Jude’s eyebrows shot up and Diega said, ‘She must be playing at something. No way could a stunner knock her out.’
    Eli hadn’t thought about it until then, but he realised Diega was right. Previously, virtually nothing could keep Keets down. She was highly resilient and resistive.
    ‘You’ve searched her?’ the commander asked.
    ‘Yes, boss,’ Eli said quickly. ‘I put everything in her bag.’
    He moved to the far wall and swiped his hand over a sensor. A hidden drawer shot out from the stone. He dragged out Keets’ bag, the weight of it almost pulling him to the ground. The commander took the strap from him and easily lifted the bag onto the table in the centre of the room.
    ‘No triggers?’ The commander eyed the zippers.
    ‘None,’ Eli confirmed.
    ‘That’s not like her either,’ Jude commented, crossing his metal arms over his chest. Keets was notorious, among many other things, for the violent traps and triggers that protected her belongings.
    ‘She’s playing,’ Diega echoed her previous thoughts. ‘Must be.’
    The commander unzipped the bag. All Keets’ equipment was there, including her infamous knife – the Morsus Ictus. Copernicus pulled on the gloves from his weapon belt then picked up the black blade, examining it. He placed it back into the bag and lifted out a bottle of green potion. He swished it around, studying the contents.
    ‘Run a full analysis on this and all other liquids in here,’ he said to Eli.
    ‘Now, boss?’
    The commander shook his head.