The Spiral Effect Read Online Free PDF Page B

right direction. That is one giant box, though. Real big
box. Wonder who could have done this to me?
    Find the Cause.
    Find the Source.
    Find the Beginning.
    Right, priorities first. Everything else
will follow in time.
    Reseal the door so nothing can spill out.
Have to keep it contained. No windows. Where—where—where. Hmm. Only
option is the roof, wherever that starts. I’ll just drop in from
the top, hope I don’t get buried, and organize. All right then,
let’s see what we can find on Alex Wonder.
     
     
     
    To be continued in The Spiral Effect: Alex
Wonder
     

 
     
     
     
    Excerpt from The Spiral Effect: Alex
Wonder —Available Now.
     
     
     
     
    Inkblots melt into flesh while scribbled
thoughts radiate sound.
     
     
    Two men stared at each other from across a
table. Eyes narrowed in concentration, penetrating the other’s
glare.
    One was black, with an ageless face, yet
full of wisdom. He wore plaid pajama pants and a baby blue shirt.
House slippers graced his bare feet and lightly tapped the
polished, white tile. He pursed his lips, rubbed his balled head,
but continued to stare into the other man’s eyes.
    The other was white, decades older, yet
holding that same ageless quality. He dressed more formal, attired
in black pants and a black button up shirt, both neatly ironed. His
feet remained still, adorned with recently polished black loafers.
His hands rested in his lap, away from the nicely trimmed pepper
gray hair.
    “Your move, Alex.” The white man said.
    Alex gripped his chin and cheek,
contemplating the move. Other than a move of e4 and e5, all the
other pieces stood guard in their originally assigned spot. Ten
minutes had gone by since the last move. However, since Alex had
always played the game too quickly, which was why, in his mind, he
never won, today, he’d try a different approach.
    “Just formulating a strategy here,
Father.”
    Alex reached for the knight on his left.
    “How many times do I have to tell you, Alex?
Just call me Donovan.”
    Alex stopped inches from the white horse’s
head. No—don’t want to do that. Took that approach last
time.
    “Working on my show of respect and civility.
Don’t look too much into it, Donovan.”
    Alex finally decided on a move of Bc4.
Donovan moved his Knight to f6.
    “A new assignment from Dr. Mattheson?”
Father Donovan asked.
    Alex rolled his eyes. “Yes. That man is full
of them, isn’t he?”
    “Don’t look at it as a bad thing. You need
something to occupy your time Tuesday to Sunday.”
    “Or you could come more than once a
week.”
    Move—d3.
    “I’m sorry, but others require my time as
well.”
    Move—c6.
    “What, terminal patients looking for a
miracle, hobos in need of beer money, whores a prayer for a clean
conscience?”
    A man dressed in blue scrubs walked up and
stood behind Alex. “Everything okay?”
    “Its fine, Chase. In the middle of something
here.”
    Chase was a man in his forties. Clean cut,
black hair, and looked like he exercised. Other than that, Alex
didn’t really have an opinion about him or care to know a single
iota more.
    “Time for your pills.”
    Alex held out his hand, but kept his eyes on
the board.
    “Sorry about that.” Alex said.
    “It’s okay, Alex, just thought I should—
    “Not you, Chase.”
    Alex grabbed the little white cup, shot the
pills down his throat, crumpled it up and plopped it back into
Chase’s hand.
    “Every Monday.” Chase muttered before
turning to leave.
    “Not going to work on your homework with
him?” Father Donavan said.
    Alex sighed.
    “SORRY ABOUT THAT CHASE. YOU’RE DOING A
FANTASTIC JOB. THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!”
    Chase shook his head but didn’t turn
around.
    Move—Bg5.
    “I think you hurt his feelings.” Father
Donovan said.
    “Hmm? What’s that, now?”
    “Don’t think you’ll be getting an A on your
homework assignment when you see Dr. Mattheson today.”
    Move—h6.
    Alex shrugged. “ I’m fairly
certain it’s pass/fail.