The World Keys (The Syker Key Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

was there during inventory the night before, and by the morning the closet was empty.”
    “And the closets are all secured?”
    “Yes, and logged to the computer.”
    “And nobody opened it?”
    “No.”
    Sarah was livid. Her budget was tight enough without having this kind of thing happen. Clearly it had to be a theft though, so maybe there’s an angle here she could use. Maybe insurance would cover the loss.
    There was a knock at the door.
    “Enter!” she shouted.
    Another engineer, one she recognized as working with Frank, though she couldn’t remember this one’s name, opened the door and entered. He was breathless.
    “There’s a problem.”
    “What?”
    “It’s not one suit missing. It’s three.”
    Sarah felt like throwing her coffee at the wall.
    ***
    It was almost too much for poor old Jack. At least that’s what he told himself. This Pan character had pulled him out of his life and faked his death because he said they were trying to kill him. And for what? Finding an asteroid? Was he even sure he could believe this character? He hadn’t, right up until Pan teleported him. That had been pretty convincing.
    Well, it was an asteroid potentially headed for Earth, so he could kind of understand why they would want him dead, or at least he could if the world was run by absolutely insane psychopaths. He didn’t like what it meant.
    Pan had shown him some absolutely incredible things in the last few hours, and here he was sitting in the grass, humid air and sun splashing over him, watching someone in a space suit flit in and out with the blink of an eye. He’d been told it wasn’t magic, just technology, but God, what technology!
    And being teleported! It was nothing like he expected. It was just...one second he was one place, the next another. No sound, no special effects, no lights, just...the only thing to really betray the change was how it smelled. He wasn’t used to the smell of salt water, and had wrinkled his nose at it.
    But it had also impressed the reality of it. He really was in Florida, as Pan had said they were going to be, the warmth and sun feeling like a wonderful change from his cool mountain home.
    These people were using technology that was not only beyond his means, but beyond his imagination.
    And they wanted his help?
    ***
    The incident with the astronomer worried Arthur. The threat they were facing was bad enough, but that there were powers out there trying to kill regular people for having the misfortune of finding the truth? Frightening.
    “Zack, best get cleaned up, supper will be in a few minutes,” his wife called from the kitchen. He watched her start to fill dishes from pots, ready to go to the table. It was something he had seen nearly every day for a thousand years. Yet now it seemed surreal, like a facade.
    He sat at the dinner table trying to digest the information, and almost laughed at the pun in his mind. Almost. But he was in no mood.
    “Would you give me a hand love?”
    He got up and helped her bring dishes to the table just as Zack entered the dining room and sat down. Good kid, that one.
    They had even set an extra place tonight, since they were having a guest. Arthur sent a message to his daughter. Dinner is served .
    A few seconds later, Jessica, John, Pan and the astronomer, Jack, appeared in their little living room above the restaurant. Jack appeared a little bewildered, and who could blame him?
    “Hi dad,” Zack greeted, without getting up. John walked over and kissed his son’s head.
    “Hey kiddo. I’d like you to meet Jack. He’s an astronomer.”
    “Amateur astronomer, thank you,” Jack corrected, the grey at his sides betraying his years. “Professional programmer,” he offered as he shook Zack’s hand.
    “What’s an amateur astronomer?”
    “What’s a professional programmer,” Catherine said quietly to Arthur. He tried to ignore the comment, but a grin encroached on his lips.
    Jack smiled. “If they’re like me, they’re someone