Time Snatchers Read Online Free PDF Page A

thinking my fingers are going to encounter a lumpy mass of used Great Friendship Extra Chew Bubble Gum. Luckily, the only thing I feel is the Access button. I press it, and the south wall slides back, revealing the real reception area for Timeless Treasures.
    Except today there’s not a lot of revealing going on. In fact, it’s pitch-black. Not even the dim light from the fake reception area has managed to penetrate the gloom beyond the wall. If I could, I’d switch to night vision, but my ocular implant doesn’t work inside Headquarters. I stand and take two blind steps forward. The wall slides closed behind me.
    All of my senses kick into high alert as I brace myself for the inevitable attack.
    Ten seconds go by.
    Could I be wrong? Maybe the attack isn’t coming.
    Twenty seconds pass. Still nothing.
    Maybe … and then something like iron grips my neck and throat. The assault is so swift I don’t have time to even breathe.
    “Four letters,” a husky voice whispers. “Chinese sailing vessel dating from ancient times or food containing zero nutritional value.”
    I’d like to help Nassim out with his crossword puzzle, but the mechanics of the situation make it impossible for me to grunt, let alone utter a four-letter word.
    He must realize it too, because he eases his grip slightly.
    “H-hello, Nassim,” I splutter. “I’m reporting in.”
    The large man releases me. He snaps his fingers and the reception area swims into focus. The first thing I see, floating in front of me, is a three-foot-high hologram of the company logo, a snake wrapped around an hourglass. Just above the logo in floating orange neon letters is Uncle’s inspirational message of the week:
A failed snatch is like half a sneeze
.
    Uncle may have some faults, but I’ve got to admit he’s got a certain way with words.
    I rub my neck while Nassim flips open his handheld. He’s the latest in Uncle’s string of personal assistants/bodyguards. He also tutors us time snatchers on karate, including at no extra charge, surprise attacks that are virtually impossible to defend against.
    The word around Timeless Treasures is that Nassim knows twenty-seven different ways to immobilize an opponent using only his left thumb. According to Abbie, he made some bad bets at the racetrack, and Uncle bailed him out. Now he owes Uncle a pile of money, which he’ll never be able to repay on his paltry salary. But I’d be surprised if he and his deadly thumb manage to last even another month. Next week, Nassim will have been with Uncle six months, which is usually when Uncle dumps his assistants.
    “Ah, yes, the Beijing mission. Kindly hand it over,” says Nassim.
    So polite. It’s hard to believe this is the same guy who was throttling me just a moment ago.
    “I … I don’t have anything for you,” I say.
    “How can that be?” says Nassim, his eyes narrowing. “Did you not complete the snatch?”
    “Well, when I got to the snatch zone, the Great Friendship flag wasn’t there.”
    Nassim’s crossword-puzzle-solving fingers are twitching. He doesn’t like surprises. They mess up his paperwork. For a long moment, he just looks at me, saying nothing.
    “Someone else must have snatched it,” I say finally to break the silence.
    I don’t like lying to Nassim. He’s a decent guy. But if I tell him that Frank and I were going at it again, he’ll have no choice but to go straight to Uncle with the news. And Uncle isn’t the sympathetic type.
    “I’ll have to record it as a failed snatch,” says Nassim.
    I nod. It’s not so bad—yet. Thankfully, I’ve got no other failed snatches this month.
    “Please wait in the lounge while I complete my report,” he says.
    I nod again, and just before I turn to go, I whisper, “Junk,” in answer to Nassim’s crossword puzzle clue. He rewards me with a toothy grin and a clap on the back that sends a fresh jolt of pain up to my poor neck.
    I walk down the hall to the lounge. It’s a combination of living