Time Was Read Online Free PDF Page A

“You’re making fun of me.”
    â€œMaybe a little, but there’s no rancor in it. Besides, you deserved it. For a minute there, you sounded like some five-year-old who didn’t get the bike he wanted for Christmas.”
    â€œThis seems on the verge of getting unpleasant, Zac.”
    â€œWhy, because I’m not agreeing with you? Because I’m not begging to kiss your royal ring finger like any number of flunkies around here?”
    â€œYou’re getting nasty.”
    â€œNo, I’m not, Sam. I’m telling you the truth and you don’t want to hear it. You never were very good at listening to criticism.”
    â€œCriticism is only for those who can’t cut it, Zac, who need guidance because they haven’t the imagination or fortitude to—”
    â€œâ€”don’t talk down to me, all right? I didn’t mean to offend you, but unless I completely misunderstood what you were saying, you want someone by your side who isn’t a brown nosed yes-man. Is that right or did I have an hallucination?”
    â€œYou didn’t hallucinate.” Preston hated the sound of his voice—petulant, pouting, like that of a child who’d just been scolded and knew in his heart that he deserved it. He also knew exactly why he was sounding that way. If Zac only knew . . . but there were some things a man could never share with anyone. Preston had to do this right. He felt that all too familiar pain in his gut. A tense silence fell on the room for a moment. Preston surreptitiously wiped the first faint traces of sweat from his palms.
    â€œLet’s drop it and start over,” said Zac. “Okay?”
    â€œYes. I was just thinking.”
    â€œAbout what?”
    About how much I’d like to wipe that confident look off your face with the heel of my shoe , thought Preston.
    What he said was: “Here’s my offer, my wager, whatever you want to call it: My one hundred and fifty thousand dollars against your ten. If you win, if your people manage to break through my security and take this office in the next three minutes, then you walk out of here with one hundred and sixty thousand dollars and leave me with egg on my face.”
    â€œAnd if I lose?”
    â€œYou know.”
    â€œMaybe, maybe not. Enlighten me.”
    Preston really didn’t like the way this was going; it was starting to smack of his losing control of the situation. “If you lose,then you and your team will come and work for me. One year. After that, you can truck on down the old Happy Trail if you want.” He looked at his watch. “Two minutes, Zac. Are we on? Do you agree to the terms?”
    Zac grinned. “You’ve come a long way since our days in Vampirella’s employ, haven’t you?”
    â€œDon’t speak ill of Annabelle,” replied Sam, returning the grin. “I’m sure her disposition’s improved considerably since she bought the new coffin. You’re begging the question.”
    â€œTell me when we’re down to forty-five seconds.”
    A long silence.
    A thin bead of perspiration ran down the center of Preston’s forehead; the fire in his gut was, thankfully, starting to be extinguished.
    â€œForty-five seconds, Zac.”
    Robillard put out his hand. “We have a bet.”
    Preston shook Zac’s hand. “Sucker.”
    â€œA man is involved in a terrible auto accident,” said Zac’s voice from the overhead speakers.
    Preston whirled around to face the screens. “What the—?”
    And there was the face of Zac Robillard staring back at him from every monitor.
    â€œHe comes to in the emergency room and sees a doctor staring down at him. ‘I’ve got good news and bad news,’ says the doctor. ‘The bad news is that one of your legs was damaged severely, and we had to remove it—only we cut off the wrong leg.’ ‘What’s the good news?’ says