Waging War Read Online Free PDF Page A

information.”
    Mr. Shaw gazed steadily at Archer. “We’re
working up a list of risk factors to mitigate the surprises. We’ll
try to be as thorough as possible.”
    Archer nodded. “That’s all I can ask for.”
He turned to Ringo as he reached for my hand. “I need to talk to
you both. Can you come running with us?”
    “‘Course.” Ringo set down the tiny
screwdriver he’d been using and brushed invisible dust off his
perfectly clean jeans as he stood.
    Archer nodded to both Mr. Shaw and Connor.
“Thank you for everything you’re doing.”
    Mr. Shaw reached out and clasped Archer’s
shoulder. “It’s not just a research project, you know that.”
    “I know.” Archer’s gaze was direct, but
there was something very guarded in his eyes. We left the
greenhouse quietly, and he started running the moment the door
closed behind us.
    The old barn two fields over was our
unspoken destination, and the moonlit run was silent except for the
crunch of grass and the sounds of our breath. It wasn’t until we
were all sitting on the roof of the stone structure that I
spoke.
    “I don’t like it.”
    But Archer was already talking. “I want to
find Tom.”
    That wasn’t at all what I thought he was
going to say, and I felt the air whoosh out of my lungs. I had
spent the last few weeks since we returned from France trying very
hard not to think about Tom. The guilt and regret that laced my
memories of him made my soul ache and my conscience itch, and his
name was definitely not a comfortable topic of conversation.
    “Ye think a cure can save ‘im from ‘imself?”
Ringo didn’t sound surprised.
    “What does Tom have to do with anything?” I
said.
    “I don’t trust the Monger in him.”
    I turned to Archer. “You think now that he’s
a Vampire he’ll suddenly turn into a bad guy?”
    Archer gazed back at me without blinking.
“He’s full of Wilder’s blood, Saira. He’s everything that Wilder
was, and more. I think he’s angry, and I think he could be stronger
than Wilder was too. He started as a mixed-blood and that makes him
a wild card.”
    “Tom’s not a power-hungry maniac bent on
ruling the Immortal Descendant world.” I refused to accept that he
could ever be anything other than the lonely and misunderstood boy
who had been my friend.
    “Saira, Tom put ‘imself on the path to ‘is
own destruction when ‘e sent Léon back to kill ‘is ‘uman self. And
‘e’s a ball of self-loathin’ for ‘avin’ murdered the one person ‘e
loved, which means ‘e’s either curled up in a corner somewhere
waitin’ to die, or ‘e’s engineerin’ that death.” Ringo’s voice was
quiet and confident, as if he’d figured all of this out long
ago.
    Archer spoke calmly. “He tried to commit
suicide in France and failed. I’m afraid the only people strong
enough to end him permanently are other Mongers or Vampires, which
means he’d have to go looking for that kind of trouble - or causing
trouble to come to their notice.” His voice held such certainty it
made me flush with anger.
    “Why don’t you believe he could have found
some peaceful place in time to live out a life of books and art and
whatever else doesn’t involve heights?” I believed that was
possible. I had to.
    “Because he doesn’t believe he
deserves happiness.” Archer’s simple words were like a punch in the
gut.
    “So, you want to find Tom and get him
whatever cure Mr. Shaw and Connor have cooked up?”
    “Yes.” Archer’s gaze didn’t waver from
mine.
    “And if the cure doesn’t work, or he doesn’t
want it?”
    Archer said nothing, but his eyes said
everything I didn’t want to hear. I turned to Ringo. “Have you
already been looking for him? Is that why you don’t seem to be
surprised by all this?”
    Ringo shrugged. “Yeah, I’ve been lookin’.
I’m startin’ to think ‘e could ‘ave made ‘is way to World War
II.”
    I stared at Ringo. “Why?”
    “Every war ‘as its legends. A couple of