Welcome to the Darkness (Darkness Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page B

hand out.
    “Um . . . I’m not sure that’s such a good idea . . . it’s kinda fragile. It would be really bad if it broke,” Reed said, moving the device further away from her.
    Time to practice her stern face. “Hand it over,” she stated firmly.
    Reed swallowed. Sarah wondered if she should delve into his mind to figure out what he was up to. She didn’t like invading people’s privacy like that, but it was becoming clear he was up to something.
    He held out the device, handing it over with obvious r eluctance. With a jolt of surprise, she recognized what it was. “Do you know what this is?” she asked him.
    After a moment of hesitation, he replied with a genuine look of pure innocence on his face. “No. They only told me how to install it,” he muttered, looking at the floor.
    “It just so happens that I’m a cop,” she said, her anger building. “And I do know what this is. This device is for transmitting audio and visual information. In other words, it’s a bug.”
    Oh . . . shit!
    She snorted as she heard that thought loud and clear. No kidding, you little sneak, she thought. Sarah stood up and unsnapped the holster of her sidearm. She pulled out the gun and released the safety in one swift, practiced m otion.
    “Now, here’s what’s going to happen,” she said, enunc iating every word. “Slowly . . . very slowly, stand up,” she demanded. “No sudden moves.”
    His eyes wide, he didn’t look away from the gun she pointed at him. He stood up and raised his hands.
    “Good. Now move over to your right, and park your butt on my couch. Then you can tell me why the hell you’re planting a bug in my apartment.”
    “Oh my God, I’m in so much trouble!” Reed mumbled. He shuffled to stand in front of the couch. He glanced at the door, clearly contemplating escape. And Nathaniel too! What am I supposed to do now?
    “Park your sorry ass down,” Sarah barked at him. “Don’t even think about running. And who’s Nathaniel?”
    A quick blur, a small whoosh of air, and the next thing Sarah knew she was pointing the gun at her empty living room.
    What the hell?
    H er door flapping open caught her attention. She tried to understand what had just happened and raced to the door, threw it open and dashed into the hallway. She looked to the left and then the right, but the hallway was deserted. Undaunted, she sprinted towards the stairwell, opened the door, and scanned the area up and down. Nothing. Not even the sound of retreating footsteps. How on earth had he vanished into thin air?
    Shoulders slumped, she returned to her apartment fee ling baffled. She closed the door behind her and locked it. The duffle bag was still on the floor, so she crossed the room and knelt down beside it to inspect the contents. A map, with her building marked on it, a set of keys, a photo of her building, and a floor plan of her apartment. Plus the screwdriver on the floor and the discarded bug sitting on the side table next to the couch. No identifying information whatsoever.
    How the hell had he gotten all these things? She probably should have called 9-1-1. She definitely should have dug into his mind for some clues. Too late now, she thought. She’d bring this stuff in as evidence, but she had a feeling she might never find out what Reed had been up to, if that was even his real name. Boy, she’d been a sucker for those innocent-looking baby blues. Damn!

Reed
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    W hat a colossal screw-up, I thought, as I plopped down on a worn wooden bench across the road from a gas station. There were quite a few people milling about downtown San Jose, stopping in at the local café, window shopping, or entering one of the shiny glass high-rise buildings. Just business as usual for the rest of the world.
    I had high-tailed it out of that woman’s apartment as fast as my vampire legs could carry me, which was pretty damn fast. No doubt she was wondering what the hell had happened. I didn’t know what to