Read Online A Boy and His Corpse by Richard B. Knight - Free Book Online Page A

life for you.”
                  “Not for me, Mr. Rovas. For America! America needs this.”
                  Mr. Rovas was silent for a moment and Rosewater thought he might have finally reached him. But the sigh he made after the silence soured Rosewater’s anticipation.
    “Look, even if we wanted to, we can’t use Herbert’s son. He’s still not ready yet.”
                  “But we need him ready. We at least have to try.”
                  “Don’t you listen, Rosewater? I just told you, he’s not ready . It would be like putting a tank without treads on the battlefield. It’d be worthless.”
                  “But we at least have to try,” Rosewater repeated. 
                  “You know what? I’m tired and I’ve had enough of you for one day. Bye.”
                  “Hey! Don’t you hang up on me!” Rosewater said, but all his anger was wasted as he heard a click and then a dial tone.
                  “Hello?” Rosewater said into his phone. “ Hello ?”
                  Nobody answered. He tossed the phone back into his desk so hard that he nearly shattered the screen. He rested his face on his desk and groaned.
                  There’s got to be another way. There just has to be.
                  There was another way, but it wasn’t a smart one. It didn’t matter. He had to take a chance.
    He dialed the phone on his desk and waited a few seconds before anyone picked up.
    “Hello, Mr. President,” the voice said on the other end.
                  “Hello. Get Air Force One ready for me ASAP. I need to take a trip.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Alan
     
     
                  Alan rushed home from school and James followed him.
                  “Dude, hold up,” James said. “Nobody’s around anymore. We can talk.”
                  “Leave me alone,” Alan said. He was only a few steps away from his front door. “I need to see my dad.”
                  “Wait, your dad’s home?” James asked. “But it’s Friday.”
                  “I know it’s Friday, dumbass. Now go away.”
    As Alan turned, James grabbed his shoulder from behind.
                  “I said leave me alone!” Alan shouted. He pushed James back a few steps, and his friend almost tripped over his untied shoelaces. “This doesn’t concern you.”
                  “Dude, what’s your problem? Half the class saw you turn green like the Incredible Hulk and you don’t even want to talk about it?”
                  Alan felt the eyes of agents Heinzelman and Covington watching him from across the street and his stomach churned. He already had his dad to worry about. The last thing he needed was James to be murdered in cold blood because he was revealing too much in broad daylight.
                  “Just leave me alone, okay?” Alan said. He rotated his shoulder as if the hand was still on it. “Go home and don’t say anything about what you saw today.”
                  “Dude,” James said, but Alan was already at his front door, fishing for his keys. “I really think we should talk about this.”
                  “There’s nothing to talk about,” Alan said. He found his key and unlocked the door. But before he could twist the knob, the door flew open. Standing there, in nothing but his blue bathrobe, was his father. Herbert’s lips twisted and his eyes bulged. He poked his neck out the door and saw James.
                  “Get the hell out of here, Krompholz!” he barked.
    Alan was pulled inside, and the door slammed behind him.
                  “Dad, what happened today?” Alan asked, startled.
                  Herbert grabbed both of Alan’s arms and squeezed.