Read Online Bound Together by Corinn Heathers - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Corinn Heathers
Tags: Fiction, Urban Fantasy
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maybe a bit over average height for a Japanese-Korean-English mutt, but this guy towered over me.
“I'm Special Agent Daniel Williams, FBI. May I come in, Miss Ashley?”
I didn't believe for a second this guy was just a run-of-the-mill fed. The timing was too perfect for Agent Williams to be anything but a member of AEGIS. What he and his organization intended to do with me remained to be seen. That didn't mean I was going to make it easy on him.
“Got a warrant?” I quipped.
The man made a face. “Very funny. I'm not here to arrest you, Miss Ashley. I am only here to speak with you about the incident last night at the Records & Licensing Agency. You were instrumental in foiling the break-in attempt and data theft.”
“Considering how that's my job, it shouldn't be all that remarkable.” I wasn't stupid; I knew the man probably knew all about the weird shit that went on last night, the eye-guy and everything, but I wasn't going to give anything up for free.
“Even so, Miss Ashley, we would still like to debrief you about the, ah, 'special circumstances' regarding last night's incident. You will oblige me, I hope?”
“Fine.” I turned around and walked across my apartment and sat down at the kitchen table. “Come on in. Close the door behind you.”
“Thank you, ma'am.”
“Anything to drink?”
“No, ma'am, this shouldn't take long.” Williams sat down at the kitchen table and folded his hands on the table's surface. No notepad, smartphone or other type of recording or transcription device. Interesting.
“Well, I'm going to get something to drink.” I opened the fridge and pulled out a beer, glancing at the clock on the stove before opening it. It was already 5:27 PM. Fuck my life, today was my day off and it was already almost half over. I shrugged and opened the beer, returning to the table with my beverage and my cigarettes. I moved the ashtray to my side and lit up.
Agent Williams seemed unfazed by my extremely informal manner, not even raising an objection to the smoke that I didn't bother to apologize for. Definitely not a regular fed. Not nearly uptight enough for that.
“I'll get right to the point, Miss Ashley. We know you've come into possession of a unique and priceless item. Don't bother denying it; our investigation has turned up a wealth of evidence in the aftermath of this morning's incident.”
Well, hello. Williams was the no-nonsense type who went right for the kill. I tried my best to look casual and fired off a return salvo. “So you must be with AEGIS.”
“I'm not surprised the spirit already told you that much. How much do you know about our organization?”
“Not much.” I took a swig of my beer and a drag off my smoke. At this point I wasn't really trying to annoy him anymore. He'd already dispensed with the niceties and the song-and-dance routine and gotten right down to business. I could respect that.
“Just tell me what you do know.”
I sighed and took another sip of beer to wet my throat. “Officially, AEGIS is a paramilitary unit attached to the FBI, like a really well-funded SWAT unit. Obviously this is bullshit and even garden-variety internet conspiracy theorists know it.”
“Knowing what we aren't isn't the same thing as knowing what we are ,” Williams pointed out.
“Too true. Get to the point, Agent Williams. AEGIS is approaching me because the lot of you want something from me. I have a pretty good idea what that something is, so please do us both a favor and don't try to bullshit me.”
Williams nodded. “We want the Relic.”
“Well, you see, that's kind of impossible,” I explained. “That thing is stuck to me and there's only one way of making it come loose.”
“We know. Even if we were in the business of murdering law-abiding citizens, it would be a pointless gesture. The Relic you possess will only bind itself to a new wielder voluntarily.”
That was interesting information. Misaki hadn't mentioned that. Through the bond to
“I'm Special Agent Daniel Williams, FBI. May I come in, Miss Ashley?”
I didn't believe for a second this guy was just a run-of-the-mill fed. The timing was too perfect for Agent Williams to be anything but a member of AEGIS. What he and his organization intended to do with me remained to be seen. That didn't mean I was going to make it easy on him.
“Got a warrant?” I quipped.
The man made a face. “Very funny. I'm not here to arrest you, Miss Ashley. I am only here to speak with you about the incident last night at the Records & Licensing Agency. You were instrumental in foiling the break-in attempt and data theft.”
“Considering how that's my job, it shouldn't be all that remarkable.” I wasn't stupid; I knew the man probably knew all about the weird shit that went on last night, the eye-guy and everything, but I wasn't going to give anything up for free.
“Even so, Miss Ashley, we would still like to debrief you about the, ah, 'special circumstances' regarding last night's incident. You will oblige me, I hope?”
“Fine.” I turned around and walked across my apartment and sat down at the kitchen table. “Come on in. Close the door behind you.”
“Thank you, ma'am.”
“Anything to drink?”
“No, ma'am, this shouldn't take long.” Williams sat down at the kitchen table and folded his hands on the table's surface. No notepad, smartphone or other type of recording or transcription device. Interesting.
“Well, I'm going to get something to drink.” I opened the fridge and pulled out a beer, glancing at the clock on the stove before opening it. It was already 5:27 PM. Fuck my life, today was my day off and it was already almost half over. I shrugged and opened the beer, returning to the table with my beverage and my cigarettes. I moved the ashtray to my side and lit up.
Agent Williams seemed unfazed by my extremely informal manner, not even raising an objection to the smoke that I didn't bother to apologize for. Definitely not a regular fed. Not nearly uptight enough for that.
“I'll get right to the point, Miss Ashley. We know you've come into possession of a unique and priceless item. Don't bother denying it; our investigation has turned up a wealth of evidence in the aftermath of this morning's incident.”
Well, hello. Williams was the no-nonsense type who went right for the kill. I tried my best to look casual and fired off a return salvo. “So you must be with AEGIS.”
“I'm not surprised the spirit already told you that much. How much do you know about our organization?”
“Not much.” I took a swig of my beer and a drag off my smoke. At this point I wasn't really trying to annoy him anymore. He'd already dispensed with the niceties and the song-and-dance routine and gotten right down to business. I could respect that.
“Just tell me what you do know.”
I sighed and took another sip of beer to wet my throat. “Officially, AEGIS is a paramilitary unit attached to the FBI, like a really well-funded SWAT unit. Obviously this is bullshit and even garden-variety internet conspiracy theorists know it.”
“Knowing what we aren't isn't the same thing as knowing what we are ,” Williams pointed out.
“Too true. Get to the point, Agent Williams. AEGIS is approaching me because the lot of you want something from me. I have a pretty good idea what that something is, so please do us both a favor and don't try to bullshit me.”
Williams nodded. “We want the Relic.”
“Well, you see, that's kind of impossible,” I explained. “That thing is stuck to me and there's only one way of making it come loose.”
“We know. Even if we were in the business of murdering law-abiding citizens, it would be a pointless gesture. The Relic you possess will only bind itself to a new wielder voluntarily.”
That was interesting information. Misaki hadn't mentioned that. Through the bond to
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