Read Online Chimera by David Wellington - Free Book Online Page B

know what I am. You know we don’t do well with frustration,” he said. Then he grabbed
her by her hurt arm and threw her across the room to smash against the vanity
table on the far wall. She just had time to see her own screaming face in the
mirror before she crashed into the glass with a shattering, tooth-rattling
noise.
    Brody hurt her more after that but thankfully she
felt very little of it. She was dead long before he was finished.
    IN TRANSIT: APRIL
12, T+6:46
    Partner?
    Chapel thought maybe Hollingshead had meant the
helicopter pilot. When he climbed on board, though, he saw that the pilot was an
air force kid who couldn’t be more than twenty-five—and who had no idea who
Chapel was, where he was going, or what his mission was.
    Chapel pulled on a crash helmet and moved the
integrated microphone around so the pilot could hear him. “New York City—as fast
as we can get there.”
    The pilot confirmed, and in a moment they were
airborne. The chopper cut a wide arc around the Pentagon then slewed northeast,
headed straight over Washington.
    Chapel sat back in his seat and let his gaze wander
over the landscape. He considered taking a nap. It was going to be a long flight
and there wasn’t much he could do until they arrived. He was too keyed up,
though. Too excited—and scared—and worried—to even think about closing his
eyes.
    Instead he could only let his mind race, thinking
over everything he needed to accomplish, everything he could reasonably do to
catch the detainees before they killed again. And about how it might already be
too late for the first name on the kill list.
    He was lost in his own thoughts when a voice spoke
in his ear.
    â€œGood morning, Captain,” a woman said.
    It was the smokiest, most sultry voice Chapel had
ever heard. It was like someone was stroking his ear with a velvet glove.
    He glanced over at the pilot, then back at the
empty seats behind him. Whoever this woman was, she wasn’t onboard.
    â€œNo,” she said, with a chiding laugh. “I’m not
there with you.”
    â€œWho are you?” he asked.
    â€œWhy don’t you go ahead and think of me as your
guardian angel?” she suggested.
    â€œWhat do you mean, guardian angel?” Chapel
asked.
    The pilot of the helicopter glanced over at him
briefly, then shrugged and went back to flying the chopper. Apparently the pilot
wasn’t hearing the voice in his ear.
    That was probably for the best.
    â€œDirector Hollingshead asked me to keep an eye on
you, cutie,” the voice said. “I work directly for him, normally, but for the
next few days I’m all yours.”
    â€œHe mentioned something about a partner. What’s
your name?”
    â€œWell, my initials are NTK.”
    He smiled despite himself. In other words, her very
name was Need to Know. “So you’re the secretive type. I can handle that,” he
told her. “Let’s just run down the list, shall we? What is your current
location? What’s your rank? What’s your official job description?”
    â€œAll those things are classified, and you know it.
You’re playing with me,” she said.
    â€œJust establishing some ground rules. All right.
Let’s try another one. Are you going to be waiting for me when I land in New
York?” Chapel asked. “Surely you can answer that, since I’ll find out one way or
another in an hour.”
    â€œCaptain, I’ll always be with you. But this is as physical as I get. The sweet little voice in your
ear, making helpful comments and keeping you company. I’ve already been briefed
on your operation, and I’m looking for ways right now to help.”
    â€œI’m not sure I understand.”
    The voice sighed, just a little. “Let’s put it this
way. While you’re in the field you’re not going to have a lot of time to check
your voice mail or look things up on Wikipedia. I’ll do