Read Online Dragon Gate by Gary Jonas - Free Book Online Page B

us to go home.”
    She had a point, but I wasn’t ready to relinquish it. “In order to protect them, we need to have control over where they go and when they go there.”
    “That’s not true. Go back to the house. Take a shower. Your hair is trying to get a starring role on a TV sitcom.”
    “You don’t like it? It’s the latest style.”
    “Right. Go eat breakfast. There’s a good chance Graham doesn’t need to know anyone is following him. Let him think he’s pulled a fast one. That way we can get paid and we can keep him and his sister alive. He might complicate the job, but I can easily keep tabs on him, and I can handle any danger he might encounter.”
    “I hate it when you’re right.”
    “You should be used to that by now.” She grinned and slipped back into the trees.
    I stopped and listened for her movements, but all was silent. How did she do that? I couldn’t see Graham up ahead either, but I knew Kelly would stay close enough to him that everything would be fine.
    It’s not like the Marshall Clan had a sniper on the payroll.
    I jogged back toward the house, enjoying the cool morning air. I found myself wondering if Rayna was awake yet. Pieces of my nightmare crept back into my mind, and I saw an arrow pierce her chest, but I reeled the image backward like a film playing in reverse. When I let it start forward again, I caught the arrow and snapped it in two. I would keep her alive, and to do so, I needed to be in the right frame of mind. No room for doubt. I anchored that positive image in my mind as if that would automatically keep her safe. I knew that wasn’t the case, but I also knew that operating from a position of confidence limited the mistakes. The fewer mistakes, the more likely I could protect her.
    GRAHAM NOBLE
    Graham loved his morning runs. He thought of them as his daily hour of power, something he’d picked up from listening to a Tony Robbins CD set about getting the edge. When Graham first came to this world, he had trouble fitting in. There was so much to learn. Fortunately there wasn’t a language barrier because, while there were changes to the language—slang and turns of phrase—most of it had bled across the veil or had been taken there by his ancestors. As for the slang, he mastered that quickly thanks to television and movies. To the casual observer, he seemed like a normal person. Normal was relative, of course, but he cultivated that image.
    He also cultivated an attitude of normalcy. Attitude was sometimes tough to maintain. At first, things were so different. He’d grown up with horses and nature. This place had shopping malls and cars. The culture shock messed with his image. He’d been a master of his old domain, but this place was so strange, it nearly defeated him. When he was twelve, he discovered the Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. John Clayton, Earl Greystoke, was master of the jungle, and he mastered the city too. Graham wanted to be like Greystoke.
    Then late one night, he saw infomercials about gym equipment for the home to get in shape and workout routine DVDs you could order and motivational speakers who claimed they could help you master every aspect of your life. Of course, Graham knew it was all about what you brought to the table with you.
    Graham brought everything to that table.
    He listened to the steady slapping of his running shoes on the pavement. He kept his breathing in check. He could run for hours, but he kept himself to his standard route, which would be nine miles. No need to push himself.
    When he rounded the next curve, he saw Thomas Marshall standing in the center of the path, sword in hand.
    “Good morning, Graham.”
    The rest of the clan stood behind their father.
    Graham slowed and stopped well out of range of the sword. He realized he should have altered his routine. The Marshalls were expert trackers. If he’d gone the other way, he’d have been able to simply enjoy his run. Now he wasn’t sure what he could do. He