Read Online Empire of Blood (Book 2): Fading In Darkness by Robert S. Wilson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robert S. Wilson
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dignity because I'm gonna murder you out there."
Toby smiled, got up, and went to get his things.
* * *
Toby sat with the ball in his lap in the passenger side of Dustin's SUV as they pulled from the driveway. He wondered if the car was a safe place to talk. He wasn't sure just how likely it was that the Emperor would have made the effort to bug the car. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was being paranoid. The Emperor was probably far more focused on Toby's father. Still, he found himself hesitant to even speak.
Dustin started up his collection of bootlegged death metal music and turned up the volume just a hair. Loud enough to hear the music better, but not so loud that it could be heard outside of the car. Death metal was one of many genres of music outlawed by the Empire. Toby finally took a deep breath and began to speak as they pulled onto West Morris Street .
"Don't go to the park. I have to talk to you. I couldn't do it at home, I'm sorry. It wasn't safe."
Dustin glanced at him, confused.
"Can we just drive for a while?"
"Yeah, what's up?" Dustin pulled into the turn lane at the intersection and stopped at the red light.
"Dad's been acting weird a lot since he came back from... that place."
"I bet."
"No, not like you would think. You haven't been around much for a while, you haven't seen him. I was so scared they had changed him into... into something he's not. He started reading Caesar's Bible, reading it all the time. He was going to every church service, even on non-mandated days. He was reading books on empires and history all the time, and languages like Hebrew and I thought maybe he..."
Dustin was looking at Toby with a stunned, sorrowful expression.
"But he's okay. Well, it wasn't what I thought it was. He left me a letter. Maybe we should find somewhere to stop so you can read it. It explains everything. How Dad got out of that place, why he was acting so weird. And more. A lot more. He's in danger. I'm in danger. He didn't want to tell you because you would be in danger, but he had no choice. In the letter he told me to tell you so you could... so you could protect me."
Dustin drove quietly, the most serious expression on his face that Toby had ever seen. He seemed to be driving on autopilot. Toby waited for him to say something, but he didn't speak. He just kept looking forward, his eyes heavy with concentration. Before long they were in a part of town Toby had never been in. And not a very pleasant one either. Dustin pulled the car into an alley behind some houses, his eyes darting back and forth between the side and rearview mirrors. Then he sighed and brought the car to a halt and put it in park.
"Let me see it."
Toby pulled the letter from his pocket and handed it to Dustin. Dustin opened the letter and began to read, his face becoming a mess of worried wrinkles and sweat. Toby looked at the letter in Dustin’s hands, skimming some of what he'd already read.
I'm not sure how, but when I drink the blood I become inhumanly strong. I don't think I'm human anymore. The more I drink it the less I feel natural. But when I stop, it becomes unbearable. And not like when I quit smoking, this is so much worse.
Dustin turned the letter over.
Don't bother waiting for me to come back, just run. If I screw this up, that monster will come for you. And no matter how much I try, I can't figure out how to pull this off. I know I'm going to fail. Dustin can take you somewhere safe. He can take care of you until I can get back. I love you, Toby. If for some reason I can't get back I need you to know that. I love you with all my heart.
Dad
A tear slid down Toby's face. Dustin stared at the letter a long time. The sound of children playing crept into the car replacing the silence. Dustin folded the letter and handed it back to Toby without looking at him. He took a long deep breath and laid his head back against the seat as he exhaled, looking up into the
Toby smiled, got up, and went to get his things.
* * *
Toby sat with the ball in his lap in the passenger side of Dustin's SUV as they pulled from the driveway. He wondered if the car was a safe place to talk. He wasn't sure just how likely it was that the Emperor would have made the effort to bug the car. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was being paranoid. The Emperor was probably far more focused on Toby's father. Still, he found himself hesitant to even speak.
Dustin started up his collection of bootlegged death metal music and turned up the volume just a hair. Loud enough to hear the music better, but not so loud that it could be heard outside of the car. Death metal was one of many genres of music outlawed by the Empire. Toby finally took a deep breath and began to speak as they pulled onto West Morris Street .
"Don't go to the park. I have to talk to you. I couldn't do it at home, I'm sorry. It wasn't safe."
Dustin glanced at him, confused.
"Can we just drive for a while?"
"Yeah, what's up?" Dustin pulled into the turn lane at the intersection and stopped at the red light.
"Dad's been acting weird a lot since he came back from... that place."
"I bet."
"No, not like you would think. You haven't been around much for a while, you haven't seen him. I was so scared they had changed him into... into something he's not. He started reading Caesar's Bible, reading it all the time. He was going to every church service, even on non-mandated days. He was reading books on empires and history all the time, and languages like Hebrew and I thought maybe he..."
Dustin was looking at Toby with a stunned, sorrowful expression.
"But he's okay. Well, it wasn't what I thought it was. He left me a letter. Maybe we should find somewhere to stop so you can read it. It explains everything. How Dad got out of that place, why he was acting so weird. And more. A lot more. He's in danger. I'm in danger. He didn't want to tell you because you would be in danger, but he had no choice. In the letter he told me to tell you so you could... so you could protect me."
Dustin drove quietly, the most serious expression on his face that Toby had ever seen. He seemed to be driving on autopilot. Toby waited for him to say something, but he didn't speak. He just kept looking forward, his eyes heavy with concentration. Before long they were in a part of town Toby had never been in. And not a very pleasant one either. Dustin pulled the car into an alley behind some houses, his eyes darting back and forth between the side and rearview mirrors. Then he sighed and brought the car to a halt and put it in park.
"Let me see it."
Toby pulled the letter from his pocket and handed it to Dustin. Dustin opened the letter and began to read, his face becoming a mess of worried wrinkles and sweat. Toby looked at the letter in Dustin’s hands, skimming some of what he'd already read.
I'm not sure how, but when I drink the blood I become inhumanly strong. I don't think I'm human anymore. The more I drink it the less I feel natural. But when I stop, it becomes unbearable. And not like when I quit smoking, this is so much worse.
Dustin turned the letter over.
Don't bother waiting for me to come back, just run. If I screw this up, that monster will come for you. And no matter how much I try, I can't figure out how to pull this off. I know I'm going to fail. Dustin can take you somewhere safe. He can take care of you until I can get back. I love you, Toby. If for some reason I can't get back I need you to know that. I love you with all my heart.
Dad
A tear slid down Toby's face. Dustin stared at the letter a long time. The sound of children playing crept into the car replacing the silence. Dustin folded the letter and handed it back to Toby without looking at him. He took a long deep breath and laid his head back against the seat as he exhaled, looking up into the
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