Read Online From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen McQuestion
Ads: Link
shock me or start vibrating or something, but it felt as solid and inflexible as Mack’s food dish. With the toe of my shoe, I scuffed up the flattened grass until it wasn’t as noticeable. Then I hurried off, Mack following me as I darted behind the new barn to the old barn.
The old barn was original to the property, over a hundred years old. It was tiny compared to the new barn, only about as big as a three-car garage. The sides were weather beaten but the structure was solid and the roof sound. Eric used it for whatever projects he was currently tinkering with. There were always car carcasses and engine parts inside. Anything Eric thought he might need in the future. He was a genius at bringing dead machines to life, but it all looked like junk to me.
I went around the back and pushed up the wooden bar that kept the door latched shut. The door in front was large enough to drive a tractor through, but this back door was for people, and I was able to quickly open it and slip inside. It was dark, and I didn’t want to wait for my eyes to adjust, so I fumbled around, finally setting the object on the floor behind the door. No one would stumble onto it and no one would look behind the door. It would be safethere until I returned later. I left the barn as quickly as I could and Mack trotted alongside as I headed back to the house.
CHAPTER NINE
“Well, it’s about time,” Mrs. Walker said, as I came back with Mack at my side.
“I’m sorry. He was chasing a squirrel and wouldn’t listen. I had to go hunt him down.” This time I didn’t mind shifting the blame to Mack. I needed an explanation and this one was plausible. Still, I felt kind of bad when she roughly grabbed his collar and escorted him to the basement door. Mack dutifully clomped down the stairs, banished to the dungeon of the house where he’d stay until Mrs. Walker felt like releasing him.
The two agents stood in the kitchen, far enough from the back window that I was sure they hadn’t seen me follow Mack to the field and move the object. Todd, in fact, had his attention on the iPad, while Mariah was eavesdropping on what Nurse Nancy was telling Mr. Walker.
“Dr. Griffin doesn’t want to move him to the hospital just yet, but he did order lab work,” Nancy said. “I’ll be taking urine and blood samples with me today and dropping them off at the hospital.”
“Do you really have to draw blood?” Mr. Walker asked. He put his arm around his wife’s shoulders when she returned from disposing of Mack. “Poor kid has been through so much already.”
“Doctor’s orders,” Nancy said, like the doctor’s word was law. “But don’t worry. I’m very skilled at blood draws. I’ll make it quick.”
I seemed to be the only one who remembered about the agents standing in the kitchen. I didn’t like the way Mariah openly stared while listening to their conversation. This was about Lucas and it was none of her business.
I interrupted by asking, “Is it okay for the agents to go outside now that Mack is in?”
My question pulled them out of their discussion. Mrs. Walker’s head swiveled in their direction, looking like she just remembered they were there. “Oh yes, go on out,” she said.
Agent Mariah nodded, then pulled what looked like an ear bud from the underside of her shirt. A thin wire trailed down underneath. She moved her mouth closer and said, “The homeowner has given permission for a search of the property. Do a complete sweep starting from the back of the house.”
Mr. Walker looked startled. “I thought the two of you were going to be the ones looking.”
“Oh no, sir,” Mariah said. “We’re hardly dressed for field work.” She smiled. “Our team does this on a routine basis. They know what to look for and they’ll work quickly and leave your property undisturbed.”
Even as she spoke, we could see dozens of people, mostly men but a few women too, all of them in dark-colored clothing, coming up the driveway. A
The old barn was original to the property, over a hundred years old. It was tiny compared to the new barn, only about as big as a three-car garage. The sides were weather beaten but the structure was solid and the roof sound. Eric used it for whatever projects he was currently tinkering with. There were always car carcasses and engine parts inside. Anything Eric thought he might need in the future. He was a genius at bringing dead machines to life, but it all looked like junk to me.
I went around the back and pushed up the wooden bar that kept the door latched shut. The door in front was large enough to drive a tractor through, but this back door was for people, and I was able to quickly open it and slip inside. It was dark, and I didn’t want to wait for my eyes to adjust, so I fumbled around, finally setting the object on the floor behind the door. No one would stumble onto it and no one would look behind the door. It would be safethere until I returned later. I left the barn as quickly as I could and Mack trotted alongside as I headed back to the house.
CHAPTER NINE
“Well, it’s about time,” Mrs. Walker said, as I came back with Mack at my side.
“I’m sorry. He was chasing a squirrel and wouldn’t listen. I had to go hunt him down.” This time I didn’t mind shifting the blame to Mack. I needed an explanation and this one was plausible. Still, I felt kind of bad when she roughly grabbed his collar and escorted him to the basement door. Mack dutifully clomped down the stairs, banished to the dungeon of the house where he’d stay until Mrs. Walker felt like releasing him.
The two agents stood in the kitchen, far enough from the back window that I was sure they hadn’t seen me follow Mack to the field and move the object. Todd, in fact, had his attention on the iPad, while Mariah was eavesdropping on what Nurse Nancy was telling Mr. Walker.
“Dr. Griffin doesn’t want to move him to the hospital just yet, but he did order lab work,” Nancy said. “I’ll be taking urine and blood samples with me today and dropping them off at the hospital.”
“Do you really have to draw blood?” Mr. Walker asked. He put his arm around his wife’s shoulders when she returned from disposing of Mack. “Poor kid has been through so much already.”
“Doctor’s orders,” Nancy said, like the doctor’s word was law. “But don’t worry. I’m very skilled at blood draws. I’ll make it quick.”
I seemed to be the only one who remembered about the agents standing in the kitchen. I didn’t like the way Mariah openly stared while listening to their conversation. This was about Lucas and it was none of her business.
I interrupted by asking, “Is it okay for the agents to go outside now that Mack is in?”
My question pulled them out of their discussion. Mrs. Walker’s head swiveled in their direction, looking like she just remembered they were there. “Oh yes, go on out,” she said.
Agent Mariah nodded, then pulled what looked like an ear bud from the underside of her shirt. A thin wire trailed down underneath. She moved her mouth closer and said, “The homeowner has given permission for a search of the property. Do a complete sweep starting from the back of the house.”
Mr. Walker looked startled. “I thought the two of you were going to be the ones looking.”
“Oh no, sir,” Mariah said. “We’re hardly dressed for field work.” She smiled. “Our team does this on a routine basis. They know what to look for and they’ll work quickly and leave your property undisturbed.”
Even as she spoke, we could see dozens of people, mostly men but a few women too, all of them in dark-colored clothing, coming up the driveway. A
Similar Books
