Read Online INVITING FIRE (A Sydney Rye Novel, #6) by Emily Kimelman - Free Book Online
Authors: Emily Kimelman
Tags: thriller, Crime, Mystery, dog, yacht, sydney rye, emily kimelman, Costa Rica, mal pais, helicopter, joyful justice, vigilante
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at her. "Stay brave."
It was a saying that people had started after the first round of trainees left. When they returned home to fight whatever battle had brought them to Joyful Justice. It was understood many would die. But that didn't lessen the desire to fight. So we parted with a reminder to stay brave. For some it spoke of faith, for others it was a call to action. For me, it felt like goodbye.
Now that the perimeter was set up Cynthia would be leaving, heading back to her own world. I would miss her, if I let myself.
DUTY
I watched the orange dot that represented Blue on the computer map. The blue glow of the screen cast strange shadows into the jungle. When he was almost to my post on the southern perimeter, Blue veered off the path, away from the compound and deeper into the jungle. My muscles tensed and I strained to hear. But the night sounds of the jungle drowned out any detail. Besides, Blue was still too far away for me to hear his movements. But then I heard him bark; it was his "there is someone who isn't supposed to be here” bark.
I activated the camera in his section. The night vision made the trees glow white green. The eyes of creatures sparkled. There was no sign of Blue. He'd gone too deep. Grabbing my walkie talkie I radioed to base. "Maverick here."
The line crackled. "Temple here, report."
"Blue's barking and he is outside the perimeter."
"Roger that."
"I'm going down."
"Wait for backup. It's on its way. Five minutes."
My fingers twitched as I listened to the sound of him barking. "Something is really wrong," I said into the walkie talkie.
"Wait for back up. Four minutes."
I tucked the radio into my back pocket and checked my harness; straps tight, carabiner locked, ropes knotted. Then I heard the sizzle and looked up to see a thick cord of lightning hanging in the air before my eyes. It popped and crackled for a second and then disappeared leaving its shape burned into my retinas.
I blinked several times as slowly the red and green shape faded. When it was almost gone I opened the gate and grabbed the iron rung attached to the trunk that I'd use as a starting point to rappel down to the jungle floor.
I paused at the edge, one foot on the platform, one pressed against the bark. The sound of a trolley came zinging along the zip line. Then a form came through the tree, its headlamp a white point of light in the deep darkness. I turned my gaze away as the figure landed. I heard the clink and rattle of the trolley being disengaged, then the click of a carabiner as it was looped around the security line that circled the trunk of the tree. I glanced up as another headlight flew into view. I didn't wait to watch them arrive before turning on my own headlamp and starting down the tree.
My foot slipped in my haste and my weight wrenched at my arms, but I regained my balance quickly and then leaned back into the harness. I pushed off, feeling the thrill of dropping through space. Bend and push, I reminded myself as I flew down the side of the tree. The call of crickets rose up, blocking the sound of Blue's barks for a moment. I paused, my heart beating in my chest. "What's he doing?" I called up.
"He's moving further out," a voice I recognized as Tanya, answered me. I strained to hear Blue and when the call of the bugs lulled again, I did. He sounded further away and I pushed off the tree determined to help him.
On the ground I disengaged myself quickly, loosening my straps and pushing the harness to the ground. I stepped out of it and pulled out my walkie talkie, moving away from the tree. Tanya landed and began to take off her harness. I drew my machete from the sheath on my hip and started down the path heading to where Blue veered off. Tanya was right behind me. When I reached the point where he had broken through the brush I hacked at the thick vegetation to follow. The sweet smell that lives inside of plants filled the air.
My headlight lit a small portion of the world. "Let me do it,"
It was a saying that people had started after the first round of trainees left. When they returned home to fight whatever battle had brought them to Joyful Justice. It was understood many would die. But that didn't lessen the desire to fight. So we parted with a reminder to stay brave. For some it spoke of faith, for others it was a call to action. For me, it felt like goodbye.
Now that the perimeter was set up Cynthia would be leaving, heading back to her own world. I would miss her, if I let myself.
DUTY
I watched the orange dot that represented Blue on the computer map. The blue glow of the screen cast strange shadows into the jungle. When he was almost to my post on the southern perimeter, Blue veered off the path, away from the compound and deeper into the jungle. My muscles tensed and I strained to hear. But the night sounds of the jungle drowned out any detail. Besides, Blue was still too far away for me to hear his movements. But then I heard him bark; it was his "there is someone who isn't supposed to be here” bark.
I activated the camera in his section. The night vision made the trees glow white green. The eyes of creatures sparkled. There was no sign of Blue. He'd gone too deep. Grabbing my walkie talkie I radioed to base. "Maverick here."
The line crackled. "Temple here, report."
"Blue's barking and he is outside the perimeter."
"Roger that."
"I'm going down."
"Wait for backup. It's on its way. Five minutes."
My fingers twitched as I listened to the sound of him barking. "Something is really wrong," I said into the walkie talkie.
"Wait for back up. Four minutes."
I tucked the radio into my back pocket and checked my harness; straps tight, carabiner locked, ropes knotted. Then I heard the sizzle and looked up to see a thick cord of lightning hanging in the air before my eyes. It popped and crackled for a second and then disappeared leaving its shape burned into my retinas.
I blinked several times as slowly the red and green shape faded. When it was almost gone I opened the gate and grabbed the iron rung attached to the trunk that I'd use as a starting point to rappel down to the jungle floor.
I paused at the edge, one foot on the platform, one pressed against the bark. The sound of a trolley came zinging along the zip line. Then a form came through the tree, its headlamp a white point of light in the deep darkness. I turned my gaze away as the figure landed. I heard the clink and rattle of the trolley being disengaged, then the click of a carabiner as it was looped around the security line that circled the trunk of the tree. I glanced up as another headlight flew into view. I didn't wait to watch them arrive before turning on my own headlamp and starting down the tree.
My foot slipped in my haste and my weight wrenched at my arms, but I regained my balance quickly and then leaned back into the harness. I pushed off, feeling the thrill of dropping through space. Bend and push, I reminded myself as I flew down the side of the tree. The call of crickets rose up, blocking the sound of Blue's barks for a moment. I paused, my heart beating in my chest. "What's he doing?" I called up.
"He's moving further out," a voice I recognized as Tanya, answered me. I strained to hear Blue and when the call of the bugs lulled again, I did. He sounded further away and I pushed off the tree determined to help him.
On the ground I disengaged myself quickly, loosening my straps and pushing the harness to the ground. I stepped out of it and pulled out my walkie talkie, moving away from the tree. Tanya landed and began to take off her harness. I drew my machete from the sheath on my hip and started down the path heading to where Blue veered off. Tanya was right behind me. When I reached the point where he had broken through the brush I hacked at the thick vegetation to follow. The sweet smell that lives inside of plants filled the air.
My headlight lit a small portion of the world. "Let me do it,"
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