Read Online Looking Through Darkness by Aimée Thurlo - Free Book Online Page A

around the Rez much longer. There’s really not that much work available around here for a computer tech—at least right now.”
    â€œThat’ll change—sooner rather than later.”
    â€œMaybe, but I have to be ready to go wherever the work is, and although it’ll be hard to leave, it’ll be exciting, too. A new adventure might be out there waiting for me.”
    â€œYou sound just like Ben did when he graduated high school,” Jo said, remembering.
    â€œHe joined the army and has seen the world. Europe, the Persian Gulf, the Middle East. Afghanistan … Now there’s an adventure,” Sam said wistfully. “Testing your limits … finding out about yourself…”
    â€œMore than you want, sometimes,” Jo said quietly.
    â€œYeah, it can be like that, too. When you test yourself, you don’t always get the answers you want, but look at Jack. He served in the army, fought the enemy, and like Ben, became stronger for it.”
    â€œIs that what you want—to join the military?”
    â€œNo, I’m not a fighter—not the gun-carrying kind anyway. Jack needed the structure and discipline of the military to find himself, but I’m after something different. I don’t have a big college degree, just a lot of good course work. I’m good with computers, though, and I love math. What I need now is some experience and the contacts to eventually build a business of my own. I want to be the go-to IT source in the Four Corners.”
    Jo smiled. Although they were only seven years apart, Samantha seemed more like a teenager than a woman to her. Sam had been sheltered and protected all her life. Jo, on the other hand, had cared for herself and her shattered family for as far back as she could remember.
    â€œHave you heard from Ben lately?” Sam asked. “Grandma says he usually calls via Skype on Thursdays and that you were disappointed last week when you didn’t hear from him.”
    That was one of the reasons she’d come in early today. Sometimes when Ben couldn’t contact her during the week, he would call on Sundays instead, but so far she hadn’t heard from him. No email, no call.
    As Sam’s focus shifted back to the computer, they suddenly heard a loud thump, followed by breaking glass, coming from the back.
    Sam jumped up and ran to the rear window. “Nobody’s out there. I thought maybe Jack had come back early and run into something.”
    Jo stepped into the hall and looked across the interior of the store toward the front parking lot. A dark-colored truck was speeding up the drive in a cloud of dust. “The driver must have circled the building. I wonder what he did? It’s easy to see that we aren’t open for business today…”
    â€œLet me grab the baseball bat and go out with you,” Sam said.
    Jo continued to look outside, but didn’t see anyone. “No, Sam, stay put. I’ll step out onto the loading dock and check my truck and the trading post’s vehicles. If you hear me yell, call 911.”
    â€œDon’t go out there alone, Jo. Let me go with you. I can fight. I grew up with three brothers.”
    Jo chuckled. “Okay, but bring your cell phone.”
    Once they stepped onto the loading dock, it was easy to see what had happened. A glass jar filled with blood red paint had been thrown against the overhead door. The jar had shattered, creating a big splatter that was tricking down in rivulets and scattering shards and chunks of glass everywhere.
    Jo glanced around and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that her car and the store’s van were untouched.
    â€œPetty vandalism,” Sam said and smirked. “With graduation coming up, the high school seniors are just itching for some action. Things can get awfully dull around here.”
    Jo sighed. Dull. She’d welcome that. Some days she was so busy she barely had time for meals.
    Sam