Read Online Matt Archer: Bloodlines (Matt Archer #4) by Kendra C. Highley - Free Book Online
Authors: Kendra C. Highley
Ads: Link
he
normally was, I had no idea he knew how to turn into a ghost.
While he was gone, I counted my heartbeats. It forced me to
keep calm, because I wanted my pulse to stay steady and slow. It was kind of
hard, though. Tink was doing her best to light me up by running energy along my
nerve endings. Subtlety wasn’t really her thing and I pushed against her. I
couldn’t afford to be jacked up if we were planning an ambush.
Between one eye blink and the next, Blakeney appeared at
Uncle Mike’s right elbow and my respect for him went up several notches. I
hadn’t seen anyone that stealthy since working with my old hunting instructor,
Schmitz. Blakeney wasn’t quite that good, but the guy could sneak.
“What’d you find?” Mike whispered.
Blakeney shook his head. “All dark, sir.”
Dad rocked back on his heels. He’d been crouched next to me,
unmoving, the entire time we waited. “Nothing?”
“No, sir.”
Mike pointed at me. “Feel anything?”
I closed my eyes, stretching out my senses and opening up to
Tink. She seized the opportunity and my body jerked as she assumed some
control. The sound of wind sliding across the pebbly sand grew more distinct
and the fibers of my clothes set my teeth on edge as they rubbed my skin.
But that was nothing compared to the smell.
I swallowed hard to keep from gagging. Something was rotting
nearby. It smelled like raw steak that had been caught in a garbage disposal
for a few days—rancid, oily and…wet.
Tink let out a hiss. This place is full of blasphemers
and the damned.
Pretty strong opinion. “You said we needed to gather clues.
Is it bad enough that we should leave?”
She was quiet for nearly a minute. No. We must bear
witness to what they’ve done, but this place…I almost can’t stand it.
“Are you going to be separated from me again?” If that was
the case, I was leaving the investigation to the others.
I don’t think so. Still, if I start fading, leave
immediately and come find me.
Her distress really bugged me. “Major, I don’t think we’re
going to like what we find.”
Uncle Mike’s forehead creased. “Dorland, Blakeney, you’re
with me. Lanningham, you’re in command until I get back.”
Before I could protest, Uncle Mike checked to make sure he
had extra ammo, then led the other two out of the ravine. I closed my eyes
again, straining to listen for anything out of the ordinary.
“What’s up, Matt?” Dad asked.
“Don’t know.” I forced myself to take a deep breath and the
rotting smell made my stomach churn. “Something’s wrong, though.”
A light flashed, shining through my closed eyelids. My eyes
popped open and a reddish glow lit the ground above the ravine. A flare.
Lanningham rose slowly to take a look. “Blakeney’s waving us
in.”
I pulled myself over the dirt wall and jogged to Blakeney.
Behind him, a series of metal buildings squatted together like small children,
dwarfed by the miles of desert behind them. There was a propane tank and what
looked like an outhouse off to one side. Primitive, but proof the coven weren’t
a bunch of survivalists wandering in the wilderness.
Uncle Mike came out of the largest building, the one in the
center, and strode toward us. His face was an iron mask and fury rolled off of
him like this tangible thing. He grabbed my arm, spun me around, and started
pushing me back to the ravine.
“You aren’t going in there. You’re not, so don’t even
argue.”
“But…I need to see…Tink says--”
“I don’t give a good goddamn what Tink says. You are not going to see that, understand?”
“See what?” I dug my heels in and yanked my arm free.
“What’s going on?”
Dad came to stand next to me. “Major, is there a problem?”
Uncle Mike’s fists clenched. “Yeah. You brought us to a
death trap.”
Dad drew a sharp breath and took off for the building at a
sprint. Dorland staggered out before he got there and vomited all over the
ground. The same Dorland who
normally was, I had no idea he knew how to turn into a ghost.
While he was gone, I counted my heartbeats. It forced me to
keep calm, because I wanted my pulse to stay steady and slow. It was kind of
hard, though. Tink was doing her best to light me up by running energy along my
nerve endings. Subtlety wasn’t really her thing and I pushed against her. I
couldn’t afford to be jacked up if we were planning an ambush.
Between one eye blink and the next, Blakeney appeared at
Uncle Mike’s right elbow and my respect for him went up several notches. I
hadn’t seen anyone that stealthy since working with my old hunting instructor,
Schmitz. Blakeney wasn’t quite that good, but the guy could sneak.
“What’d you find?” Mike whispered.
Blakeney shook his head. “All dark, sir.”
Dad rocked back on his heels. He’d been crouched next to me,
unmoving, the entire time we waited. “Nothing?”
“No, sir.”
Mike pointed at me. “Feel anything?”
I closed my eyes, stretching out my senses and opening up to
Tink. She seized the opportunity and my body jerked as she assumed some
control. The sound of wind sliding across the pebbly sand grew more distinct
and the fibers of my clothes set my teeth on edge as they rubbed my skin.
But that was nothing compared to the smell.
I swallowed hard to keep from gagging. Something was rotting
nearby. It smelled like raw steak that had been caught in a garbage disposal
for a few days—rancid, oily and…wet.
Tink let out a hiss. This place is full of blasphemers
and the damned.
Pretty strong opinion. “You said we needed to gather clues.
Is it bad enough that we should leave?”
She was quiet for nearly a minute. No. We must bear
witness to what they’ve done, but this place…I almost can’t stand it.
“Are you going to be separated from me again?” If that was
the case, I was leaving the investigation to the others.
I don’t think so. Still, if I start fading, leave
immediately and come find me.
Her distress really bugged me. “Major, I don’t think we’re
going to like what we find.”
Uncle Mike’s forehead creased. “Dorland, Blakeney, you’re
with me. Lanningham, you’re in command until I get back.”
Before I could protest, Uncle Mike checked to make sure he
had extra ammo, then led the other two out of the ravine. I closed my eyes
again, straining to listen for anything out of the ordinary.
“What’s up, Matt?” Dad asked.
“Don’t know.” I forced myself to take a deep breath and the
rotting smell made my stomach churn. “Something’s wrong, though.”
A light flashed, shining through my closed eyelids. My eyes
popped open and a reddish glow lit the ground above the ravine. A flare.
Lanningham rose slowly to take a look. “Blakeney’s waving us
in.”
I pulled myself over the dirt wall and jogged to Blakeney.
Behind him, a series of metal buildings squatted together like small children,
dwarfed by the miles of desert behind them. There was a propane tank and what
looked like an outhouse off to one side. Primitive, but proof the coven weren’t
a bunch of survivalists wandering in the wilderness.
Uncle Mike came out of the largest building, the one in the
center, and strode toward us. His face was an iron mask and fury rolled off of
him like this tangible thing. He grabbed my arm, spun me around, and started
pushing me back to the ravine.
“You aren’t going in there. You’re not, so don’t even
argue.”
“But…I need to see…Tink says--”
“I don’t give a good goddamn what Tink says. You are not going to see that, understand?”
“See what?” I dug my heels in and yanked my arm free.
“What’s going on?”
Dad came to stand next to me. “Major, is there a problem?”
Uncle Mike’s fists clenched. “Yeah. You brought us to a
death trap.”
Dad drew a sharp breath and took off for the building at a
sprint. Dorland staggered out before he got there and vomited all over the
ground. The same Dorland who
Similar Books
