Read Online Paranormals (Book 2): We Are Not Alone by Christopher Andrews - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Andrews
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before they all fell silent on the subject), the PCA techs could only make educated guesses about his limits before exploring them. If they were to guess wrong, if they were to unintentionally shoot past his durability, to something that his allegedly invulnerable skin wasn’t tough enough to handle ...
Shoving that chilling thought into the back of his mind, Lincoln walked past the safety line, at which point the kids jumped on him — Sarah threw her arms around his waist while Tommy climbed up his back like a little monkey.
Chuckling at their ever-reliable enthusiasm, Lincoln asked, “So ... who wants California Pizza Kitchen tonight?”
That really sent them hopping, which lightened his heart further.
“Okay, now,” he said as he dug through his backpack to produce a pair of oversized baseball caps, “remember, when we walk outside past all those photographers and reporters, keep your faces down and your hats low. Don’t answer any questions, don’t say anything at all ...”
“Jeez, Linc,” Tommy moaned into his ear; he now had one leg up over Lincoln’s shoulder, “we’ve done this a billion times. We know how to handle those paparazzi douchebags.”
“Hey! What did I tell you about that kind of language, Tommy?”
Tommy grumbled.
“Besides ...” Lincoln said with a wink to Sarah, “I think the technical term is ‘parasites’.”
All three siblings laughed, and Tommy slid down from Lincoln’s back as they started moving toward the door.
“ Powerhouse, ” Brunn’s voice echoed from the speakers, “ wait one moment, please. ”
“Oh, great,” Tommy complained, knowing as well as Lincoln what would probably follow; Sarah merely looked disappointed. They waited, Lincoln resting one reassuring hand on each of their shoulders.
Sure enough, Brunn returned a few seconds later, “ I’m sorry, Lincoln. We just got reports of a Class One rogue causing a disruption at an apartment complex in our district. ”
Speaking carefully, Lincoln called, “Captain, do you think that maybe Lieutenant Takayasu and Shockwave might be able—”
“ We’d prefer to have Powerhouse on the scene as soon as possible. Ensigns Fixler and Benjamin are on their way downstairs now. ”
For one tempting moment, Lincoln wondered what would happen if he flat refused. He hadn’t asked to take off early, he hadn’t asked if he could take Tommy and Sarah to dinner — that was on Brunn. But no ... Shockwave might’ve tried something bold like that, but it just wasn’t Lincoln’s style.
Sighing, he told the kids, “Sorry, guys. It looks like I have to work a little longer. I want you to stay in the rec room with the two Ensigns until I get back, okay? I’d still like to hit CPK with you, but you know, with these Class One rogues ...”
The two just nodded at him. While he could see disappointment in both of their faces, he had mixed feelings that they showed no concern at all — well, maybe a little from Sarah, but not even a hint from Tommy. He hoped they weren’t starting to forget that this could be a very dangerous job, but, for now, he decided to play it up for them.
Opening his backpack once more, he pulled out his cobalt blue gloves and ski-mask, both of which were made of stronger material and fit him better than the cheap ones he’d first worn, back when he was blackmailed into being a rogue. Keeping on the simple, black jogging ensemble he’d worn for his test (why get his personal clothes trashed?), Lincoln made a deliberate show of donning his gloves and pulling his mask into place.
“All right,” he said in a gruff, tough-guy voice, smacking his fist into his palm. “ Showtime .”
The kids ate it up like candy.
COOPER
Perry Cooper went paranormal two years ago, right smack on his fifty-sixth birthday. His paranormal ability: Casting a strong, perfectly spherical shield around himself — a bubble as clear and glossy as glass; it levitated him up to its center, a foot
Shoving that chilling thought into the back of his mind, Lincoln walked past the safety line, at which point the kids jumped on him — Sarah threw her arms around his waist while Tommy climbed up his back like a little monkey.
Chuckling at their ever-reliable enthusiasm, Lincoln asked, “So ... who wants California Pizza Kitchen tonight?”
That really sent them hopping, which lightened his heart further.
“Okay, now,” he said as he dug through his backpack to produce a pair of oversized baseball caps, “remember, when we walk outside past all those photographers and reporters, keep your faces down and your hats low. Don’t answer any questions, don’t say anything at all ...”
“Jeez, Linc,” Tommy moaned into his ear; he now had one leg up over Lincoln’s shoulder, “we’ve done this a billion times. We know how to handle those paparazzi douchebags.”
“Hey! What did I tell you about that kind of language, Tommy?”
Tommy grumbled.
“Besides ...” Lincoln said with a wink to Sarah, “I think the technical term is ‘parasites’.”
All three siblings laughed, and Tommy slid down from Lincoln’s back as they started moving toward the door.
“ Powerhouse, ” Brunn’s voice echoed from the speakers, “ wait one moment, please. ”
“Oh, great,” Tommy complained, knowing as well as Lincoln what would probably follow; Sarah merely looked disappointed. They waited, Lincoln resting one reassuring hand on each of their shoulders.
Sure enough, Brunn returned a few seconds later, “ I’m sorry, Lincoln. We just got reports of a Class One rogue causing a disruption at an apartment complex in our district. ”
Speaking carefully, Lincoln called, “Captain, do you think that maybe Lieutenant Takayasu and Shockwave might be able—”
“ We’d prefer to have Powerhouse on the scene as soon as possible. Ensigns Fixler and Benjamin are on their way downstairs now. ”
For one tempting moment, Lincoln wondered what would happen if he flat refused. He hadn’t asked to take off early, he hadn’t asked if he could take Tommy and Sarah to dinner — that was on Brunn. But no ... Shockwave might’ve tried something bold like that, but it just wasn’t Lincoln’s style.
Sighing, he told the kids, “Sorry, guys. It looks like I have to work a little longer. I want you to stay in the rec room with the two Ensigns until I get back, okay? I’d still like to hit CPK with you, but you know, with these Class One rogues ...”
The two just nodded at him. While he could see disappointment in both of their faces, he had mixed feelings that they showed no concern at all — well, maybe a little from Sarah, but not even a hint from Tommy. He hoped they weren’t starting to forget that this could be a very dangerous job, but, for now, he decided to play it up for them.
Opening his backpack once more, he pulled out his cobalt blue gloves and ski-mask, both of which were made of stronger material and fit him better than the cheap ones he’d first worn, back when he was blackmailed into being a rogue. Keeping on the simple, black jogging ensemble he’d worn for his test (why get his personal clothes trashed?), Lincoln made a deliberate show of donning his gloves and pulling his mask into place.
“All right,” he said in a gruff, tough-guy voice, smacking his fist into his palm. “ Showtime .”
The kids ate it up like candy.
COOPER
Perry Cooper went paranormal two years ago, right smack on his fifty-sixth birthday. His paranormal ability: Casting a strong, perfectly spherical shield around himself — a bubble as clear and glossy as glass; it levitated him up to its center, a foot
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