Read Online Quake by Patrick Carman - Free Book Online Page A

Hotspur Chance is serious about putting this plan into action, he will do it from a location with coordinates that match the passcode used to unlock this message. It’s the location he spoke of years ago, when we were only a few souls in the desert. I’ve sent search parties over the years and found nothing of interest here, but if he’s escaped, then I believe this is where he went.
    I intentionally positioned the last safe house as close to this set of coordinates as I could while providing for Jade’s safety. This may prove useful now.
    I have no idea what the world looks like because I’m no longer in it. Only you will know whether this information is useful.
    I did my best. I expect no less from you.
    With love and affection from far, far away.
    I am Meredith, checking out for the final time.
    Hawk was already translating the passcode into a set of coordinates when the audio recording stopped.
    â€œ45.5.122.67 translates into 45.5 degrees north by 122.67 degrees west.”
    Hawk brought up the holographic 3-D map in the middle of the room and zoomed in on an abandoned city.
    â€œPortland, Oregon,” Hawk said. “The coordinates give us about a five-mile radius around a shipyard on the Willamette River.”
    â€œHow far?” Faith asked.
    Hawk did some fast computations, and the holographic map zoomed in farther still. An abandoned shipyard sat at the bottom of the very mountain they were all standing on.
    â€œFifty-seven miles from here, give or take,” Hawk said.
    â€œWe can get the jump on them,” Clooger said. “We know they’re down in that general area. They don’t know we’re up here.”
    â€œBut five miles of space,” Carl said. “Hotspur is like a needle in a haystack. He could be hiding in any number of abandoned buildings or vacant ships.”
    The room went silent as everyone let the information sink in. Hotspur Chance, the most dangerous criminal mind in the world, might be so close they could reach out and grab him. And he wasn’t even a second pulse. He was vulnerable if only they could discover his location.
    â€œIf Wade and Clara are this close to us, some of us are in real danger,” Carl said, shooting a quick glance at Clooger. “Jade can’t move things with her mind or fly away like you all can. She’s just a kid. A normal kid.”
    â€œI can’t do any of that, either,” Hawk said. “No matter how many times Dylan tries to teach me. It’s not in my DNA.”
    Dylan had been trying to bring a first pulse out in Hawk ever since they’d met, but it was no use. If people could move things with their minds, Dylan could coax the skill out of them. But if the latent skill wasn’t there, it wasn’t there. And in Hawk’s case, like so many millions of other people, there was no thread to grab onto, no hidden talent to pick up cars and move them with the power of his mind.
    â€œWe both got the short end of the stick,” Carl said. “I’m a zero pulse, too.”
    â€œIt could be worse,” Dylan said, slapping Hawk on the back. “You’ve got the brains, Carl’s got the brawn. You guys are fine.”
    â€œIt’s late,” Clooger said. “Let’s all get a good night’s sleep and hit this new plan hard in the morning. I’ll talk to Jade, get her calmed down.”
    â€œGood luck,” Carl said. “She can be bullheaded sometimes.”
    â€œJust like her dad,” Dylan said, and finally there was a glimmer of lightness in the room, a brief moment when everyone smiled softly.
    As they were leaving, Clooger pulled Faith and Dylan aside.
    â€œRemember what I told you two,” Clooger said quietly. “No pulse activity. None . If Clara and Wade are within sixty miles of here, they might feel it.”
    Everyone filed out until only Faith remained. She turned toward another long hallway on the other side of the