Read Online RecruitZ (Afterworld Series) by Karice Bolton - Free Book Online Page A

ensure you’re not exhibiting any of the traits, even if they do report you, there’ll be nothing for the agency to move forward with. But my hunch is that if we can show them a lighter side of you, the old Rebekah, they may not be so quick to judge you any longer. And truthfully, it’s best if your name never appears on any of the paperwork that agency handles.”
    “I couldn’t agree more, and I’ll work on that,” I said.
    “We’ll work on that,” he corrected.
    I narrowed my eyes at Preston. “How can you be so sure that I’ll be an asset to you?”
    “Your husband went to the university,” Preston stated.
    “How did you know that?” I asked, my blood curdled.
    “He had a notebook,” he continued, “that gave you lots of information that is impossible to decipher.”
    My pulse started escalating as I watched his eyes darken. He looked around the bar and then at me. “My sister was in the same department at the university as your husband and she had a folder.”
    “I haven’t told anyone about that folder,” I said, my mouth completely dry.
    “It was only a hunch. I’m full of them,” he assured me.
    I didn’t believe him.
    “You already knew my husband was dead, didn’t you?” I accused. The table of customers next to us glanced over at me, and I lowered my voice. “Didn’t you?”
    Preston shook his head. “I wouldn’t play that kind of game with you. I’m not that cruel. Since my sister died, my world has been full of nothing but observations, gut feelings, and finding reason where it doesn’t exist. But I promise you, I didn’t know. I only guessed.”
    “So tell me about Marcus,” I said, sitting back in the booth.
    “He’s as crooked as they come. He’s got a network established for underground fighting all across the country. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was global. He’s got his hands in many pots. The private security company he founded is filled with retired Special-Ops. It’s one of the three top private security companies that our government uses.”
    “So you think he’s involved with your sister’s disappearance?” I asked.
    Preston shook his head. “I think it goes further than just Marcus, but I don’t know what makes me think that.”
    He drained the last of his drink.
    “Do you hear that?” he asked.
    A loud diesel vehicle was driving past the building, vibrating the old structure as it passed. It wasn’t unusual for supply trucks and military vehicles to be on the streets at night so I wasn’t sure where he was going with it.
    “Have you noticed an unusual amount of buses with blacked out windows driving around in the early morning and evening?”
    “Can’t say that I have,” I confessed. “I might need to get out of my basement a bit more.”
    “You know the towers I wanted you to notice on the way here?” he asked, his voice lowering.
    I nodded and scooted toward him.
    “I’ve followed the busses there. It’s heavily guarded with TRAC units so I’ve never been able to see anything past the first set of barriers.”
    “It sounds like a field trip is in order,” I said, smiling as the spike of adrenaline hit.
    “Not so fast,” he said, putting his hand up. “I haven’t worked this long putting the pieces together to jeopardize everything by rushing into something.”
    “How did you know about my husband attending the university and what department he was in?” I asked, hoping my abruptness would throw him off. I was never one to accept the first answer I was given for things and certainly wouldn’t start now.
    “The pendant around your neck is the same one my sister wore.”
    Relief crept in as I touched my pendant. Of course! I forgot I was wearing it. It was the department’s logo.
    “Like I said, it was just a hunch. And those hunches are based on observations. The problem is that I’m coming up with lots of observations and no way to connect them all,” he said.
    “We will,” I told him, reaching my hand