Read Online Stones: Experiment (Stones #3) by Jacob Whaler - Free Book Online
Authors: Jacob Whaler
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still image of a person moving along the sidewalk.
Kalani stares in silence with rapt attention. “Behold, a Stone Holder.” The slate slips from his fingers to the floor.
Diego quickly scoops it up. “That was a half hour ago. Someone with a Stone was walking the street.” He brushes his finger across the slate, and the image fades.
“Hey, hold on.” Kalani jumps up. “I’m not done—”
“Thank you, Kalani.” Ryzaard puts a hint of firmness in his voice. “We all appreciate your enthusiasm. You can take your seat now and leave the demonstration up to Diego.”
Kalani grabs his club and shrugs back to his seat, flopping in it with his head resting on the table.
Ryzaard nods to Diego and motions with his hands for him to continue.
“As you can see,” Diego says. “We know the locations of the Stones, at least within the last half hour.”
“How long have you known the locations?” Elsa’s eyes narrow, and she leans forward with her elbows on the table.
Diego glances at Ryzaard and then back at Elsa. “The new location algorithm became operational as soon as the satellite array was in place, about two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago?” Elsa stands on her feet, palms on the table. “You mean to tell me that you’ve known where the Stones are for two weeks and you haven’t collected them?” She shoots a glance at Ryzaard.
“No,” Ryzaard says. “Actually, I’ve known where the Stones are for the last
six
months. Diego’s work has simply made it much easier to keep track of them.”
Elsa raises her hands, palms to the ceiling. “Then why haven’t we—”
“It’s simple,” Ryzaard says. “We’re waiting for the other Stones to appear.”
“Other Stones?” Kalani stands next to Elsa.
Ryzaard rises to his feet. “Yes. The three other Stones.” He puts his hands behind his back and begins to pace the circumference of the table. “Based on the events of the recent past, I think you all know the three Stone Holders I speak of.”
Elsa drops her hands to her hips. “It’s all too clear
who
they are.” Her gaze moves to the floor. “And how they got away.”
Ryzaard glares at her. For a moment, the room freezes in anticipation of a confrontation.
Jing-wei clears her throat and leans into the conversation, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Any idea
where
they are?”
Alexa looks up and shifts in her chair.
“I have an
idea
.” Ryzaard eases back into his seat, releasing the tension in the room. “They’ve gone off-planet.”
“Off-planet? I don’t understand.” Jerek squints his eyes. “Are you saying Matt and the two kids have jumped to another planet?”
“Precisely,” Ryzaard says. “And I assume his girlfriend is with him as well. That’s why we haven’t been able to locate them.” He reaches and pulls out a cigarette from the black pack on the table.
“What are we going to do?” Elsa says.
“They’ll come back,” Ryzaard says. “Eventually, they’ll try to find the other Stones. I’m sure of it. It’s the only way. Just a matter of time. All we have to do is wait. And be ready.”
Elsa relaxes back into her chair. “I get it. The other Stones are a trap.” A smile crosses her lips as she nods her head in understanding. “That’s why you haven’t gone after them yet. You’re waiting for Matt to come back.”
“He already has,” Alexa says.
“What did you say?” Ryzaard turns to Alexa.
The room is instantly silent.
“I saw him, briefly, last night.” Alexa leans back in her chair, arms at her side, legs comfortably out in front, looking like the holder of a great secret. “I tried to kill him, but he got away.”
“Where!” Ryzaard demands.
Alexa’s eyes drop to the table. “In your office.”
“Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”
“You were gone.” Alexa folds her hands in her lap. “Besides, I did my best to send him into one of your traps. Told him there were still Stones waiting out there
Kalani stares in silence with rapt attention. “Behold, a Stone Holder.” The slate slips from his fingers to the floor.
Diego quickly scoops it up. “That was a half hour ago. Someone with a Stone was walking the street.” He brushes his finger across the slate, and the image fades.
“Hey, hold on.” Kalani jumps up. “I’m not done—”
“Thank you, Kalani.” Ryzaard puts a hint of firmness in his voice. “We all appreciate your enthusiasm. You can take your seat now and leave the demonstration up to Diego.”
Kalani grabs his club and shrugs back to his seat, flopping in it with his head resting on the table.
Ryzaard nods to Diego and motions with his hands for him to continue.
“As you can see,” Diego says. “We know the locations of the Stones, at least within the last half hour.”
“How long have you known the locations?” Elsa’s eyes narrow, and she leans forward with her elbows on the table.
Diego glances at Ryzaard and then back at Elsa. “The new location algorithm became operational as soon as the satellite array was in place, about two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago?” Elsa stands on her feet, palms on the table. “You mean to tell me that you’ve known where the Stones are for two weeks and you haven’t collected them?” She shoots a glance at Ryzaard.
“No,” Ryzaard says. “Actually, I’ve known where the Stones are for the last
six
months. Diego’s work has simply made it much easier to keep track of them.”
Elsa raises her hands, palms to the ceiling. “Then why haven’t we—”
“It’s simple,” Ryzaard says. “We’re waiting for the other Stones to appear.”
“Other Stones?” Kalani stands next to Elsa.
Ryzaard rises to his feet. “Yes. The three other Stones.” He puts his hands behind his back and begins to pace the circumference of the table. “Based on the events of the recent past, I think you all know the three Stone Holders I speak of.”
Elsa drops her hands to her hips. “It’s all too clear
who
they are.” Her gaze moves to the floor. “And how they got away.”
Ryzaard glares at her. For a moment, the room freezes in anticipation of a confrontation.
Jing-wei clears her throat and leans into the conversation, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Any idea
where
they are?”
Alexa looks up and shifts in her chair.
“I have an
idea
.” Ryzaard eases back into his seat, releasing the tension in the room. “They’ve gone off-planet.”
“Off-planet? I don’t understand.” Jerek squints his eyes. “Are you saying Matt and the two kids have jumped to another planet?”
“Precisely,” Ryzaard says. “And I assume his girlfriend is with him as well. That’s why we haven’t been able to locate them.” He reaches and pulls out a cigarette from the black pack on the table.
“What are we going to do?” Elsa says.
“They’ll come back,” Ryzaard says. “Eventually, they’ll try to find the other Stones. I’m sure of it. It’s the only way. Just a matter of time. All we have to do is wait. And be ready.”
Elsa relaxes back into her chair. “I get it. The other Stones are a trap.” A smile crosses her lips as she nods her head in understanding. “That’s why you haven’t gone after them yet. You’re waiting for Matt to come back.”
“He already has,” Alexa says.
“What did you say?” Ryzaard turns to Alexa.
The room is instantly silent.
“I saw him, briefly, last night.” Alexa leans back in her chair, arms at her side, legs comfortably out in front, looking like the holder of a great secret. “I tried to kill him, but he got away.”
“Where!” Ryzaard demands.
Alexa’s eyes drop to the table. “In your office.”
“Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”
“You were gone.” Alexa folds her hands in her lap. “Besides, I did my best to send him into one of your traps. Told him there were still Stones waiting out there
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