Read Online The Adventures of Kid Combat Volume One: A Secret Lost by Christopher Helwink - Free Book Online

didn’t hurt that Jones himself would own almost 90 percent of
the stores in the mall and stand to make a great profit.
    This site became available after Jones built
a new courthouse for Elmcrest on the other side of the street. It
was a much more modern and bigger courthouse, one that the town
needed but couldn’t afford. Jones gladly stepped in and donated the
building, using it as a write-off for his company. He donated the
money with the understanding that he would own the rights to the
old courthouse and also get to name the new courthouse. The town
agreed, and within days, the deed was signed over to Jones. The
following day, construction crews piled in, and work began on the
new mall. The project took months to finish and was marred in
controversy and lawsuits. Jones bought his way out of most of them,
and finally, the mall’s grand opening had arrived.
    The exterior of the newly finished mall was
gorgeous. The white marble stairs leading up to the building had
been cleaned and the old bright white shine returned. The building
itself was renovated and finely painted with a white gloss that
reflected the sunlight brightly, catching the eye from blocks away.
Inside, the place had been gutted, and dozens of stores stood in
the place of former courtrooms and briefing rooms.
    For today’s event, balloons of all sizes
lined the stairs leading up to the building and were strung all
along the roof. On top of the roof, a large net held more balloons
that were to be released following the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
Banners, posters, and signs adorned every surface of the mall’s
exterior walls. It was a big party, and at the center of it all was
Jones.
    Between the two pillars that marked the
building’s main entrance sat a podium, and loudspeakers flanked the
pillars. Two oversize banners with the Jones Industries company
logo draped across the new mall.
    The street, sidewalk, and stairs were filled
with reporters, news crews, and onlookers patiently waiting for
Jones to make his entrance. Timmy and Wedge were amongst the
participants and tried to blend into the crowd. A small murmur
could be heard as the start time for the press conference came and
went.
    After several minutes, and without warning,
the party began. The two massive doors leading into the building
swung open, and two men emerged. Dressed in all black, they walked
down the red carpet and stood on either side of the podium. One of
the men put his finger to his ear, uttered a few words into his
right sleeve, and returned to attention.
    Then out marched a dignified-looking Jones.
Dressed in his most luxurious suit, he approached the podium. A
thunderous ovation rang through downtown.
    Even though Jones’s ego had taken a hit that
morning, Elmcrest still loved him. They knew only of the facade,
not the evil that brewed just beneath the surface. And Jones loved
every minute of it. He ate up the applause, the accolades, and the
attention they threw at him. He demanded respect, and he got
it.
    The applause lasted for what seemed like
minutes but probably was much shorter. Jones never hushed the crowd
or waved his hand, signaling for them to stop. No. He waited for
them to stop admiring their “leader.”
     
     

     
     
    “My friends! Thank you for that warm
greeting. I love you all for it,” Jones said pompously with a fake,
fatherly sort of smile pasted on his face as he waved to the
crowd.
    “It is my honor, it is my pleasure, and it is
my solemn duty to be here with all you lovely people for the grand
opening of The Jonestown Mall. I have sacrificed many a selfless
hour to bring this to the citizens of this wonderful city. Shops,
stores, and eateries await one and all of you! I guarantee you will
not be disappointed.”
    He was interrupted as another round of
applause. One that was louder than any he had heard before. . He
waited patiently, his arrogant smile still in place, slightly
nodding his head in acknowledgment to the crowd. He knew he owned
this