Read Online The Bloodline Cipher by Stephen Cole - Free Book Online

on her, I’m guessing you’re a stranger here yourself.’
    â€˜If you’re guessing, it seems I have you at a disadvantage.’ The girl was apparently British and sounded amused. ‘You’re Anthony Motson … and your companion is Tye Chery.’
    Tye frowned, sensed Motti stiffen beside her. ‘Well, don’t that make me nostalgic. Ain’t been called Anthony in years.’
    â€˜I see the two of you have wrecked our transport,’ the girl went on. ‘Now we’ll have to take yours.’
    â€˜Is that so?’ Tye kept her face impassive and her grip on the gun tight. ‘How’d you know who we are?’
    â€˜My name’s Bree. Glad you could make it.’ Her smile grew wider as she held out a hand to Motti, who ignored it. ‘I suppose you’re here to help your friends? They could use it. They’re in a lot of trouble.’
    Motti glowered at her. ‘If they’re in trouble, Breezy,
you’re
in trouble. Now what say we go find them all together?’
    â€˜Don’t trust her,’ the redhead told them, in an accent difficult to place. But wherever she was from, she was speaking aloud Tye’s own thoughts: this Bree girl seemed too relaxed, too confident by half. ‘She’s a psycho,’ the girl went on. ‘She and her friends tore this place apart, they’ve got Mr Blackland –’
    â€˜Ignore Maya here,’ Brie interrupted smoothly. ‘She’s a student librarian, and really not very helpful.’
    Maya flinched. ‘I’m only here for the summer,’ she whispered.
    â€˜I’d say your employment’s terminated.’ Bree turned back to Tye and Motti. ‘We’ve acquired the Guan Yin manuscript. The Bloodline Cipher is ours. And pretty soon we’ll have all your friends, too. In pieces.’
    â€˜Then the cavalry’s arrived just in time,’ snarled Motti. ‘You’re gonna take us to them right now.’
    Suddenly Tye noticed Bree’s eyes flick twice between them and the inner door.
That’s why she’s so confident
. ‘Mot, she’s been stalling for time.’ Tye took a warning step nearer the girl, both hands on the gun. ‘Someone’s coming –’
    The handle of the door jerked suddenly, and the heavy wood swung open to reveal a man standing in the doorway, paunchy and grey. Motti was already running to intercept. He punched the old man in the stomach and chopped him on the back of the neck as he crumpled to the carpet.
    â€˜No!’ Maya shouted as she saw him fall. ‘Mr Blackland!’
    The owner?
Tye took in the huge bloodstain spreading over the back of the man’s pale shirt and swore.
Poor old guy’s dead
, she realised with a sick feeling,
a decoy, just propped in the doorway to distract while –
    Motti looked up angrily from the corpse – right into the swing of a baseball bat. He yelled out as the wooden club cracked against the side of his head, shattering his glasses, knocking him to the ground.
    â€˜Motti! Tye yelled, swinging the gun round to cover his attacker – but Bree had anticipated the movement and swung her palm down edgeways in a karate chop that almost took Tye’s wrist off. The gun slipped from her numbed fingers – but Tye was already turning to kick Bree in the stomach. The blow hit home, and Tye followed through with an uppercut. But her opponent feinted backwards, caught Tye’s forearm and bent it back hard. Gasping with pain, Tye was forced to the ground where she got a knee in the face. Tye jack-knifed backwards, hit the floor in a daze beside Motti. He was out cold, a thick crimson dribble running down his temple from the hairline. Tye felt a stab of panic and fought to stay calm. If she could only rest a few moments, get her strength back …
    Bree had picked up Tye’s gun and now surveyed her dispassionately. Abruptly she turned towards the