Read Online The Face of Earth by Kirsty Winkler - Free Book Online

blueprints.”
    “Oh.” Agnar felt some sympathy for the woman, but only because he didn’t know if the blueprints would actually work. They weren’t his design; he had stolen them. But it was none of his business how they were used once they were out of his hands. He was just here to get paid.
    “So, what kind of name is Agnar?” the man asked.
    “Russian,” Agnar lied.
    As the policemen led Karina past Agnar, she managed to trip one of them and wrest herself away from their grasp. She fell against Agnar, gripping his shirt and looking up at him with pleading eyes. His heart went out to her in that moment, but then the policemen recovered and pulled her back.
    “Sorry, sir,” one of them murmured. They took her to the door where two guards waited. They exchanged her for a duffel bag, and when one of them opened it, Agnar could see it was full of cash. The policeman nodded at the guards, closed up the bag, and the two men left. Karina struggled harder now, but still ineffectually. The guards took her through the door and closed it behind them.
    Agnar shrugged off the protective feeling evoked by the woman’s helplessness. He wasn’t here to be a hero, he was here to make some cash. Besides, all these people were beneath him. The other door in the foyer opened and a man exited, gesturing to Agnar.
    “The chief will see you now.” Agnar followed the man into the room. Once inside, he was introduced to the chief. “This is our leader, Kevin White.” Then the man left, leaving Agnar alone with Kevin.
    Kevin smiled a little too smoothly at Agnar and opened the case on the desk. It glittered with jewels of all types and sizes. “It’s interesting that you would rather have jewels than money,” Kevin said. “They will be hard to sell without raising suspicion. Are you sure you don’t want the money instead? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
    “Thank you, but no,” Agnar replied. “These will do fine.” Where he was going, their paper money was useless. He closed the case and took it, setting the cryonic blueprints on the desk in its place.
    Kevin looked at him contemplatively. “We could use a man like you in our organization. You might like it. We control the country, you know.”
    Agnar furrowed his brow. “Isn’t your country a democracy?”
    Kevin laughed. “We let the people and the government think that, but nothing happens unless we first approve it. We control everyone, whether they realize it or not. And you can be a part of it. We don’t often invite new members; you should be flattered.”
    Agnar didn’t feel flattered, he felt disgusted. These people were so backward. He had no problem with the few having power over the many, his problem was with them doing it surreptitiously. If you’re going to take power, be up front about it and take it. If you have to rule in secret, then there must be something wrong with your rule. His government ruled in the open. He didn’t disagree with his own government’s rule, he just didn’t want it to be over him. And that was why he chose to be an outlaw. He suddenly felt a great desire to leave and be done with this.
    “No, thank you. I must be going now.” Agnar backed up to the door. Kevin shrugged and gestured dismissively. Agnar opened the door and left, not bothering to close it behind him. He hurried out of the large building. The lack of windows made him nervous. Agnar preferred not to enter places with few escape routes. He felt safer once he was out on the open street. He hailed a passing cab and had it take him miles out of town to a rest stop in the woods. He paid the driver and watched until the cab drove out of sight. Then he turned and walked into the forest.
    After hiking several miles Agnar arrived at a small clearing. A large pile of brush dominated the center of it. Agnar cleared the brush away, revealing a small spaceship. He entered the ship and took off, flying up at a steep angle. He sighed in relief as the planet grew