Read Online The Light, the Dark and the Ugly by Bryan Cohen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bryan Cohen
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taste blood. Tears came to his eyes, but when he opened them, he saw a blue light show where the leader of the bandits and his Lychos had been. Ted licked the crimson off his lips and rolled to his side to avoid using his gimpy arm while he got up. He turned back to the half-extinguished fire wall. The two raiders he had yet to deal with had been easy enough for the villagers to subdue; they were now face-down in the dirt beside their Lychos. As Ferrick hugged one of his subordinates, Ted ran for the alleyway where Natalie had landed.
As he got there, he heard laughter. In the dusty path between the two buildings, Natalie wore a pained smile. She'd propped herself up to a sitting position on one of the buildings. She was alive. He could barely believe it.
Ted grinned. "Nice shootin', Tex."
Natalie's laugh continued. "Ow. Ow. Ow. I think my shoulder's dislocated."
Ted gingerly crouched down by her side. "Then why are you laughing?"
Natalie's smile was positively devilish. "Because I whooped his butt." Her eyes showed a glimmer of concern. "Your arms look like crap."
Ted glanced down at them. He had to agree, though he supposed he was lucky they were still attached to his body.
"Hopefully my parents' health insurance works out here." He offered her a hand from his less-injured arm. "You were awesome."
She accepted his help with her less-injured arm. "You, too."
As she stood up, Ted could feel the heat emanating from her body. Their eyes met and Ted's heart did somersaults.
She shook her head and sighed. "Damn."
Natalie closed her eyes and moved her face toward his. He did the same. Their lips were about to meet when a blinding light shot out of the sky and rained down upon them.
They both turned toward the sun-like beam. Ted's mouth fell open. Silently and seemingly out of nowhere, a giant spaceship had appeared before them. Its exterior was shiny, black and impenetrable. It was much bigger than even the government planes Ted had flown upon. And it had all its attention focused in their direction.
"Mr. Finley." A voice bellowed from a speaker on the outside of the craft. "If you don't mind, the General would like to have a word with you."
PART TWO
Chapter 11
Erica LaPlante breathed in the stale air of the utility closet. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark in the last hour, and she could see a shelf sporting dozens of tools in front of her. The large wrench sticking out of an orange tool bag brought her back to the past school year at Treasure High. Things had been different then. Everything had been under control.
I knew where he was. I knew he was alive.
Erica pushed down her thoughts of Ted. After all, there was reason for optimism. At least her bullet wound had healed and she was off of that farm. She'd craved action, and if today's mission went well, she'd have it in droves.
Erica let out a whisper. "Redican? How we doin' out there?"
The several beats of silence made the sound of her quickening heartbeat echo against the closet's narrow walls. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Redican? You okay?"
More silence. She tapped her fingers against her hip. They were already trying to pull off a five-man job with two people. With Redican's abilities, it was doable, but there was a fat chance of her even making it out of the building if she was alone.
I've gotta try. Either way, I'll see him soon.
As Erica put her hand on the doorknob, a whisper buzzed through her earpiece.
"Don't worry, Ms. LaPlante." Erica could hear the smile in Redican's voice. "I just had to return the favor by messing with your head a bit. I'm perfectly fine and in position."
Erica wanted to wring his neck, but there'd be time for that after they escaped.
She scrunched up her nose. "I'm so very glad to hear you're okay."
Redican's quiet giggle made her blood boil. "I don't have to be a mind reader to know that's not true."
Erica could've easily killed Redican at the end of junior prom. Instead, she'd made
As he got there, he heard laughter. In the dusty path between the two buildings, Natalie wore a pained smile. She'd propped herself up to a sitting position on one of the buildings. She was alive. He could barely believe it.
Ted grinned. "Nice shootin', Tex."
Natalie's laugh continued. "Ow. Ow. Ow. I think my shoulder's dislocated."
Ted gingerly crouched down by her side. "Then why are you laughing?"
Natalie's smile was positively devilish. "Because I whooped his butt." Her eyes showed a glimmer of concern. "Your arms look like crap."
Ted glanced down at them. He had to agree, though he supposed he was lucky they were still attached to his body.
"Hopefully my parents' health insurance works out here." He offered her a hand from his less-injured arm. "You were awesome."
She accepted his help with her less-injured arm. "You, too."
As she stood up, Ted could feel the heat emanating from her body. Their eyes met and Ted's heart did somersaults.
She shook her head and sighed. "Damn."
Natalie closed her eyes and moved her face toward his. He did the same. Their lips were about to meet when a blinding light shot out of the sky and rained down upon them.
They both turned toward the sun-like beam. Ted's mouth fell open. Silently and seemingly out of nowhere, a giant spaceship had appeared before them. Its exterior was shiny, black and impenetrable. It was much bigger than even the government planes Ted had flown upon. And it had all its attention focused in their direction.
"Mr. Finley." A voice bellowed from a speaker on the outside of the craft. "If you don't mind, the General would like to have a word with you."
PART TWO
Chapter 11
Erica LaPlante breathed in the stale air of the utility closet. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark in the last hour, and she could see a shelf sporting dozens of tools in front of her. The large wrench sticking out of an orange tool bag brought her back to the past school year at Treasure High. Things had been different then. Everything had been under control.
I knew where he was. I knew he was alive.
Erica pushed down her thoughts of Ted. After all, there was reason for optimism. At least her bullet wound had healed and she was off of that farm. She'd craved action, and if today's mission went well, she'd have it in droves.
Erica let out a whisper. "Redican? How we doin' out there?"
The several beats of silence made the sound of her quickening heartbeat echo against the closet's narrow walls. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Redican? You okay?"
More silence. She tapped her fingers against her hip. They were already trying to pull off a five-man job with two people. With Redican's abilities, it was doable, but there was a fat chance of her even making it out of the building if she was alone.
I've gotta try. Either way, I'll see him soon.
As Erica put her hand on the doorknob, a whisper buzzed through her earpiece.
"Don't worry, Ms. LaPlante." Erica could hear the smile in Redican's voice. "I just had to return the favor by messing with your head a bit. I'm perfectly fine and in position."
Erica wanted to wring his neck, but there'd be time for that after they escaped.
She scrunched up her nose. "I'm so very glad to hear you're okay."
Redican's quiet giggle made her blood boil. "I don't have to be a mind reader to know that's not true."
Erica could've easily killed Redican at the end of junior prom. Instead, she'd made
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