Read Online The Night Sweeper: Assassin: A Zombie Conspiracy Novel (The Sweeper Chronicles Book 2) by J. Steven Butler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. Steven Butler
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He killed Eckert and tried to kill me and Mira, and because of his
position, he's above any other justice. Perhaps I could justify his
murder. Still, I’ve never tried to kill anyone who wasn’t actively trying
to kill me. Can I really go up to Archer, say, “Hey, I’ve changed my mind
and I’m going to kill you now”, and pull the trigger?
Damian sits across from me, patiently stoic, his hands
folded in his lap. He gives me time to process the information, and I see
that he already knows where the process will lead me.
I come to the terrible realization of the truth. I've
never been a saint, and if killing an evil man is what it takes to keep Mira
alive, that's what I'm willing to do. I suppress the disquiet I feel in my
heart.
“What guarantee do I have that you'll keep your end of
the bargain?”
“I'm afraid my word will have to be good enough, but I
promise, if you do this, Mira will be better than new.”
I make up my mind, knowing full well there was never
really a choice. “You have a deal.”
Chapter 7
I stand quiet vigil over Mira, the complexity of what
lies ahead of me weighing down on me like a thick blanket of despair. At
times, I feel as though I can hardly breathe.
She looks angelic and peaceful, lying there in the
metagenic chamber as Damian calls it; in my estimation, it looks too much like
a coffin. Multicolored tubes snake around her, leading to and from intravenous
lines and electrodes and strange machines I have no name for. An unusual smell
fills my nostrils – antiseptic mixed with something I can’t place.
Something I’ve never smelled before. Something tart and acrid.
My head still pounds from the concussion and perhaps
equally from my desperation. Just when I thought Damian may not have been as
bad as I believed, he goes and pulls a stunt like this, his own flesh and
blood, demanding I become an assassin. And yet there’s a part of me that
doesn’t cringe at the idea. Far from it. It’s a darker part of
myself that I fear to explore and fear to let out of its cage.
I wish I could talk to Mira, to ask her what she
thinks, to hear the soothing softness of her voice. Instead, I'm left with my
own mechanical reasoning, and no matter how I reason it, I can’t think of
another option.
Damian’s argument makes sense. After all,
who else is going to stop Archer? He's too entrenched in the government. It's
not like I can arrest him. He controls everything. Damian's logic may be
brutal, but it rings true. I don't trust Damian, and I hate him for
manipulating me, but there's no doubting that Archer is a danger to the
world. The bad thing is that I don’t know the true motivation behind
Damian’s desire to end Archer’s life. But for now, I'll play the game.
First I'll take down Archer and make sure Damian keeps his word. Then I'll take
him down too if need be.
Someone approaches from behind, and I turn my head to
the side to see the towering hulk of Graelin move up beside me. He stares
for a moment at Mira’s small body in the tube. In comparison to him, she
looks tiny and breakable.
“He’s ready for you,” he says interrupting my thoughts.
I look up at him, and he returns my gaze. His
expression is somber, unreadable, but when he speaks again, his voice is kind.
“I know you’re in a tough spot, Cray. Please,
just do what he says. He really does know what’s best.”
“Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?
Your blind, childlike faith is foolish.”
I expect him to respond with anger, but instead, he
places a huge hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly. “You can do
this. You can, and everything will turn out good in the end.”
I don’t feel like arguing with him. He’s a good
man, but he’s blinded by the only perception of the world he’s ever
known. It’s a world where Damian Harbin reigns as God and everything fits
into his skewed logic. Instead, I let Graelin lead me out of the room to
embark on the most important incursion of my life.
I
position, he's above any other justice. Perhaps I could justify his
murder. Still, I’ve never tried to kill anyone who wasn’t actively trying
to kill me. Can I really go up to Archer, say, “Hey, I’ve changed my mind
and I’m going to kill you now”, and pull the trigger?
Damian sits across from me, patiently stoic, his hands
folded in his lap. He gives me time to process the information, and I see
that he already knows where the process will lead me.
I come to the terrible realization of the truth. I've
never been a saint, and if killing an evil man is what it takes to keep Mira
alive, that's what I'm willing to do. I suppress the disquiet I feel in my
heart.
“What guarantee do I have that you'll keep your end of
the bargain?”
“I'm afraid my word will have to be good enough, but I
promise, if you do this, Mira will be better than new.”
I make up my mind, knowing full well there was never
really a choice. “You have a deal.”
Chapter 7
I stand quiet vigil over Mira, the complexity of what
lies ahead of me weighing down on me like a thick blanket of despair. At
times, I feel as though I can hardly breathe.
She looks angelic and peaceful, lying there in the
metagenic chamber as Damian calls it; in my estimation, it looks too much like
a coffin. Multicolored tubes snake around her, leading to and from intravenous
lines and electrodes and strange machines I have no name for. An unusual smell
fills my nostrils – antiseptic mixed with something I can’t place.
Something I’ve never smelled before. Something tart and acrid.
My head still pounds from the concussion and perhaps
equally from my desperation. Just when I thought Damian may not have been as
bad as I believed, he goes and pulls a stunt like this, his own flesh and
blood, demanding I become an assassin. And yet there’s a part of me that
doesn’t cringe at the idea. Far from it. It’s a darker part of
myself that I fear to explore and fear to let out of its cage.
I wish I could talk to Mira, to ask her what she
thinks, to hear the soothing softness of her voice. Instead, I'm left with my
own mechanical reasoning, and no matter how I reason it, I can’t think of
another option.
Damian’s argument makes sense. After all,
who else is going to stop Archer? He's too entrenched in the government. It's
not like I can arrest him. He controls everything. Damian's logic may be
brutal, but it rings true. I don't trust Damian, and I hate him for
manipulating me, but there's no doubting that Archer is a danger to the
world. The bad thing is that I don’t know the true motivation behind
Damian’s desire to end Archer’s life. But for now, I'll play the game.
First I'll take down Archer and make sure Damian keeps his word. Then I'll take
him down too if need be.
Someone approaches from behind, and I turn my head to
the side to see the towering hulk of Graelin move up beside me. He stares
for a moment at Mira’s small body in the tube. In comparison to him, she
looks tiny and breakable.
“He’s ready for you,” he says interrupting my thoughts.
I look up at him, and he returns my gaze. His
expression is somber, unreadable, but when he speaks again, his voice is kind.
“I know you’re in a tough spot, Cray. Please,
just do what he says. He really does know what’s best.”
“Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?
Your blind, childlike faith is foolish.”
I expect him to respond with anger, but instead, he
places a huge hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly. “You can do
this. You can, and everything will turn out good in the end.”
I don’t feel like arguing with him. He’s a good
man, but he’s blinded by the only perception of the world he’s ever
known. It’s a world where Damian Harbin reigns as God and everything fits
into his skewed logic. Instead, I let Graelin lead me out of the room to
embark on the most important incursion of my life.
I
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