Read Online The Omega Device (The Ha-Shan Chronicles Book 1) by S.M. Nolan - Free Book Online
Authors: S.M. Nolan
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temples against a throbbing hang-over. Nausea quivered her mouth into odd shapes that forced her to stand. Maple hardwood froze her socks. Drafts from old, poorly insulated windows nipped through her flannel pants and t-shirt. She flattened her arms to her chest, crossed onto slightly-warmer linoleum.
Ashley's eyes were fixed downward at the bacon, “Mandy already left. Hope I didn't wake you.”
Maggie winced, “I feel like I downed a bottle of tequila.”
“Might as well have.” She flipped bacon strips. “Adrenaline's a bitch.” Maggie gave a contagious yawn, stretched her neck and arms. “Stop doing that.”
Ashley leaned back against a counter beside the stove, turned down the burner with a twist. Maggie leaned beside her, “Everything alright?”
Her head shook with quiet desperation, “No, Maggie. I'm sorry but it's not.”
She frowned, “Talk to me, Ash.”
Ashley threw out her arms in frustration, her eyes wide. “I don't like having two police cars sitting outside my house. I don't like my best friend carrying a gun and being attacked. And I don't like my baby sister being escorted to school like some fucking mafia daughter.”
“Ash, if you don't want me here—”
“No, Maggie. It's not that. It's just—” She hesitated to calm herself. “I love you. I want you safe, and I'll do what it takes to keep you that way.”
“But?”
Ashley sighed again, turned to tend the bacon, “Maggie, this is way beyond me. It's beyond those four cops out there. If that guy thinks so too… I mean, I honestly don't know if you can be safe right now. There's obviously more going on here than we know. Mysterious tattoos. Murders. Attempted murders. What the hell're we supposed to do ?”
Maggie watched her furious movements; she wrenched the heat off, jerked the bacon from the pan, slapped it on a plate, and dug a toaster from a cabinet. She nearly slammed it down before she stood in place, staring at it.
Maggie turned over what little she'd learned from Russell, wondered what she'd do in Ashley's place. If forced to choose between her best friend and her sister, Mandy came before all others. It was the right thing to do. Maggie couldn't blame anyone for that. In some ways, it was the only thing Ashley could do.
She slapped toast on a plate and tore Maggie from her trance, “Mandy's all I have left. You know that. I have to protect her no matter what . But I can't just abandon you. I just—I don't know what to do!”
Ashley's desperation clawed at Maggie's throat. She didn't want to be hunted like an animal, forced to flee her home and hide, nor have her best friends forced into the cross-fire. Maggie was lost.
She spoke with hints of defeat, “My only hope's that Det—Russell, can help us.”
Ashley gave a cynical laugh, “I don't think he could find his way out of a wet paper-bag. How's one guy supposed to protect us?”
“It was your idea to call him,” she reminded.
“Yeah, 'cause the other option was you sitting in jail. You killed someone last night, Maggie!”
Her tone stung. “You don't think I'm some kind of blood thirsty—”
Ashley waved dismissively, “God, no! But what happens if this guy can't help?” Maggie looked away in thought. “Eat. I'm sorry it's not more, but we need to go shopping.”
“Ash, you don't have to—”
“Maggie,” she pled sincerely. “Just shut up and eat.”
Maggie relented at a stomach rumble. Though her appetite had long evaporated, the need for sustenance moved her toward a plate. The pair ate amid a silence neither felt brave enough to break. Maggie did what she could to help clean before waiting her turn to shower.
She folded her blanket with mechanized arms, placed it atop the spare pillow beside her. Distant water ricocheted off cast-iron. The muffled sounds eked through the closed door and along the short hall to give rhythm to Maggie's movements.
She eyed the door with a curious paranoia, then pulled her pack forward and
Ashley's eyes were fixed downward at the bacon, “Mandy already left. Hope I didn't wake you.”
Maggie winced, “I feel like I downed a bottle of tequila.”
“Might as well have.” She flipped bacon strips. “Adrenaline's a bitch.” Maggie gave a contagious yawn, stretched her neck and arms. “Stop doing that.”
Ashley leaned back against a counter beside the stove, turned down the burner with a twist. Maggie leaned beside her, “Everything alright?”
Her head shook with quiet desperation, “No, Maggie. I'm sorry but it's not.”
She frowned, “Talk to me, Ash.”
Ashley threw out her arms in frustration, her eyes wide. “I don't like having two police cars sitting outside my house. I don't like my best friend carrying a gun and being attacked. And I don't like my baby sister being escorted to school like some fucking mafia daughter.”
“Ash, if you don't want me here—”
“No, Maggie. It's not that. It's just—” She hesitated to calm herself. “I love you. I want you safe, and I'll do what it takes to keep you that way.”
“But?”
Ashley sighed again, turned to tend the bacon, “Maggie, this is way beyond me. It's beyond those four cops out there. If that guy thinks so too… I mean, I honestly don't know if you can be safe right now. There's obviously more going on here than we know. Mysterious tattoos. Murders. Attempted murders. What the hell're we supposed to do ?”
Maggie watched her furious movements; she wrenched the heat off, jerked the bacon from the pan, slapped it on a plate, and dug a toaster from a cabinet. She nearly slammed it down before she stood in place, staring at it.
Maggie turned over what little she'd learned from Russell, wondered what she'd do in Ashley's place. If forced to choose between her best friend and her sister, Mandy came before all others. It was the right thing to do. Maggie couldn't blame anyone for that. In some ways, it was the only thing Ashley could do.
She slapped toast on a plate and tore Maggie from her trance, “Mandy's all I have left. You know that. I have to protect her no matter what . But I can't just abandon you. I just—I don't know what to do!”
Ashley's desperation clawed at Maggie's throat. She didn't want to be hunted like an animal, forced to flee her home and hide, nor have her best friends forced into the cross-fire. Maggie was lost.
She spoke with hints of defeat, “My only hope's that Det—Russell, can help us.”
Ashley gave a cynical laugh, “I don't think he could find his way out of a wet paper-bag. How's one guy supposed to protect us?”
“It was your idea to call him,” she reminded.
“Yeah, 'cause the other option was you sitting in jail. You killed someone last night, Maggie!”
Her tone stung. “You don't think I'm some kind of blood thirsty—”
Ashley waved dismissively, “God, no! But what happens if this guy can't help?” Maggie looked away in thought. “Eat. I'm sorry it's not more, but we need to go shopping.”
“Ash, you don't have to—”
“Maggie,” she pled sincerely. “Just shut up and eat.”
Maggie relented at a stomach rumble. Though her appetite had long evaporated, the need for sustenance moved her toward a plate. The pair ate amid a silence neither felt brave enough to break. Maggie did what she could to help clean before waiting her turn to shower.
She folded her blanket with mechanized arms, placed it atop the spare pillow beside her. Distant water ricocheted off cast-iron. The muffled sounds eked through the closed door and along the short hall to give rhythm to Maggie's movements.
She eyed the door with a curious paranoia, then pulled her pack forward and
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