Read Online The Somnibus: Book I - Finding the Mark (A Paranormal Thriller) by Craig McGray - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Craig McGray
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deposit box.
“So, Mr. Honeycutt just delivered the paperwork
establishing you as an account manager, along with Mr. Bell.”
My brow wrinkled, but I went along with it.
Honeycutt must have had a reason to set it up that way.
“We’ve become close the past few days, and he has
no other family. Since he isn’t getting any younger, he wanted to have someone
to take care of his affairs if anything happened to him.” I slid the key across
the desk to Barnes. “Let’s take a look.”
Barnes picked up the key.
“Sure. First though, we need to input your ID to
give you access.”
He reached into a cabinet behind his desk and
pulled out a hard plastic sleeve.
“This type of account requires a higher level of security.
Just slide your finger into the sleeve and hold still.”
I stuck my right index finger into the sleeve and
held it while a red light pulsed for about thirty seconds. The light went off,
and he removed the sleeve.
“This will just take a minute.”
He tapped away at his keyboard before he reached
up and shut off the screen. Barnes cleared his throat, handed me my key, stood
from behind his desk, and pointed me down a narrow hallway.
“Shall we?”
We headed down the long corridor, passing a cage
full of small lock boxes, and continued to a large vault at the end of the
hallway. He stepped in front of the lock, and the keypad beeped with each digit
he pressed. Two flashing lights and a mechanical snap confirmed the proper
code.
“After you.” He waved me through.
The narrow doorway gave way to a sprawling room
full of doors of various widths, though they all reached the full height of the
eight-foot ceiling. Some were the breadth of lockers, and others that of a
closet door. Tiny red lights flashed beside each handle and once we stepped
inside, the door sealed behind us.
He led me to an elevator at the far end of the
room. He placed his index finger on the keypad, and the doors slid open. We
stepped in, and the door closed. Barnes pushed the only option, my stomach rose
as the elevator dropped.
We stopped within seconds, and the door slid open.
Barnes stepped out without saying a word. The dimly lit room was much smaller
and had only four large doors. Each one had a blinking red light with its own
rhythm.
I followed Barnes to the door on our left. He went
over the instructions with me.
“Okay, insert your key here, place your index
finger on the keypad and the door will open. Remember to remove your key before
you go in, you’ll need it to leave.”
I stepped to the door, retrieved the key from my
pocket, and inserted it into the lock. As promised, the seal on the door broke
with a hiss. Barnes stood over my shoulder as I reached for the handle. I
turned and raised a brow to him. He took the hint and cleared his throat while
he backed away.
“Just come back the way you came when you’re done. I’ll wait
upstairs.”
Barnes left and I dropped the key back into my pocket. Nudging the door open, I stepped inside and the door sealed behind me.
-Chapter 18-
T he room was nearly empty. A couple of small boxes
were stacked in the corner and a larger metal box with a keyed padlock sat in
the center.
I went to the smaller boxes and took the lid off
the top one. It was full of scattered photographs of Mort. I fished through the
pictures and noticed some where he appeared to be
younger including one picture of him at a party dated January 5, 1975.
It must have been his birthday. People surrounded
him and he stood in the middle of the group with a crooked “Happy Birthday” hat
strapped to his head. Something caught my eye in that particular picture. He
held a beer mug in his left hand and his right hand faced the camera, as if
telling the photographer to stop. I brought the picture close to my face and
confusion wrinkled my brow. He had no mark in the center of his palm. The hairs
tickled at the back of my neck, and I stuck the picture in my pocket.
I grabbed one of the other boxes
“So, Mr. Honeycutt just delivered the paperwork
establishing you as an account manager, along with Mr. Bell.”
My brow wrinkled, but I went along with it.
Honeycutt must have had a reason to set it up that way.
“We’ve become close the past few days, and he has
no other family. Since he isn’t getting any younger, he wanted to have someone
to take care of his affairs if anything happened to him.” I slid the key across
the desk to Barnes. “Let’s take a look.”
Barnes picked up the key.
“Sure. First though, we need to input your ID to
give you access.”
He reached into a cabinet behind his desk and
pulled out a hard plastic sleeve.
“This type of account requires a higher level of security.
Just slide your finger into the sleeve and hold still.”
I stuck my right index finger into the sleeve and
held it while a red light pulsed for about thirty seconds. The light went off,
and he removed the sleeve.
“This will just take a minute.”
He tapped away at his keyboard before he reached
up and shut off the screen. Barnes cleared his throat, handed me my key, stood
from behind his desk, and pointed me down a narrow hallway.
“Shall we?”
We headed down the long corridor, passing a cage
full of small lock boxes, and continued to a large vault at the end of the
hallway. He stepped in front of the lock, and the keypad beeped with each digit
he pressed. Two flashing lights and a mechanical snap confirmed the proper
code.
“After you.” He waved me through.
The narrow doorway gave way to a sprawling room
full of doors of various widths, though they all reached the full height of the
eight-foot ceiling. Some were the breadth of lockers, and others that of a
closet door. Tiny red lights flashed beside each handle and once we stepped
inside, the door sealed behind us.
He led me to an elevator at the far end of the
room. He placed his index finger on the keypad, and the doors slid open. We
stepped in, and the door closed. Barnes pushed the only option, my stomach rose
as the elevator dropped.
We stopped within seconds, and the door slid open.
Barnes stepped out without saying a word. The dimly lit room was much smaller
and had only four large doors. Each one had a blinking red light with its own
rhythm.
I followed Barnes to the door on our left. He went
over the instructions with me.
“Okay, insert your key here, place your index
finger on the keypad and the door will open. Remember to remove your key before
you go in, you’ll need it to leave.”
I stepped to the door, retrieved the key from my
pocket, and inserted it into the lock. As promised, the seal on the door broke
with a hiss. Barnes stood over my shoulder as I reached for the handle. I
turned and raised a brow to him. He took the hint and cleared his throat while
he backed away.
“Just come back the way you came when you’re done. I’ll wait
upstairs.”
Barnes left and I dropped the key back into my pocket. Nudging the door open, I stepped inside and the door sealed behind me.
-Chapter 18-
T he room was nearly empty. A couple of small boxes
were stacked in the corner and a larger metal box with a keyed padlock sat in
the center.
I went to the smaller boxes and took the lid off
the top one. It was full of scattered photographs of Mort. I fished through the
pictures and noticed some where he appeared to be
younger including one picture of him at a party dated January 5, 1975.
It must have been his birthday. People surrounded
him and he stood in the middle of the group with a crooked “Happy Birthday” hat
strapped to his head. Something caught my eye in that particular picture. He
held a beer mug in his left hand and his right hand faced the camera, as if
telling the photographer to stop. I brought the picture close to my face and
confusion wrinkled my brow. He had no mark in the center of his palm. The hairs
tickled at the back of my neck, and I stuck the picture in my pocket.
I grabbed one of the other boxes
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