Read Online UNSEEN by John Michael Hileman - Free Book Online
Authors: John Michael Hileman
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he couldn't risk exposing his delusional state to the dozen or so law enforcement professionals who all had the authority to toss him in a rubber room and throw away the key.
Jake stood up, feigned a stretch, and took two casual steps toward the door. He stood quietly watching the conversation. No one appeared bothered by his standing, so he took another step toward the doorway and looked around innocently.
The little girl looked up at him. Her eyebrows tightened slightly, and her right foot made a hop backward as her body wobbled to regain its center of balance.
Jake held his position and watched to see if the little girl relaxed. She had stopped looking at him, because he now towered over her. Her eyes were on Agent Grant instead.
Jake's eyes danced from face to face in the kitchen and then the living room. All eyes were off him. He peeked down again and, as he did, bumped the little girl lightly with his thigh.
" Hey!" she shrieked, backing into the living room.
The sound of her voice startled him. He hadn't expected to feel her shoulder against his thigh, never mind the sound of her scratchy little voice. For a second he believed she had to be real, but a quick check of both rooms made it clear that she was not. Her voice was certainly loud enough, yet no one showed any indication that they had heard her.
He turned casually in the door, and looked down. She tracked him with accusing eyes and pulled her rabbit to her chest. "Kawa doesn' wike dat! My bunny eeder."
Their eyes locked onto each other in silence as Jake's mind buzzed to understand what he was looking at. She wasn't a real child, but how could she be a ghost? She felt real, and sounded real, but how could she be real?
He wanted to speak to her, ask her any one of the many questions exploding in his head, but was forced to only stare in stunned disbelief.
" Are you all right, Mr. Paris?" The voice of Agent Grant dragged him back to reality. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
" Yes," he said, spinning in the doorway. "I mean, not yes I've seen a ghost, but yes I'm all right, here, standing here. Ma'am."
He felt a smack on his leg and glanced down without moving his head or neck.
" You shouldn't posh peepoe. Is not powite."
He withdrew from her.
Agent Grant spoke in an even tone. "Would you like to rejoin us? Or would you like me to have someone escort you to a more comfortable location?"
" I'm sorry," he said, taking his seat again, "I was curious about what they were saying in the other room," he lied, hoping that would explain his trip to the doorway, and save him from getting kicked out of the apartment for acting suspicious—like eves dropping on official business didn’t look suspicious.
" You can relax, Jake. We're not keeping anything from you. They're doing the same thing we're doing, covering all that we know so far and determining what has to happen next. You're not going to hear anything in there that you wouldn’t hear directly from me."
Jake nodded.
" Now, the person we’re looking for probably has military training of some kind; he has access to technology that is military grade. We think, because he spends months placing roots in a new location, he may have let his guard down and mentioned things he shouldn't have. He might have shown a knowledge in military weaponry, or tactics..."
The Cabbage Patch girl walked into the kitchen, dragging her stuffed rabbit on the cigarette-stained linoleum. She stopped, firmly erect, two feet from Jake, and said, "Um posed to tell you sumpin."
Jake looked down at her discreetly.
Apparently, this irritated her, because her body stiffened and her voice raised. "Um posed to tell you sumpin!"
Jake's head snapped up, expecting a response from the others at the table, but all eyes remained on Agent Grant.
The girl folded her arms and stared at him again with her piercing blue eyes. What did she expect him to do? He wasn't about to have a conversation with an invisible child, and reveal to the
Jake stood up, feigned a stretch, and took two casual steps toward the door. He stood quietly watching the conversation. No one appeared bothered by his standing, so he took another step toward the doorway and looked around innocently.
The little girl looked up at him. Her eyebrows tightened slightly, and her right foot made a hop backward as her body wobbled to regain its center of balance.
Jake held his position and watched to see if the little girl relaxed. She had stopped looking at him, because he now towered over her. Her eyes were on Agent Grant instead.
Jake's eyes danced from face to face in the kitchen and then the living room. All eyes were off him. He peeked down again and, as he did, bumped the little girl lightly with his thigh.
" Hey!" she shrieked, backing into the living room.
The sound of her voice startled him. He hadn't expected to feel her shoulder against his thigh, never mind the sound of her scratchy little voice. For a second he believed she had to be real, but a quick check of both rooms made it clear that she was not. Her voice was certainly loud enough, yet no one showed any indication that they had heard her.
He turned casually in the door, and looked down. She tracked him with accusing eyes and pulled her rabbit to her chest. "Kawa doesn' wike dat! My bunny eeder."
Their eyes locked onto each other in silence as Jake's mind buzzed to understand what he was looking at. She wasn't a real child, but how could she be a ghost? She felt real, and sounded real, but how could she be real?
He wanted to speak to her, ask her any one of the many questions exploding in his head, but was forced to only stare in stunned disbelief.
" Are you all right, Mr. Paris?" The voice of Agent Grant dragged him back to reality. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
" Yes," he said, spinning in the doorway. "I mean, not yes I've seen a ghost, but yes I'm all right, here, standing here. Ma'am."
He felt a smack on his leg and glanced down without moving his head or neck.
" You shouldn't posh peepoe. Is not powite."
He withdrew from her.
Agent Grant spoke in an even tone. "Would you like to rejoin us? Or would you like me to have someone escort you to a more comfortable location?"
" I'm sorry," he said, taking his seat again, "I was curious about what they were saying in the other room," he lied, hoping that would explain his trip to the doorway, and save him from getting kicked out of the apartment for acting suspicious—like eves dropping on official business didn’t look suspicious.
" You can relax, Jake. We're not keeping anything from you. They're doing the same thing we're doing, covering all that we know so far and determining what has to happen next. You're not going to hear anything in there that you wouldn’t hear directly from me."
Jake nodded.
" Now, the person we’re looking for probably has military training of some kind; he has access to technology that is military grade. We think, because he spends months placing roots in a new location, he may have let his guard down and mentioned things he shouldn't have. He might have shown a knowledge in military weaponry, or tactics..."
The Cabbage Patch girl walked into the kitchen, dragging her stuffed rabbit on the cigarette-stained linoleum. She stopped, firmly erect, two feet from Jake, and said, "Um posed to tell you sumpin."
Jake looked down at her discreetly.
Apparently, this irritated her, because her body stiffened and her voice raised. "Um posed to tell you sumpin!"
Jake's head snapped up, expecting a response from the others at the table, but all eyes remained on Agent Grant.
The girl folded her arms and stared at him again with her piercing blue eyes. What did she expect him to do? He wasn't about to have a conversation with an invisible child, and reveal to the
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