Unknown 9 by Layton Green (each kindness read aloud txt) 📕

chair. Andie could imagine the dissections that must have taken place on the marble table under the watchful eye of the professors, probing the mysteries of the human body all those centuries ago.

At first Andie thought they were alone, but a quick glance to her left, opposite the lecturer’s chair, revealed the familiar face of their driver sitting in the highest row, wearing dark clothing and a newsboy cap.

“You’re on time, Zawadi,” Henrik said as they entered. “A remarkable occurrence.”

The comment was delivered in a droll tone, which allowed Andie to relax a fraction. At least they have a sense of humor.

“Where are the others?” Zawadi said, checking her watch.

“No one else is coming.”

Zawadi grew very still. “What do you mean? I received notice—” She took a deep breath, seeming to come to a realization. “Then both the threat and the level of disassociation are worse than I suspected. Do they understand nothing?”

“Your pleas have not gone unheard,” he said. “They agree the situation is grave. They just have a different philosophy on how to combat the threat.”

“A philosophy that will get them all killed.”

“Why do the Ascendants care about the Leap Year Society if they don’t want to be involved?” Andie said.

Zawadi and Henrik exchanged a glance. “Because the Ascendants believe the Leap Year Society harbors certain knowledge,” Zawadi said.

“About what?”

“The Fold and the Nine, principally—but other things as well.”

“The nine what?”

“That’s enough, Zawadi!” Henrik warned.

She scoffed. “These two know as much about the Fold as I do. What I do know is that if Dr. Corwin’s warning is not heeded, the Ascendants will hunt the Society down one by one, and they’ll die with their precious knowledge.”

Cal was staring at Henrik with a greedy expression. Andie, too, was eager to learn what else he knew about the Fold and her visions.

“We’ve agreed to help you in two ways,” Henrik said, “one of which is monetary support.”

Zawadi stiffened. “Funds.”

“You’ll find a large deposit in your account this morning.”

“And the other?” she said, her voice low and venomous.

“Protection.” He gave a little bow. “As in, my personal services.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard.”

He tilted his head toward Andie and Cal. “They will.”

“What about access to safe houses?”

“I’m afraid that’s not on offer. It puts our members at risk.”

“James was right,” Zawadi said, seething. “Their isolation will be their downfall.”

“Or the insurance to survive the coming storm. You don’t know the full picture.”

As Zawadi gave him a withering look, Andie stepped forward and said to Henrik, “Is Dr. Corwin still alive?”

“All evidence points to the fact that he is dead.”

“But the message—”

“A single line of text delivered from an unidentified source? That’s more likely a lure than a plea for help.”

Zawadi snarled. “A lure? For what purpose? It didn’t request anything!”

“The Ascendants lay their traps well in advance, in layer upon layer. You know this better than most.”

“You’re blind. You’re all blind.”

Andie’s curiosity about the true nature of the Leap Year Society was a distant second to her desire to help her loved ones. She had no patience for covert games, god complexes, and hidden agendas. “What do you know about the Enneagon?” she asked Henrik.

“Almost nothing,” he said bitterly. “James hid the project from everyone but his inner circle.”

“Seems pretty smart,” Andie said, “since one of you betrayed him.”

Henrik leveled a stare at her. “In any event, we believe returning the Star Phone to us is a wise choice.”

Andie tensed. “I bet you do.”

Both Cal and Zawadi took a protective step closer to Andie, causing Henrik to hold his palms out. “We won’t take it by force.”

“I know you won’t,” Zawadi said calmly.

Henrik turned to Andie. “Please understand we are much better equipped to locate the device.”

“Maybe so,” she said. “But I have no idea whether finding him is your priority, or whether he wanted you to have the Enneagon at all. He came to me, not you. So if you want to help me, then just do it.”

“We’re wasting time here,” Zawadi said. “We should go.”

“Go where?” Andie said.

“Back to the apartment for now. Unless that, too, is off-limits?”

Henrik spread his hands. “It’s yours for as long as you wish to stay.”

“Then I suggest we use it as a base to determine our next destination.”

“I’ll need to use the internet,” Andie said. “From a secure location.”

“We’ll arrange it first thing in the morning,” Henrik said.

Cal ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Who are you people? Why all the secrecy? What are you really hiding?”

“History has proven time and again that knowledge dispensed without the proper safeguards can be disastrous,” Henrik said. “Would you want a true open-source society? I think not.”

“Who made you the judge and jury?” Cal said.

“Who gives you the right to question us?”

“It’s called freedom of the press, pal. The mark of a healthy democracy.”

“Hush,” Zawadi said softly, putting a finger to her lips and pulling out a compact black handgun.

A similar weapon sprang into Henrik’s hand, and he crept down the aisle to join them by the dissection table. “What is it?” he whispered.

“I heard a faint creak. Perhaps the door to the library.”

Henrik looked startled. “No one else should be here. We should go. Now.”

Zawadi took a step toward the door. “If we encounter resistance, I’ll clear the hallway while you get them out.”

Henrik grabbed her arm. “I know a better way.”

He hurried to the lecturer’s chair and leaped on the wooden balustrade. While balancing between the pair of skinless carved figures, he reached up to depress the eye of the one on the left. Andie noticed movement and turned to see one of the ancient robed statues in the alcoves swinging outward, revealing a hidden nook.

“Where don’t you people have secret passages?” Cal said.

Even Zawadi’s eyes widened in surprise. Without a word, she led the way up the stairs to the base of the alcove, climbed onto the balustrade, and stepped into the opening.

Andie and Cal joined Zawadi in a sliver of a stone passage that led between the walls. The statue