BACKTRACKER by Milo Fowler (e book reader txt) 📕

Time.

According to her father, the train station would be empty whenHarry arrived. Well, that wouldn't happen for a while. By all appearances, NewCity Central wascurrently at the peak of its daily efflux with commuters arriving in waves tomake one or two more stops at the mall before heading home.

She would wait, change out of the jumpsuit and boots into theitems more tailored for her physique. Clean up. Make herself look presentable.She was, after all, meeting her husband for the very first time—all over again.Yet never before like this.

It's been so long...

Her throat constricted. Tears stung her eyes, demanding to bereleased. She longed for his embrace, the sparkle when he caught her gaze. Theache within her was enough to swallow her whole. But she refused to give in.She inhaled a deep breath and blew it out, moving to the mirror over the sink. Sheset down the shopping bag and looked straight into the dark eyes reflected backat her.

Then and there, Irena Muldoon made one commitment: She was going to save herhusband's life, no matter what it took. Even if she had to backtrack throughtime over and over again in order to do it. She would not lose the love of herlife.

Never again.

TEN

For the first time in his life, Gavin Lennox wasn't sure wherehe was going.

He had the boy by his side as they stepped out of the MALES roomand headed up the dark hallway toward the lights and music of The Pearl'sheavily populated second tier. He had the lighter in his pocket and aWay-following monk cowering in a filthy restroom at ThePit, only moments away. He had the monk's partner upstairs, seated next to noneother than NewCity's venerable Mayor Reeves.

Lennox preferred not to happen upon either of them right now. Notuntil he'd learned all he could from this boy and given him to one of themandroids to dispose of—as they had with the kid's uncooperative father. Itseemed only fitting that father and son should both share the same fate.

Lennox was not thinking rashly. His mind was clear. He was incomplete control of the situation, and he knew what needed to be done.

Nevertheless, he felt lost.

Do I really have it in me? The boy had to know morethan he was letting on—but how to access it? Can I torture a child?

They rounded the corner at the end of the hall and passed stairsleading up to the third level.

"Well, mister—thanks for...you know." The boy seemed eager totake his leave, edging away from Lennox and toward the stairs leading down.

"What about the tour, Harry?" Lennox landed a stronghand on the boy's bony shoulder, holding him in place."Don't you want to take a look around? Most kids your age would die tocatch a glimpse of what you're seeing."

The boy faltered, but Lennox found his own attention drawnelsewhere. At the top of the stairs, at the entrance to the third tier's VIPsection where a sentinel loomed at attention, a flash of white caught his eye,a flutter much like that of the albino monk who'd accosted him in the alleyoutside The Pit. It was Yeng Zhu, the other Wayist, but the monk didn't catchLennox watching.

Yeng stoodwith another figure, a stranger almost hidden at thisangle. They spoke in low tones, their words unclear beneath a thick blanket ofmusic from the band onstage.

Lennox veered away from the stairs, guiding the boy across thesecond tier to the railing where he would hold a commanding view of the SYNmusicians and their gleaming silver instruments.

"You like BigBand, Harry?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know." He didn't seem pleasedby this course correction.

"It's jazz. Gershwing, they call it. Very popularback in the day, a couple centuries ago." Lennox glanced over his shoulderat the stairs. Tuxedos and glittery dresses ascended and descended at randomintervals, but Yeng was not among them.

He'll want to know what's become of brotherKuan.

"What are they doing?" The boy frowned down at thethrongs on the floor weaving and bobbing in sync to the music.

Lennox chuckled. "Don't tell me you've never seen dancingbefore, Harry."

The boy shrugged again, both hands on the railing as he gazedbelow. His interest was thinly veiled by a forced air of indifference.

"Want to go down for a closer look?"

"I want to go home."

"Of course, and you will, but how about a quick look aroundfirst? Think of what you'll be able to tell all your friends tomorrow!"

The boy didn't blink. "No thanks. I'll just go, if it's allthe same."

But something about his posture made it clear he understood thesituation. His father had been murdered right outside; he'd seen it happen.There was a look in his eyes that said he was going to die here too. Somehow,he knew it.

Lennox stepped beside him and leaned forward, forearms on therail, eyes focused on the genetically engineered band playing gloriously.

"I can't let you leave, Harry. Not yet. Not until you tell mewhat I need to know."

"But I've told you everything—"

"No." Lennox shook his head. He didn't turn his gazefrom the stage. "You haven't. You left out the part about that man whowas with you...when you watched your father die." He turned then,swiveling his head to face the boy's wide eyes.

"How do you know—?"

"Those guys in white, the perverts who kidnapped you? One of them just happens to be upstairs." He let thatsink in. The boy looked scared but ready to rumble, both at the same time."He got to drinking a little too much, and I heard him spill the whole story.Seems that he and his partner were stalking you tonight. They saw what happenedto your dad—" Here, Lennox knitted his brow into a sympathetic frown."I'm sorry." He paused as the kid turned away, staring down at theband again. "They saw what happened, and he said they saw someone withyou. Someone you seemed to know, like a bodyguard or something?"

"I don't know him." The words were barely audible.

"He called the man your protector. Do you know what hemeant by that?"

"No." The kid's hands gripped the rail. "I don'tknow who he was."

"But there was someone with you when ithappened."

The kid turned on