Brainrush 03 - Beyond Judgment by Richard Bard Read Free Book Online Page A

state of mind. After a moment her shoulders sagged. She pulled Alex closer. “I’m sorry,
caro
,” she said softly. “But the man we saw could not have been your father.”
    Tony was immediately alert. “You saw someone running?” he asked Francesca.
    “A man was being chased,” she said. “Beyond the crowd. I saw him from behind. B—But it couldn’t be…” Her voice trailed off, and Tony could imagine her replaying the scene in her mind.
    Tony studied the boy. The connection he’d experienced in the other room with Alex had been extreme. True or not, Tony knew from the bond that the boy believed what he was saying. A sudden chase outside had likely triggered a reminder of stories about his father. His imagination had filled in the rest. Of course it couldn’t be true, he thought. But that hardly mattered. He knew from his own experience as a father that there would be no peace—and no wedding ceremony—until he proved it.
    He rose and whispered something to Marshall. His friend looked at him like he was crazy. “Just do it, Marsh,” Tony said. Hemotioned toward Francesca’s father. “And you better take Mario with you. Because they ain’t going to give ’em up willingly.”
    Marshall nodded. He and Mario left the room.
    Tony heard a commotion outside. A minute later, the two men returned. Three gondoliers acted as their rear guard. Marshall’s face was red. He had a bruised lip. “Friggin’ paparazzi,” he mumbled. “I hope these are worth the trouble.” He had a digital camera in either hand. Mario held two more.
    “Pass ’em out,” Tony said, taking one of the cameras. Marshall kept one, Lacey another. “Start with any video recordings. Scroll backward to when we were on the dock. We’re looking for three men running at the back of the crowd.”
    Ahmed and Sarafina took the last camera back to the love seat. Francesca sat forward on the lounger. Alex stood beside her, his hand in hers. He watched Tony with an intense focus.
    It was Marshall who spoke up first. “I’ve got something.” Tony and Lacey gathered around the small screen. Marshall played it back. There were two men chasing a third. Their backs were to the camera. They ran over a short bridge. Marshall zoomed in and slowed the motion. But just as the first man turned his head to glance toward the camera, a group of tourists blocked the view. By the time the crowd passed, he was gone.
    “Damn…” Tony muttered under his breath.
    “Oh, God!” Sarafina’s outburst chilled him. She and Ahmed gaped at the screen of the camera they held. Tony and the rest of them rushed over.
    “
Allahu Akbar
,” Ahmed said in a hushed voice. He turned the camera so the others could see.
    Francesca’s gasp accented the emotion everyone in the room felt.
    Jake Bronson was alive.

Chapter 8

    Swiss Alps
    V ICTOR CLOSED THE hinged panel for the final time. The hidden room behind it had been his sanctuary since he was a child. Soon, the comfort it provided would no longer be necessary. He wiped the last bit of blood from his hand and pocketed the knife. The session had gone well.
    The snowstorm had grown in intensity. A whistle of wind from an ill-fitting window pushed a chill breeze across his neck. He moved down the hall, and the crackle of burning logs drew him into the great room. He sauntered through the room, breathing it in, capturing the smells and memories of his life. The walls had been stripped bare. His footsteps clapped on stone floors that were no longer carpeted. He ran his hand along the burled edge of the pitted dining table that spanned the far wall. He wondered at the magnitude of power that had been wielded by the generations of men who had secretly gathered here. Men of science, art, politics, and influence. From across the globe, strategizing around a shared vision—all leading up to this moment.
    There was much to do, he thought, and it bothered him that Hans had not awaited him here as instructed. Victor felt a tug of