Daemon by Daniel Suárez Read Free Book Online

uncontrollable laughter. He was apparently laughing about having just been crying.
    Gragg focused on driving. He headed north and east for a half hour or so, then exited in a seedy industrial district amid rail sidings. They rattled along potholed streets. With each bone-shuddering bump, Gragg winced. The ground effects on his Si were going to get thrashed at this rate. He also felt like a prime car-jacking target in this industrial wasteland.
    Yet, as he looked around the deserted factory streets, it didn’t look like a popular gang hangout. The streets were too broken and crisscrossed with railroad sidings for the street-racing scene.
    Before long, Gragg found the street he was looking for. He turned down the dead end and parked next to a rusted chain-link fence topped with brand-new razor wire. It enclosed flatbed tractor-trailers in various stages of decay.
    At the end of the street stood a brick factory building marked I NDUSTRIAL L AUNDRY C ORP in faded paint. The windows near the roof glowed with fluorescent light from within, and the double doors near the loading dock were open wide, letting a wedge of light splay out across the weed-encrusted sidewalk. Signs in some Asian script covered the backs of both open doors. A couple of men in white aprons smoked out front, apparently on break.
    Gragg turned off the car and looked at Heider’s dozing form. He quietly pulled a piece of paper from his own jacket pocket and glanced at the code number written on it in pen. He took his car keys from the ignition and carefully slipped them into Heider’s pocket. It wasn’t difficult. In fact, he hoped he could still rouse Heider, who was out cold.
    He nudged him. No response. He shoved Heider. Then finally shook him. “Heider, man! Wake up.”
    Heider awoke slowly, still high out of his mind. “What the fuck, man?”
    “I need you to pick up the new encryption key from my contact. He’s in there.” He pointed.
    Heider squinted and looked back at him like he was insane. “Fuck you, man. You go.”
    “Heider. Take a look around you. I’m not leaving my car sitting out here—and you’ll fall asleep the minute I’m gone. You know what I put into this ride?”
    “Well, then why the fuck did you park a mile away, asshole?”
    “A semi was just in the loading dock.”
    “I don’t know who your fucking contact is.”
    “Just give them this code number.” Gragg handed him the piece of paper. “They won’t even ask who you are. You’re just picking up the code.”
    Heider wavered fuzzily, trying to process what Gragg just said.
    Gragg sighed impatiently. “Christ, Jase, why do I have to do everything? I arranged the business; I keep you supplied with new gear—and I got you laid tonight.”
    Heider conceded this by nodding reluctantly.
    “When are you gonna start pulling your weight, man?”
    Heider squinted at the two dumpy middle-aged Asians smoking and chatting two hundred feet away.
    Gragg pointed. “Oh, they sure look dangerous.”
    “Fuck…all right. Just don’t do this shit to me without telling me first, man. I don’t like surprises.” Heider exchanged a last serious look with Gragg. Gragg just rolled his eyes. Heider sighed and got out.
    Gragg watched Heider stagger down the street toward the lighted factory door less than a football field away. Once Heider was gone, Gragg grabbed his own backpack and quietly got out of the car. He slipped behind two Dumpsters and from the darkness watched Heider approach the men.
    The Asian men watched impassively as Heider labored up to them. Heider said something and handed the piece of paper to the nearest guy. After reading it, the man pointed toward the open doorway. Heider walked through and stood silhouetted for a moment before one of the men walked in after him and shoved him forward. The other man scanned the street, threw his cigarette to the ground, and then walked inside—pulling the doors shut behind him. They closed with a resounding bang, leaving the