Fallen: The Demontouched Saga (Book 2) by Douglas Wayne Read Free Book Online Page B

few floors to a room with a bed. When Nal moved into this place, he gutted the top few floors so he could protect his resources a little better. It wouldn’t help much if a group of people managed to hit this place in force, but it would be enough to keep a thief from even trying.
    I kick off my boots and plop down on one of the twin beds. Part of me wants to head down to the lobby and grab a drink or eight, but I’m not sure Az would like it much. With any luck, we will be on the road in a few hours hunting Israfil again.
    “Not that it matters, but what makes Israfil worse than the others?”
    “He was one of the first angels that joined Lucifer’s rebellion. They used to call him the burning one. He has an obsession with killing off humans with fire.”
    I shudder at the thought. I don’t think there is ever a good way to die, but I would pick nearly anything over fire. Shit, I think I would beg for the sarin gas over fire. Sure, you are going to suffer either way. At least the gas would be a little faster.
    “Sounds like a pretty nasty obsession.” I start a stretch that leads into a yawn. “Do angels ever sleep?”
    Az lets out a chuckle. “That weakness is unique to mortals. Sleep. I’ll take watch.”
    I thank him and lie back on the bed. The hotel bed is as uncomfortable as they come, but I’m still out within a few minutes.
     
     
    I wake up to the sound of my Metallica ringtone. I rub the crust from my eyes and look at the phone to see who is calling.
    Sara.
    “Find anything?” I ask.
    “They are planning something big downtown. Those cases you picked up were supposed to be delivered to the convention center in three days.”
    “What the hell is happening in three days?”
    “The city leaders are holding a meeting to discuss how to get the rest of the city back online. They are expecting a few thousand people to show up.”
    That never ceases to amaze me. Before the world went to hell in a hand basket, the only way people would show up to council meetings was if there was something that mattered to them. It was rare to get more than a handful to show up unless it was something serious. Getting the city back online is pretty serious, but I doubt the people that show up are going to volunteer to help fix it
    “Anything else?”
    “There were two files on the drive. The second one has some encryption that I’ve never seen.”
    That is odd. While she would never admit it, she managed to crack the encryption that the US used in the past. To be fair, it use to change constantly, but it wasn’t easy. She spent the better part of two months at the computer trying to crack the code.
    She was pretty pissed when she finally figured it out too. I couldn’t help but laugh. The message was four little words.
     
    The President is gone.
     
    It was funny because we already knew that. Shit, the whole world knew it. It meant that the President was one of the people who disappeared over three years ago. Some people were amazed that a politician managed to get the ride, but he was one of the good ones. I would have voted for him if I didn’t think the system was rigged.
    “Keep working on it. We will go check out the convention center.”
    I hang up and lace up my boots.
    “Good news?” Az asks, looking out the door.
    “Your friend has something planned downtown with those cases. We probably better see what was in the case.”
    We take the stairs back to Nal’s room and walk inside to see him on the phone. He waves us in and points to the seats.
    “That sounds good to me. Call me in a few days to let me know how it goes.” He hangs up the phone.
    “Anything on the case?”
    “You know those bomb squad assholes. They don’t like to rush things like this unless they have to. When Aaron brought him the case, he wanted to just blow it up.”
    Sounds like something they would say. They bill themselves as the heroic type, willing to put themselves in danger to diffuse any situation. In reality, they were