Reign of Coins by Aiden James Read Free Book Online Page A

again.                                                                                                                                            Our bond may have waned at times over the years, yet in the end our connection has endured, my friend.  I’ll be seeing you around, Judas.”
    Roderick then disappeared. By the time the couple arrived, it might’ve looked like a hotel patron had a little bit too much to drink and was presently conversing with an invisible friend amid vacant cars. But, at least they didn’t have a damned clue who I was.
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
     
    “Tell me again why we must stay inside our suite tonight?”
    Alistair stood at the door, peering through the peephole. We had ordered steak and lobster a half-hour before—my initial bribe to get him to buy into Roderick’s game plan—and my boy was on the patrol for our food. So much like his mother in that regard, hunger tends to remove him from humanity and relegate him to the planet’s primal beasts. I’ve often wondered if Alfred Packer suffered from a similar affliction when he ate his five buddies near Gunnison, Colorado after a terrible snowstorm in 1874.
    “To make sure you and I are still on the same plane of existence when tomorrow arrives,” I told him. “We’ll be confined like this until I hear from Roderick again. Once I get the go ahead to leave, I’ll make reservations to go home, and we can get the hell out of here.”
    “This trip has been an enormous waste of time!” he bemoaned, his slight brogue briefly reminding me of Roderick’s parting words earlier. “But at least our dinner is here.”
    He opened the door just as our room service waiter arrived with a cart bearing our meal, along with two chilled bottles of Merlot. Cold wine is also my son’s preference, and one pushing my tolerance after centuries of drinking nearly everything at room temperature.
    “I’ll make it up to you with a trip in July, to either Alaska or the Virgin Islands—your choice, Ali.”
    “I think a quiet weekend with my girl sounds like a better deal,” he said, snagging a yeast roll while helping the waiter move the plates to our table. “No offense, but maybe we should take an extended break from these coin vacations.”
    I wanted to agree with him—especially since our journeys had recently become far more dangerous than ever before. But, I doubt I’ll be able to overcome the nagging thought that something horrible would happen if I veered from the diligent pursuit of my blood coins. I tipped the waiter and closed the door, allowing myself a careful glance down either side of the hall first. The coast was clear for now.
    “Don’t go secret service on me, Pops,” teased Alistair. “As soon as I get a little good food in my stomach, I want to hear more about your conversation with Roderick.”
    As alluded to earlier, Alistair had never met Roderick. For years, my son thought this name was something I pulled out of a hat. It wasn’t until I witnessed my son’s astonished look during a speakerphone conversation with Mr. Cooley, fifteen years ago, that I realized he thought my druid friend didn’t exist.
    “Okay, I can concentrate better now.” Alistair had eaten like a ravenous dog unfed for days. “So, what else did you two talk about?”
    “Viktor Kaslow and some misguided millionaire,” I said. “Apparently, this rich guy deals in black market nuclear weapons and still has enough tokens in the till to pay Kaslow a cool few million to help him negotiate for one particular mysterious weapon he covets. Oh, and killing me and possibly you has been thrown in as an extra incentive for our Russian friend.”
    “Hmmm…similar to the extra millions the Shanahans will get if the ‘Skins ever get to a Super Bowl again, huh?” he said, chuckling. “I suppose Vegas would put