Sons of Abraham: J-17's Trial by JOSEPH RAY Read Free Book Online Page B

frozen in terror at the thought of an Agent coming to his front door. He looked to the stairway, more than once, before looking back to his guest.
    “Not this Agent,” she assured him. “I promise this one will talk and talk long before he ever thinks to act. I’d say you got lucky this time.”
    “Lucky?” the man cried. “My eldest daughter is bruised and has barely woke since you returned, my other three still in the possession of that mad man, and you say I am lucky? I may not have come from your life Zena, but I scarcely say this is luck.”
    “Zeh-nah,” she corrected him. “Short ‘e’ sound. Just sit tight my friend. We’ll get this worked out shortly.”
    As if on cue, a knock on the front door filled the halls of the stone structure. Yomiel glanced nervously to the stairs, a perfect line to see the front door. Zena wasted no time, quickly descending the stairs to the first floor. Her left hand twisted the wooden handle, unlatching the door. Her right hand went to her back, reaching for a little encouragement from the handle of her pistol.
    “Agent Calloway,” she started. “What a pleasant surprise.”
    Nathan Calloway barely acknowledged the greeting, shoving the door the rest of the way open and allowing himself into the home. Like many of the other dwellings, the building was a simple beige stone with dark wood trim and doorway. It spoke to a simpler time, back before metal and plastic took over the world. Beautiful tapestries were hung on the wall, likely to have been handmade by the owner’s ancestors throughout the previous generations. All of the furniture was wooden, the same dark color as the doors and trim. A fireplace across the main room lit the first floor but did nothing to light the stairwell.
    “Where are they?” Nathan asked, not bothering to turn to the woman.
    “Where is who?” Zena asked, stepping in close behind him.
    Calloway twirled around, his pistol aimed directly at Captain Benson’s face. He fixed on the light blue eyes that stared back at him, noting how they looked to his and not to the barrel of the gun. Her short hair was dark red, a swirling and tumbling mess upon her that curled around her face. She was a few inches shorter than he was, but the Agent knew not to underestimate her physical capabilities. She looked skinny under the brown leather vest and thermal long sleeved shirt, but he knew there lie a ton of muscle memory beneath the clothes, training that could snap his arm before he could get the first shot off.
    “Damn it, Zena,” he snapped. “You know where I just came from, and the nasty shit I had to put up with. Right now, I’d appreciate some straight talk. While you’re at it, tell AJ to get his scrawny ass in here. Felt his eyes on me the entire time I’ve been here.”
    The wooden door had almost closed itself due to the way the frame had been set. Now, it slowly swung open, the metal hinges creaking as the longhaired AJ entered the home. The long hair was brown, with heavy amounts of gray mixed in it as well as the scraggly beard on the man’s face. He wore a long, brown leather coat that matched Zena’s vest. A simple black t-shirt and brown pants lie beneath, making it difficult to see what was attached to the man’s belt. The addition of a hat would make him the perfect cowboy if such things existed anymore.
    “Also suggest we make this quick,” Nathan continued. “There’s an MA riding my exhaust trail as we speak. Probably be here within the hour.”
    Zena swore under her breath as she stepped back from the gun in her face. MA’s were nothing but trouble these days, especially on a planet like Mesa. If an Agent gathered a quarter of the attention of the planet, an MA would gather the rest. This was not a good place for her to be at the moment.
    Nathan kept an eye on AJ, noting that the man’s left hand was under the coat, hidden from his view. He’d never met AJ Harper, but every lawman knew of his reputation. If the term