The Abandoned Trilogy (Book 1): Twice Dead (Contagion) by Suchitra Chatterjee Read Free Book Online Page A

think has happened?” I asked.
                  He shrugged his shoulders, “Could be anything, but its big whatever it is, I might be an old fart, but even I know whole communication systems don’t go down all at once,” he looked directly at me, “Someone obviously pulled a switch, a bloody big switch.”
                  I frowned, “You think it was done on purpose?” I said.
                  It was his turn to nod his head, “For whatever reason, I don’t think Gregory and Shannon should have gone into town.”
                  “Why didn’t you say so?” I said.
                  “Because they would have gone anyway,” Mitch replied and I couldn’t argue with that.
                  “Do you think we are safe here?” I don’t know why I asked that question, but I did.
                  Mitch shrugged his shoulders, “It as good a place as any, set back from town, in a dip, a road going one way and nature going the other, hills are good protection, especially ones that man hasn’t messed with,” his eyes moved to the land behind Thorncroft, rich and green and free of man’s taint, “We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?” Mitch finished smoking his cigarette and then stood up, “I’m going to get the coach ready,” he said, “Just in case.”
                  I watched as he walked away, he didn’t look back and I found myself getting up and heading back to the dining room where Adag was giving out snacks along with glasses of fresh orange juice, which she insisted everyone drink.
                  “I’ve had orange juice already,” Jasmine objected, but Adag made her take the glass and drink the contents. The girl grumpily drank it and made a face.             
                  “It tastes funny,” she said.
                  “It smells funny too,” Eden began as she sniffed her drink
                  “It’s concentrated that’s why,” Adag said briskly, “Cassidy would you like a big glass of juice?”
                  Cassidy’s eyes lit up and he eagerly accepted the large pint glass of thick yellow liquid along with two chocolate biscuits. He gulped down the liquid and munched on the biscuits. This was a treat indeed and he was delighted.
                  “Why don’t you go and have a lie down?” Adag said to the big teenager, “You can put a DVD on in your room if you want.”
                  Cassidy couldn’t believe his luck, he wasn’t normally allowed into his room until bedtime, being kept active and busy all day so that he didn’t just lie around and eat. He happily trotted off and Adag turned to Jasmine and Eden, she smiled at them and said, “Just this once you can have a sleepover with each other!”
                  The two girls squealed in delight. They were always begging Adag to let them have sleep overs in each other’s room, but Adag very rarely allowed it as they had a tendency to be noisy and end up scrapping best friends or not. The girls rushed off before Adag could change her mind.
                  Stevie refused the biscuits and orange juice. No amount of persuasion could make him touch the glass of thick pulpy juice. He glowered at Adag, still upset with her over what he saw as her keeping him from his family.
                  Adag was not normally so persistent about people eating and drinking unless it was a main meal. I noticed there were no beakers of orange juice set out for Seb, Phoenix or me.
                  “Stevie,” I said, “Shall we put one of your weight lifting DVD on the TV?”
    Stevie’s almond shaped eyes swiveled to my face, I gave him a friendly smile, and added, “You can watch it on the big screen in here.”
                  His eyes instinctively moved to the large communal