The Chair by Michael Ziegler Read Free Book Online

the corner, I held my weapon out as I quickly made the turn. Someone was right in front of me, was it Paxton? I started to press the trigger―but wait―no, it was Ara pointing her weapon at me.
    “Richard, what are you doing here? We both heaved a quick sigh of relief and hugged each other.
    “How long have you been here Ara? Have you found Catherine yet?”
    “No, I’ve been walking around the building, trying to find her!”
    I took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Keep an eye out for Paxton, she’s also in this building with a weapon looking for the chair and you know she’ll kill to get it.
    “Her and Anders must not have found your father while they were in London. Paxton probably thinks he came here for some reason; she has no clue as to who I am yet.”
    Ara folded her arms looking around. “But she’ll recognize me! I’m the one who put her and Anders in the tank to begin with. I left the chair on the lowest floor; we’ve got to get back there before she finds it or she’ll be gone! Catherine may or may not be here, but we have enough to deal with knowing Anders and Paxton are on the loose!”
    Ara pulled my sleeve. “Where is Anders?”
    “I shot him and left him at the conduit, but he’s scarcely wounded and still dangerous. I’ve got his weapon and took a tracker; Paxton’s took the other one.”
    Holding our weapons out as we made our way down to the next level; Ara came close and whispered. “Then both trackers as well as the chair are here in this building! We absolutely cannot let her find the chair!”
    After opening several doors down the hallway without seeing anyone, we descended to the next floor and opened one door. There in the back of the room was the tracker that Paxton must have arrived in, but she wasn’t there. Unexpectedly, we heard the sound of two female voices shouting on the floor below us – “she has a gun!” they shouted; then, scuffling feet running down a hallway.
    Ara looked at me disconcertedly. “Paxton’s going to find it, come on hurry Richard!”
     She was already down on the bottom floor; we quickened our pace and headed for the last set of steps. Keeping our weapons at the ready, we descended the stairway quickly looking around the corner. We reached the lower floor and barely caught a glimpse of someone’s feet rounding the corner into another smaller room.
    Ara whispered frantically, “the chair is in there Richard, hurry!” She ran ahead pointing her weapon. Then, turning the corner, she could see Paxton standing in front of the chair and there was another woman standing close to her, frozen and very frightened.
    “Don’t shoot!” the woman shouted.
    I then rounded the corner and could see both women. One of them was Paxton and the other was Catherine!
    Paxton quickly grabbed her by the hair pulling her head back and pointed her weapon at her temple. “Don’t either of you move or I’ll blow her brains out!”
    “Richard what’s this all about?” Catherine shouted, sobbing hysterically. “Where have you been and who is this?”
    Paxton yanked on her hair once more. “Shut up and don’t move a muscle! Well, well, well, if it isn’t Ara and who’s this other dooly with you? Drop your weapons now! You’re too late; I’m taking this chair and you’re gon’na watch me do it. Don’t try and follow; we’ll both be waiting at the other end and shoot the second you arrive!”
    She pushed Catherine forward onto the floor and quickly sat down in the chair laughing and pointing her weapon at us; in a matter of seconds, she and the chair dissolved into nothingness.
    I ran over to Catherine and gently helped her up off the floor. “Are you alright?”
    She sobbed. “No Richard, I’m not alright! Where have you been and who is this other woman with you?”
    Ara picked up the weapon and sat down running her hands through her hair looking Catherine over carefully. As I began attempting to explain our circumstances to