The Golden Crystal by Nick Thacker Read Free Book Online Page A

He carefully probed around the spot, getting a feel for how severe it was. 
    Suddenly, he remembered the security guard; saw perfectly in his mind the hole, placed so precisely in the center of his forehead. 
    He looked again his own wound. 
    Whoever had shot him was certainly the same person who’d shot the security guard, yet he was still alive. Somebody wanted him alive — needed him alive. 
    Who?
    Just as the question crossed his mind, he heard a loud clang outside the door. Jensen looked up at the small window on the door. There was a brief pause, followed by a shifting sound, and then what could only be keys jangling. Somewhere inside the cell wall, a huge latch was lifted. 
    The lock disengaged, and Jensen Andrews used all his strength to pull himself into a sitting position. From there, he struggled to stand up. Just as the door swung open, His body cooperated and he fully stood, the reward for his increased pain being nothing more than the benefit of looking his captor in the eye. 
    “ Uncle Jensen, you’re awake!” a warm-sounding young girl’s voice addressed him. “It’s been almost four hours — I was afraid the sedatives you were given were too strong.”
    Andrews blinked again, still not completely lucid. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The person in the doorway was silhouetted by the light from the hall outside. He had recognized her voice immediately, and seeing her silhouette in the door proved his ears correct, but he still couldn’t believe it was actually her.  
    “Uncle Jensen, I’m so glad you’re okay — I’ve been so worried about you; they said you wouldn’t be harmed, but when I saw you come in, bleeding and all, I…“ She choked up. “I thought they’d hurt you,” she sobbed, entering the cell. 
    He rushed forward, fighting the pain in his side to embrace his niece. Then he realized that she wasn’t alone. There was a large shadow just outside the cell door. 
    A voice broke the silence. “The boss wishes to speak with both of you immediately.”
    “Who are these people, Corinne?” Jensen asked his niece. “What do they want with us, and why was I shot? Did they hurt you?” The questions came quicker than Corinne could respond. 
    “Uncle Jensen, I’m fine — they didn’t shoot me, if that’s what you mean. ’And I don’t know why they’d want to shoot you,” she said, with an accusing glance back towards the doorway. “They’re interested in something they think you or I have. I don’t know what it is, but I heard them talking about some sort of an expedition.”
    They were suddenly interrupted as a hulking man strode in from the hall. “Party’s over — let’s go.” His English had a slight accent that Jensen thought could be Eastern Russian. The man jerked a thumb toward the door and stepped back into the hall. Corinne supported her uncle with an arm, and they reluctantly followed.
    As they fell in step behind the large guard, a second, smaller man fell in behind, cutting off any chance of escape that way. Why bother, Jensen thought. The pain in his side was reminder enough that he didn’t want to take any more chances with these people. 
    At the end of the stark hallway, the group ascended a flight of stairs to a set of double doors. Another guard opened the doors, and as they passed through, Jensen felt the air get cooler. Once inside, they found themselves in a high-ceilinged room with a tiled floor, artificial lighting and metal trim. It had the appearance of a large laboratory, but judging by the metal tables and chairs arranged in the center of the room, it looked like it was currently being used a meeting hall.
    The tables were strewn with a variety of maps, papers, and equipment. Several more guards were milling about the room. The only person who seemed to notice their entrance was a man dressed in civilian clothes who stood at the central table and greeted them warmly. 
    “Ah, Professor Jensen! Ms. Banks! It’s good to see