The Librarian (Book Two: Unhappily Ever After) by Eric Hobbs Read Free Book Online

have gone too far. But Wesley's dismay quickly gave way to an infectious snort. A moment later, they were laughing together.
    "Maybe if you laid off the donuts," Wesley joked.
    Taylor feigned shock and playfully smacked him across the arm with the back of her hand. "Whatever! Jerk!"
    Wesley went down on all-fours then sent his legs through the window, a move that left the entire lower half of his body dangling above the basement floor.
    "Can you touch?"
    "Not yet," Wesley said. "Give me your hands."
    Taylor sat down in front of him and braced her feet against the building's stone exterior before extending both hands for Wesley to take. He took her left first, using his right hand to keep balance so he wouldn't fall. Once he had a firm grip, he lunged forward and grabbed the other hand.
    "Dang," she whined. " I should lay off the donuts?"
    "Shut up and lower me down."
    Taylor's face was already turning red as she toiled to hold Wesley in place. She shifted her feet on the wall and straightened her knees, hoping better footing would be enough to ease her efforts. Once anchored, she slowly bent forward at the waist, lowering Wesley through the window toward the—
    His body lurched away from her, and Taylor nearly tumbled through the window after him.
    "What the heck, Wesley?!"
    Wesley's eyes went wide as he struggled to look back into the darkness. "Something—"
    His body jerked down on her again. This time Taylor's knees buckled, and Wesley slid farther into the darkness below. His breathing quickened, tiny gasps coming in short bursts one right after another.
    "Pull me up!"
    "I got you! Just—"
    "SOMETHING'S DOWN THERE! PULL ME UP!"
    Taylor tightened her grip, pushing out against the building with her legs, straining as she used every ounce of her strength to pull Wesley up again.
    But she lost ground.
    Too much of his weight was beneath the window.
    She couldn't lift him.
    Something below pulled on Wesley again.
    "Don't let go!" Taylor yelled. "Don't—"
    His grip slipped so that they were no longer holding onto one another's wrists. Instead, they were palm-to-palm, fingers slipping the more they squeezed.
    "Hold on, Wes! Just—"
    There was one final jerk, and Wesley's hands slipped from hers. He disappeared in a flash.
    "Wesley!"
    She jumped to her feet, looking for help. A rock. A limb. A shovel leaning against the building. Anything that might serve as a weapon against whatever was waiting for them in the library's basement.
    But there was nothing.
    She stepped away from the window and drew a deep breath.
    "Dang it! Dang it! Dang it!"
    Taylor sprang forward, fell to the ground and slid through the grass like a ballplayer sliding into home. She closed her eyes as her feet went through the window, unsure what was waiting in the darkness below, scared to death as she left the outside world and began to fall.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

    RANDY STUMBLED OVER a jagged stone jutting out of the rocky cliff that he and his father were walking along.
    "Careful," Douglas said. "It's a long way down."
    Randy cautiously looked over the cliff's edge only to find he couldn't see the bottom through the soupy mist clinging to the canyon walls.
    "You need a break?" his father asked.
    "No," Randy panted. "I'm fine."
    Douglas slowed his pace just enough the two could walk side-by-side. They traveled in silence for a few minutes, Randy watching as his father occasionally looked back in the direction they'd come.
    "Is something wrong?" he asked.
    "No. It's just... someone might be following us."
    "The librarian." It wasn't a question.
    Douglas looked down at him. "Why would you say that?"
    Randy shrugged.
    "Maybe," his father said. "We'll have to see, I guess."
    "Is that why you sent him back? To look?"
    Douglas put an arm around his son. "You're a little scared of Bones, aren't you?"
    Randy didn't answer. He was scared and didn't understand why his dad had given the hooded man such a playful nickname.
    "It's okay. I imagine all of this is a little