The Overseer by Conlan Brown Read Free Book Online Page B

weird, but Hannah was rescued by someone named Angelo. Claims to be a Firstborn, but get this—he can see past, present, and future. And he made a warning about Thresher.”
    Devin waved away the concern. “The Thresher is an intellectual bogeyman. There have been a lot of false scares over the years.”
    “You don’t view it as a threat?”
    Devin stared him down. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Our real focus should be on achieving what God put us here to do. Now, let me show you what I’ve got. It may even have a connection to Hannah’s mission.”
    Devin reached for his briefcase. He snapped it open on his lap and lifted a few items before tossing a newspaper on the desk between them.
    “Senator Foster to Visit Nevada to Investigate Sex Trafficking,” John read from the page, looking at the picture of an African American politician—American flag pinned to his lapel. “So?”
    Devin set down his briefcase and sat up straight. “He’s going to be assassinated in Las Vegas. I think it’s going to be racially motivated.”
    “Really?” John shook his head. “That stuff still happens?”
    “We have an African American president now,” Devin stated. “The illusion that America is a purely white nation is evaporating. Some people don’t like that—and the death knell is going to be loud.”
    John looked at the picture again, studying the image. “I don’t buy it. It sounds like something from the fifties or sixties. Not today.” John shook his head, still having trouble with the idea. “And why Foster? There are other African American politicians—including the president himself.”
    “He made some very unflattering comments about the white supremacy movement,” Devin said, brushing something from the sleeve of his perfectly pressed tan sport coat. “He’s even made allusions to the idea that the FBI should declare war on those groups again like Hoover did decades ago.”
    John shook his head. “They’d really kill him over that?”
    Devin shrugged. “I don’t know the details. You know how vague our visions can be.”
    John held the paper in his hands for several seconds, looking it over, feeling the thin pages on his fingers. He looked up at Devin—the difference in their skin tones suddenly painfully apparent—a fact that John worked very hard not to acknowledge and even harder still not to think about.
    “I need funding,” Devin said in his usual businesslike manner, handing John a piece of paper. “This is a cost breakdown. I need the money to get people and equipment to Nevada, a place to keep them, and funds to support them at the time. We need to stake out the area and be prepared to stop the assassination before it begins.”
    John looked at Devin’s skin, moving to the eyes that were housed in it. He couldn’t say no. Not to this. Could he? He picked up the sheet of paper, the numbers blurring on the page as they washed together.
    “Look,” John started, “there’s something I should probably tell you.”
    “Yes?” Devin said without blinking.
    “Well,” John replied, hesitant. “It looks like we may have drawn the attention of the SEC.”
    Devin’s ire was somehow crystal clear, despite his placid features. “What?”
    “And the IRS.”
    “The IRS? You’re joking.”
    “No,” John chuckled nervously. “I really wish I were. It looks like they may even freeze our assets.”
    “On what grounds?”
    “We’ve been accused of insider trading,” John offered as calmly as he could.
    Devin didn’t flinch. “You dumped that stock, didn’t you?”
    John nodded.
    “I told you it only takes once.”
    “Three times actually.” John shrugged, trying to make light of it.
    “Three times?” Devin shook his head. “I told you not to take me off of financial duty. But instead you’ve had me running all over the continental United States for the last year chasing visions had by people in HR and accounting.”
    “I’m doing the best I know how.” John