The Relict (Book 1): Drawing Blood by Richard Finney, Franklin Guerrero Read Free Book Online Page B

real fat fuck who died in his sleep. His last moments were spent right there, where you’re lying now.”
    He raised himself up on an elbow, pretending he really cared to hear more.
    “You’re saying he died right here?”
    “Yeah, that’s what I’m telling you. Three weeks ago he begged to be delivered from the hell he was suffering on Earth. So I smothered him…”
    Matt punched the pillow beneath his head.
    “With this very pillow…?”
    “Yeah, with that very pillow…” Lincoln Grouse then nodded solemnly. “Praise God.”
    “Well, you should know, I have my own shameful history… of smothering my fellow bunkmates… with a pillow just like this. I got away with the first incident, but the Rangers discharged me when it happened a second time. “
    Grouse did his best to stand his ground, and not react to anything he had heard. But the look in Matt’s face scared the shit out of him.
    Not that he got a real long look. Anytime anyone looked straight at Lincoln and maintained their stare, just as Matt was now doing, Grouse would look away, completely intimidated.
    Without another word, Lincoln Grouse silently descended out of Matt’s view like he was the setting sun.
    The moment his bunkmate was out of eyesight, Matt sat up.
    The other newbies had already started to enter the building.
    At least Tyra had been waiting for him.
    There didn’t appear to be anyone waiting to greet the others.
    Looking around he could see why. Something along the lines of what Tyra had said. Everyone who had been there for months probably were afraid that the newbies were there to replace them.
    .

Chapter Ten
     
    “I’m coming for you… hang in there…”
    Ian was crawling along the main beam that stretched across the barn toward his brother. Matt’s fingertips were white and turning purple as they struggled to hold onto the same beam.
    “Did you hear me, Matty? I’m almost there…”
    He could feel his strength draining away. He knew he had to try one more time to pull himself up. Matt summoned everything left and tried to swing his legs forward to give himself some momentum… but the effort only made him finally lose his grip on the beam.
    He was falling.
    Out of nowhere, his brother’s hand locked on to his wrist.
    “Got you…!”
     
    Matt woke up.
    He did not know where he was.
    Finally his heavy breathing gave way to the sound of the breathing, coughing, and snoring of hundreds of men and women sleeping around him.
    It was the middle of the night and he was surprised, and a bit uneasy, by how deeply he slept… considering the circumstances.
    He couldn’t believe that he had a dream about his brother. It had been years since his brother appeared in one of his dreams.
    Matt closed his eyes.
    Instantly, Ian’s face popped into his mind’s eye. The image of his brother seemed to grow more intense, as if it was burning into his retinas.
    Matt flashed open his eyes.
    He was shocked to discover he was no longer in his bunk, but standing in the center aisle of the barracks building. Before he could contemplate how he had somehow left his bunk, Matt saw movement in the center of the room.
    A figure moved past the rows of bunk beds toward the building exit. His eyes scanned the room to see who else was awake and might have seen the apparition.
    But all the prisoners in the building were fast asleep.
    The image of his brother Ian popped into his head. Why would he be dreaming of Ian when his brother had been dead for years?
    He didn’t have the answer, but the image of his brother seemed to burn with such intensity that he felt compelled to stumble forward to relieve the pain.
     
    There was a chill in the air as Matt suddenly realized he was standing outside the door of the barracks building. He looked up and saw huge search lights mounted on the concentration-camp towers.
    Then all the lights switched off.
    Only the light from a quarter moon was left behind, or Matt would be struggling to see in total