Tremor by Patrick Carman Read Free Book Online Page A

the air before remembering he wasn’t in school anymore. “We were not detected, impossible. And we were not followed; I made sure of it.”
    â€œWhat are we waiting for?” Faith said, not surprising anyone. Everyone knew she was tired of training. She wanted action.
    â€œWe’ve got them cornered in a max-security prison!” she continued, standing up. “It’s perfect. We go in with all guns blazing, middle of the night.”
    â€œThat’s a terrible idea,” Meredith said, turning to the whiteboard. “Sit down.”
    Faith looked at Clooger, then Dylan, then Hawk, searching for support. None of them would make eye contact.
    â€œGive me the location,” she said to Hawk. “I’ll do it myself.”
    Meredith tried again: “Sit down, Faith.”
    â€œGive me the location!” Faith shouted.
    A chilling moment of silence enveloped the room as Meredith turned back to the four of them, her cool sapphire eyes boring into Faith. “Yes, by all means, give it to her. Give Faith Daniels the location. She’ll find it on her own anyway. And then she’ll race right over there and save the world, all by herself. Never mind that there are three second pulses within that compound, and one of them is an Intel. Forget that each and every one of them has vastly more experience controlling their pulse, let alone their emotions, than she does.”
    â€œAt least I’m willing to do it,” Faith said, not backing down one inch. “Which is more than I can say for you.”
    Meredith took a deep breath and pointed her nose at the floor. When she looked up, there was fire in her eyes.
    â€œHere’s the reality of your situation, just so there’s no confusion. I run this show. Me . And I’m making the call. We are not going out there like a bunch of rabid dogs. You want revenge? I’ll get you your revenge. But you’re going to do this my way, or we’re not doing it at all.”
    â€œI don’t understand why we’re—”
    â€œBecause you would be destroyed, that’s why!” Meredith exploded. Her eyes fell on everyone in the room, all in their turn, and she thought of all those years with Gretchen and Andre, before Dylan was born. She lowered her voice. “I wish it wasn’t so, but it is. They’re not like us, and not just because they’ve trained longer. They’ll do whatever it takes to change the direction this world is going in. Innocent people don’t matter to them. They’re collateral damage, nothing more.”
    â€œIf they’re willing to kill anybody to get what they want, isn’t that all the more reason to take them out now?” Faith pushed. Dylan touched her hand, hoping he could get Faith to temper down, but Faith pulled her hand away. “And while we’re at it, do you even know what they want? Because I sure don’t.”
    â€œI do.”
    They’d all heard this before. Meredith knew things no one else did, and she would keep it that way no matter how much pressure was applied.
    â€œEnlighten us, then. Tell us the score. You want to lead, then lead. Otherwise get the hell out of the way and let the second pulses finish the job.”
    Dylan had long struggled to feel close to his mom, but he hated seeing her lacerated like this. No single pulse, least of all his mother, could stand not being a second. But if she was wounded by Faith’s words, she didn’t show it.
    â€œIt’s a supermax,” Hawk said. He, too, wanted to cool the room if he could. “Florence ADX. It’s intense, actually. Back when it was operating, ADX was the ultimate security prison full of the most dangerous criminals. Moussaoui was there, the guy who helped orchestrate 9/11, along with tons of other Al-Qaeda operatives. The Unabomber, Terry Nichols—he did the Oklahoma City bombing—drug lords and gang leaders. I’m telling you; this was