Undetectable (Great Minds Thriller) by M. C. Soutter Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: M. C. Soutter
thing coming back again, too. That panic thing.
The voice.
You’re supposed to be doing something . Something important.
He could recognize it as his own voice now, but this was not a source of much comfort. Because all at once he was convinced that he should be anywhere but here, that the last thing he should be doing was sitting alone in a teacher’s lounge, wasting valuable time.
Get ready .
“For what? ” he said out loud, to the walls and to the empty chairs.
As if responding to Kevin’s voice, Danny Fisher came barreling into the room like a defensive lineman looking to make a tackle. Kevin steeled himself for the inevitable blow to the shoulder, but this time the big man spared him. “Okay!” Danny said happily. “Made it through the first day. You walking home?”
Kevin nodded. He supposed he was. Anything was better than sitting here, soaking up his own paranoid delusions. And he was glad to find out that he had no more responsibilities, because he had quite a lot he wanted to do this afternoon. There were three months’ worth of questions he needed to start asking.
They walked down the stairs together. As they emerged onto the sidewalk, Kevin realized he had never been so glad to be a native New Yorker. He had no memory of having ever been at this school, but that didn’t stop him from being able to locate himself. There was Park Avenue over there, to his left. And on the right, along Lexington, he spotted the corner of a supermarket he recognized. Which meant this was 74th street. Upper East. Piece of cake.
Across the street, parked one behind the other, were two large vans. Two large, white, Ford e250 vans. But neither Danny nor Kevin noticed them. There was no reason to.
Kevin turned for home.
“Hey,” Danny said, and stopped in his tracks. He gave Kevin a questioning look. “What’s up? You getting some groceries or something?”
“What?”
“Isn’t your apartment this way?”
Kevin was on the verge of saying no, of saying listen, I may have had a weird day, and I may not remember what I’ve been doing all summer, but I think I can remember where my own damn apartment is. But then he stopped himself.
It’s been three months. Plenty of time to move. New job, new place.
“I’m low on eggs,” Kevin said smoothly. “Quick detour.”
Danny shrugged. “Fair enough. I need some burger meat anyway.”
Kevin breathed a little sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if Danny had simply waved goodbye and said he’d see him tomorrow.
I don’t even know where I live.
When they left the market, Kevin was careful to let Danny walk a half-step in front of him. He tried not to let it show that he was suddenly feeling lost in his own city. When Danny came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the sidewalk after a few minutes, Kevin worried there might be something wrong.
But Danny only put out his hand. “All right, my friend,” he said, flashing that wide, happy grin at him. “Good first day. See you in the morning.”
Kevin shook his massive hand and tried to nod along. He was struck again by the man’s curious combination of obvious intelligence and sheer physical size. Maybe it was the suit that threw him off. Or the glasses. Or maybe just the constant good cheer.
With a different outfit , Kevin thought, you’d be a very scary-looking man .
But all he said was, “Thanks for helping me through it.”
To which Danny shook his head and smiled again. Then he turned and continued on his way.
Kevin watched him go for a minute, wondering what sort of bone-crushing workout routine Danny Fisher subscribed to during his afternoons. Then he reminded himself that he had all kinds of problems of his own to worry about.
Starting with getting into his apartment.
He turned and looked at the entrance to the building where Danny had left him. He hadn’t been
The voice.
You’re supposed to be doing something . Something important.
He could recognize it as his own voice now, but this was not a source of much comfort. Because all at once he was convinced that he should be anywhere but here, that the last thing he should be doing was sitting alone in a teacher’s lounge, wasting valuable time.
Get ready .
“For what? ” he said out loud, to the walls and to the empty chairs.
As if responding to Kevin’s voice, Danny Fisher came barreling into the room like a defensive lineman looking to make a tackle. Kevin steeled himself for the inevitable blow to the shoulder, but this time the big man spared him. “Okay!” Danny said happily. “Made it through the first day. You walking home?”
Kevin nodded. He supposed he was. Anything was better than sitting here, soaking up his own paranoid delusions. And he was glad to find out that he had no more responsibilities, because he had quite a lot he wanted to do this afternoon. There were three months’ worth of questions he needed to start asking.
They walked down the stairs together. As they emerged onto the sidewalk, Kevin realized he had never been so glad to be a native New Yorker. He had no memory of having ever been at this school, but that didn’t stop him from being able to locate himself. There was Park Avenue over there, to his left. And on the right, along Lexington, he spotted the corner of a supermarket he recognized. Which meant this was 74th street. Upper East. Piece of cake.
Across the street, parked one behind the other, were two large vans. Two large, white, Ford e250 vans. But neither Danny nor Kevin noticed them. There was no reason to.
Kevin turned for home.
“Hey,” Danny said, and stopped in his tracks. He gave Kevin a questioning look. “What’s up? You getting some groceries or something?”
“What?”
“Isn’t your apartment this way?”
Kevin was on the verge of saying no, of saying listen, I may have had a weird day, and I may not remember what I’ve been doing all summer, but I think I can remember where my own damn apartment is. But then he stopped himself.
It’s been three months. Plenty of time to move. New job, new place.
“I’m low on eggs,” Kevin said smoothly. “Quick detour.”
Danny shrugged. “Fair enough. I need some burger meat anyway.”
Kevin breathed a little sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if Danny had simply waved goodbye and said he’d see him tomorrow.
I don’t even know where I live.
When they left the market, Kevin was careful to let Danny walk a half-step in front of him. He tried not to let it show that he was suddenly feeling lost in his own city. When Danny came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the sidewalk after a few minutes, Kevin worried there might be something wrong.
But Danny only put out his hand. “All right, my friend,” he said, flashing that wide, happy grin at him. “Good first day. See you in the morning.”
Kevin shook his massive hand and tried to nod along. He was struck again by the man’s curious combination of obvious intelligence and sheer physical size. Maybe it was the suit that threw him off. Or the glasses. Or maybe just the constant good cheer.
With a different outfit , Kevin thought, you’d be a very scary-looking man .
But all he said was, “Thanks for helping me through it.”
To which Danny shook his head and smiled again. Then he turned and continued on his way.
Kevin watched him go for a minute, wondering what sort of bone-crushing workout routine Danny Fisher subscribed to during his afternoons. Then he reminded himself that he had all kinds of problems of his own to worry about.
Starting with getting into his apartment.
He turned and looked at the entrance to the building where Danny had left him. He hadn’t been
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