Division Zero: Thrall Read Free Page A

look. The girl who belongs to that pink ‘Mini is only fifteen.”
    “Heh.” He grinned. “Never quite sure with Zeroes, I hear they start ‘em early.”
    “Only if they’ve got a rare talent that’s unusually strong for the age.” She sighed, caving under their inquiring stares. “Sixteen.”
    Officer Burrell gawked at her.
    “No, I didn’t read your mind. I figured you saw the look on my face and were about to ask. They sent me out into the field at sixteen. Anyway, these two were going to force narcotics on me and then engage in sexual assault. I identified myself as an officer and the suspect went for a weapon.”
    “The bitch’s eyes turned white and lit up! What the fuck would you do?” Skeev howled as the larger cop cuffed him and hauled him to his feet.
    Blowfish blinked at the sound of the wind, still woozy from the effects of the mind blast.
    “Skeev?” Kirsten took a few steps closer, standing with all her weight on her right leg, gun arm lax at her side. “Be a nice young man and tell these officers the
truth
about everything you did.
Tell them about Amy.
”
    Kirsten had positioned herself at an angle where only Skeev caught the sudden glimmer in her eye. Skeev went into a frantic rambling confession about what the Red Dragons did to a fifteen-year-old, and regaled his participation in at least nine other assaults in the park. She smiled.
    Andrew gave her a scolding head shake. “Now, now. What would your captain say about that?”
    She jogged toward the sound of Evan’s approaching voice. “I imagine he’d be happy I didn’t kill them.”



ncora Medical occupied the upper forty floors of a gleaming white-paneled tower in the southeastern corner of Sector 18025. From the moment the call came in, Kirsten had been grumbling internally at the memory of the cold that far north. Typical for a Code-3 run like this, she had brought the patrol craft high above the city and accelerated to 375 mph.
    Outside, howling winds and snow swirled around the black hovercar. By the time it reached the ground, it would be rain. Inside, the soft thrum of electronic components underpinned the silence. Kirsten left the autopilot in control for the straightaway and cradled hot coffee to her chest. Enjoying the scent of such divinity felt awkward knowing people’s lives depended on her. She was safe in a warm car while others were threatened by forces they could not explain. However, she was already on the way and could not do anything more than wait for the ride to be over. Despite hurtling toward a dangerous situation, she clung to confidence in addition to the warm mocha.
    “At least the damn entity waited for the coffee to be done this time.”
    Dorian winked. “I thought you’d be happier it didn’t wait until dark and leave Evan stuck late at the school dormitory again. You okay? You seem rather pensive.”
    “I’m just thinking about those idiots from the park last weekend.”
    “Is that why you’ve been so clingy with Evan for the past few days? Did you tell Eze you coerced a confession?” Dorian raised a whimsical eyebrow.
    “He didn’t ask.” Slurp. “I would have if he brought it up. I’m still trying to sort out if I feel bad about doing it.”
    “Well, a few hundred years ago, they would have called it a violation of due process. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a good thing. Used to be, a person couldn’t go to jail without Miranda.”
    Kirsten finished another sip and looked over. “Miranda who? Is she a haunt?”
    He spoke through gaps in his laughter. “Miranda warnings, the whole criminal rights thing police used to have to read to suspects.”
    “Oh, back when the criminals had more rights than their victims?” She shook her head.
    “Careful, K.” He stopped smiling. “It’s easy to say that off the cuff, but sometimes the law has the wrong person in their sights. The whole thing was meant to protect the innocent from government oppression.” Dorian faced front, his gaze