Paradise Hacked (First Circle Club Book 2) Read Free Page A

brand new, high-security deadbolt lock. Virgil used a key to open it, and he entered the basement. Lisa followed him.
    The headquarters of the First Circle Club wasn't very impressive. A mixed collection of tables, chairs, desks, and shelves formed a haphazard workspace. The furniture looked antique, but most of it was actually cheap fakes. Shelves held office supplies along with equipment used for collecting evidence. Footlockers contained weapons and body armor. A couple of bare bulbs cast yellowish light on the dingy, concrete floor.
    Headquarters only occupied a quarter of the basement, and Red Palace Antiques used the rest of the space for storage. Chairs and tables were stacked to the ceiling. Three identical Buddha statues stood in a line. Sheets covered the nicest items, but the rest were coated in dust.
    Sara was sitting on a couch reading a magazine. She appeared to be a thin woman with long, brown hair. Hazel eyes complemented her pretty, pale face. Virgil knew she was no more a real woman than he was a real man. Angels in Heaven had crafted Sara's body.
    "You finally showed up," she said.
    "We got here as quick as we could," he said. "There is traffic even this early in the morning."
    "Keeping busy?" Haymaker said.
    The detective was sitting on a comfortable, stuffed chair. He was a short man with a thin build. Curly, black hair formed a dense mat on his head, and his skin had a little color. His brown suit was nicer than what most police detectives wore. He always paid close attention to his appearance and projected a professional demeanor.
    "Just trying to stay sharp," Virgil said.
    "Speaking of which, I keep hearing stories of odd occurrences in the city between midnight and dawn."
    "What do you mean?"
    With a puzzled expression, Virgil looked at Lisa, and she shrugged innocently.
    "Daring rescues," Haymaker said. "Foiled crimes. Impossible feats of athleticism. I heard about somebody jumping off a five-story building and walking away. Another ridiculous story involved a person getting shot in the head and still winning the fight. It seems a mysterious man and woman are responsible, but oddly, none of the witnesses agree on what they look like."
    "We plead innocence, your honor. As emissaries from Hell, we're not allowed to use our powers for good."
    "Of course."
    Sara was glaring angrily at him. He smiled weakly in response. He would likely hear from her later.
    "I'm not exactly complaining," Haymaker said. "Our crime-ridden city could always use a little help from heroic citizens. I just would hate to see you get in trouble with your management. I believe you work for Mammon, right?"
    "Yes."
    "The patron demon of greed and a prince of Hell. A professional soul torturer. Not a 'forgive and forget' kind of a guy. As a friend, I'm cautioning you to be more careful."
    Virgil nodded slowly. "OK. Message received."
    He glanced at Lisa. She was staring at the floor.
    "Where is Alfred?" Virgil said. "Is he coming?"
    "No," Sara said. "He's at a homeless shelter. I called him, but he said he was caught up in a 'meaningful and important' conversation."
    Virgil frowned. Before Alfred had died, he had been a famous psychologist specializing in treating criminals. Upon returning to Earth, he had resumed his old profession with gradually growing enthusiasm. His hobby had reached the point where he was neglecting his responsibilities to the team.
    "We came to see some pictures," Lisa said.
    Haymaker took out his phone. Everybody crowded around to look at the crime scene photos.
    The images made Virgil gasp in disbelief. The carnage looked like an enraged butcher had attacked a man. Meat and bone had separated cleanly. Body parts and organs were scrambled together.
    "The victim was embedded in the ground," Haymaker said. "He hit hard enough to make a furrow."
    "A skydiver?" Lisa said.
    "No." Sara shook her head. "I examined skydiving accident victims back when I was a medical examiner. Broken bones and ruptured internal organs