Sea of Crises Read Free Page B

case he’d be exposed and probably killed. But that, he knew, was the nature of their business, and one of the reasons he was paid so well.
    He did not hesitate. He swung the door open quickly, extending his gun hand and sweeping the interior with his eyes.
    Ten feet inside the door, brightly illuminated by the spotlight, stood a squat dog with a big head. His mouth was open, and a long tongue extended nearly to the floor. As Raen performed his visual reconnaissance, the dog licked his own snout and swallowed. Then he again dropped his jaw, allowing his tongue to flop back out, and he stood panting, his rear end gyrating back and forth. There was no other movement inside the dwelling.
    Raen entered, still crouched, ignoring the dog, which he knew was no threat. Ozaki came after him, a silenced machine pistol at the ready. When they’d cleared the doorway, Dacoff followed, examining the doorframe as he did for signs of an entry detection device.
    Once he and Ozaki had confirmed that the other rooms were empty, Raen returned to the kitchen. Dacoff, holding a small electronic transceiver, was methodically sweeping the dwelling for listening devices. He signaled silently that he’d completed his inspection for motion sensors. With a dog roaming free, they hadn’t expected to find any, but, as with everything else, they took no chances. Raen collected the bag Dacoff had dropped by the front door and, from a side pocket, began removing a series of sharp implements, placing them on the kitchen counter. Ozaki picked up the dog and gave Raen an inquiring look. Raen nodded solemnly.
    #
    When the elevator doors opened, Nate was surprised to find the hallway in complete darkness.
    “Someone forget to pay the electric bill?” Peter asked.
    Nate shrugged. “Maybe there’s a circuit out,” he said, stepping into the gloom.
    The elevator doors slid shut behind them, and they were plunged into a Stygian blackness. Perhaps it was because of their earlier conversation, but Nate was suddenly struck with a deep sense of unease.
    He reached out and cautiously stepped forward, feeling for the far wall. When his fingers made contact, he set down Peter’s computer bag and ran his hand up the surface, searching for the light fixture he remembered was affixed at a point immediately across from the elevators. His fingertips brushed against the metal base, and he reached up with his other hand, cupping the glass sconce and feeling for the light bulb. He touched it, and it jiggled slightly. Gripping the bulb between thumb and middle finger, he gave it a slight clockwise turn.
    The light came on.
    He looked back at Peter. The expression he’d seen on his brother’s face earlier had returned.
    Nate gave a quick dismissive wave of his hand. “Just kids,” he said. “They think they’re being funny.”
    A woman with two teenage boys had recently moved in one floor below. Nate had seen the boys a few days earlier, riding their skateboards in the breezeway between his building and the one next door, just beneath the sign that read “No skateboarding.” It had annoyed him, until he realized he’d have done the same thing at their age.
    “Really, Peter, it’s just kids being kids.”
    After a moment, Peter nodded. Adjusting the shoulder strap on his suitcase, he said, “Let’s get inside.”
    As they made their way down the hall, Nate paused at two other light fixtures and tightened the bulbs. He did likewise with the lamp just outside the door to his condo. He made a mental note to say something to the building manager. It was one thing for the kids to engage in activities where they could be hurt. It was another to create dangerous conditions for the rest of the residents.
    He unlocked the door, pushed it open, and was again met with darkness. That’s odd, he thought. He was sure he’d left the light on in the den. He stepped inside, and his senses prickled.
    A strange odor permeated the air. A musky scent, with a metallic tinge to it.