The Darkness Beyond Read Free Page B

tension between the two groups. It had been only a few weeks ago that a new transfer had shot Lonzo and tried to kill one of the Regents who oversaw the entire organization.
    They all knew that most of the guards were on the up-and-up. The trouble was that it was impossible to separate the good from the bad. Until Devlin and the Regents got to the bottom of the conspiracy that infected every level of the organization, they were all being careful about who they trusted.
    The guard was cautious in his approach, holding out two paper bags with grease stains. “Here you go. I’ll stand watch while you two eat. Coffee and bottled water are on the way.”
    â€œThanks, Jack.” Trahern accepted both bags and tossed one to D.J.
    Then, in a show of good faith, the guard turned his back to them as he watched the flickering light of the barrier. D.J. sank down on the floor next to his friend, both of them careful to keep their weapons within easy reach. The way things had been going, they’d be lucky to finish half their makeshift meal before the barrier failed again.
    The hamburgers and fries were barely warm, but considering how many hours had passed since he’d eaten that last piece of pizza, they tasted pretty damn good. Trahern wolfed his down and was already reaching for a second burger before D.J. was halfway through his first. Just as promised, another guard came into sight with a sack of bottled water and a thermos of coffee.
    As soon as he spotted them, he veered in their direction. Holding out the sack, he said, “Take a couple of bottles each. No telling how long before I can make rounds again.”
    Then he filled two oversize cups with coffee. “Sorry, they forgot the cream and sugar. Maybe next time.”
    D.J. mustered up a smile. “No sweat. Thanks for this much.”
    The guard wandered on down the tunnel to the next cluster of worn-out warriors. Meanwhile, Trahern nibbled on his fries while watching D.J. out of the corner of his eye. Clearly the man had something on his mind. D.J. wished he’d just spit it out, whatever it was.
    Finally Trahern did just that. “Dev’s worried about you.”
    A flash of frustration gave D.J. a brief surge of energy. “God, not you, too. I swear, everyone has turned into a bunch of nosy old women. I already told Devlin that I’m all right.”
    Sort of, anyway.
    His friend’s pale eyes flashed hot. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. You’ve been moping around here for weeks. Devlin’s not the only one to notice. He’s just the first to speak up.”
    At least Trahern was the kind who normally kept his observations to himself. Anything D.J. told him would remain confidential unless the big man thought it endangered the other Paladins. Unfortunately, D.J. had no idea if Reggie’s incursions were a threat to anything other than his own ego.
    By rights, he should’ve reported the security breach weeks ago, but he’d been convinced he could handle the situation himself. Once he realized he’d come up against someone who was every bit as good as he was, he’d been intrigued. Now he was just worried.
    If he didn’t find some way to block Reggie for good, he’d have to admit his failure and hope that he hadn’t allowed the hacker to do irreparable damage to the Regents’ security. That wasn’t the half of it though. He had no doubt that Reggie was some idiot kid who was in over his head without knowing it. The minute the Regents got involved, the kid wouldn’t know what hit him.
    â€œI’ve been having trouble with some computer programs I’ve been working on, and it keeps me up nights. Between the barrier being unstable and my mind revving a million miles an hour, I’m not getting enough sleep.”
    True enough. Now if Trahern would accept his explanation D.J. would be all right for the time being. His friend picked up a few more fries, but he was