Book of Souls by Glenn Cooper Read Online Free Page B

eyes of a military man or a missionary or, a fervent believer in—something.
    The inside of the bus was pure recreational-vehicle eye candy, a box car of rolling opulence, black-marble tiles, polished maple-burl cabinets, white and black upholstery, flat-paneled video screens, cool recessed lighting. At the rear was a master suite, the bed unmade. There were dirty dishes in the sink and the lingering smell of onions and sausages in the cabin. The place looked lived-in, a road trip in progress. There were maps, books, and magazines on the dining-room table, shoes and slippers and balls of socks on the floor, baseball caps and jackets strewn on chairs.
    Will’s instant take was that he wasn’t in danger. He could safely play this out for a while to see where it went.
    A car honked. Then another.
    “Have a seat,” Spence said. His elocution was rounded and earnest. “New Yorkers aren’t the most patient folks.” Will obliged and sat on the passenger seat as Spence shut the door and lurched forward. At the risk of toppling, the tall man folded himself onto the sofa.
    “Where are we going?” Will asked.
    “I’m going to drive around in some sort of geometric pattern. You can’t imagine the complexities of parking this behemoth in New York.”
    “It’s been extremely challenging,” the other man added. “My name is Alf Kenyon. We are very pleased to meet you, sir, even though you almost got us arrested this morning.”
    While he didn’t feel threatened, Will wasn’t feeling comfortable either. “What’s this about?” he asked sharply.
    Spence slowed and braked at the red light. “We share an interest in Area 51, Mr. Piper. That’s what this is about.”
    Will kept his voice even. “Can’t say I’ve ever been there.”
    “Well, it’s not much to look at—aboveground at least,” Spence said. “Belowground is another story.”
    But Will wasn’t going to take the bait. “Is that right?” The light changed, and Spence headed uptown. “How’s the mileage on this thing?”
    “Is that what you’re curious about, Mr. Piper? The mileage?”
    Will worked his neck muscles to keep both men safely in view. “Look, fellows, I don’t have a clue what you know about me or what you think you know. Let’s just say for the record that I don’t know jack shit about Area 51. My guess is you’re lucky if you get five miles per gallon, so I can save you some money by getting off here and walking home.”
    Kenyon was quick to respond. “We’re sure you’ve signed confidentiality agreements. We’ve also signed them. We’re as vulnerable as you. We have families too. We know what they’re capable of. That puts us on equal footing.”
    Spence chimed in. “We’ll be in each other’s hands. I don’t have much time. Please help us.”
    The traffic on Broadway was light. Will liked being high up, observing the city from a throne chair. He was detached from New York; he wanted no part of it anymore. He imagined commandeering the bus, tossing these men out on their ears, swinging back to pick up Nancy and his son and driving south until the sparkling aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Mexico filled the giant windshield. “What is it you think I can do for you?”
    Spence answered, “We want to know the significance of 2027. We want to understand what’s so special about February 9. We want to know what happens on February 10. We think you also want to know these things.”
    “You must want to know!” Kenyon added emphatically.
    Of course he did. He thought about it every time he watched his son sleeping in his crib, every time he made love to his wife. The horizon. It wasn’t so far away, was it? Less than seventeen years. In a blink, it would be there. He’d be there too. He was BTH, beyond the horizon.
    “Your card said The 2027 Club. How do you get into that club?”
    “You’re already in it.”
    “That’s funny, I don’t recall getting my membership in the mail.”
    “Everyone who knows about the