BRAINRUSH, a Thriller Read Online Free Page A

websites during games, to ping other tables for anonymous chat sessions, and to win free drinks and T-shirts by participating in trivia contests after each sporting event.
     It was nearly six and the place was filling up. The Lakers were playing the Utah Jazz at home. 
    Pushing through the front door, Jake caught the sweet smell of BBQ ribs as a waiter drifted by with a platter of food. A burst of laughter from one of the larger tables broke through the din of conversation, clattering silverware, and classic rock ‘n’ roll. Jake caught Tony’s wave from their favorite booth on the other side of the bar. He and Marshall twisted their way through the maze of tables, nodding at one or two familiar faces along the way.   
     The three tapped their fists together in greeting. “Hey, pal,” Jake said as he and Marshall slid across the smooth Naugahyde booth opposite Tony, neither of them wanting to compete for space with the linebacker spread of Tony’s shoulders.
    Their favorite server, Lacey, stepped up to the table, her Caribbean blue-green eyes fixed on Marshall. “Hey guys, you still climbing the ladder or do you want something different today?” 
    “Just the regular for me,” Tony said. 
    “The ladder,” Jake said. At the rate he was pounding them down, it would only be a few more weeks before he reached the top rung—all one hundred beers consumed. As a reward, his name would be added to a brass-framed plaque that hung behind the bar. Kind of like a tombstone, thought Jake.
    “Ladder’s fine,” Marshall said, ignoring Lacey, his eyes glued to the screen of the terminal in front of him.
    “You got it,” Lacey said. She made a point of showing an exaggerated pout to Jake and Tony at Marshall’s lack of attention. She turned toward the bar, her straight shoulder-length golden hair spinning like the silky hem of a dancer’s skirt.
    “It ain’t fair,” Tony said, shaking his head and admiring Lacey’s lithe surfer-girl form as she walked away.
    “Huh? What are you talking about?” Marshall said, finally looking up.
    Kicking him under the table, Tony said, “I’m talking about girls, man, and how they’re always comin’ on to you. Lacey’s got it bad for you.”
    “You think?” Marshall asked. “She’s nice and all, but when I finally decide to settle down, I’m going to need someone with a little depth. Know what I mean?”
    “Hey, bud,” Tony said. “Don’t kid yourself. Just ’cause she’s an out-of-work actress waiting tables don’t mean she doesn’t have it going on. That girl’s got layers.”
    “Shut up. What the hell do you know, anyway?” Marshall said. “You’re married.”
    Tony sat back with a sigh. “And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
    Jake smiled as his buddies pressed on with their usual banter. He felt lucky to count these guys as his best friends. On the outside, Tony was as tough as they come, an ex-Special Forces sergeant who now worked SWAT for LAPD. But behind his crusty exterior, Tony was a caring family man who would do anything to help a buddy in trouble. Marshall was socially inept but whip smart, with hacker abilities that were the envy of the NSA recruiting team. Whether you needed to break through a heavily encrypted firewall or just learn the inside cheats on the latest video game, Marshall was your go-to guy. 
    Tony said, “So what about that shaker today? The squad cars in the parking lot downtown were bouncing up and down like they were on air shocks. Car alarms went off all over the city. How was it out here?”
    Marshall looked at Jake, as if asking for permission. Jake shook his head, but Marshall couldn’t contain himself. “Dude, it was crazy. You’re not going to believe what happened!” The story of the day’s events spilled out of him like water through a breached dam. Tony hung onto every word, looking over at Jake with growing concern. Jake sighed and chugged his beer.
    “What the hell’s going on, Jake?” Tony