Don't Look Back (Warders of Earth) Read Online Free Page B

in my bones.
    And with what I knew was coming, in a matter of days I’d achieve my life’s purpose.
    Or I’d be dead.
    Nothing like no options to spur a man onto his goal. I grinned wryly.
    The screen door was unlocked. I pushed it open and entered straight into a cramped living and dining area combined where a lone lamp radiated a dim light revealing the sparse furnishings. Tossing my keys onto the sideboard, I headed for the couch where I sank down onto the spongy cushions, wriggling my butt and enjoying the softness.
    With my legs stretched out, I closed my eyes and took a moment to re-examine the events of the past few hours. Step by step I re-lived my every action, paying attention to the most minute of detail, looking for the slightest hint of a mistake.
    There was no room for error in this mission.
    A coolness trickled down my spine.
    I knew without opening my eyes, my father had entered the room. Not pop. Not Dad. Occasionally I might get away with calling him, father. Nah, mostly it was ‘Sir’. Like any other soldier.
    But, hey this was my life, I’d never known any other, never wanted any other.
    I stayed where I was, not bothering to heave to my feet like I normally did. Then I frowned at my first ever whiff of rebellion wondering where the hell that had come from, what had triggered it.
    My eyes snapped open to find him standing as if on parade in the doorway, his gaze cool and considering.
    “Report,” ordered my father, Bob Garroway, Colonel Garroway of a secret army.
    We’d been bred specifically for a dual purpose; to stand between our marks and those who would annihilate them until the alien armada arrived. Secondly, we’d be the conduit between our marks and the aliens who we’d termed ‘friends.’
    Our alien ‘friends’ had named us Warders of Earth .
    “There are a few possibilities. I’ve eliminated most of them. It now comes down to Crystal Chambers, Emma Andrews, Marnie Tolini.” I paused, thinking about my encounter with the babe behind the bar. My left hand curled into a fist.
    My father’s stare dropped then zeroed back onto my face. “Good work. Do they suspect anything?”
    “As far as I can tell at the moment, no. What about you? How are you going with your assimilation into the community?”
    My father lowered himself into the armchair opposite. “So far, everything is going according to plan. You need to work faster, Alex. Our time is running out.”
    “I know. I’ve sent word for Shay to lend a hand. One of the marks lives in Sydney. Shay will do a snatch and grab of her computer and phone. I realise its a risky move and one that may reveal our presence to the authorities but I felt it was necessary. When he hacked into her social networking links he found nothing. With luck this way, we’ll get access to a reasonable amount of data about her background and an insight into anything she may be hiding.”
    “I find it interesting we were unable to identify the anonymous message we received pointing us to this location. Wallaby Creek would never have entered my radar otherwise.” My father’s voice was dry.
    “Whoever it was must have exceptional IT skills.”
    “Yes. I suspect we’re not alone in this town, Alex, although I’ve received no intel to verify my suspicions. They’re close. I can smell them.” His eyes fierce, my father held me with his gaze.
    By ‘they’ , I knew he referred to our enemy, the Mundos Novus force; a zealous army with a single agenda – eliminate us and our marks. Why? I had no idea but I thought it had a lot to do with greed and power.
    “Yeah, I’ve sensed their presence here too,” I muttered, then hesitated.
    A strange reluctance gripped me until I shook off the unusual feeling with a twitch of my shoulders. The words felt as if I had to force them from my mouth. What was going on here? “There is another possible GMU.”
    “Oh?” My father bored his eyes into mine as if he was peeling away my skin to probe inside my