Down Among the Dead Men Read Online Free

rest of them.
Can you believe this?
    Noone continues to lift his thumbs and Alix starts to tense as he brushes a knuckle against her pussy.
    'Ben,' Alix whispers. 'Not here.'
    One or two of the group start to shuffle uncertainly. Noone leans close to Alix, still grasping her thighs, pulling her in between his long legs. She giggles softly as he whispers in her ear but then stiffens, the skin on the back of her neck reddening, and pushes him away, a startled expression on her face. She tugs down her skirt and backs off.
    Noone smiles lazily and winks at her.
    'Haven't you figured Benny boy out yet, Alix?' Danny is further down the track than anyone else would go with Noone. He's rocking slightly on the balls of his feet and his head is nodding easily, two tabs in. His Liverpool accent is hardening as he speaks. 'We don't know if he's queer or straight or what, right?' Danny fixes Noone with an unsteady gaze. 'My own view is that he's a fucken psycho. Just puttin' that out there.'
    Noone is still smiling and he stands. 'I'm off the dial, man,' he says. 'Just like Danny boy says, darling.' He says the last words in a passable imitation of Bowie. Noone waves his hands in front of Alix's face and she flinches. 'The bogeyman. Wooo.' He swervespast Alix and waves a hand to the watching circle. 'Got to find my latest victim.'
    Alix looks around uncertainly while the rest of the circle collapse in uncontrollable, booze-fuelled laughter, far louder than the half-joke requires.
    Quinner's been watching and sees Noone make the early dart. The dark-eyed Peters boy says something to him that Quinner can't hear. Noone laughs and after a minute or two walks out. Nicky doesn't stay in the bar longer than a minute before he too heads out. Quinner can't work out if that's a coincidence.
    He watches Alix head towards the bar, talking to one of her girlfriends, who has a protective arm around her shoulders.
    'Ready for tomorrow, kid?' Ethan Conroy says in a fake American accent and puts his own arm around Quinner.
    'Born ready,' says Quinner.
    Josh Soames walks back from the bar and hands Quinner a Diet Coke. Quinner takes a sip and leans back.
    'I see Ben's getting an early night,' says Soames and exchanges a look with Quinner. Despite the differences in their backgrounds, and Quinner's initial distrust of the plummy-voiced Londoner, the two are becoming closer.
The Tunnels
is their film now, not just Quinner's dream.
    'The Thin White Duke? Yeah, noticed that.' Quinner lets his head drop to his chin. 'Must be dedicated.'
    'Boys,' says Susie. 'Play nice.'
    Quinner makes a who-me gesture.
    'How do you think Ben's doing?' McElway asks the question lightly.
    'Good,' says Quinner. 'Yeah, good.'
    'But something bothers you about him, right?' This time it's Conroy. Quinner looks back and forth between the two producers.
    'Is this some sort of trap? Are you fuckers wired?'
    The two laugh. Quinner leans forward and rests his forearms on his knees, his drink held loosely in one hand. 'Where did you find him? I mean, I know he auditioned but it was so late in the game that I never really found out if there was a connection before.'
    Noone had joined the production at a very late stage. Almost at the same time as Hungry Head came in, the original lead actor broke a leg and the whole thing almost stalled. Instead of waiting, Hungry Head pushed for a replacement. Quinner hadn't been involved in the auditions.
    'No, he just showed up,' says Conroy. 'With all the rest. He had some sort of recommendation from Terry, but other than that he was unknown. Knew the city, did a great audition, nailed the accent.' Conroy looks over for confirmation from Soames, who nods in agreement.
    'Brilliant,' says Soames. 'No question.'
    'Terry recommended him?' says Quinner.
    'Yeah, bumped into him somewhere and got talking. I think Terry knew this gig was coming up and passed him on.' Soames leans back. 'And we got him back in with another guy for a second reading and he