Hit Squad Read Online Free Page B

away from me, along a dark
tunnel.
    Ketty? Ed’s voice in my head pierced through everything else. I came to with a rush. My hand was still under the door, outstretched, feeling for the key. As usual after a vision, my
heart was racing and I was panting for breath. But how had that vision happened? I hadn’t seen into the future without intending to for weeks.
    Are you okay, Ketty? Ed thought-spoke.
    Yes. I tried to steady my breath. I had a vision. I didn’t mean to . . . it just happened.
    Was that what happened? It was weird . . . it felt like when people are asleep. Everything buried under the surface.
    So you couldn’t see what . . . what I saw?
    No. Well, I might have done if I’d pushed harder, but no. Was it useful?
    Not really , I admitted. I resumed my search for the key outside the door. I was just starting to think it had fallen too far away from the lock for me to reach, when my fingertips felt
the rough, serrated indentations on its side. I clawed it towards me. There was still no sound from the men outside, but surely Broken Nose was still here somewhere. I held my breath, listening
hard.
    Nico and I are almost with you, Ketty , Ed thought-spoke. Cal and Dylan are here too. They’re keeping watch at the end of the road.
    I’m going to let myself out , I thought-spoke back.
    Okay. Be careful.
    Ed’s presence in my head withdrew. I knew he was sitting back again, letting me focus on what I was doing.
    My hand shook as I fitted the key in the lock. It was stiff to turn, but I managed it. I opened the door slowly. It gave a single squeak which sounded loud to my ears.
    I held my breath, listening for sounds from above. But the basement and the café upstairs were silent. I crept out into the gloomy corridor. I headed for the stairs. At least there was a
little light out here, creeping in under the closed doors of the basement. Up the stairs, my eyes adjusted further. I stood at the top step, my hand on the door knob. There was still no sound from
the café on the other side.
    Where are you, Ed? I thought-spoke.
    A few doors along. Less than thirty seconds away.
    I hesitated. The others would be here any moment. Maybe I should just stay safe behind this door until they got here.
    Yes, stay put , Ed urged.
    No. If the two men were on the other side of this door, I would distract them by opening it. That would give Nico a better chance of disarming and defeating them.
    I pushed the door softly open. It was stuck. I pushed harder. Something heavy was on the other side. Had they left it there on purpose in case I got out? No, surely not. Whatever it was shifted
as I shoved at the door. With a final wrench, I opened it enough to see what was lying there. I gasped.
    It was Broken Nose. He was on his back, blood seeping from a wound in his chest. I looked into his face. His eyes were open but blank. I’d seen it before . . . too many times to doubt what
I was looking at.
    This man was surely dead.

5: The Green Door
    I looked up from Broken Nose’s lifeless body as Nico and Ed rushed into the café. Nico had his arms outstretched, ready to perform telekinesis. He glanced from
left to right, taking in Broken Nose on the floor by the basement door, then looking over to the bar. I followed his gaze. Knife Man was slumped against the counter. His head lolled to one side. Ed
scuttled over and pressed his fingers against Knife Man’s neck. He shook his head.
    ‘I can’t feel a pulse,’ he said.
    I stood up. None of us had yet spoken, but it struck me that we were all taking the situation in our stride. A few months ago coming across two dead bodies would have freaked all of us out. I
wondered uneasily what it said about me that my main feeling right now was confusion.
    Who had killed these men? And why?
    ‘I see you didn’t need us, Ketty,’ Nico said drily. He grinned at me.
    I gazed at the two bodies. Part of me wanted to smile back but, again, I felt uneasy. Two people had died – and, okay, so