Paradox Read Online Free Page A

other, pushing it into the wall. Zac
could see people in the vehicles, but no one was helping. Everyone was just
staring in shock like people who slow down just to look at an accident on the
side of the road. Wasn’t anybody going to help them?
    Zac took a step forward. They were right
in front of the hospital, so someone would be out in a minute. But if no one
was going to run over and see if they needed help, he would. He started across
the street.
    As he stepped off the curb, a hand grabbed
his shoulder. A tall male with short blond hair who was wearing all black
pulled him back with an iron grip. “Let it go,” he said.
    Zac shrugged him off and wrenched his
shoulder free. He kept walking. The stranger raced around him and held his
hands in front of him, trying to hold Zac back. His hat was pulled low, the
brim hiding his eyes. “You need to come with me.”
    “Let go of me, man!” Zac shouted, and
darted to his right. “Someone has to do something. Instead of pushing me back,
why don’t you come help me?”
    He stayed behind as Zac approached the
vehicles. A man in a plaid shirt and blue jeans got out of the pickup truck,
dazed, but able to stand. He was groaning and holding his rib cage.
    “You okay?” Zac asked. The man nodded and
walked toward the crowd. Zac moved to the silver car and looked inside. A man
in a business suit was slumped over the steering wheel, his arm extended around
his head and touching the dashboard. Zac turned to the crowd of onlookers. “Can
anybody help me get him out? He’s not moving!” Finally, three paramedics rushed
out of the hospital wheeling a stretcher.
    “Stand aside, please,” they said. “We can
take it from here.” They opened the door and lifted the man onto the stretcher,
strapping him down. The crowd parted as the paramedics made their way to the
doors.
    Whispers filled the air. “Is that the
mayor?” someone asked.
    Zac watched the doors close behind the
paramedics and felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see the same guy who
had restrained him earlier.
    “That was not a very bright thing you
did,” he said. He looked to be about four or five years older than Zac.
    “It was more than you did,” Zac
said, taking offense.
    The stranger looked around him, paranoid.
“Come on,” he said. “We have to get out of here right now. This wasn’t supposed
to happen. Someone could see you.”
    “What are you talking about? All of these
people see me!”
    “Exactly,” he replied. He began leading
Zac away from the crowd. “I need you to come with me.”
    “I’m not going anywhere with you!” Zac
said, his voice rising. “I don’t even know who you are.”
    “I’m Bryce,” he said. A van pulled up and
someone with a video camera got out. The side of the van was emblazoned with
the words News 2 in bright red and blue. “Crap. Okay,” Bryce said, turning
to face Zac. “You have two choices. Either you can follow me now, or I’ll make you follow me. But it won’t be pleasant.”
    “ Make me?” Bryce was a few inches
taller than Zac, but he didn’t let that intimidate him. He’d dealt with people
like this guy enough before to know not to back down.
    They heard someone yelling from the site
of the crash. “There he is,” they said. “Over there.” A man in a button-up
shirt and a necktie walked over with a camera and started taking pictures of
Zac and Bryce.
    “Oh, great,” Bryce said, covering his
face, “this is not happening. Not now.”
    The group started asking Zac questions
about the ordeal and what he saw, if he had talked to the mayor, and a bunch of
others he couldn’t make out.
    Bryce leaned in and whispered into his ear
with urgency. “Ignore these people. Just follow me. I’m going to take you to
your dad.”
    “My dad?” That
grabbed Zac’s attention. “Where is he?” But Bryce was already walking, moving
away from the hospital. “Wait a minute,” he called, following and trying to
keep up. “My dad’s back there