Spirit Breaker Read Online Free Page A

irrevocably changed. His nerves calmed slightly the moment the door opened and Rob smiled at him. The sandy-haired baby-face clashed with the 220-pound frame, which now leaned in to give him a hearty bro hug.  
    “Man, it’s great to see you. Come on in.”  
    Stepping into Rob’s home, meeting his lovely wife Maria and his adorable kid, felt surreal. After months of wearing his armor, it was difficult for Talon to just sit down and fall back into the rhythm of civilian life. His friends had no idea about the occult war he was waging nowadays, but Rob knew first-hand the challenges returning soldiers faced. Thankfully, Maria turned out to be a delightful hostess and the kid was thrilled about the present. Two beers and a shot of Jack finally took the edge off the social gathering, and after dinner Talon and Rob relaxed in the living room while they watched the kid give the action figures a workout.
    “You didn’t have to do that,” Rob told him.
    “Someone has to keep the galaxy safe.”
    Rob offered him another beer, and Talon popped it open.  
    “Thanks.”  
    They sipped in silence for a moment.
    “Look at you,” Talon said. “You got it all. The wife, the kid, the picket fence. Who would’ve thought that crazy punk I met ten years ago would ever grow up?”
    “Hey, I’m not that grown up. I got tickets to the Metallica concert next month.”
    Talon grinned. They had bonded over their love of the hard rock back in the Army. Two wild kids ready to protect the world and make a difference. In their own way, they were still doing so.
    In the days that followed, Talon and Rob tried to hit up every watering hole in town while reminiscing about the past. During the day while Rob was at work, Talon visited Siesta Key beach for long walks and even longer swims. The Gulf of Mexico was warm, the salt water soothing his injury. While he sliced through the bobbing waves with powerful strokes, the ocean stinging his eyes and the sun beating down on him, he let his thoughts wander. For a moment, the horrors seemed far away. The natural beauty of this tropical paradise didn’t seem to allow for the existence of demonic villainy. Talon knew it was an illusion, but he welcomed it anyway.  
    He also couldn’t help but notice the tanned, bikini-clad beauties who filled the beach at all times of the day. The week he spent with Kristin in Norway had reminded him that he was still a man with needs. Even though his heart would always belong to Michelle, he could allow himself to draw momentary comfort in the arms of another.
    After a week of the lazy life, he returned to his hotel one day to find a message on his cellphone. Casca had left instructions to check out a few Internet links he’d forwarded to Talon’s email account. Judging from the urgent tone in the billionaire’s voice, the lull in the fighting was over.  

C HAPTER F OUR

    AS SOON AS Talon finished listening to Casca’s message, he checked his email and clicked the links in question. They routed him to three videos hosted on a website that showcased material too edgy and dangerous for YouTube.  
    Talon played the first video. A skull and crossbones image flickered against a black background, and Talon noticed that the skull’s teeth had been replaced with a barcode. A beat later, a shot of a parked Mercedes filled the screen. Three guys decked out in faceless hoodies sporting crowbars and baseball bats closed in on the luxury car and went medieval on the vehicle. The car alarm wailed. The sheer aggression on display was raw and real and in your face. Metal twisted, glass spiderwebbed. Canisters of spray paint hissed, streaks of color bleeding over the luxury vehicle, leaving behind crude graffiti of pentagrams and inverted crosses.  
    The camera zoomed in on the Mercedes and revealed a screaming driver cuffed to his steering wheel. One hoodie liberally sprayed him with lighter fluid while another tossed a match into the car, igniting the driver. The