Stones: Experiment (Stones #3) Read Online Free Page A

woman, something familiar about her.
    Her eyes look up, meeting Matt’s. For an instant, she freezes, then steps into the room, closing the door behind her. She folds her arms, shaking her head.
    “If Ryzaard knew you were going through his things, Matt Newmark,” she says, a cautious smile on her face. “I’m sure he’d have a lot to say. Find anything of interest? Would you like to talk to him? Shall I call him now?” She pulls a slim cylinder of chrome and glass out of her pocket, fingers poised to tap its side.
    “Wait.” Matt’s eyes scan the room, searching for a trap, anything that might present danger. “I remember you. Alexa, isn’t it?”
    “Good guess,” Alexa says.
    Matt brings his Stone up like a pistol. “Drop the jax.”
    “Certainly.” Alexa leans back against the door, visibly relaxing her arms and crossing her legs. Opening her hand, the jax slips from her fingers, clatters to the floor and rolls away. “I’m all ears.”
    “Where is he?”
    “Ryzaard? He had business that took him away. I’m sure you don’t expect me to tell you
where
.”
    “How many Stones does he have?”
    Alexa smiles. “More than you.” Her eyes drop to the single Stone in Matt’s left hand. “And soon, very soon, he’ll have all the rest, if you know what I mean. I’m surprised you haven’t tried to stop him. Or at least go after the other Stones.”
    The jax on the floor lights up neon green. Alexa nudges it with her foot.
    The head of a young man with dark hair pops above it. “Alexa, I’m getting a strange energy reading from Ryzaard’s office. Almost as if—”
    “Ignore it,” Alexa says. “I’m in his office now, doing some tidying up while he’s gone.” Her eyes go up to Matt. “There’s nothing here. Must be a malfunction with your equipment.”
    “Got it,” the man says. “I’ll reset the parameters. Let me know if you see anything strange.”
    “Will do.” Alexa lets a half-grin hang on her face.
    The jax goes dark.
    “You’ve been gone so long. You’ve missed so much. But it isn’t too late, you know.” Alexa draws her hands behind her back. “Ryzaard is forgiving. He’s going to win, in the end. He always does. He has foreseen everything. You should see what he’s already accomplished. His plans overlap and allow for every contingency.” She stops as if smelling the air. “From the looks of it, I doubt if you even have a plan.”
    For an instant, Matt stays silent, transfixed by her words. “What
is
Ryzaard’s plan?”
    “I’ll answer with three words.
Resistance is futile
, as they say. Take my advice. Bring your girlfriend and the two kids back here with you. Cooperate with him. Become his ally. He’ll welcome you with open arms. Any other way is suicide.”
    “What about
you
?” Matt says.
    “What
about
me?”
    “Are you a true believer in his grand strategy?”
    Matt sees the movement of her arm behind her back.
    “I’m a realist. I like to be on the winning side. And, as much as you might like to believe otherwise, Ryzaard is going to win. He’s gotten too strong to lose.”
    Her hand whips out a miniature pulse pistol, finger dancing on the trigger.
    Matt is already engulfed in white light, jumping away, as the projectiles disintegrate against the energy field clinging to his body.



CHAPTER 5
    R yzaard is right.
    The cool mountain air has an immediate effect on Miyazawa’s mind. He is wide awake.
    “Increase our rate of growth by a factor of ten? Three thousand shrines a day? That’s impossible. Utterly impossible.” Miyazawa holds his hands behind his back and shakes his head.
    Two parallel tracks in the light snow follow behind Miyazawa and Ryzaard. The sun is just dropping below the ridgeline to the west, casting a warm glow above the mountains.
    “India is a huge country, with more interest in religion that China. But this time, I don’t have the luxury of waiting for you to take six months to convert it to Shinto.” Ryzaard lights