The Carrier (The Carrier Series Book 1) Read Online Free

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job and headed back home to Deforest. I hoped not, though—I couldn’t seem to
shake his face from my mind, but unfortunately, I had no way of knowing if or
when I’d see Nolan again.
    Jack interrupted my thoughts. “So what are your
plans for tonight?”
    “Oh, I don’t know,” I replied. “Laura and I
might go catch a movie if she doesn’t have to work late. She’s probably The Owl
though.” I knew my sister would most likely have to take the last boat tour of
the night, and I’d be stuck at home with my parents, but I didn’t want to sound
lame. “How about you?”
    “I hear there’s a beer waiting for me down at
the Sand Bar.”
    I shuddered at the thought of a dusty bottle
hanging out on the grungy bar of the local hideaway downtown. Not sure why the
tourists couldn’t find this place, neatly tucked half a block off of Broadway,
but most nights it was relatively void of Chicagoans and full of heartbroken
locals.
    “Jack, there’s always a beer waiting for you
down at the Sand Bar,” I teased.
    “Well, then that’s the right place for me.” A
few thoughts rolled around his head for a moment. “You wanna join me tonight?”
    “Aw, no thanks. You
know my parents would kill me if I was down at the bar.”
    Jack replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Suit yourself. More beer for me.”
    After we cleaned up the boat, I parted ways
with Jack in the parking lot. Instead of hopping in my car and driving right
home, something made me drift towards the overlook set just off the almost
deserted parking lot. I sat down on one of the empty park benches facing the
dock and the power dam, and placed my backpack right next to me.
    The summer sun set behind my back, shining down
over the steep cliff a few feet from my perch. A few of the gates on the
dam were open and I watched as huge gushes of water cascaded over the cement
walls. The soothing sounds coaxed me to close my eyes and take in a cleansing
breath of the summer air.
    Everything about the river was home to me. I
hadn’t realized how much I missed the unique sights and sounds while I was at
college this past year, but a quiet moment of contentment next to my river set
my heart at peace. I sat happily on that bench for what must have been almost
ten minutes before I decided to go home and spend some time with my parents.
    I stood, put on my heavy backpack, and turned
to leave, but something shiny and blue caught my eye about five feet down the
very steep hill in front of me. The beautiful, glittering object was hidden in
a nest of overgrown grass and it piqued my interest. It looked a lot like a glowy blue rock I had found in a box in my parents’
basement a few years ago. I had brought it up to my room, mesmerized by its odd
beauty. I had never seen anything like it before, until now.
    I leaned far over the long wooden safety
barricade at my thighs, to get a better view. It looked as colorful as a little
gem, but was very large—almost the size of an egg. It looked like the one on
the shelf in my room, but this one was smaller.
    Intent on the little blue rock, I swung my legs
over the wooden fence, gripped the barricade with my left hand, and leaned down
the steep hill, my right arm stretched out. My fingers were only a few inches
from the gem, but the hill was so steep, and I knew I couldn’t let go of the
fence or I’d topple the sixty feet down the hill and into the deep and rushing
waters of the Wisconsin River below.
    Right as I was about to give up on my
mysterious treasure, I decided to give it one more try. I reached again,
causing the contents of my backpack to shift unexpectedly, sending my balance
off-kilter. Surprised, I screamed and let go of the barricade in an attempt to
catch my balance. My life moved in slow motion for the next few seconds as I
fell forward, and I envisioned myself rolling down the rocky hill and crashing
into the brown water below.
    Before I could blink, two strong arms grabbed
my backpack and yanked me on