The Devil's Assassin Read Online Free Page B

happen now? You going to take him back to the lab with you?”
    June takes a mug of coffee and
wraps her hands around it to warm them. “Yeah. It’d be
way more convenient than studying him in your basement. I’m sure you’d get
tired of us pretty quickly. You have any milk for this?”
    Linus lets a small smile cross his
face. “The milk is in the fridge if you wouldn’t mind getting it.”
    He fills the last mug. “Ms.
Dituro…”
    In an effort to repair the
apparent breach that’s opened between them she says, “Call me June, please.”
    “June. It may seem a little crazy
to hear this from a tough prison guard, but I’m afraid of that animal. There’s
something about him I don’t like…. It’s like I’ve dreamt of him. Disturbing dreams. He’s more than he appears, that I’m sure of.”
    June smiles in an effort to put
him at ease. “Please trust me, Linus. If it turns out that he’s dangerous, then
we’ll take appropriate steps. But right now it’s a very exciting find and until
we figure out how safe or dangerous it is we have to keep it quiet. You can’t
discuss this with anyone else until we okay it.”
    Linus is incredulous. “How can you
keep a new species from the public?”
    “Just for a little while. We have
procedures to follow…. It’s a national security issue. It’s not up to me or
Doctor Van Houten.”
    Linus takes a sip of his coffee
and mulls over for a moment what she has said. A slight smile
crosses his face as he says, “Just hurry up with your procedures. My
fame and fortune can’t wait forever.”
    June’s smile at Linus’s joke is
one of relief. “I’ll do my best.”
    ›
    It is almost noon and Jay and
Linus are standing outside near Jay’s car about ten hours after the ordeal
started for Linus. The creature had already been placed in a smaller cage and
loaded into a van for transport back to Dr. Van Houten and Dr. Dituro’s government
lab.
    “I am dead-dog tired, Jay. I’m gonna get some sleep. Sure you don’t want to crash on the
couch?”
    “Nah. Enjoy your sleep, buddy. I have two classes and
departmental duties today. I will hit the hay later.”
    Jay starts to get into his car.
“Maybe you need some company after this unusual ordeal?”
    Linus scoffs, “I don’t need
company! I just thought you’d be tired is all.”
    Jay smiles from inside his car,
“Well, we’ll stay in touch. I want to be in the loop on this one and I’m sure
you do, too. If we leave it up to those government scientists, they’re more
than likely to shut us out. I’ll let you know what June and Van Houten are up to.”
    Linus nods his head, then asks, acting as if it is an afterthought, “How do you
know June?”
    Jay looks slightly surprised to
hear the question. “I used to go out with her a few years back. Before I was married, of course. You interested in her or
something?”
    “No! You just seemed like you knew
each other fairly well, that’s all.”
    Jay smiles and nods in
understanding. Linus pats the roof of the car. “Thanks for coming out so late.”
    “ I’da killed you if you called anybody else. I can’t tell you how important being one
of the first to see an undiscovered species is to me.”
    “Drive safe, Jay. You want a Coke
for the road?”
    “Nah. I’ve had enough caffeine. I’m actually buzzing. Oh, and Linus?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Professor Fozzie’s hair was real.”
    Linus smiles. “ Coulda fooled
me, bud.”
    Jay smiles and pulls away, and
Linus watches as the dust rises off the driveway. The sun is bright as he goes
inside. Once in the house he sets his alarm. A general mess remains from the
commotion and activity but he doesn’t have the energy or inclination to clean
it up now. When he checks on Sava he sees that the lemur is sound asleep. Sava
has had a long night, too and he knows the animal was nervous while the
creature was here.
    Having reset the trap in the hall,
Linus sits on the edge of the bed in his boxers. He tips back onto the