The Midnight Mercenary Read Online Free

The Midnight Mercenary
Book: The Midnight Mercenary Read Online Free
Author: Cerberus Jones
Tags: Ebook
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message. It’s a dog . If it’s saying anything at all, it’s, “Let me out, I’m busting for a wee.”’
    Without waiting for a response, he got off the sofa, pushed past Charlie and Amelia, and opened the French doors. Grawk stopped barking and sped out into the night. Being entirely black, he disappeared almost instantly.
    â€˜You … you … moron! ’ Amelia screeched. ‘Why did you do that?’
    And to her total embarrassment, she burst into tears.
    â€˜Oh, grow up, Amelia,’ said James. ‘Not everyone around here wants to keep indulging you in your stupid make-believe. It’s about time you started living in the real –’
    But Amelia had had more than enough of James’s stupidity. She’d already lost two parents tonight – she wasn’t about to lose Grawk as well. Without another thought, Amelia ran through the open door and into the dark.

‘Amelia, wait!’ Charlie yelled from close behind. He must have run into the garden after her.
    â€˜Go back!’ she shouted. ‘I don’t want you to get caught too!’
    â€˜Too late,’ said Charlie, zeroing in on the sound of her voice. ‘Anyway, I owe you.’
    â€˜For what?’ Amelia was impatient, but couldn’t deny it felt better to have Charlie out here with her.
    â€˜For being kind of a massive suck-head before. You know, with the holo-emitter and stuff.’
    â€˜And stuff ,’ Amelia repeated. ‘That covers a lot.’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    There was a silence, and then Charlie said, ‘Well?’
    â€˜Well what?’
    â€˜Do you forgive me? Can we get on with being friends, or what?’
    Amelia laughed bitterly. ‘That was an apology? ’
    Charlie sighed. ‘Look, Amelia, I’m only going to say this once, and I’m only saying it at all because we’re totally in the dark and I can’t see you and we’re probably both going to die any minute anyway, but –’ He drew in a deep breath. ‘The fact is, you’re my best friend, and you would be even if I had other friends. Your family is practically the only good thing that has happened to me since I was three years old and my dad took me to Uluru, and I never, ever want to do anything to make any of you hate me and not want me around. Ever.’
    Amelia felt very quiet. ‘Oh.’
    â€˜Right,’ said Charlie. ‘So can we get a move on and find Grawk before Krskn catches us?’
    That was a terrific idea, but Amelia hadn’t a clue where to start. Now the rain had stopped, the clouds were thinning and there was the slightest haze of moonlight in the air. It wasn’t nearly enough to see by, but Amelia could just make out the rough shape of the grounds around her. She looked back at the hotel, at the light gleaming through the library’s French doors, and tried to figure out the rough direction Grawk had been staring in before James let him out. Amelia turned to get her bearings.
    â€˜This way,’ she said.
    They bumped along through the sodden grass, and Amelia stumbled on the edge of a garden bed.
    â€˜Are you OK?’ Charlie whispered.
    â€˜Yes,’ she whispered back, wondering if Krskn were sitting in the bushes beside them right that very moment. How did he do it? The kidnapping or murdering or whatever it was he did? Would he hit them over the head and shove them into a bag, or did he have spring-loaded traps hidden under leaves? Or perhaps he had a ray gun and would freeze them before they even knew he was there. She hoped it was the ray gun.
    â€˜Where to now?’ asked Charlie.
    Amelia hesitated. Ahead of them and off a bit to one side, she saw something. It was faintly yellow, and coming closer. She clutched Charlie’s arm. ‘Look!’
    It was Grawk, silent and nearly invisible except for those luminous eyes.
    Amelia bent down to him. ‘Where did you go?’ She scratched
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