Sailing Deep Read Online Free Page B

besides the hallway they were in, but he could see where the hallway branched into other passages and where it turned at the end. Blake cocked his head to the side, unmistakably listening. Dylan could hear voices. There was a mix of age, gender, and proximity that all blended together into the general sound of people, but he saw no one.
                  “This way,” Blake said before tugging him to the side. They ducked into a side hallway, smaller and less decorated than the last. Occasionally, Blake would slow his pace and listen before speeding up again. They weaved through hallways and up small stone staircases. They had climbed three flights of stairs before Blake led them down a wide corridor. There were doors periodically on either side, and it looked more like a hotel hallway than a castle. Blake stopped at a door with the number 34b in silver plates screwed to the well-polished wood.
                  “Here we are, home sweet home.” He said, digging his keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and pulled Dylan inside. He didn’t let go of his hand until the door was once again shut and locked.
                  “Okay, who the hell-” Dylan’s words were stopped as Blake put a finger to his lips. He was so startled at the sudden and familiar touch that it worked. Blake removed his hand and pressed his finger to his own lips, indicating silence. Dylan’s eyes narrowed and he frowned. Blake merely smirked and walked past him, casually patting his cheek as he passed. Dylan jerked back from the touch but followed Blake through the small entryway and into the room.
                  The room itself was rather large. A large, four post bed made of richly carved wood stood against the opposite wall, between two floor-to-ceiling windows. The windows had thick velvet curtains and thin, translucent curtains hung from the posts of the bed. The bed itself had a thick looking duvet and a near mountain of pillows. Two wardrobes stood against one wall, and a wide, intricate desk on another. A desktop computer with dual monitors sat snugly on the desk, and a wide TV was mounted on the wall opposite the bed. Clothes were draped everywhere: bed, floor, chair. The wardrobes were open and clothes spilled out. The bed was unmade, and the desk was covered in papers, trash, used dishes, and who knew what else.
                  Quite frankly, the room had all the potential to be a rich, well decorated and comfortable room, but it was a complete mess.
                  He stood near the entryway, taking in his surroundings with a growing feeling of disgust and horror as Blake moved about the room. He paused as he passed his desk, making a show of straightening some papers before reaching for his keyboard. With a few deft strokes, Blake pulled up a program and began typing in a line of code too fast for Dylan to see. Then he clicked enter and the program was gone. Curiously, Dylan watched as Blake moved about the room. He wasn’t cleaning up, not really. Blake was more shifting his mess around in a half-assed attempt to seem neat, but Dylan noticed the way his eyes darted around. The way he checked places where it would be obvious for a camera to be. Dylan knew enough about surveillance to notice it.
                  The computer suddenly dinged, startling Dylan. He saw a notification pop up in the center of one of the monitors although he couldn’t read it from where he stood. Blake was looking at it too. He suddenly smirked and dropped the handful of clothes he had been carrying to the floor.
                  “Well, that’s a relief,” Blake said as he casually strode across the room and collapsed on the small couch against one wall. He sighed as he lifted his feet and crossed them on top of the coffee table in front of the couch. It, too, was covered in junk. “Have a seat.” He said, gesturing to the