Free Darkness Unknown by Alexis Morgan Page B

knowing what the other would do in any situation.
    The Regents had finally brought in some replacements just as the earthquakes had come to an abrupt stop as inexplicably as they’d started. The new guys hadn’t gotten into the fight, but at least they could stand guard, allowing the locals time to mend and catch up on their sleep.
    He’d have still been in bed if his body hadn’t woken him up screaming for a bathroom and food,in that order. Which reminded him, his toe was still hurting. He looked at it and spotted a staple sticking into it. After plucking it out, he headed to the bathroom, knowing the small wound would heal by the time he got out of the shower.
    Twenty minutes later, he was dressed and feeling better for the shower and shave. It was early yet, with an entire day stretched out before him with nothing to do that involved picking up a sword. Sweet!
    Back in his bedroom, he gathered up all the papers and shoved them back into their folder. Once he had breakfast in front of him, he could take his time sorting through the papers. He couldn’t wait to see what Jake had managed to dig out.
    When he picked up his cell phone, he noticed it was dead. He dug out the charger and plugged it in. The screen lit up, showing a bunch of missed calls. He scanned the list and one number immediately caught his eye. Son of a bitch, Chase Mosely had been trying to call him for days. Or maybe it had been Gwen, but that didn’t feel right.
    He suspected she was old-fashioned enough to want the guy to do the calling, at least at the beginning of a relationship—not that they had one. He checked the voice messages. Just as he’d suspected, the boy had called. He’d left a couple of messages, his voice sounding more uncertain on the third one; by the fourth his temper was showing.The last one consisted of a couple of words that Gwen probably wouldn’t have appreciated her brother using, but Jarvis didn’t take it personally. He’d ended the call with a pissed-off “Oh, just forget it.”
    Shit! Jarvis tossed the phone down on the dresser, resisting the urge to take his foul mood out on an innocent piece of electronics. No wonder Chase was angry. Jarvis had told Gwen his cell number was good day or night. He’d forgotten to mention that he might be too busy killing to answer right away.
    He slammed out of the room with the folder, wondering what lie would convince the Moselys he hadn’t ignored their calls. Where could he have been for six days where he didn’t get cell phone service? “In hell” was hardly an answer that either of them would believe, much less understand.
    He was known as a problem solver, but the lack of caffeine and food was definitely affecting his ability to think rationally. Maybe after he got a meal and about a gallon of coffee under his belt he could figure out what to do next.
    The cafeteria was mostly empty, but he was glad to spot Jake sitting by himself in the far corner. After piling a tray high with eggs, bacon, and hash browns, he snagged a full pot of coffee and carried it all to the table.
    Jake acknowledged him with a weary nod, butdidn’t speak. For the next fifteen minutes the two of them quietly shoveled in their breakfast, punctuating every few bites with a swig of coffee. Jarvis gradually started to feel better, although he still didn’t have more than the minimal energy it took to lift a fork.
    Jake held out his cup for a refill. “You’re looking a little gray around the edges there, boss.”
    â€œI feel like a truck ran over me and then backed up for a second run. If the barrier doesn’t stay up for at least a week, I may impale myself on my own sword just to get some rest.”
    His friend snickered. “Doc Crosby said if he saw me around the lab again anytime soon, he was going to quit. I guess I wasn’t the best of company.”
    â€œHe’ll probably tell the Regents that two