Free Cracks in Reality (Seams in Reality Book 2) by Alex Siegel Page A

understand," Blake said. "Go ahead."
    While Max typed on his computer, Blake went to have a snack. He opened the refrigerator and peered inside. The selection was sparse but typical of a bachelor. Blake settled on a container of yoghurt flavored with strawberries. He grabbed a can of vegetable juice for his drink. There were bottles of beer, but he never drank. Alcohol clouded his most powerful asset: his mind.
    Max finished his analysis after an hour and printed out a list of fifty locations spread across the United States. Blake knew there were only half as many sorcerers in the same area, so a good number of the locations had to be poorly guarded seams.
    "That's all I need from you for now," Blake said, "but I may call on you again in the future. Give me your number."
    Max had a dull look in his eyes as he wrote a number on a piece of paper.
    "Thanks." Blake took the paper. "Don't tell anybody else about me. This conversation will be our secret."
    Blake left the apartment. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
    "Sir?" a man answered.
    "I'm ready to be picked up. Here is my address..."

Chapter Four
    Blake looked out the window at Aurora, Nebraska. The BPI had probably chosen the town for its remoteness and isolation, and they had done a good job. Aurora was a pimple in the middle of a vast, flat nothing. The surrounding land was divided into a perfectly regular grid of farms. The highway was dead straight out to the distant horizon. There wasn't even a slight hill to break up the depressing monotony.
    The town consisted mostly of tract housing with no architectural embellishments. Blake saw few homes taller than one story, and they were small. Like living in cardboard boxes, he thought.
    One of his men was at the wheel. Blake rode in the back seat, and his inner sight was at full sensitivity. He was hunting for young sorcerers.
    He detected a glimmer of energy. "Up ahead!" he said. "On the right."
    The energy guided Blake to an isolated house at the end of a road. The pink walls had simple wooden siding, and gray shingles covered the roof. White shutters on the sides of the windows were a homey touch. The house had an "L" shape, and he guessed it had enough space for three bedrooms if they were small.
    He detected five sorcerers inside. Their energy signatures were weak and disorganized. He assumed they were children without any training at all.
    The house was a foster home run by the BPI. Orphans with talent were kept here until they were old enough to become apprentices. The general rule was kids had to be at least sixteen years old to cast spells safely, and some masters wouldn't take an apprentice until he was eighteen. Sorcery required mental discipline that youngsters simply didn't have.
    Blake knew a way to overcome that obstacle. He could turn any raw talent into a fully-trained sorcerer in a couple of weeks. Of course, there was a steep price to pay for cutting so many corners.
    "Wait for me," Blake told the driver.
    Blake zipped up his coat and stepped out of the car. There was no snow on the ground, but the dirt was frozen so hard, it was like walking on rock. A blast of arctic wind stung his ears and his nose. He pulled a ski cap down to his eyebrows.
    He hurried over to the house and knocked loudly. After a minute, a woman opened the door. Her brown hair was frazzled, and she had circles under her eyes. Her yellow shirt had a big stain down the front. Blake sensed no sorcery in her.
    "Yes?" she said.
    He heard screaming kids in the house. It sounded like they were just playing hard, but it was possible they were fighting.
    "I need to see the children," Blake said.
    She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but..."
    He tapped into the tiny seam inside the Russian Eye, and the woman froze in mid-sentence. He kept the jewel in a pouch near his heart. He exerted his power to control her.
    "Step aside," he said.
    She mutely moved out of his way.
    She was probably a female BPI agent. It would've been better