Free Modern Sorcery: A Jonathan Shade Novel by Gary Jonas Page A

things.   Perhaps David told him where to find Naomi.”
     
    “And give up his only daughter?” I asked.
     
    “He gave up his only wife.”
     
    “So what do we do?” Cantrell asked.
     
    “Mr. Shade and Ms. Chan can go back to living their lives,” Al said.   “You and Naomi can come with me.   We can find the Alyshian crystal, and if it’s intact, we can lock it up and this nightmare will be over.”
     
    “No offense, Al,” Naomi said.   “I’m sticking with Jonathan.”
     
    “He has no magic.   He can’t help you.”
     
    “He’s kept me alive so far.”
     
    “But he—” Al noticed Kelly leaning toward him.   He shook his head.   “As you wish.   Call me if you need me.”
     
    “We won’t need you,” Kelly said.   “You’re just something we stepped in, and we need to wipe you off our shoes.”
     

     

 

     

     

     
    CHAPTER TEN
     

     
    Kelly dropped me off at my car and took Naomi with her to the dojo without a single complaint.   As I drove to my office, I thought about what Al had said.   He was right about a lot of it.   I was living in denial.   Without magic, there was no way I could win Naomi back.   We got together when she knew about my ancestry.   She didn’t care that I didn’t have any magic of my own, but when she learned that any kids we had would be unlikely to have magic, that was another story.   We didn’t know that for sure, but she wasn’t willing to risk it.   She wanted children who could grow up to be wizards.   That was something I couldn’t give her.
     
    I’d have to settle for being someone who might be able to keep her alive.
     
    I arrived at the office around 9:30.   Esther met me in the hall.
     
    “Just wanted to warn you there’s a torpedo waiting in your office.”
     
    A torpedo was Esther’s way of telling me there was a hired gun waiting for me.
     
    “Thanks, Esther.   Just one?”
     
    She nodded.
     
    “How long has he been here?”
     
    “Ten minutes or so.”
     
    “Where is he now?”
     
    Esther poked her head through the wall then pulled back.   “Leaning against the window behind your desk.”
     
    “Thanks.”
     
    She moved between me and the door.   “Maybe you should scram.   He scares me.”
     
    “No worries,” I said and entered the office.
     
    The Sekutar warrior was indeed standing by the window.
     
    “Hey, big guy,” I said as I walked to my desk.   “How they hanging?   Oh, I forgot, you’ve been snipped.”
     
    Esther moved along beside me, looking worried.   “Don’t razz him.”
     
    The warrior smiled.   “Jonathan Shade.   You’re going to take me to Naomi Miller.”
     
    “Sorry, pal, she’s gotta wash her hair.   Anything else I can do for you?”   I sat down at my desk and opened the top right drawer where I kept my Beretta.
     
    “You have three choices,” the Sekutar said.
     
    “I can hardly wait,” I said, reaching into the drawer.   I kept the gun out of sight as I flicked off the safety.
     
    “You can take me to her willingly, in which case you won’t be harmed.”
     
    “Nice.   What are my other options?”
     
    “Just shoot him,” Esther said.   “Shoot him now!”
     
    “Option two.   I beat you within an inch of your life and you still take me to her.”
     
    “I don’t like that one.   What’s behind curtain number three?”
     
    “You die.”
     
    I nodded.   “Hmm, let me think.”   I pulled out the gun and shot him in the head.   “I’ll take option four.”
     
    The warrior staggered and slid down the wall to a sitting position.   He shook his head then reached up and, with his thumb and forefinger, dug the bullet out of his forehead.   He rose and tossed the bullet onto my desk, where it clattered and rolled to a stop against my closed laptop.
     
    “Uh-oh,” Esther said.
     
    The warrior grinned.   “I told you there were only three options.”
     
    At least I knew a bullet to the head would slow him down.