Shadow Jump by Jonathan Moeller

Author:Jonathan Moeller
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Azure Flame Media, LLC
Published: 2016-05-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7: Blackmail

It took Boccand a few minutes to get his breath back, but once he did, he started shouting.

“What,” he bellowed, “the hell are you doing?”

I started to answer, but he kept talking.

“The meetup was supposed to be tomorrow,” he said. “I worked out all the details with Corbisher’s people. Did he change his mind? Did he just decide to kill me the way he murdered his father? Won’t do you any good. Kill me and you’ll never, ever find the damned thing. I’m the only one who knows where it is, and I’m the only one who can get it.”

I stared at him in puzzlement…and then the truth hit me.

He thought I was working for whoever had hired him to steal the tablet.

This could come in handy.

“The arrangement has changed,” I said, speaking in a gruff voice. Not that it mattered. The jacket fit well enough that he would know I was a woman, but I didn’t want him to recall the voice of “Anna Rastov”, though. “We know you were planning to double-cross us.”

“I wasn’t!” said Boccand. “I did everything you told me to do. God knows Corbisher was explicit about what he’d do to Cecilia if I didn’t follow directions. I came straight here and I’ve been waiting for the exchange ever since.”

“Then why do you have enough guns in your apartment to outfit an army?” I said.

“Eh?” said Boccand, and he glanced to the side. “Oh, you have my anchor. I suppose that explains a lot. Why didn’t you just…”

“Answer the question,” I said.

He sighed. “Because of those damned anthrophages. You idiots think you can control them, but they’ll turn on you. I’ve seen the way they look at you lot, and they’d eat you all if they thought they could get away it. And God knows they have nastier friends, like the bloodrats and the skincasters.”

“You think the anthrophages will come after you once the deal is done?” I said.

“Of course they will, you moron!” said Boccand. “And I told Corbisher I trust him as far as I can throw one of his stupid billboards. If he wants the ritual tablet, he’ll get it, but only after I see Cecilia is safe and sound.”

“Your lack of trust is a problem,” I said, my mind racing. Corbisher’s billboards? Did that mean Martin Corbisher himself was involved in this mess?

“Trust? Obviously there is no trust!” said Boccand. “Are you blind? I’m a thief and you’re a bunch of damned Dark One cultists. Why on earth would we trust each other? I know the kind of things your sort gets up to.” There was anger in his voice now, and I saw the twitching as his hands moved beneath his back. “If you’ve even hurt Cecilia, then I swear you’ll never see that damned ritual tablet…”

“Stop,” I said, gesturing with the stun gun.

“I’m not doing anything,” said Boccand.

“You’re summoning power for a spell,” I said. “You didn’t soil yourself the first time I zapped you, but you might not be so lucky the second time.

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