The Puppet Assassin [TTR sequel]

The Puppet Assassin - Ch 29 [honest shock]

:) This is what happens when people bug me for a new chapter... Short upload, lame cliffhanger. Haha, that sounded kind of harsh so I'll write a winky... ;)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Honest Shock

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I waited until Garth and Luke were halfway through their breakfast. They were both eating slowly. I suspected that Luke was aware of me watching him and ate wary of me. Garth was probably concentrating on Larkin - as distracted by him as I was - as he leaned over the breakfast counter and watched me broodingly. It was unnerving but more so was the fact that everything Lark did towards me this morning was ten times more potent than it had been yesterday. His gaze seemed to see all of me and when his fingers had brushed over the back of my hand earlier, I had felt the echo of its warmth throughout my whole body. I didn’t know whether it was something that had changed in me or in him.

Luke took a large gulp of his still steaming coffee and flicked a glance at me. He was probably very aware that I had something to say.

“I found a trace through the screen’s history last night and I determined that the person who contacted us used technology to hack into the network that was within a kilometre radius of this household. If I had the software, I could pinpoint the exact location but all I can tell you now is that he was close and he would’ve needed a network of computers to get into your system. Therefore he either has a residence or office nearby.” I had never spoken so fast in my life.

Garth had paused with a forkful of egg midway between his mouth and plate, staring at me incredulously. Luke wasn’t showing his emotions as obviously but his eyebrows were raised as he leaned back in his chair. Larkin’s brooding seemed to worsen.

I had to use this chance while they were silent to finally reveal what I had seen at the warehouse.

“Also, the other night, I saw my old mentor at the warehouse and he was different,” I said this in a rush and wanted to say more but Garth narrowed his eyes, clenched his jaw, and shook his head jerkily.

“In what way was he different?” asked Larkin in a slow drawl. The way his accent rolled around the vowels in each word made my toes curl.

Both Garth and Luke snapped their heads towards Lark but he gave nothing back but the lidded stare. It was obvious that they’d talked about the incident of my night out together and come to the conclusion that I shouldn’t be given any kind of encouragement. I knew that they would refuse to hear but they needed to know and Larkin was giving me an opening I wouldn’t pass up.

“He was like you, all of you.”

Luke clenched his knife in his hand and turned back to me slowly.

But Garth spoke first. “So he was incredibly handsome?” He said it in a way that was supposed to diffuse tension but not encourage laughter, like he wanted Luke and Larkin to calm down but also wanted me to know I should keep quiet.

“He could hear better, and, I think, he could smell better.” I fiddled worriedly, my fingers tapping my palm.