have a branch in San Diego , do we not?”
Geoffrey nodded quickly , relieved . I t was looking likely that Kline was going to let him off the hook for this one.
“ Then have them take care of it . A nd when they find them , Mr. Tate...”
Geoffrey looked up from the message he was writing on his PDA and into his boss ’s cold blue eyes.
“ Have our team take them for a plane ride and throw them out at 40,000 feet.”
Geoffrey nodded and entered Kline’s special instructions.
Kline brushed his black suit with his right hand, attempting to remove some of the dust and dirt the landing helicopter had blown up around him. He looked up at his assistant and clapped his hands.
“ Tut tut , Mr. Tate. Time is wasting away. Make certain those two bodies are found and buried deep in the desert. I don’t want any problems over the next few days. Understand?”
“Sir.” Geoffrey Tate nodded and moved off towards the two other helicopters which had just finished their landings on the mesa . A s several men emerged from each, Geoffrey shouted orders at all of them . Kline turned back to the gorgeous brown, green , and red scene in front of him , watch ing as the setting sun disappeared behind the horizon. Inhaling the dry desert air, he smiled as he rubbed the stone in his ring. Today was going to be a great day.
Chapter Six
T he dream always began the same way .
It was ten years ago , when he was still in college. Scott had convinced him to attend a Greek fundraiser for Scott’s fraternity. Scott had pressured Alex many times to get involved in the Greek system at Stanford, but Alex had never developed any interest in it. The parties were legendary, but Alex wasn’t in college to party hard. He had a goal, a place he wanted to be in ten years, and with only a year left for his studies, he was nearly getting away with it.
The images were flashing faster in front of him. For an instant, Alex awoke, moaning in immense pain. He slowly became aware of his surroundings, the light from a distant sunset trickling between his battered eyelids. The effort to stay awake was too much, and he felt himself slipping back into unconsciousness . As a last ditch effort, he struggled to try and become aware within his dream in attempt to control it, pushing himself away from the painful memory.
His subconscious overpowered his will to stay aware . S lowly , he melted back in time, falling deeper back into his troubled subconscious.
He was back at Stanford. Tonight was different. Tonight , he finally agreed to go out with his friend to his f raternity’s end - of - the - year Casino Party. Through the years, Alex had an active social life at college, but he wasn't the party type, preferring instead to concentrate on his studies.
His goal in coming to Stanford was to major in Engineering and Architecture. The hours spent working with his father building the house in Onyx back home had influenced him to pursue a career working with his hands, hopefully someday designing homes that were completely self-sufficient, without any need for outside energy. The grad school applications were now beginning to flow in, but Alex wasn’t sure about where that would lead him.
Alex swallowed the remaining beer in his cup and debated whether he should have another or return home to the apartment Scott and he shared just outside of campus. Scott had disappeared earlier in the evening with a sorority girl on each arm, and that meant that Alex , like a good roommate, probably shouldn’t return to his apartment for another couple of hours. Alex sighed, deciding to have another beer. However long that took would be however long Scott had.
Alex walked back to the center of the room , where a keg was standing in a tub full of melting ice. He pushed the pump at the top of the silver keg, holding his cup under the spigot. As he depressed the end, the cheap beer sprayed out all over his cup and hand, leaving most of his beverage on the
Geoffrey nodded quickly , relieved . I t was looking likely that Kline was going to let him off the hook for this one.
“ Then have them take care of it . A nd when they find them , Mr. Tate...”
Geoffrey looked up from the message he was writing on his PDA and into his boss ’s cold blue eyes.
“ Have our team take them for a plane ride and throw them out at 40,000 feet.”
Geoffrey nodded and entered Kline’s special instructions.
Kline brushed his black suit with his right hand, attempting to remove some of the dust and dirt the landing helicopter had blown up around him. He looked up at his assistant and clapped his hands.
“ Tut tut , Mr. Tate. Time is wasting away. Make certain those two bodies are found and buried deep in the desert. I don’t want any problems over the next few days. Understand?”
“Sir.” Geoffrey Tate nodded and moved off towards the two other helicopters which had just finished their landings on the mesa . A s several men emerged from each, Geoffrey shouted orders at all of them . Kline turned back to the gorgeous brown, green , and red scene in front of him , watch ing as the setting sun disappeared behind the horizon. Inhaling the dry desert air, he smiled as he rubbed the stone in his ring. Today was going to be a great day.
Chapter Six
T he dream always began the same way .
It was ten years ago , when he was still in college. Scott had convinced him to attend a Greek fundraiser for Scott’s fraternity. Scott had pressured Alex many times to get involved in the Greek system at Stanford, but Alex had never developed any interest in it. The parties were legendary, but Alex wasn’t in college to party hard. He had a goal, a place he wanted to be in ten years, and with only a year left for his studies, he was nearly getting away with it.
The images were flashing faster in front of him. For an instant, Alex awoke, moaning in immense pain. He slowly became aware of his surroundings, the light from a distant sunset trickling between his battered eyelids. The effort to stay awake was too much, and he felt himself slipping back into unconsciousness . As a last ditch effort, he struggled to try and become aware within his dream in attempt to control it, pushing himself away from the painful memory.
His subconscious overpowered his will to stay aware . S lowly , he melted back in time, falling deeper back into his troubled subconscious.
He was back at Stanford. Tonight was different. Tonight , he finally agreed to go out with his friend to his f raternity’s end - of - the - year Casino Party. Through the years, Alex had an active social life at college, but he wasn't the party type, preferring instead to concentrate on his studies.
His goal in coming to Stanford was to major in Engineering and Architecture. The hours spent working with his father building the house in Onyx back home had influenced him to pursue a career working with his hands, hopefully someday designing homes that were completely self-sufficient, without any need for outside energy. The grad school applications were now beginning to flow in, but Alex wasn’t sure about where that would lead him.
Alex swallowed the remaining beer in his cup and debated whether he should have another or return home to the apartment Scott and he shared just outside of campus. Scott had disappeared earlier in the evening with a sorority girl on each arm, and that meant that Alex , like a good roommate, probably shouldn’t return to his apartment for another couple of hours. Alex sighed, deciding to have another beer. However long that took would be however long Scott had.
Alex walked back to the center of the room , where a keg was standing in a tub full of melting ice. He pushed the pump at the top of the silver keg, holding his cup under the spigot. As he depressed the end, the cheap beer sprayed out all over his cup and hand, leaving most of his beverage on the
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