DEATH (The Justice Cycle Book 1) by J Kiefer (best classic books to read TXT) 📗

I’d better call someone for a ride. He reached into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone.

What? Damn. He fumbled around, feeling a quarter and some lint, but no cell phone. Panicking, he quickly patted every one of his pockets, but came up empty.

Then he remembered where he’d left it—back in his car on the seat. Jared growled in frustration, and decided to take his anger out on a telephone pole, nearly breaking his hand in the process.

Shaking his injured hand he took in a deep breath and exhaled forcefully in an attempt at calming himself down. He then scanned the area and located a payphone on the other side of the street, which was sitting like a relic in front of a gloomy convenience store.

Reaching for the phone with his good hand, he listened for a dial tone. As he had suspected, the payphone didn’t work. Nothing in Jared’s life seemed to be going right for him tonight, so why should this payphone be any different? He slammed the phone down and walked over to the road.

After a few minutes of sulking, he noticed a lone figure walking out of the shadows across the street. Something about the man gave Jared an uneasy feeling in his gut. The person seemed to be out of phase with the physical world as if he were a phantom instead of a physical being.

What the heck? He must be more tired than he thought. He rose to his feet, squinting as he did so, attempting to force his eyes to focus. If anything, the action made the effect worse.

“Hey!” Jared called as he cautiously approached the figure.

The man started when he saw him coming toward him and he fell into a defensive crouch. His hand quickly darted for the fold in his black leather coat.

Jared stopped and reflexively reached his own hand behind his back finding the handle of his duty weapon. “Whoa! I don’t want any trouble. So just keep your hands where I can see them.”

He still could not make out the man’s features when a sudden burst of vertigo washed over him.

What the heck is going on?

“Jared?” the man asked. “Is that you?

“Yeah,” he replied, shaking his head slightly.

The man relaxed. “Jesus, you scared the crap out of me, big brother,” he said with a sigh. “I thought you were a mugger or something.”

Before Jared could react, the man stepped out of the shadows and lifted him up in an immense bear hug. As soon as his brother grabbed him, the vertigo ceased, and his vision cleared.

“I gotta admit it’s good to see you, but what the heck are you doing so far away from home?”

“Me?” Jared said. “What in God’s name are you doing here? I thought you were still in the city.”

“I’m here visiting a friend.”

“Who?”

“Nobody you know. Just a friend,” Steve replied. “Hey, you never answered my question.”

“I went for a walk and lost track of time,” Jared said distractedly. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

“You are a long way from home, dude. That must have been some walk.” Steve put his arm on his brother’s shoulder. “What happened? You look like you lost your best friend.”

All of the emotions of the day finally got the best of Jared, and he slumped into his brother’s arms and wept uncontrollably. His brother held him close, and Jared buried his face in his chest, sobbing like a little kid.

Soon the whole story came out, of how things had been difficult between him and Jasmine. How he’d been late to the restaurant that night again. How he’d lost the love of his life. He told the story in between sobs, but his brother got the picture.

Jared let go of his brother and stood up straight. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve, forcing back more tears. “She dumped me for some other guy, Steve! How could this happen?”

“That’s rough, man,” Steve said as he ushered Jared in the direction of his car. “Why don’t I drive you home and you can fill me in on everything else that has been going on?”

“I don’t want to go home!” Jared responded.

“Okay,” Steve muttered. “We can’t stay out here all night. I’ll take you to Dad and Mom’s house, then.”

“No. I don’t want to go there, either.”

Steve sighed. “Then where the heck do you want to go?”

“Dana’s house.”

“What? You can’t be serious!”

Really, him too? Did everyone in his life think he had some secret flame for her?

Jared turned on Steve angrily. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing, it’s just that… Well, you know it’s kind of odd that you’d want to go see her of all people. I would think she would be the last person on your mind right now.”

“She is my fricking partner and my best friend,” Jared snapped back. “Why doesn’t anyone understand that? You’re starting to sound like Jasmine, too.”

“Now I understand,” his little brother said with that annoying, no-it-all look on his face.

“You don’t understand anything!” retorted Jared. “Just take me there and shut up about it. I’m not in the mood for a lecture right now!”

“This explains why you don’t want to go see Dad and Mom.”

“Just stop talking before I slug you.”

“Okay, okay! Stop being so dramatic.” Steve laughed. “It’s not the end of the world, you know.”

“I know, but it feels like it,” Jared muttered.

“Come on, Jar. My car is parked just down the road. You can tell me the rest of the sob story as we walk.”

They walked slowly down the empty street, Steve listening patiently as his brother continued to relate all of the events of the past few months that had led up to this moment.

Steve put his arm around his brother as they walked. When the two of them stood side by side, the resemblance was so strong, one could almost mistake them for twins.

Both brothers were tall and handsome with bright blue eyes. Steve had long flowing black hair while Jared’s short dirty blond hair