Order of the Omni: A Supernatural Romantic Suspense Novel (The Immortalies Book 1) by Penny Knight (good english books to read txt) 📗

hope has been placed right in my lap. But I still cannot know for sure. The current is electric, the excitement palpable. But I will have to keep it close and internal to the inner sanctions of my men.

The fewer people know the better.

I need to find a way to get her back to the hotel.

It comes just as I have finished changing. The message notification on my phone pings.

Broderick: Ran in to trouble. Girl is fine. What do you want me to do?

I don't hesitate as I respond.

Leo: Bring her to the hotel.

I will have to watch intently. From what I heard when I was waiting outside her room, she had woken to being able to hear her friend's thoughts. The thoughts of charlatans and frauds are not far off. I cannot disregard a planted fraud.

I have not met one person yet that has a real gift of hearing the thoughts of others or reading minds. Any claims to supernatural I would be briefed on.

Normally all they do is use well-trained techniques at implanting information in the victim to convince them of their power. Trickery and mind control are all it is. And there is one reason it's insidious spread has wreaked havoc on the humans.

The Lord of the Uprising. Cyrus.

He will use any tactic he can for any advantage. Controlling the minds of many to aide in his bidding. Criminally, politically but ultimately for his own desire and greed.

If Elita Machiavelli can truly hear the thoughts of others, then she is the true bearer of the Mark of Omni. That means after two thousand years, there's a real chance I can imagine a new future for myself. One not filled with the weight of humanity, sole responsibility, and possibly not filled alone and unloved.

With Broderick away, I call my second, Lucas. The front man of the humans I have working for me here. We have completed a few missions together now.

"Sir?" he answers.

"I am expecting company soon. Have the conference room setup with cameras."

"Will do. You want it on or off grid?"

"Off. I don't want it accessible at all online. This feed will be just for me. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." He hangs up.

I search the house, opening door after door. I look in every room, but I cannot find a computer anywhere. I return to the office.

“Bring up a satellite image of the house.” I rest my hand on the desk, leaning over his shoulder while he instantly does as I ask.

“Ok, got it.” He pulls up the address on the satellite maps and we both study the radial view.

“There,” I point at the screen. “That’s where the master bedroom is, but it’s nowhere near the size it shows here.” It must be there. There’s a whole missing section. I scurry back to the bedroom.

My fingers graze the wall where it looks like it should be larger. There is a floor to ceiling mirror and two wall lanterns with tassels hanging framing the mirror. The rest of the room houses a king-sized bed and a built-in wardrobe, that’s it. My eyes dart around, trying to piece the puzzle together. I keep landing back to the lanterns.

Striding to the silk tassel, I pull the light. It flicks on immediately. I march towards the second string. Here goes. As I tug the rope, I hear a faint mechanical click. The mirror clicks out of place. With a spring, it reveals a passageway to the lost space.

The room is dark. But I can tell there are computers in here from the small red dots blinking at me. I skim my hands down the side of the door frame for the light. Once it turns on, I know I have hit the jackpot.

“Topher!” I call out.

I walk towards the five monitors that are spaced over two levels on the desk. Two on the bottom and three on the top. My fingers hit a key on the keyboard and all five come alive with a bright blue background extended onto all of them.

“This is more like it!” Topher says. He moves right past me and plops down on the desk chair that looks like a racing seat. “Let the fun begin.” He plugs in his flash drive.

“What is taking so long?” I groan. I check my watch again. We’ve been here for over a half an hour.

“I’m nearly there. Quit hovering,” he shoos me away.

I lean back from peering over his shoulder. We have been here too long already.

“Done, I’m in,” he announces as the desktop opens up on all the screens.

“About time.”

He ignores me and plugs in an external hard drive instead. “I will start copying all the contents now.”

“Ok, great.” I pace to the entrance and peer out as goosebumps rise all over my arms. “Come on Topher. We should already be out by now. I don’t like this.”

“I know, we’re almost there.”

In the distance the sound of a door slamming echoes through the room.

“What was that?” Topher glances to me.

“Don’t know. Get that done and I will have a look.”

I step out of the room and back into the bedroom. Listening for any unfamiliar noises: doors, steps, anything indicating what that noise could have been. Maybe a car door outside, a neighbour perhaps?

BAM!

A noise comes from behind, making me jump and turn.

“Sorry,” Topher says sheepishly, closing the secret door.

I shake my head at him. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” I march right out of the room and my body collides with something hard and stiff. It takes a split second before my mind realises it’s a body. A tall, skinny but surprisingly strong body as he grabs hold of my arm and I wince in pain.

“Argh!” I cry out.

“Where is it?” he growls at me. His eyes seem to glow, they are narrowed, a chill runs down my spine. He looks up leering at Topher and turns me so quickly I have no time to resist. He bends my arm backwards and