Coyle and Fang: Curse of Shadows (Coyle and Fang Adventure Series Book 1) by Robert III (great books for teens .txt) 📗

said. “I’m with Treece, and I’m looking for my team. Who else would I be?”

“I know Treece. He’s a good man, but I don’t know the others that took over the ship,” he said, wiping the sweat from his balding head. “I set off an emergency beacon that only Treece would receive. I guess it worked.” His thick mustache lifted in a smile.

“It did.” Coyle put her weapon away. “Is anyone else with you?”

“They’re all gone,” Conroy said, and leaned against the wall. “We heard some distress, and the others went to check. I... I’m a coward. I hid. Strange men in uniforms started going through the offices, searching for more people, I guess. After a while, I snuck down as far as my courage would let me. That’s when I heard the screams, the shouting. I figured that had to be trouble, and my crew never returned. I came back here and activated the beacon.”

“It looks like you made the right choice,” she said. “Which way to the main hangar? We should get to my group.”

Conroy shook his head. “I don’t think that’s the way to go. Too many possibilities of dying that way. Especially with that man and his book.”

“What do you know about the man and his book?” Coyle asked.

“Well, I thought it was my imagination, you know? I heard him talking to a group of people. He said they would be shot unless they listened to something he read out of a book. He told them they were to be Turned. So they got real quiet and listened. I couldn’t hear because I was on the other side of the steel plate. Then I heard... all kinds of voices. Things I’ve never heard in my life.”

“Turned? And? What else happened?”

“Well, the man and someone else, I thought it was a lady, walked out. And then these people became something else. The way they sounded and moved, it was horrible!”

A lady? “Did you see any of these people?” Coyle asked.

“The man with the book called them the Turned, and I wish... I wish I hadn’t seen them.”

“These Turned are between us and the main hanger?”

He nodded. “Yes. I shut the power off, thinking it would slow everything down. But I had another idea.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t know what the man with the book is up to, but if we shut the engines down, then we could stay up here until we’re rescued.”

Coyle chewed on her lip for a few minutes. “That’s an excellent idea, Conroy. If we shut the engines down, we won’t land in Chicago.” She paced a few steps away before facing him. “And we could do this by ourselves?”

“We could try,” he said.

“It sounds like a good plan, but it also sounds like we’ll need my people,” she said. “We’re going to have to get to the main hanger.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know about that,” he said, staring at a set of stairs.

“We have to try,” she said. “Do you have any weapons?”

He shook his head. “No, but I found this iron rod.”

“I think that’ll work just fine,” she said.

“You never told me your name,” he said.

“My name is Coyle,” she said, walking toward the stairs.

“It’s none of my business, but where’s your husband?” he asked.

She shot him a glare before pushing her communications tab.

“This is Coyle on the grand airship Dawn’s Edge. Can anyone hear me?”

Silence.

“This is Coyle. Can anyone hear me? GEM? Detectives? Poes? Bolt? Quolo? Chief Sykes? Anyone?”

Hard static blurred through and then, “Can-fzzzsst-me-ssszzt-whe-fssst.” Static took over for a scant few seconds until the radio went completely silent.

“This is Coyle. Can anyone hear me?”

She shut the static off. “We need to find my team before things get worse.”

Chapter 24

Starboard ballroom

Dawn’s Edge

A knock on the door interrupted Moreci’s thoughts, but he allowed the distraction.

“Sir.” Cavin stepped inside.

“Go ahead, Cavin.”

“We’ve picked up a radio communication from somewhere inside the ship. She was trying to reach members of Treece’s team,” Cavin said.

“She?” Moreci said, glancing at Veiul.

“She identified herself as Coyle, sir. Her attempts were unsuccessful, however, and we believe someone from the train was able to send her communications on a coded radio channel,” he said.

“And we haven’t been picking up these signals?” Moreci stood.

“No, sir. But we were able to jam the transmissions, preventing further communications. Shall I send a unit to investigate?” he asked.

“For one person? No, of course not,” Moreci said.

“Then let me go out there,” Veiul said. “I’ll make sure she gets fed to the wolves.”

“She’s just a simple, washed-out constable, Veiul.” Moreci shook his head. “She’s not a threat.”

“I’ll make sure she isn’t,” Veiul said. “You didn’t let me kill her in Fort Alcatraz. This time, I’ll do her right.”

“Make it quick,” Moreci said. He knew Veiul was a perfectionist, and the past few days weren’t her best.

“How are things in the hangar?” he asked Cavin.

“No word yet, but the effects of the curse should be showing themselves soon,” he answered.

“And the emergency skiff is ready to deploy?” Moreci asked.

“It will be, sir,” Cavin said. “We’re trying to locate the pilots.”

“Thank you. You’re dismissed,” he said, smiling as his plans bloomed into existence.

***

Main hangar bay

How do you feel, Quolo?” Bolt asked. “Need some water?”

“No, thank you,” he said. “I’d like to know when the radio transmissions will be back. Any word on that?” He unstrapped the buckles from his leathers and wiped his sweaty face.

“Chief Sykes and I will be heading to another part of the ship to fix what’s broken.” Bolt glanced around at the others. Men were rubbing their hands for warmth. The wounded were wrapped in blankets. “You sure you’re well?” Bolt asked again. “You look like you have a fever.”

“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” Quolo said. He pulled open his leather top. “I just need some air is all.”

“Good man,” Bolt said. “We’ll get the radio service up and be back in a jiffy.” He patted Quolo’s shoulder and walked off to talk with the others.

Quolo looked out past the edge of the