Read The Corin Chronicles Volume I: The Light and the Dark Online
Authors: Marvin Amazon
The Corin Chronicles Volume I: The Light and the Dark (49 page)
He donned a worn, black cardigan with loose stitching. His long, mousy brown hair did not seem to belong to his face. His bushy eyebrows were very distinctive, as were his hazel eyes. So much so that Adam thought they had to be contact lenses. He seemed to be clutching his left hand, with blood dripping from it. The man generally seemed scared and uncoordinated, and for a split second, Adam didn’t know what to say or do.
“Please, you have to help me,” said the stranger, trembling.
Adam didn’t answer, but continued to look at the gentle-looking young man, unable to string any words together.
“Please, I need your help.” The stranger’s voice got progressively louder. “I’m begging you.”
Pulling himself together, Adam walked toward the bathroom entrance. “What’s the matter,” he said. “Is everything cool?”
“Not really.” The man breathed heavily and frantically. “These guys are after me, and they’ll be here any minute.”
“What do you mean ‘after you’?” asked Adam. “What for?”
“Please, I have no time to explain,” the man said. He continuously gazed at each of the eight stalls to his right. “Can you just lie for me and say you haven’t seen me? Please—my life depends on it.”
Adam stood still, completely dumbfounded. Writhing in pain, the young man made his way to a stall at the far end of the toilet, as Adam looked on, scratching his head. Shortly after the young man shut the door, the bathroom entrance burst open once again. Two large men walked in, wearing matching pinstripe suits.
The stubble that covered the face of the first man seemed to be about three days old, Adam thought. The second man was clean shaven, with large shoulders, and strawberry blond hair. Their breathing seemed labored, like they had been running for some time.
His initial thought was that they were some sort of authority figures, and the man in the stall was their target. His mind quickly shifted to an alternative train of thought, however. One of something far more sinister, one where they had no intentions of arresting the young man, but rather planned to torture or even kill him.
“Are you okay, son?” asked the man with the stubble. “You seem a bit shaken up.”
Adam swallowed, feeling every inch of the lump that seemed to form in his throat. “I’m fine, thanks,” he said quickly. “Just having a bad day.” To his surprise, his hands didn’t tremble.
The lightly bearded man leaned toward the other man, whispering into his ear for a few seconds before facing Adam again. “How long have you been in here?” he asked.
Adam noticed the other man dashing down the corridor, with the door closing behind him. “Not sure,” Adam said. “About ten minutes?”
“Ten minutes?” The man’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that a bit long to be in a bathroom?”
Adam paused for a few seconds, stopping himself from glancing back toward the stalls. “Yeah, I know,” he said finally. “I’m just having a bit of a hard time with the family.”
“You don’t have to be afraid, son,” the man said. “My name is Karl Hobbs; I’m a government agent.” He showed Adam an FBI badge. “I just want to know if you’ve seen a young man come in here at all? He’s about—”
“No,” Adam shouted, nervously.
“Are you sure?” Agent Hobbs edged closer. “You didn’t let me finish. As I was saying, he’s about eighteen, mousy brown hair, scar under his right eye.”
Adam tried to remember whether he had noticed any sort of scar on the young man’s face. He was in no doubt that he had mousy brown hair, but couldn’t remember any marks on his face. He might not have looked closely enough, or the scar might have been hidden by his hair, which seemed to cover much of his face. “No, I definitely haven’t seen him,” Adam said. A small chill crept into his legs.
Agent Hobbs took a step toward the entrance. “Okay then, son,” he said. “If you do, make sure—”
Karl suddenly noticed small specks of blood on the floor, and slowly put his hand to his mouth, looking in Adam’s direction. Adam nodded his head to show that he understood. Slowly pulling out a gun, Agent Hobbs approached the first cubicle.
The sweat on Adam’s face dripped on the floor. He had never been so nervous in his life. Who were these men, and what were they going to do when they found the young man hiding in the last stall?
The questions kept forming in Adam’s head. He didn’t know what to think. The men did seem like genuine FBI agents, but what if they weren’t? What if they just wanted to harm the boy?
Adam remained conflicted. He didn’t know whether to go and call an airport police officer or to flee the scene. The man was kicking each stall door open, and by the time he was at the fifth one, three away from the bleeding young man, Adam couldn’t watch. He knew that within a matter of seconds, they would be face to face with each other.
Please visit
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to begin by thanking my brother, Obi, my mother, Mabel, and my primary editor, Chris Fisher. Their input has been of great value.
Tackling a genre as powerful as fantasy has not been without its challenges, and in completing this novel, any misconceptions I might have had about writing have since been clarified. Although an unbelievably tough undertaking, I have come to realize that with dedication and strong people behind you, the possibilities are limitless.
With my mother and brother serving as primary story consultants from the beginning, I would also like to thank Alex Workman for performing the very first edit of my novel, and Billy Turner for introducing me to the staff at The Editorial Department. Led by Chris Fisher, they continuously displayed professionalism, and for that, I thank them.
I would also like to thank Beth Jusino, whose vision helped me understand just how my novel fitted in with the general public. I extend thanks to Jay Libby, for efficiently conjuring up a cover illustration every bit as I conceived it. I thank Morgana Gallaway, Flash Photography, and last but by no means least: Ross Browne, Liz Felix and Jane Ryder.
You have all been part of my writing journey, one that has been exhausting at times, but also richly rewarding. I thank every single one of you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marvin Amazon is a Nigerian-born, British author who currently lives in Essex, England. An information technology professional by day, Marvin stretches his imagination with movies, video games, comics, and, of course, novels. He credits the library across the street from his childhood home in Battersea, southwest London, with opening his eyes to the engrossing world of fantasy fiction.
Find out more at
www.marvinamazon.com
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