Clutch by David Jones

Author:David Jones [Jones, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Despite his exhaustion, PK found his thoughts clear and invigorated the next morning as he drove into work with Florence. Zhang had set no particular time for them to resume their search for Max Dunlap, whom PK figured had likely fled town, but he and Florence had mutually agreed to an early start to show their bosses they intended to keep their noses clean.

PK’s clutch training with Antiphus had lasted until two in the morning. It had produced no results—they hadn’t found a healer, or anyone besides Kimberley stowed away in time—but Antiphus had seemed pleased nonetheless, or so it appeared whenever the old man wasn’t calling a break to check his favorite conspiracy websites for updates. He claimed PK had managed to delve across at least two other conservator’s caches, though PK couldn’t see how he had done it nor how Antiphus detected it.

“You’ll learn to feel it,” was all his enigmatic teacher would say on the matter.

PK had felt nothing different from the usual sensations he experienced when clutching and reeling, but chocked that up to ignorance. Sure, Antiphus could be tricking him for some nefarious reason, but more and more PK trusted the ancient man. The knowledge he had imparted was certainly improving PK’s efficiency in dealing with time.

“Rough night?” Florence asked from the passenger’s seat of their rental car.

“I look that bad?”

“Your eyes are bloodshot to hell. What’s been keeping you up?”

Some three-thousand year old man hyped up on conspiracy theories that might actually pan out. Oh, and the woman who nearly killed my sister last month? I’ve got her clutched to protect her from a rogue AI that’s murdering all her cohorts.

“Nothing really,” PK said. “You know how the mind works. Some nights you lie awake staring at the ceiling, your brain on fire, and you don’t know why.”

“Been there too often. You gonna make it through the day?”

“Long as I’ve got agent fuel.” PK lifted a still steaming cup of coffee.

Florence gave him a commiserative nod before switching on her tablet. She frowned at the display. “I don’t know what Zhang expects to get from the motel staff where Dunlap stayed the last couple of days. I doubt he chatted any of them up before going after Moore.”

“That where he wants us? At the motel?” PK switched the car into autonomous mode after merging onto Highway Forty. He considered getting some shut eye during the fifteen minute commute to the heart of Oklahoma City, but decided against it. Florence obviously wanted to go over the case. Besides, a few minutes of sleep would probably leave him groggy as hell.

Florence shook her head, looking frustrated. “Worse. He has us checking out more fleabag motels. Zhang thinks Dunlap might still be in town—wants me to track him now that I’ve had some experience with the guy.”

“He has no idea how your power works, does he?”

“None.” Florence lifted her eyes skyward as if beseeching the heavens for assistance. “I didn’t get within twenty feet of the man, and he was shooting at me the whole time.

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