Born of Hatred Read Online Free Page B

one has photos of people they've stalked and then a map of a farm in the middle of nowhere, unless they're doing something horrific."
    "My client was informed that the police got a tip-off about some sort of suspicious activity taking place at an abandoned farm about thirty miles outside of the city. Apparently no one has had time to check it out yet; they've been getting crackpot calls about that serial killer in the news. Could the serial killer be Neil?"
    "It's possible," I said. "It's worth looking into at any point." I stood and brushed my hands on my trousers, before switching the light off and leaving the room. The LOA, the Law of Avalon, would want to look into Neil's activities. Hopefully this time they'd make sure he couldn't get out again, preferably with a more permanent residency somewhere a little hotter.
    I replaced the panel, ensuring nothing appeared too out of place, but as I stepped out of the wardrobe, I caught my foot on something and slipped back, landing with a bang. I stood to close the doors and paused when I heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun shell being loaded. "Tommy, we have a much bigger problem."

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
     
     
    The blast missed me, and I hit the floor, rolling until my back was against the wall next to where the now ruined door sat. 
    A second later, when my ears stopped ringing, I heard the sound of smashing glass from the direction of the living room. I edged along the wall and peered through the hole in the wooden bedroom door into the hallway beyond, finding it empty except for a discarded shotgun on the floor.
    I sprinted into the living room, only to find one of the dozen windows was shattered. Although acutely aware of how exposed I was standing in the middle of a large open room, I made my way to the window and stared out, looking down the hundred and fifty feet to the ground below.
    Neil was hanging from a rope about fifty feet off the ground, moving very slowly down toward his escape. The rope was attached to some climbing gear, which had been built into the curtain frame. It extended along the entire length of the room. A small box behind the frame contained the rope, obviously strong enough to hold a fully grown man, but small enough that it was easily concealable. It was quite a clever idea; smash the window, grab the rope and rappel down the side of the building. 
    "We've got ourselves a rabbit," I said. "Right now he's hanging from a rope at the opposite side of the building to you."
    "On the way," Tommy said. 
    "From the speed he's going, I could probably get to him before he hits the ground. I don’t think he’s tried this before." I grabbed the rope with both hands, and created a cushion of hardened air between my skin and the black rope. When I felt secure, I pulled myself up and through the broken window and began my decent. 
    I used the air magic to allow the rope to slide quickly through my hands without discomfort, while keeping enough friction there to stop me from falling without control. 
    It took all of five seconds for an almighty bang to sound from beneath me. I glanced down as Neil cursed loudly, while dislodging himself from the roof of the soft-top car he'd fallen on. Unfortunately, by the time I'd reached the ground he was already off across the road and heading toward a large park, although his limp made it impossible for him to sprint anywhere at meaningful speed.
    Tommy and Sara came round the corner as I jogged across the road to catch up with my prey. I waited until they caught up—there was no way Neil was going to escape us, not with Tommy tracking him. "He's in the park," I told them.
    "Take Sara with you," Tommy said. "I'll head through the wooded area and cut him off."
    Tommy didn't wait to hear any objections and ran off toward the nearby dense trees. 
    "Be careful, stay close and do everything I say," I told Sara. "You going to be okay with this?"
    Sara nodded. "After what he did to those women, I'm not