The Game Trilogy Read Online Free

flight of steps in five long strides, and his momentum carried him through the station and out onto Rörstrandsgatan, and by the time hehad jogged to St Eriksplan he was soaked in sweat, even if he wasn’t particularly out of breath.
    He’d always been good at running, ever since school. He wasn’t much good at most other things, but he had a decent turn of speed.
    The barriers at the underground station were unmanned, so he hopped over the turnstile to get in. He didn’t give it a second thought. He’d never paid for commuter trains or the underground, not even when he could afford to. It was a matter of principle. Power to the people!
    It wasn’t until he was sitting down in the carriage that he realized he still had the phone attached to his belt. He pulled it off and looked at the screen.
    Congratulations, HP!
    You have successfully completed your trial task and your game account has been credited with 100 points.
    The telephone is now unlocked and under the Game icon you will find more information about how to continue playing.
    We recommend that you read the section concerning the Rules of the Game, and think carefully about whether you want to continue playing.
    If you would prefer not to, our paths will go separate ways and we ask you to leave the phone in the letterbox at Bellmansgatan 7.
    Best wishes,
    The Game Master
    ‘I was thinking about moving you up,’ Runeberg said.
    ‘Alpha needs new recruits before Sweden takes over the EU Presidency. You haven’t really been in the job longenough, but after today’s events Vahtola and I agree that you’re ready. You start on Monday, assuming that Dr Anderberg has no objections on mental health grounds. Any questions?’
    She simply shook her head.
    ‘Well done, Normén, if you carry on like this you’ll do well here,’ he concluded, pushing his chair back from the desk.
    ‘Your debriefing with Anderberg is in ten minutes. Once that’s out of the way you can finish for the week. That’s all. Right, I’m off to the gym.’
    He stood up to indicate that the conversation was over, and Rebecca followed suit. Her head was spinning and she couldn’t help letting slip an unprofessional smile.
    The Alpha group, the reinforcement team, the elite of the personal protection squad. From Monday she would be one of them. No more beginners’ jobs, just serious, qualified bodyguards’ work.
    Well done, Normén – clever girl!
    When she knocked on the psychologist’s door nine minutes and fifty seconds later, she was still trying to suppress the annoying impulse to smile.

3
Are you really sure you want to enter?
    When the bell on the door of the stuffy little shop started playing the opening notes of the theme to
Star Wars
, Magnus Sandström – or Farook Al-Hassan as he now called himself – gave no indication of having heard it. He just carried on reading the crumpled copy of
Metro
spread out on the counter in front of him, scarcely bothering to glance up at the visitor.
    ‘Salaam-Aleikum, brother HP,’ he muttered from the corner of his mouth.
    ‘Hi, Manga,’ HP grinned as he sauntered towards the counter. ‘Anything interesting in the paper today? Let me guess: the recession’s getting worse, Hammarby lost again, and some nutters blew something up somewhere, probably in Baghdad, Bombay, or maybe Timbuktu?’
    ‘Portugal,’ Manga sighed, looking up reluctantly.
    ‘Huh?’
    ‘The nutters blew something up in Lisbon – an empty luxury yacht, to be precise. No-one knows why. But you got two out of three. Hammarby are bloody useless these days.’
    He folded the paper and straightened up with a sullen look on his face.
    ‘And you know perfectly well that I want to be called Farook now,’ he added flatly.
    ‘Of course I know, Mangay-boy! If you insist on turning yourself into a second-class carpet-seller, that’s your decision.’
    He nodded demonstratively at Farook’s middle-eastern trousers, silk waistcoat and long shirt.
    ‘Just don’t expect me