The Tears of Nero (The Halo Group Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

reward us with a million dollars.”
    “I agree,” Edward said.  “The chest is there for a different reason.  But we’ll still need to open it to find out.”  
    “Wait a minute,” Henry said, raising his voice enough to get everyone’s attention.  “This seems too convenient.  We’re stuck on an island with no clue as to how we arrived or why we‘re here.  None of us know each other.  We‘re at the mercy of our friendly neighborhood whackjob, Nero.  And now we stumble upon a nice, convenient treasure chest.  For all we know that thing could be filled with explosives or poisonous snakes or any number of dangerous things.  We could be walking right into a trap.”
    “Maybe not,” Sadie argued.  “What if this is some sort of reality show?  Like Survivor.  That treasure chest looks like something that might contain clues or instructions for a task of some sort.”
    “Well, I’ve only watched Survivor a couple of times,” Franklin interjected.  “But I’ve never seen them drug and kidnap any of the contestants.  Maybe they’ve changed the rules a bit to boost ratings.”
    Sadie gave Franklin a dirty look and turned her attentions toward Edward and the chest. 
    “I’m going to open it,” Edward said.  “It’s obvious that somebody went to a lot of trouble to bring us here.  I don’t think they’ve done all this just to kill us off.  I also don’t think we’ll get any more answers unless we cooperate.”
    “Makes sense,” Henry conceded.  “But I still don’t like it.  Be careful when you open that box.”
    Edward nodded and bent over the chest with his legs spread apart.  Like a safecracker, he wiggled his fingers for dramatic effect, smiled nervously, and reached down to try the lid.  At first glance the chest looked like it would be difficult to open.  He was surprised when the lid opened without a creak.  Despite their appearance, the hinges were well-oiled.   
    “Well?” Franklin demanded. 
    “Yeah, are we rich?” Sadie asked. 
    “I wouldn‘t quit your day job yet,” Edward said, stepping aside.  “See for yourself.” 
    The group had expected something very good like millions of gold doubloons or something very bad like broken vials of Bubonic plague.  What they hadn’t expected to find was a digital voice recorder, some old musty documents, bottles of water, and energy bars. 
    “Look on the inside of the lid,” Henry pointed out.  “There’s a word.  Patmos.”
    “Anybody know what that means?” Franklin asked.
    “That’s the island where John the Revelator was exiled,” Sadie said.  “It’s where he received a vision from God and wrote The Book of Revelation.”
    “Very good, young lady,” Henry said, impressed by the girl with the flaming red hair. 
    “Are we stuck on the island of Patmos?” Franklin asked.  “It hardly seems like a place I’d want to vacation.  Nobody‘s offered me one of those little poofy drinks with the umbrellas.  Cancel my reservation please!”
    “Patmos is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea,” Sadie said.  “That’s about all I know.”
    “You sure are a wealth of knowledge,” Franklin said.
    “I do what I can,” Sadie replied. 
    “Maybe we should see if there’s anything useful on that voice recorder,” Henry suggested. 
    Edward pushed the ‘Play’ button. 
    The group crowded around him, eager to hear what was said. 
    “Hello, good people,” a deep, synthesized voice said.  “My name is Nero.  You’re as smart as I gave you credit for because you found the chest.  You’ve traveled a long way to be here with me, so I’ll be brief.  You are prisoners on this island.  The only way to get off this island is through me.  There are other chests like this one situated around the island.  It will be up to you to find them…and to decipher their meaning.  Failure to do so will cost you your lives.  The horses of the Apocalypse are stabled.  I‘d like to set them free!