The Secret War - 1st novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 14 .

Owen

"What did you find out?"

I didn't know anyone from Mars, but I knew several people on Earth who did. After contacting all of them, and then contacting their contacts on Mars, only one knew of the Ma'amaloa's.

"First, what about our deal?"

The man projected through my volo was skinny in that way that seemed unhealthy, a small black mustache, sallow skin, but he was supposedly one of Vai's neighbors back on Mars.

"The deal is ready to go through on my end," I said. "You should be receiving the mechatronics by the end of the month."

The man's cheek twitched slightly.

"As long as I receive the information I need," I added.

The man frowned.

"Owen."

I had muted the phone call as soon as my dad had said the O in Owen and temporarily cut the visual projection.

The door slid open and my dad stood in the door frame with his viola in one hand and bow in the other.

"Yes, dad?"

"What are you doing?" He came in and sat at the edge of my bed. He fiddled with the pegs.

"Reading up on the Brist system," I lied. I was sitting at my desk - my okulus was on my desk in front of me. I glanced down at my okulus. The call was still connected, but the man wouldn't wait long and I needed to know what he found out. My volo floated around near my head.

My dad nodded. "Do you want to try the restaurant on deck 6 later? What was it called again?"

"Museum Delectables because it's on the same level as the museum."

"Right," dad said. He began to randomly pluck the strings on the viola.

"Sure, Dad. Let's go there tonight, but let me finish this first."

Dad nodded, stood up, walked to the door, but paused there. "Everything's going all right, yes? No troubles? Making new friends?"

"Yes to all that," I said. "I'll tell you about school and new friends tonight at dinner okay? I really should finish this."

Dad nodded and left. The door slid shut behind him.

I opened up the visual connection again and unmuted the man from Mars.

His arms were crossed tightly. The muscles in his forearms moved underneath his skin. His cheek twitched more than before.

"Sorry about that," I said to him. "I had an unexpected visitor. Now, do you have any news on the K'thaktra kid named Thrissko?" I had changed my background for phone calls so it looked like I was sitting in an office and not in my bedroom.

The man let out a low sigh that went on longer than it should have. He looked at me in a pointed way to make it clear he wasn't happy to be put on hold for so long.

"I can just cancel the mechatronic order now and tell my associate not to do business with you in the future," I said.

"No, no," the man said. He held up a hand for emphasis. "I haven't found out anything about the K'thaktra kid yet, but I do have some news for you on the Ma'amaloa's house."

"I don't need news on the Ma'amaloa's house. I need . . ."

"People broke in and were removing things."