Read Prophecy. An ARKANE thriller. (Book 2) for Free Online Page A

scared for the others. They’re vulnerable and they’re in my care.”
    “It’s OK, Di. We’ll figure this out. We always do.”
    Morgan studied the outline on the wall. She had the original pictures that Dinah had emailed on her phone but they hadn’t adequately shown the scale. It was a life-size horse, rearing up with nostrils wide and flaring in wild abandon. On its back was the rider of death. She had seen this image before in the pale horse tattoo of Thanatos.  
    “What’s going on?” she whispered, studying the surface of the drawing. This had to be connected to the group who had pursued her across the world for the Pentecost stones, but why might they be interested in this Institute? A community of mentally disturbed people on the outskirts of a city turbulent with religious fervor. What was she missing?Morgan went to Abraham’s desk, an old wooden table and chair that looked like one she had used at school. There was an mp3 player on the desk, its green chrome surface unmarked. It looked new, a contrast to the aged wood it sat upon.  
    “Are the patients allowed audio?” she asked Dinah, who was now sitting on the bed, her face haggard and drawn.  
    “Yes, that’s part of the study Zoebios is doing here. It’s a combination of drug trial paired with audio stimulation.”
    “So where are the headphones?”
    “There’s a special headset that goes with the audio program. Maybe someone took it back to the storage area. It uses deep trans-cranial stimulation and it’s been shown to reduce depression and improve mood. We’ve been trialling them for Zoebios in recent weeks.”
    Morgan turned to her friend, her voice urgent.  
    “Di, I need to see them. Trans-cranial stimulation has also been used to invoke visions of God. Remember the Persinger God helmet we studied?”  
    Dinah looked up.  
    “Of course, but these headphones are nothing like that. They’re just slightly bigger than usual. The God helmet used by Persinger was more like a motorcycle helmet covered in electrodes. Anyway, I thought it didn’t even work.”
    Morgan turned back to look at the outline on the wall.  
    “Certain types of people did sense a presence physically near them in the room during the study. Those with religious leanings believed it was God or sometimes Satan, so it might be relevant. Could you get me one of those headsets? I want to listen to what’s on this mp3 player.”  
    Dinah rose slowly from the bed, her back hunched and taut with stress. Morgan could see the toll this situation was taking on her friend. Dinah went back into the corridor and Morgan heard her footsteps recede down the hallway. The Dinah she knew was fast and active, but these steps were slow and heavy. She frowned and returned to her search of the room. Aldous Huxley’s book ‘The Doors Of Perception’ sat on a shelf and a quote from the book was stuck to the wall. “Maybe this world is another planet’s hell." Morgan smiled wryly. She had this book on her own bookshelf. She felt a flash of compassion for the dead man. In other circumstances would she be the one shut in an institute like this?  
    She heard a click from behind her.  
    Morgan turned to see the door shut and a brief glimpse of a face staring in at her. She rushed to the door to find it locked. She banged on it, shouting for Dinah. Then an explosion rocked the building.  

Morgan braced herself against the door as chunks of masonry fell from the ceiling. She ducked to the floor, covering her head and then rolled under the metal bed to protect herself. She could hear patients’ screams above the cacophony of the alarm. Where was Dinah? Was she safe?  
    Another explosion, closer now. But this time the door buckled as the door frame broke and Morgan saw her chance to escape. Struggling out from under the bed, she grabbed the old wooden chair by the desk and smashed it against the wall. The chair broke apart as she focused her energy into the blow. Morgan wedged the