Read The Darkness to Come for Free Online

within the pines, the snow around him like hardening cement. Standing amidst a tall drift, he began to dig.
    He worked at a swift, machinelike pace. It was pure, invigorating labor. The chilly air felt good in his lungs. Although work like this reminded him of being in prison, it was not a bad memory.
    Prison, though it broke the spirits of many men, had been good for him in numerous ways. Prison had stripped away the extraneous layers of his personality and exposed the brilliant gem in the center of it all. Prison had taught him patience. Prison had taught him that he could take anything that life threw at him—anything in the world—and still emerge victorious.
    With a deep grave dug, he returned to the Chevy and collected the blanket-wrapped body. He lifted it out of the truck with the ease of a baker carrying a loaf of bread.
    He had dropped the body into the grave and was shoveling snow over it when he sensed a darting motion in the corner of his eye.
    He whirled, gripping the shovel across his chest like a rifle.
    Nothing was out here. Only pine trees, and vistas of hard snow. He did not see any animals—nothing.
    But the nape of his neck was cool and damp. Something had been there. Someone had been watching him.
    Suddenly, there was a loud hissing noise, so close it was as if a large snake had twisted between his legs. He looked down.
    No snake. Only the mantle of ice and snow covering the ground.
    What the fuck?
    He dropped the shovel and withdrew the knife. He hadn’t yet cleaned the weapon. Blood stained the blade, dripped in bright red dots onto the pure white snow.
    Gripping the knife, he moved forward, snow crackling underneath his boots.
    The air was crisp—and utterly still. As if the morning itself were holding its breath.
    He peered around a tree, in the area where the darting movement had originated. There was nothing there. No snake, nothing. Anyway, snakes were cold-blooded creatures and never would have exposed themselves to such frigid weather.
    Although he loathed admitting it, perhaps his nerves were the culprit. He’d been out of the joint for only a few hours, but he’d been in prison for years, and in many ways, he’d emerged into a strange new world. Colors were brighter than he remembered, smells were sharper, objects moved faster. As if his life in prison had been a dream and now he was finally awake again.
    He was still adjusting, that was all. Nothing to worry about.
    He looked around again, saw nothing of interest, and sheathed the blade. He finished burying the old man’s body, and drove the Chevy back onto the main road.
    Once he arrived in Chicago and retrieved his belongings, he could get down to his real business.
    Finding his wife.
     

Chapter 4
     
     
    Joshua met his longtime best friend, Eddie Barnes, for lunch. He and Eddie made it a point to get together for lunch at least once a week, to discuss business and catch up on whatever was happening in their personal lives. They alternated who picked the dining spot; this week it was Joshua’s turn, and he selected The Fox Sports Grill in Atlantic Station—though he was almost certain Eddie was going to have a problem with his choice.
    Atlantic Station was a popular live-work-play district in the Midtown section of Atlanta, with an abundance of upscale shopping and good restaurants. The establishment, true to its name, was a hot spot for watching prime sporting events: located in a cavernous space, the restaurant featured banks of plasma televisions and giant projection screens, an enormous bar, better-than-average food, and a wide selection of strong drinks.
     At eleven-thirty, the lunchtime rush was kicking into high bear. A diverse crowd clad in suits and business casual clothing were gathering around the tables, and throngs of women laden with holiday shopping bags from stores such as Banana Republic and Dillard’s were bellying up to the bar and ordering cocktails.
    Sitting across from Joshua at a corner booth, Eddie