The Shadow by James Patterson EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: James Patterson
- Language: English
- Genre: Vigilante Justice Thrillers
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
I HEAR THEY used to call it “lockdown.” Back then it was mostly a drill,
a just-in-case thing. At my high school, it’s pretty much a permanent
condition. Same for every school in the world at this point. Bars on every
door and window. Armed guards in every hallway. Except now they’re not
so worried about shooters getting in. They just don’t want the students to
get out.
“Gomes, Maddy!”
It’s my teacher, Ms. Baynes, the one with the really annoying voice.
She’s reading out the class roster like a prison roll call. One after the other,
every kid stands up and delivers the correct response, which is “Present,
ma’am!” Me, I just raise my hand and move it slightly from side to side,
like an olden-times princess waving to a crowd. Baynes decides not to nail
me for it, at least not this time. The roll ends with “Zale, Renny,” who
practically shouts her “Present, ma’am!” then adds, “Pleasure to be in your
class, ma’am!”
“Suck-up.”
It’s Lisa Crane, sitting two seats away from me. She says it under her
breath, but Renny hears it. In a split second, Renny jumps out of her chair
and goes after Lisa. She wrestles her out of her seat and they both land hard
on the tile floor.
“Learn your place, ferret!” shouts Renny. Her hair is hanging in Lisa’s
face.
Lisa can’t shout back because Renny has her hand pressed hard over her
mouth. All that’s coming out of Lisa are grunts and squeals. Half the kids
are out of their chairs now. The other half are pretending that nothing is
happening. I’m in the first half. Baynes moves toward the fight, but not too
close.
I’ve seen these two go at it before. Renny’s dad works for the
government, and it makes her crazy to be mixed in with the daughter of an
irrigation worker.
Class warfare at its finest. Their last fight turned into a full-scale riot,
and the whole class got work duty all morning.
That can’t happen today. Not to me. I have plans.
I reach out and grab Renny’s shirt and yank it hard. She’s bigger than I
am, but I catch her off-balance. When she falls backward, we’re nose to
nose.
“Enough, Renny!” I say. “Leave it!” In a few seconds, it’s all over.
Renny gets to her feet, breathing hard, and slumps back into her chair.
Lisa is still on the floor, her face red and splotchy.
“Ass polisher!” she mutters to Renny’s back. One last shot.
“Seats! Now!” shouts Baynes. She has her hand on her red pendant
button, ready to call the guards. But I know she’d rather let things calm
down on their own. Another disturbance report wouldn’t look so good on
her record, seeing as class control is her main job.
Everybody settles. Baynes shuffles her notes on the lectern and starts to
drone away. But I’m not listening to her. I’m not looking at her.
I can’t keep my eyes off the clock.
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