Stones: Hypothesis (Stones #2) Read online

  STONES

  (HYPOTHESIS)

  BOOK TWO OF THE STONES SERIES

  by

  Jacob Whaler

  TITLES BY JACOB WHALER

  LUCA

  A computer chip embedded in ancient rock warns of an interstellar Cloud on its way to engulf Earth and destroy all life. Frank Mercer has the means to save a lucky few and restart civilization under his control. With Earth in chaos, fourteen-year-old Luca discovers she can hear the voice of the Cloud in her mind. It’s alive, hungry and searching.

  STONES: DATA (STONES #1)

  Matt Newmark finds a black rock in the shape of a claw and discovers it’s a Stone, a piece of cosmic technology that gives him power over time, matter and energy. Mikal Ryzaard has a Stone as well and plans to create his own hellish version of Paradise on Earth. Ryzaard finds Matt and makes him a proposition: join me or die.

  STONES: HYPOTHESIS (STONES #2)

  Matt finds peace on his own private world with Jessica. It ends when Ryzaard abducts her, forcing Matt to fight or lose everything. With two Stones, Ryzaard is exponentially more powerful, controlling minds and ruling world markets. When Matt discovers there are even more Stones, he engages Ryzaard in a desperate race to gather them.

  STONES: EXPERIMENT (STONES #3)

  Ryzaard tracks down more Stones, taking them for his own. Against his will, Matt is pulled to another world to fight, and Jessica becomes the leader of the resistance on Earth. In the midst of it all, a new Stone Holder emerges with infinitely more power than any of them. She’s capable of destroying entire galaxies and has revenge on her mind.

  STONES: THEORY (STONES #4)

  Nuclear detonations have destroyed cities across the globe. Ryzaard offers humankind a way out of the chaos with Shinto as the new world religion and an implant to unify them under his control. Matt stands alone to face a harrowing decision: become a murderer like Ryzaard or sacrifice all he loves to free the world.

  JACOB WHALER

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Chapter 81

  Chapter 82

  Chapter 83

  Chapter 84

  Chapter 85

  Chapter 86

  Chapter 87

  Chapter 88

  Chapter 89

  Chapter 90

  Chapter 91

  Chapter 92

  Chapter 93

  Chapter 94

  Chapter 95

  Chapter 96

  Chapter 97

  Chapter 98

  Chapter 99

  Chapter 100

  Chapter 101

  Chapter 102

  Chapter 103

  Chapter 104

  Chapter 105

  Chapter 106

  Chapter 107

  Chapter 108

  Chapter 109

  Chapter 110

  Chapter 111

  Chapter 112

  Chapter 113

  Chapter 114

  Chapter 115

  Chapter 116

  Chapter 117

  Chapter 118

  Chapter 119

  Chapter 120

  Chapter 121

  Chapter 122

  Chapter 123

  Chapter 124

  Chapter 125

  Chapter 126

  Chapter 127

  Chapter 128

  Chapter 129

  Chapter 130

  Chapter 131

  Chapter 132

  Chapter 133

  Chapter 134

  Chapter 135

  Chapter 136

  Chapter 137

  Chapter 138

  Chapter 139

  Chapter 140

  Chapter 141

  Chapter 142

  Chapter 143

  Chapter 144

  Chapter 145

  Chapter 146

  Chapter 147

  Chapter 148

  Chapter 149

  Chapter 150

  Chapter 151

  Chapter 152

  Preview

  Chapter 1

  TITLES BY JACOB WHALER

  Copyright

  Please Review this book!

  CHAPTER 1

  Mikal Ryzaard snaps his eyes open to see Jing-wei staring down, panic written on her face.

  “Where am I?” Ryzaard says.

  Jing-wei jumps back, trailing long, black hair, to reveal a white ceiling crossed by a blue I-V drip line. The smell of rubbing alcohol and blood hangs in the air. A heart monitor beeps in the background.

  “Lennox Hill Hospital.” Jing-wei’s face comes back into view, deep lines on her brow, piercing dark eyes the shape of almonds. She speaks in clipped tones, out of breath. “We just got out of the ambulance. The doctors say you’ll be dead in minutes. They’re coming to strip off your clothes and prep you for surgery. I’ve stalled them as long as I can. Why has it taken you so long to wake up?”

  Ignoring the question, Ryzaard thrusts his right hand into the pocket of his tweed jacket, fingers groping for a rock in the shape of a cla
w. Finding it, his fingers relax, and his breath releases its grip on his chest. Eyelids drop down.

  Three seconds later, they shoot open again, seized with terror.

  “The other Stone.” Ryzaard glances from side to side, searching frantically. “The one that belonged to the old Shinto priest. Naganuma. He is dead, isn’t he?” Taking in a sharp breath, Ryzaard stares at his own reflection in Jing-wei’s pupils. The beeps of the heart machine rise to a crescendo.

  “Don’t worry.” Jing-wei’s voice lowers to a whisper. “You opened a hole the size of a cantaloupe in his chest. Some Mafia goons came and got his body. By now it’s at the bottom of a fresh concrete foundation over in New Jersey.” She swallows carefully, voice trembling. “As for the Stone, check your other pocket.”

  His left hand digs into his jacket, finds the hard shape and closes around it. For an instant, he sees the face of the ancient holy man in India he killed for the Stone so many decades ago. A long breath flows out his lips, and he relaxes again, shoulders sinking to the bed. “Did you follow my instructions?”

  “Yes.”

  “To the letter?”

  Jing-wei lifts her head to look around the room and speaks in a slow, deliberate monotone. “To the letter. I was the first one to your side after the intruders left. Naganuma’s Stone was near the wall in a puddle of blood. I picked it up with the calipers and dropped it in your pocket. Then I slipped your hand in and made sure the skin was in direct contact with the Stone before anyone came into the room. You were the first, last and only one to touch it.”

  “Did you touch it? Brush it with your fingers? Even for a second?” Ryzaard’s chest tightens. He studies Jing-wei’s face, searching her eyes for any evidence of a lie.

  “No, absolutely not. I had nano-gloves on the whole time. Just as you instructed.”

  “Good girl.” She is speaking the truth. His chest relaxes, and he tries to raise himself up, but a ragged pain rips through his spine.

  “You’ve already lost six pints of blood. The doctors say you should be dead. They say you suffered brain damage from oxygen deprivation and will need multiple transfusions and extensive reconstructive surgery. Matt’s father must have thrown the dagger hard. It went in deep and severed a major artery.”

  At the sound of Matt’s name, Ryzaard’s lips stretch into a deep frown. “Nonsense. The man got lucky, that’s all.” His fingers wrap hard around both Stones, forearms and biceps flexing. Power surges through his bones. “Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll put myself back together. Like Humpty Dumpty. My Stone will keep me alive, just as it has for a century and a half. Then we’ll take care of Matt and his father. Make sure we are alone.”

  Jing-wei turns, but before she can move to the door, a middle-aged nurse enters, silent as a snake, with a crisp white uniform and bright red hair in a tight bun.

  “I thought I told you to leave.” The nurse’s lips tighten into thin lines on her face. She shoots a glance at Ryzaard. “This man is going to die. He must be prepped for surgery immediately.”

  Ryzaard looks up at Jing-wei and makes no attempt to whisper. “Get the nurse out of here. She is crazy if she thinks I’m having surgery. This is nothing more than a flesh wound. It will heal on its own in no time.” He attempts to raise himself, holding back the pain with a grimace. “Help me up. I’m going home.”

  “The patient is experiencing a hallucinatory reaction to massive blood loss.” The nurse flexes her jaw muscles, approaches the bed and slams Ryzaard back down. Her face thrusts itself into his view and twists to look at Jing-wei. “I’m sorry,” she says, her voice rising an octave. “Whoever plunged the knife in his chest meant to kill this man. It’s a miracle he’s alive. The internal hemorrhaging has resulted in hypovolemic shock, which I don’t expect you to understand. Long story short, he’s within seconds of immediate cardiovascular collapse.” Reaching across Ryzaard and clamping down on Jing-wei’s arm, the nurse sheds any attempt at civility. “You are going to leave. Now.”

  “But—”

  “If you don’t exit the room this instant, I’ll have security here in ten seconds.” The nurse reaches into her pocket and pulls out a stainless steel jax that looks more like a scalpel than a communications device.

  Ryzaard lifts his hand and grabs Jing-wei’s other arm. “Don’t let this butcher touch me.”

  Jing-wei drops her gaze down to Ryzaard and winks. She lifts her head and stares back at the nurse, lips twisting into a fake smile. “I was just on my way out.” Moving away, she picks her purse off a table and walks past the nurse to the door, heels clicking on the hard floor.

  “Do not abandon me,” Ryzaard says. “These savages intend to kill me.”

  The nurse stands, eyes following Jing-wei with a cold stare all the way to the door.

  When Jing-wei reaches out for the handle, the nurse turns her attention back to Ryzaard.

  Jing-wei drops her fingers into her purse and pulls out a short silver tube with a protruding needle. She pivots, swinging her hand. The needle rams into the back of the nurse’s neck.

  The nurse folds in upon herself and collapses to the floor.

  Jing-wei shuts the door. “We don’t have much time, maybe ten minutes before she wakes up.”

  “I only need five,” Ryzaard says. “Now help me get my hands on this wound.”

  Three minutes later, he opens his eyes and pulls back his hands to stare at the open palms. “Two Stones. Incredible power. Quicker than I thought. Good as new.” Still dressed in the rags of his tweed jacket, he raises himself up into a sitting position and wipes the blood off his hands onto the bed sheet. “Let’s get out of here.” He bounds off the bed and walks to the door past a wide-eyed Jing-wei. Then he stops, as if just remembering something important. “Where’s my Boker?”

  “Your what?”

  “My Boker. The dagger they pulled out of my chest. I always carry it with me.”

  Jing-wei looks frantically around the room, overturning chairs and knocking over a lamp. Her eyes fall on a crimson stained towel wrapped around a long skinny object lying on a tray by the sink. “Right here.” She picks up the towel. The blade falls out onto her bare hands, leaving a red smear. She draws her fingers back, and the dagger drops to the floor with a clang.

  Ryzaard rushes to her side and picks it up, wiping it on the towel. “Let’s go,” he says, gripping the dagger as if he’s about to turn and thrust it into the nearest person.

  Outside the door, another nurse walks briskly down the hall toward them, staring in disbelief. Her eyes move across Ryzaard’s body and come to rest on the knife in his hand. One eyebrow rises. “Where are you going? They’re waiting for you in surg—”

  “As you can see, I am fully recovered.” He parts his dirty jacket and opens the blood-soaked shirt, exposing a chest devoid of wounds. With studied nonchalance, he turns and shoots a quick glance at Jing-wei. “Buddhist faith healing. Now, with all due respect, I must leave. Urgent business calls me away.” He walks a few paces down the hall and then turns back to the nurse, still standing open-mouthed in the corridor. “I believe your colleague is experiencing a bit of light-headedness. She is resting in the room. You may want to check on her.”

  They leave the hospital through an emergency exit on the bottom floor, triggering alarms and flashing lights. A black limousine waits at the curb with an open back door. Ryzaard and Jing-wei slip inside.

  The instant the door shuts, the limo screeches forward down a narrow street.

  Ryzaard’s eyes snap shut.

  In the silent interior of the car, Jing-wei draws in a long, audible breath. “Matt and Jessica are gone. It’s on the video. They simply . . .”

  “Vanished?” Ryzaard’s eyes flutter open.

  “Exactly.” Jing-wei drops her gaze to the floor, chin resting on her chest. “And I’m sorry to say all the intruders got away. Matt’s father and most of the others dressed in black. In all the chaos, they slipped away without a trace before we could call security. It l
ooks like they used the elevator shaft.” Jing-wei turns to face Ryzaard. “The only ones in the room are the six men you cut down. What’s left of them. We tried to follow the others, but—”

  “Quiet,” Ryzaard says. “I need time to complete the bonding.” He takes both Stones out of his pockets and holds them in his open palms, focusing intently. “And I never want to hear the names of Matt and Jessica spoken in my presence again? Is that understood?”

  “Perfectly.” Jing-wei rests her head against the back cushion and looks out the window at the buildings speeding past. After a couple of seconds, her body relaxes into the seat and her eyelids drop down and close.

  CHAPTER 2

  Kent Newmark’s body bounces up and down with each bone-crunching lurch of the cargo hold. It’s been at least five hours since he was rescued from Ryzaard by the mysterious black-clad youths. All he remembers is rappelling to the bottom of the elevator shaft of the MX Global building, five floors below ground, and making his way through the subway station and up to street level where an ancient cargo truck was waiting to pick them up. Judging from its speed and the constant jarring, they’re traversing a pothole-infested country road, far away from the city. His infrared goggles have long since slipped from his face. Blackness is all around him.

  One thought dominates his mind, panic in its wake.

  Where is Matt? My beautiful son. Vanished before my eyes.

  His head goes down into his hands.

  The whole day is a blur. A series of firsts. The first time he ever broke into a high-security building. The first time he ever looked into his son’s eyes as an equal and, for a fleeting few seconds, felt the connection.

  The first time he ever killed a man.

  It’s hard to believe. Ryzaard, the new CEO of MX SciFin, dead from a knife in the chest that Kent threw himself.

  Replaying the scene in his mind, the muscles of his arm tense as he sees the blade fly from his fingers. In a flash of primal anger, Kent put everything he had into it. He can’t deny the satisfaction that settled over him as the dagger sank deep into Ryzaard’s flesh.

  Kent’s lips move in the dark, speaking directly to Ryzaard.

  You tried to kill my son. You deserve to die.

  The burning question returns.

  Where is Matt now?

  It was the most incredible thing Kent ever saw. One second Matt was kneeling in front of him, just a couple of feet away, and the next second he was gone. Vanished. Just like a magician’s smoke and mirrors.