The Last Adventure of Constance Verity (36 page)
Read The Last Adventure of Constance Verity Online
Authors: A. Lee Martinez
A bearded man in a thobe flung open the door and stumbled into the break room. Connie's reflexes kicked in. She caught him before he fell over. Three daggers were stuck in his back.
“Take it easy,” Connie said.
Tia was already calling for an ambulance.
The Bedouin pressed a large ruby into her hand. “You must return this to the Cave of Thieves or many innocent people will die.”
Dinner with Byron would have to be rescheduled. Too bad. She'd been eager to try his “world-famous” burgers, but she had time to catch him before he started grilling.
“Sure, sure,” said Connie. “Just stay with me.”
But the Bedouin was already dead. She laid him down and checked for any attackers. The coast was clear.
“Poor guy,” said Tia. “What are you going to do?”
A quick search of the Bedouin turned up a map of northern Africa with a big red X over the Hoggar Mountains. Nothing else of interest.
“Looks like I'm headed to Algeria,” said Connie. “Want to come along?”
“I have this meeting at two,” said Tia, “and there's a pile of paperwork I have to get to. Guess you'll have to pick up a scrappy sidekick somewhere else. Are we still on for Friday movie night?”
“Wouldn't miss it.” Connie tucked the gem and map into her pocket.
“Call me if something comes up,” said Tia.
“I'll be there.”
“Just the same . . .”
“Tia, come ninjas or dinosaurs or robot attack, I'll be there. I'll find a way.”
Connie smiled, already making travel arrangements there and back in her head.
“It's what I do.”
A. LEE MARTINEZ
is the author of ten fantasy novels. Martinez's first published novel,
Gil's All Fright Diner
, was awarded an Alex Award by the American Library Association. His books have been translated into five languages. Born in El Paso, Texas, he currently resides outside of Austin, Texas, where he enjoys video games, juggling, origami, skulking, and time travel.
He can be found at
aleemartinez.com
and on Twitter:
@aleemartinez
.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
authors.simonandschuster.com/A-Lee-Martinez
ALSO BY A. LEE MARTINEZ
Gil's All Fright Diner
In the Company of Ogres
A Nameless Witch
The Automatic Detective
Too Many Curses
Monster
Chasing the Moon
Divine Misfortune
Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain
Helen & Troy's Epic Road Quest
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⢠This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. â¢Â Text copyright © 2016 by Alex Martinez â¢Â Jacket illustration copyright © 2016 by John Picacio â¢Â All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. â¢Â SAGA PRESS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or
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. â¢Â Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress. â¢Â ISBN 978-1-4814-4351-7 (hardcover) â¢Â ISBN 978-1-4814-4353-1 (eBook)