دانلود رمان انگلیسی “نگهبانان کیهان” – کتاب 1 (موتور قساوت)

Neal Hudson stood at the edge of the playground, watching. Something was wrong here, very wrong. He just didn’t know what yet. It was late afternoon. School was out for the day, so the children here were a mix of different ages, the youngest probably around ten, the oldest a pair of high school boys who sat in the grass on the opposite side of the playground from Neal. The teenagers watched the younger children play with studied indifference, likely waiting for them to clear out so they could take over the playground. They’d sit on the swings and talk about whatever teenagers talked about these days. Funny YouTube videos, the latest video games, all the sex they pretended to be having… The majority of kids were middle schoolers, still young enough to enjoy playing on the equipment, but old enough to feel a little embarrassed about it. It was early September, the day warm and sunny, and most of the kids were in T-shirts and shorts. There were a number of parents present, mostly moms, sitting on the wooden benches positioned around the playground or standing and talking in groups. Neal could always tell new moms from more seasoned ones. The less experienced moms kept their eyes glued to their children, as if worried that someone was going to attempt to abduct their precious darlings at any second. The more experienced moms texted or talked on their phones, chatted with friends, or read books and magazines. They’d only look up if someone screamed bloody murder, and if their child wasn’t bleeding to death, they’d return to what they were doing, unconcerned. The majority of the women were in their thirties, with only a couple in their forties. Younger mothers, those with toddlers, would’ve been here earlier in the day, when their little ones could play without any bigger kids around. Neal was one of the few men present, and the only one who kept receiving furtive glances from the mothers. He didn’t blame them for being suspicious of him. In his line of work, you had to be suspicious of everything all the time. It was the only way to get the job done, and – if you were lucky – still be alive when it was over.