When the varsity Hornets ran onto the court, Jack Harding was at the concession stand. He was in a great mood, chatting it up with anyone willing to talk. Clay and Jessie paid and entered the stands without his notice. Jessie was holding onto Clay like she was afraid to lose sight of him. When the horn sounded to end warm-ups, the players lined up on the court for the National Anthem. Jack made his way among the fans and paid no attention to the basketball team, arms around each other’s shoulders, warm-up jackets still on. The crowd clapped after the Anthem, and to mild applause, the public address announcer went through the starting lineup of the Clio Mustangs. Then the lights went down and the spotlight swooped toward the Kearsley Hornet bench.
“Starting at one forward, at 6’2”, number 33, senior, Mike Powell…Starting at the other forward, at 6’3”, number 42, junior, Luke Simms…Starting at center, at 6’6”, number 44, senior, Tommy Monroe…Starting at one guard, at 5’11”, number 21, senior, Kevin Harding…And starting at the other guard, at 6’2”, number 23, senior, Tanner Thomas!” The crowd roared its final approval as Tanner Thomas took the floor, spotlight following his run to shake hands with the referees and Clio’s coach, and finally to join with his teammates at half court. Jack Harding sat in shock. How could something like this happen?
“You really get kidnapped today?” Kevin asked Tanner as they took the floor for the jump ball.
“Yep.”
“And you’re okay to play?”
“Kevin, let’s just kick these guys’ butts. It’s time to play ball right now. I’m okay; let’s just play ball.” Tanner made those remarks with such pure intensity that Luke, Mike, and Sprout overheard, and each of them geared up for one special game.
Sprout tapped the opening tip to Mike, who zipped it to Tanner, who lofted it to Luke, who laid it in for a two-point lead—three seconds, no dribbles, two points. On Clio’s first possession, a Mustang player tried to complete a cross-court pass, but Tanner intercepted it, took three dribbles and passed to the right wing to Kevin, whose three-pointer hit nothing but net. After the basket, the Hornets dropped back to their half-court man-to-man defense. A Mustang shot finally went up after a half-dozen passes and Tanner leaped high for the rebound, snapping it down with his right hand, and slapping it into his left. Immediately, he was on his way down the court. He looked to his right, crossed over with amazing quickness to his left, and entered the lane. As the last Clio defender stepped up to stop Tanner, he slipped a short, quick pass back to the right to Mike Powell, who laid it in for two more points. Now down 7-0, Clio set up its offense a second time, and on a drive from the wing, Sprout got a small piece of the shot. It still managed to catch a little rim, but Tanner came down with the ball. A whistle was blown when a Mustang player was called for a reach-in foul. Luke passed the ball in bounds, and Tanner set up the Kearsley offense, holding up two fingers. Monroe set a high screen, and Tanner used it to drive to his right. Sprout rolled down the lane and received a slick behind-the-back pass from Tanner. Monroe took one step and slammed down a two-handed dunk. Clio’s coach rose to call a time-out, but the ball was passed in before the official acknowledged it. Tanner stole the pass and converted a left-handed lay-up. The Mustangs got their time-out after Thomas’s basket, but after five possessions each player had scored and Tanner had two points, two rebounds, two steals, and four assists. Kearsley was ahead 11-0. The players hollered and slapped fives all the way to the bench. The route was on.
There was a 40 point lead and a running clock by the time the fourth quarter started. The final score was 87-42, a 45 point victory. Powell had a career-high ten points. Kevin Harding had 16, Luke Simms had 15, and Sprout Monroe had 21. Tanner Thomas finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals, and a school-record 17 assists—he had finished with a triple-double. Jack Harding’s plan went up in smoke. Tanner could not be held for ransom, he emerged as a greater leader and greater star than at any other time in his career, and Jack had lost an additional 4,000 dollars. What was supposed to be a momentous time of revenge turned out to be just another bad day for Jack Harding. He was steaming mad as he left the bleachers and headed out of the gym, making only one quick glance over his shoulder at Clay and his pathetic wife, who was clinging to his arm. He was going to have to go back to the drawing board if he wanted his revenge on Clay Thomas.
***
Clay finally remembered to call Detective Hutchinson at halftime of the game. He called again from the school once the game ended, and “Hutch” and his partner, John Janski, were waiting in their driveway when the Thomas family returned home. Hutch went into the house with the family while his partner continued talking on the police radio. Tanner began his story once again, describing the driver as best as he could, but knowing he’d never recognize him because of the hat, coat, and sunglasses.
“He didn’t seem suspicious to you when you first met him?” the detective asked.
“No, the sun was shining, and it was windy and cold. There was nothing suspicious about how he looked, and he was friendly and helpful.”
“Well, we’ve already tracked down the AAA membership card. The owner, who lives in Wayne County, checked his wallet for his card, and it was missing. He hadn’t reported it because he hadn’t realized it was missing. We have a handwriting sample from when your kidnapper signed for the tow. Clive Cussler is obviously made up. We also now have the vehicle that Tanner drove home.”
“Excuse me, Hutch,” the partner entered the house and interrupted. “Dispatch says the license plates don’t match the vehicle. Plates were stolen from a different gray Trailblazer in Inkster. The truck in the driveway was driven off a used-car lot, a dealership off Telegraph Road in Dearborn. Seems a college kid was taking the truck for a test drive. When he returned, some guy in a Tiger’s jacket and hat grabbed the kid’s truck key right out of his hands and drove away. We’ll impound the vehicle and check for prints or other evidence.”
“Thanks, Janski. Oh, and check the abduction site. Genesee Road between Old Genesee and Thorntree.” Hutch turned his attention back to Tanner. “Anything else to add, Tanner?” Hutch asked.
“Janski and Hutch?” Tanner smiled.
“Nice to see you have your sense of humor still intact,” Hutch replied as he rolled his eyes and smirked. “It’s Hutch and Janski. Anything else you remember?”
“Just after he pressed the gun to my neck, he made a phone call. I called 9-1-1 at exactly the same time. I was going to keep the call open, but I didn’t. You’ll know the exact time he made the call though. The dude said, ‘We got him,’” Tanner informed the detective. “Maybe you can trace the call, somehow. I have the cell phone number…”
“What? How’d you manage that?”
“Um…you’re prob’ly not gonna believe this, but I asked him for it, and he gave it to me.”
Hutchinson had quite a skeptical look when he asked, “What is it?”
“313-818-4444.”
“Had to be lying to you, but check it out,” Hutch told Janski. He turned back to Tanner. “Did you see where they took you?”
“No, but I know the general area. Maybe I could find it again. When they let me go, I didn’t know where I was, and I was trying to get away…in the dark.”
“Do you know why they took you?”
“He said it was ‘payback…more than 20 years overdue.’”
“Does that make sense to any of you?” Detective Hutchinson asked the family, but no one had a clue.
“Well, we’ll be looking into this. We’ll let you know. Call if you think of anything else. We’ll probably have a man following you around for awhile, until we get this figured out.”
“Do you think those men will come after Tanner again?” Jessie wanted to know.
“I don’t think so, Mrs. Thomas. Those men gave Tanner the truck key, gave him their phone number—maybe—and let him drive away unharmed. It’s the guy who hired those men that we’ll be looking for. He’s the real kidnapper.”
After fingerprinting Tanner to e
liminate his prints from any pulled from the truck, the policemen were escorted to the door and out of the house. The family, seated together on the living room couch, took another minute to thank the Lord that Tanner was safe. None of this made sense to anyone.
***
When Tanner finally pried himself away from his mother and went to his room, Clay managed to look in for a moment. “You used your powers without eye-contact?”
“How did you know that?”
“Believe it or not, I read your mind in the car.”
“I thought you couldn’t do that?”
“I didn’t know I could, but I think it’s happened twice now. I’m going to visit a neuroscientist tomorrow at U of M. I’m hoping to get some answers. No matter what’s going on here, Tanner, the most important thing is you’re safe. We love you.”
“I love you guys too, Dad. It’s good to be home.”
CHAPTER 20
Clay got up early on Saturday morning. Jessie and Tanner were both still in bed when he left at 7:00 to visit Dr. Zander Frauss. Dr. Frauss was a neuroscientist for the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatric Medicine. What had caught Clay’s attention when he did some research was that Dr. Frauss headed the parapsychology laboratory called The Division of Perceptual Studies. The good doctor seemed more than happy to meet with Clay at 8:00 AM and answer some of his questions.
“Good to meet you, Mr. Thomas,” Dr. Frauss said while gripping Clay’s hand in a firm handshake. “Have a seat, please.” Frauss had a pleasant smile to go with his strong, confident handshake. He had blond hair with a few strands of gray, but he looked to be no more than in his mid-forties. He was clean-shaven, was wearing a casual sweater and a pair of khaki pants. He didn’t even have glasses as Clay imagined a scientist would wear. He simply was not what Clay was expecting. The office had family pictures, sports paraphernalia, and a limited number of books. The one book on his desk was a Bible. They both sat down in comfortable leather chairs facing each other. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, I hope I’m not wasting your time, and mine as well, for that matter, but I have some questions. As I told you on the phone, I stumbled upon your name while doing an Internet search.”
“Yes, I recall.”
“May I ask what exactly you do as the head of a parapsychology laboratory?”
“Of course. I, and my staff, basically do research and experimentation in the field of parapsychology. I am a neuroscientist first. I’m hired by the University, but occasionally I’ve earned government grants to do studies in the field of neuroscience or any of its related sub-fields, of which parapsychology is one.”
“So you are a believer in people having mental powers?”
“As a scientist, I would never accept the ideas of parapsychology by faith alone—a ‘believer’—as you say. These mental powers that you suggest would have to have scientific substance for me to be a ‘believer.’”
“Have you discovered people with mind-powers in your research?”
“Of course.”
“Many?”
“No, not many, and usually those with quote, ‘powers,’ have raised more questions than answers. I work under the assumption that there is a scientific, identifiable, medical reason that a person exhibits parapsychological powers, but I’ve yet to come across anyone who has strong enough powers to prove any of my theories. Several are simply mentalists, like in the TV show. They have great mental acuity, intelligence, and/or skills of observation, which allow them to manipulate thoughts and behavior. They can appear to know more about a subject than they really do. Cold readings and hot readings are examples of this. Through our tests and experiments and studies, we occasionally find evidence that people display actual parapsychological abilities, but the abilities always seem to be weak and inconsistent.”
“Do you feel the powers are demonic in some way?” That was a question weighing on Clay’s mind.
“Mr. Thomas, I believe in the occult. It’s real. I’m a born-again Christian, and I’m certain that Satan rules this world and that there are dark practices at work, but that is not what I’m talking about here. For some reason, there are people that have extra mental abilities. That is what I’m talking about. There are people who can do things with their minds. Their brains work better than other people’s brains. We’ve done scientific research, and I’m convinced from the field of neuroscience that there are people who get better use of their minds than others.”
“Can you give examples?”
“I could give you dozens, but it’s time I asked you a few questions, Mr. Thomas.”
“Please, call me Clay.”
“Of course, Clay. Now you tell me. What have you experienced that leads you here? People don’t come to see me simply to satisfy curiosity. People come to me because they believe they’ve had some sort of parapsycological experience. So what’s yours?”
Clay never expected Zander Frauss to take the offensive. He wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m not sure if I’m in a position to talk about it, Dr. Frauss.”
“Please, call me Zander.”
“Okay.” Clay couldn’t help but smile. “Zander, may I explain by using hypotheticals?”
“If you wish.”
“Just in case you somehow think I’m talking about myself, who else will know about this conversation?”
“I promise you, Clay, as God is my witness, what you say in this room, stays in this room. I’ve had more people than you could believe sitting right where you are in this office, all of whom have had some sort of experience, and most of whom have no true parapsychological abilities. I listen and I advise. You talk, and I’ll listen. Then you can decide if you would like to talk some more.”
“Okay, Zander.” Clay took a deep breath. He had never discussed with a sole, save Tanner just about a week and a half before, what he was about to discuss with Dr. Zander Frauss. “Suppose someone claims that he…or she…can influence what people think. He…or she…can put thoughts in a person’s mind and make them do or say or feel or even forget whatever he wants. Do you believe that is possible?”
“Is this person especially intelligent?”
“Let’s just say the person is above average.”
“Did this person ever have any trauma to the brain or any special circumstance that may have influenced the neurology of the brain?”
Clay had to think about that one. Neither he nor Tanner had ever had a concussion that he was aware of. “You mean like a concussion?”
“Possibly, but more likely a neck/spinal injury or something like a period of time where the brain was starved of oxygen, like a strangulation and resuscitation. Did this person ever have to be revived?”
“What if he…or she…had?” Clay tried not to give evidence of the chill that went through his body.
“Well, our research seems to indicate that those people who actually show genuine abilities have much more active brain activity in the medulla oblongata. That’s the part of the brain associated with autonomic functions, which affect the heart rate, digestion, breathing, perspiration, dilation of the pupils, urination, and even sexual arousal, for instance. Whereas most of its actions are involuntary, some, such as breathing, work in tandem with the conscious mind. The medulla oblongata is thought to be in two parts. One part is open and one part is closed. We’ve found that in people with special mental abilities, the closed part is at least partially open, caused generally by spinal cord trauma or some sort of trauma caused by strangulation. With both parts open, these people receive ‘super’ autonomic functions, in a sense. As I said, most autonomic functions are involuntary, but some, like breathing, can be conscious or unconscious. A person can make himself stop breathing or blink or hold his urine, for instance. Our research seems to indicate that persons with special mental abilities are getting additional sensory information through the medulla oblongata, those ‘super’ autonomic functions I mentioned. Their brains are inputting data that mine isn’t. But the kicker is, th
ey are somehow able to control that input. They can control objects or control thoughts of others or control what thoughts they can read, for instance. The control is what makes them special. So, did this person ever have spinal trauma or strangulation?”
Clay was dumbfounded. He didn’t even know what to say. He decided to take a leap of faith and confide in the man. “Forget the hypotheticals, Zander. Both my son and I almost died at childbirth. In both instances, we were strangled by our own umbilical cords and emergency resuscitation was needed. In both cases we almost died, and in both cases our lives were saved but parents were warned of possible brain damage. Thankfully, there was no brain damage; instead, we both have above average intelligence, like I said. But are you suggesting that our unusual childbirths may have caused abnormalities in our medulla oblongatas?”
“I haven’t suggested any such thing. We’d have to have an MRI to see if there are any irregularities, and I don’t know of any parapsychological abilities in either you or your son. Are you suggesting you have some?”
“Without question, Doc, we both have mind-control powers.”
CHAPTER 21
Jessie finally awoke at about 11:00. Tanner, like a normal teenaged boy, could sleep the rest of the day if allowed. But while he was still sleeping, she made a couple of phone calls. First, she called John and told him about Friday night’s adventure. He sounded genuinely concerned and asked if she’d like to see him. She declined, saying she needed to stay home with Tanner. Next, she called Carlee. Carlee was shocked. She said she’d make up some lunch for her and Tanner and would be over to the house soon. She claimed that getting out of the house was just what she needed. Three college coaches called, but Jessie said Tanner wasn’t available, and she took messages. Around noon, Clay still wasn’t home, and TJ had come to visit. Tanner was just getting out of the shower.
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