by Gareth Lewis
*
He'd only gone a few blocks when Parker contacted him, informing him the cameras had been broken shortly before the shooting, an initial examination showed damage consistent with a psychokinetic. They intended to examine the preceding footage to try identifying who'd shot the cameras. It would have required little more than a glance, and they had no idea where the sniper might have shot them from. Presumably not the spot from which he'd shot Taylor, if he had any sense. So they'd be unlikely to get anything quickly.
He cursed inwardly, and felt conspicuous under Lydia's scrutiny. He calmed his mind. If the rest of the crowd hadn't moved much between the cameras going down and the shooting, we could find those near where the shot to Taylor came from, and one of you could go through their memories, get a picture of the psykin.
Her presence tensed. Need I remind you how difficult that would be to use as evidence?
No. I was thinking in terms of stopping him before he kills again. It wouldn't be inadmissible, anyway, if we just using it to get a picture, and then the witnesses can pick him out.
If they can pick him out. If it's just from their peripheral memory, we'd have to enhance it, and we'd be accused of messing with their minds. Or is that what you want?
Despite the brittleness in her tone, he couldn't rein in his growing irritation. What the hell's that supposed to mean? Why do you have to act like everything I do is aimed at you? Do you think I'm any happier in here than you?
Well then maybe we should just end it all. Let's just go and tell Lee all about our relationship.
You won't do that, thought Jack.
Why not?
Because I'll likely get reassigned, at most fired, which I might not be happy about, but I can live with. You on the other hand... Considering how difficult it was to find someone compatible with your mind, do you really think you'll be able to stay in the Hive?
We're valuable resources. There was more than a hint of defensiveness in her tone. More valuable than someone who's just trained to do a job.
Not so valuable that a breach of protocol, and difficulty finding a compatible partner, wouldn't be taken into account.
So I get reassigned to one of the other jobs we're allowed. So what?
So you're no longer in the Hive, thought Jack. Which means you'll get viewed with more suspicion, a virtual second class telepath, and third class citizen. That's why you volunteered for the Hive, isn't it? To get that little bit closer to living a normal life?
The pressure grew in his head, her fury seething uncomfortably, which only increased his irritation.
I'm trying to drive. If you're going to have a tantrum, please do it outside my head.
Don't think at me in that frame of mind! Do you think I want to be stuck in this... She stopped as his comm unit beeped, but he felt her fuming, making her presence known.
Lee's face appeared, wrinkled with concern. "Markham's ambulance has been ambushed, he's been abducted."
The pressure on his mind changed as Jack felt Lydia's attention focus. "When? Professional job?"
"Looks like it. It was halfway to the hospital, in a relatively quiet spot. The cameras went down a couple of minutes beforehand. The ambulance had only one of the Hive's security officers aboard. He was taken down. Sounds like a psykin."
"How's the officer and paramedics?"
"Alive. The paramedics were attacked mentally, so we've got telepaths, too."
"How far from the mall was the attack? Could it have been the same psykin, or are we looking at a couple of them?"
Lee shrugged. "It's within range, but we're assuming more than one."
"Do you want us at the scene?"
"No, I want you back here. Most of the others are here already, and I want everyone off the streets, in a secure location. For the moment I want to leave the investigation to the regulars. If it's not just an attack on a single officer..."
"Then it could be an orchestrated attack on the SPI," said Jack.
"Exactly. So stay alert, and get here as fast as you can."
The screen went blank, and Jack sped up, his eyes scanning the road. He felt Lydia scan for threatening thoughts. While she'd be unlikely to get anything from other telepaths, a psykins could be more open. Not that it was likely he'd be a target. The route from the Hive to the hospital was fairly predictable, so easy to plan for. And Taylor and Markham, as the most experienced SPI operatives, would be the optimal targets for an attack.
But why abduct Markham? Assuming he and Taylor were the intended targets, and the ambush wasn't to abduct whichever telepath was affected by whoever they could kill. Were they trying to make sure he didn't wake and become a problem? Or were they hoping to use him? If they wanted him out of the way, killing him would've been more efficient. But how could they know that the feedback would leave him unconscious and needing transportation to the hospital?
Will you stop thinking like that, Lydia thought in an irritated tone.
Jack hadn't realised how near the surface he'd let his thoughts drift. I can't. This is how my mind works.
And I'm stuck in it, she thought, bitterly.
Look, we need to work out their goals, okay. So do you want to help, or continue whinging?
Fine. So they wanted him alive. You think they want to recruit him?
Possibly. We don't know if he's the primary or secondary target. Did they kill Taylor purely to get him out, or did they want both neutralized? If Markham's the primary, why risk damaging him by killing his partner? I can see taking Taylor out as a way to avoid Markham being tracked, and possibly to get him out of the Hive, since he's strong enough to give them trouble. His thoughts silenced a moment. Which assumes...
Don't. Her thoughts grew sharp.
What?
I'm in here with you. I saw what you just thought.
Jack resisted sighing. I'm trying to consider all the possibilities.
You're considering Markham could be a part of it. You didn't feel the pain he broadcast when Taylor died.
And you didn't feel him in Taylor's mind when he died. You're assuming he was, that he didn't break contact a moment before, blast the rest of you, then fake the coma?
Lydia's thoughts roiled. I hate you. And I hate being so close to your mind.
Because you're considering it an option, thought Jack.
Only because you put the thought there.
Why shouldn't I consider it?
She seemed to get a grip on her anger, forcing her mind, with effort, to calm. After a few moments, she responded in a shakily cold tone. Because your feelings about me are colouring your opinion of telepaths. You have nothing to base this suspicion on. Markham has been a loyal SPI operative for a long time.
Good, thought Jack.
What? Is this supposed to be a test?
No, it’s a way of keeping the thinking on track by having someone to offer another opinion. And you're right, there doesn't seem to be anything to suggest Markham is in any way involved.
Thank you. The suspicion didn't leave Lydia's tone.
It doesn't mean they don't have someone inside the Hive.
I hate you.
Really? You've kept that quiet. Jack ignored her mental glower. We can assume this group would need warning to prepare. Monitoring the police frequency could provide warning of a spike, but if they wanted a particular target they'd need someone on the inside to inform them who's assigned where. And when the target is on duty, so their ambush team isn't sitting around for days.
Okay, I can see that, but how can you be sure their mole would be in the Hive, and not SPI?
Even support staff for SPI and the police would be checked for psychic ability. Assuming this is a group of rogue psychics, the Hive's the only place a telepath could infiltrate.
After a moment, he felt her thoughts grudgingly agreeing. Okay, I concede it's a possibility. So what do we do about it?
For the moment, keep your eyes open for suspicious activity.
Spy on my friends, you
mean? Her thoughts cooled. Fine. But just 'cause I'm agreeing with the possibility, don't think for a moment I don't still hate you.
It'll take more than a moment to get my head around the idea you're agreeing with me.
That's because you're slow.
No, thought Jack. I'm pretty certain it's the unfamiliarity of the feeling.
I can see how feelings would be unfamiliar to you.
Now we're on familiar territory. Unwarranted bilious personal attacks.
Unwarranted? I don't know whether I'm more amazed you can think that without a hint of irony, or that you're using the word bilious.
Amazed but not speechless, I notice. He pulled the car up outside the SPI building.
I'm afraid that would probably take you acting like an actual human being to...
Jack was barely out of the car when the shockwave sent him flying, the crash in his head numbing his senses as Lydia was ripped away. As his wits recovered, he recalled the flash out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see the SPI headquarters, smoke billowing from its shattered side, flames visible within.
Its side a virtual wall of glass, the building had always been shinier than the older, more concrete, police headquarters adjacent. Now only a few windows encircling the left side of the building remained, the others blasted clear, or with only a few slivers of glass remaining.
His hearing had barely recovered for him to hear running behind him, and he started as officers rushed past from the police headquarters. A couple stopped, helping him to his feet after they’d ensured he seemed uninjured. Others tried finding ways into the building, to help survivors. His car had been between him and the explosion, and paid the price for his protection. It’d be of little use in the immediate future, if ever again.
His thoughts cohering, he called to Lydia. Nothing. A spike of panic raced through him as he considered most of the Hive would probably have suffered backlash from the SPI officers caught in the explosion. Even indirectly, he didn't want to consider how much of it Lydia must have felt, considering how shaken she'd been by one telepath experiencing his partner's death. He felt the urge to go to her, but knew the support staff at the Hive had been trained, as much as they could be, to deal with such things. Not on this scale, though. Even if any telepaths weren't in touch with their partners at the time, he doubted they'd be unaffected.
That left them vulnerable. The thought sent adrenaline coursing through him. This had to be the same group that killed Taylor, and now the city's telepathic resources were temporarily out of play. The smart move would be to neutralize them permanently.
He shrugged off the supporting hands as he moved towards the police parking area. "Get backup to the Hive, it'll be the next target. Make sure you've got bafflers."
Jack moved to the nearest police car, the adrenaline all that kept his legs from collapsing. His id card allowed him access to the vehicle. He pulled off barely a second after it checked his retinas.
With a curse he leaned to the glove box, but an empty baffler compartment greeted him, and his had blown at the mall. So unless Lydia regained her senses in time, he'd be vulnerable.
Speeding along, he kept calling to her.