After her breakfast with the Prime Ruler, JoAnna was led to the third floor to help conduct the interview. Solfa would join them, as well as Koel. The frightening part was a second mind control telepath would join them. He was an up and comer in the intelligence community and appeared to be totally faithful to the Prime Ruler.
JoAnna was the first to arrive in the room and her stomach rolled as soon as her eyes met Abbout’s. She noted the surprise on his face when she entered the room. He was bound to the chair and the floor with chains.
There were two other men restrained next to Abbout. JoAnna had no clue if Koel and his friends had been involved in getting them out of the Troyk universe. She started to regret having had breakfast.
“My name is JoAnna Carlson and I will be one of the two mind control telepaths involved in questioning you.” It was her way of warning Abbout another would be able to determine if he was lying or not. JoAnna had no way of knowing if Abbout was proficient at answering questions with half-truths. If the same questions were asked a variety of ways numerous times, most people would slip up somewhere along the line.
Solfa was the next to enter the room. She glared at each of the prisoners and JoAnna could sense the fear this woman instilled in their minds. JoAnna herself had been a victim of the same intimidation.
The head of intelligence reviewed the folders on the desk. JoAnna prayed Koel would be the next one to enter the room. Perhaps together they could project the mental barrier they now both possessed to Abbout. Hopefully, the man across the table from her worked on his cover story, reviewing it in his mind again and again.
To her utter relief, her soul mate was the next to join them. As if he was a schooled actor, Koel did not react to seeing Abbout. He sat next to JoAnna and took her hand. A sensation of warmth and safety washed over her. She did not let down her guard, but she relaxed enough to let her shoulders come down from her ears. If she was on Earth, she would have made an appointment for a deep tissue massage.
A young, good looking man entered and took the chair on the other side of Solfa. He seemed at ease with himself and a threat to their very lives. Sensing her unease, Koel squeezed her hand.
“My name is Solfa Theflar and I will conduct this interview. I will be aided by two mind control telepaths: JoAnna Carlson and Rupheart Stollar. The other gentleman is one of my intelligence operatives.” Koel once again squeezed her hand, warning her not to react. “We believe you are all from the Troyk universe and at one time were dissidents against our government. The other residents in the Standish universe had papers that proved they had legally migrated from our world and paid a crystal telepath to transport them. Why anyone chooses to live in that world is beyond me, but that is not why we are here today.”
Rupheart Stollar took his opportunity to take over the interview and impress Solfa. The man had a lot to learn about impressing a superior, who happened to be a woman. “What are your names and why were you in the Standish universe? You, go first.” He pointed to Abbout. Their time had just run out.
JoAnna entered Abbout’s mind, with Koel’s consciousness in tow. If she would read thoughts, perhaps she could manufacture them. A story planted in his mind by a mind control telepath should ring true.
“I was disillusioned by the Troyk government twenty-two years ago, just after Benko Jarlyn failed to overthrow his tyrannical father. Through the black market, I paid a crystal telepath to take me to another world where I could find peace. He sent me to the Standish universe. I worked myself to death trying to survive in that world.” Abbout said the words aloud, as JoAnna placed them in his mind. As far as Abbout was concerned, it was a true memory.
“He is telling the truth,” Rupheart said. “We might as well cut him loose and have him returned to that hell hole. His past political beliefs have not changed and he should not be allowed to stay in our harmonious world.”
JoAnna was relieved when Abbout was released and a group of CT Guards accompanying Shirl arrived to escort the prisoner to the portal. The other two men were interviewed and their stories confirmed. They had legally migrated to the other world, but were not carrying the necessary paperwork to prove their claims.
Both men spoke highly of the Troyk universe and the trials they experienced in the Standish universe. To JoAnna’s surprise, they were offered the opportunity to stay in the Troyk universe and both declined the offer. They did not state so, but they preferred the hard life in the Standish universe, over the mind control influences of the Troyk universe.
She had used her power in a new way and she had fooled a fellow mind control telepath. The immediate danger was over, but JoAnna knew she could not rest easy. This world presented one challenge after another. She needed to traverse this universe carefully, otherwise she would find herself tripped up. No matter how many items she concentrated on, she still could not forget about the laser shot that almost killed her.
Chapter 23
JoAnna felt like she had been through the wringer. These people traveled from world to world, as if they were going across town. Her life was threatened, not because of who she was, but because she was a powerful mind control telepath. She just needed a little normalcy, a little “me” time.
“I would like to do some shopping.” JoAnna laughed at the pained expression on Koel’s face. “Why don’t you go back to your normal routine? Shirl, Starc, and Candy are accompanying Abbout back to the Standish universe. I doubt I am going to be in any danger as I walk from shop to shop in broad daylight.”
She could see the indecision on Koel’s face. It was unrealistic to be under guard twenty-four hours a day. JoAnna could not live her life like this.
“I’ll get something naughty to wear tonight,” she whispered in Koel’s ear. The flirtation had an immediate effect on her soul mate. JoAnna could feel a certain part of his anatomy stiffen with her comment. “I want to start living in your apartment. You should head over there and get rid of anything you don’t want me to see. There will be a palace guard with me until I am delivered to our place.” Having referred to Koel’s residence that way had a nice ring to it.
“I will give your bodyguard the address. Do you think you can find something in red, like the dress you wore the first time I saw you?” Koel’s usual icy blue eyes were several shades lighter from the heat he generated internally.
When she traveled back to Earth to see her father, JoAnna would have to bring the red dress back with her. Maybe she would start a new fashion trend in this universe. Troyk evening wear relied on exposing the woman’s body, not necessarily showing it off to its advantage. The little red number did a job on Koel, no doubt about that.
Koel gave her a goodbye kiss to tide her over until this evening. The contact had not been enough, she had a voracious appetite for this man. He telepathically communicated his address to her guard and then took off.
JoAnna’s bodyguard walked behind her, as she started toward the dress shop she wanted to hit first. His positioning gave him a better vantage point to identify any threat present. Because of his proximity, she felt she was being stalked.
They were barely halfway to their destination, when a laser shot was fired and JoAnna was dragged down by her guard. As she lay on the ground, she felt blood seeping onto her back from the dead man on top of her. Several more shots were fired and screams were heard all around.
She struggled to get the dead weight off her and seek shelter. JoAnna was just about to call out to Koel, when her head was lifted and then pounded into the ground. She was so stunned, JoAnna did not call out for help. The voices and static from all the pathways quieted in her head. The body was rolled off her and she was lifted into someone’s arms. This was not a lover’s caress, but a determined madman’s rough handling. He leaned her against a wall and drove her head into the stone structure.
“You make a sound or struggle, I will end you right here and now.” She nearly
gagged at the smell of onions he had on his breath. JoAnna was not going to do anything to provoke the madman before her. She nodded her understanding and did not provide any resistance as they walked into the delivery entrance adjacent to the alley they were in. Unlike Traves Choaks, this man was large and foreboding. He looked like any number of bouncers she had seen standing in front of bars in the past.
Her assailant pulled out another crystal weapon and killed the two clerks who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. He dragged her in front of a number of conveyances used to deliver large appliances. JoAnna was tied up, gagged, and pushed into one of the cargo holders. When she struggled against what was being done to her, her captor punched her hard several times.
The box she was forced into gave her very little room to move. It was not long before JoAnna felt she was being relocated. She was tied in such a fashion she was unable to make any noise alerting anyone to her presence. The streets quieted; she could hear only the sound of the wheels as it was dragged against the cement.
Although she tried to use a number of the closed pathways to alert Koel and her friends to what had happened, JoAnna was still not connecting. She did not know if it was the injury to her head or the enclosure she was in.
Suddenly, JoAnna noticed light did not penetrate the container. Was oxygen entering her prison or was she consuming the little breathable air she had? JoAnna started to panic. When did damage start to occur in the brain when it did not get enough oxygen? Was it three minutes? She needed to calm down and use her telepathic abilities to slow her heart and respiration rates.
She started to get light-headed. JoAnna was not sure if it was because of what she was doing or the container was running out of air. She made one more attempt to contact Koel through their telepathic link before she lost consciousness.
Koel had not gotten far when he heard laser fire. The communal pathways immediately reacted to the incident and he picked up the start of communication from JoAnna, before it was cut off. He started to run in the direction of where the incident had occurred.
Four bodies were on the ground, including JoAnna’s guard. He had been shot in the back. There was no sign of his soul mate. Chaos was all around him. The palace guards attempted to restore order, as well as process the crime scene. One of their own had been killed and they were taking this crime seriously.
Solfa approached, after she concluded her discussion with one of the officials. “Several eyewitnesses saw the palace guard shot and fall on a woman. The shooter let off five more shots, emptying two crystal weapons. People scattered in response to the lasers. We feel JoAnna was the target and the additional shots were used to mask his getaway. There were several conveyances on the street he could have used to cart JoAnna away. The fact her body is not here is a good sign.”
Koel looked around and noticed a number of delivery carts were being searched by palace guards. How many were pushed out of the general area before the street was shut down? There would have been no other way to move JoAnna without witnesses.
“This was not planned,” Koel told Solfa. “He would have had no idea JoAnna was going shopping. The bastard must have been following her for days, waiting for an opportunity. He saw an opening and thought quickly on the fly. I do not like how he was able to think on his feet.”
A palace guard approached him and Solfa. “We have found two bodies in the store to your right. The name of the store will be communicated through the communal pathways with your approval.”
“Do it,” Solfa quickly answered. “I want a physical inspection of every visible conveyance and scour the location of every reported sighting. No one will have time off until JoAnna Carlson is found. I want the CT Guards involved as well.”
“Understood, I will make it happen.” The guard took off as he communicated through the communal pathways JoAnna’s description, as well as the name of the store. People were instructed to report any detections of their delivery carts.
The chatter in the communal pathways was too active to make sense of what was communicated. Koel had to work past his personal feelings for JoAnna if he was going to function. His soul mate depended on him to rescue her.
“Let us head to my office,” Solfa suggested. “We are only in the way of the guards trying to do their job. All the buildings are being searched in case he did not cart her away. As soon as she is able, JoAnna will communicate to you. Based on experiences with Alex, the soul mate channel is the first pathway to mend itself.”
Koel reluctantly agreed, he was only a distraction to the men and women who investigated the shootings and the kidnapping of his soul mate. It had to be the same person who had fired at them several days ago. All evidence made it appear this was the job of a single man. If there was a silver lining, at least they were not dealing with a revolutionary group.
When they got to Solfa’s office, Candy was awaiting their arrival. She immediately came into Koel’s arms. “I am so sorry. The attack was primarily on the guard, I did not see it coming. Shirl, Alex, and I keep trying to reach JoAnna through our pathway, but have been unsuccessful. We have to wait until she comes to or the pathways mend.”
Koel knew his friends were doing all they could. Now it was a waiting game. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Every moment that passed without hearing from JoAnna was time lost in finding her. It was doubtful they had much time.
JoAnna slowly woke, she found herself bound and lying on a hard floor. At least she was out of the box and no longer gagged. She shifted her position to get a better look at her surroundings. There were no windows to help identify where she was or sounds from the outside. The room was bare, except for some plumbing. Perhaps she was in some kind of laundry facility. Numerous drains were situated every several yards, supporting her initial assessment.
She heard a door behind her open and JoAnna shifted to see who entered. The same man who had killed her guard and kidnapped her strolled in. He did not try to hide his face, which was not a good sign. If he wore a mask or some other means to prevent her from identifying him later, it would have meant she had a chance of getting out of this alive.
“I have to use the bathroom,” JoAnna said.
“Soil yourself, I do not care. I can just hose down this place later.”
Thankfully, she did not have to go, it had been a ploy to see if he would unbind her. Did she dare use her mind control abilities? Odds were he did not have a doubt regarding what he planned. The man already had a minimum of three deaths to his credit.
JoAnna once again tried to use the soul mate channel. Everything she had heard about that particular pathway would indicate it would be the first one to heal. She needed to stay alive long enough to allow it to mend to contact Koel.
“What do you want?” JoAnna asked.
“I want to deliver you brain dead to the Prime Ruler,” her kidnapper answered. “It will be a warning to all mind control telepathic practitioners that none of you are safe. As long as the government continues to manipulate their citizens, they will all walk the streets of Aster Province in fear.”
A chill ran down JoAnna’s spine at his words. This was all premeditated and she did not seem to have any means to sway him. There was such hatred in his voice. Hostage negotiators she saw on television always tried to open a dialog with the criminal.
“What is your name?” JoAnna thought of a variety of names she would like to call him, but she could not alienate him at this point. If she was able to keep him talking, she would buy herself more time.
“My name is irrelevant. The government sees me as insignificant since I do not have any special type of telepathic ability that would make me stand out. I am not a mind control or crystal telepath. Chartail understood what it was like to be invisible in this world, felt to hold no value.”
“Chartail?”
“She was brilliant, as well as beautiful. H
er plot to kill the Prime Ruler would have worked, had I not backed out.”
JoAnna had heard about her cousin’s plot against Jeryl Jarlyn and the co-conspirator who was responsible for the ultimate failure of the assassination attempt. Chartail preyed upon men who were attracted to her beauty and were easy to manipulate.
“You were the one who alerted The Palace to what was planned? Two guards and two of your team were killed. My cousin and another accomplice were sentenced to die in the Nightshade universe. Do you know what your cowardice exposed my cousin to in that horrific world? She was raped, drained, and brutalized.”
“Shut up, bitch,” he shouted. The bastard kicked her for good measure. JoAnna needed to placate him, not get him riled up with anger. “You do not know anything.”
“I have been to the Troyk Penal Colony world and have seen my cousin.” Although JoAnna knew she should not point fingers at him, he had been the reason her cousin was in the position she was now in. “You are responsible for her being there and what she has endured. She knows you betrayed her.”
“You have seen Chartail?” Her captor appeared to still be in love with her cousin. JoAnna knew how she was going to buy additional time. Chartail was not present, but she was going to save JoAnna’s life.
“The Prime Ruler granted Prime Adholm and me the ability to see my cousin. She is living with a group of dissidents from this world. I am sure you heard about Candy Phillips and Tolfer Childers’s escape from that world. I went with Candy and our friend Shirl, who is a crystal telepath, to the penal universe.”
The Mind Control Telepath Page 20