by Darrell Bain
She said, “You'll need to give the person you meet a couple of cue words to make him think about whatever you're worried about, or I might not be able to tell."
"Okay, I'll do that. By the way, you got a good report for your first week. They had no idea Branderlin was taking money from another company, or that the research VP was suspicious that Mercer had ties to Brazos. Next week we're going to bring you by the CEO's office. Try to dig into his mind, and find out what walks his dog."
"I'll try. And by the way, you need to stop thinking about underage girls so much. It damn near shows on your face."
Casey blushed, but not too much. He had done it purposely, hoping she would look at those images in his mind and not others. As the young girl strolled off, he thought he had succeeded.
* * * *
Mrs. Burger drove Jeannie to the mall Saturday at noon and let her out with instructions to be waiting for her at the main entrance at five o'clock. Jeannie had wanted to stay longer, knowing lots more kids would be there later, but decided this would do for a start.
Jeannie had no trouble making friends or getting attention, but she was amazed at the difference, the sophistication of the teenagers here compared to those back in Mountain Grove. She saw almost immediately that her wardrobe needed improving and spent some of her time shopping, buying a couple of the transparent blouses she noticed were popular and colored bras to go with them. She bought tight shorts with ovals cut out on each side and below the navel, and some blouses and short skirts to go with them.
She met a number of young men and women and was again amazed at the plethora of drugs, alcohol, and mood altering pills that were offered for sale. She refused one offer when she saw the seller knew they were fake, but bought from another who was dealing in Jams, which she had heard of but never tried. Jams were supposed to not only increase sexual desire, but also make sex itself more intense. She hoped she could think of a way to slip some of it into Jimmy's food or drink when she got him alone.
She showed up at the bookstore at two and caught Casey's eye. She didn't know hat he said to his companion, but it had the desired effect. He disclosed almost immediately an impending betrayal of Casey and Brazos himself by someone named ... Rudo? Yes, Rudo. That was all she got before Casey clandestinely passed an envelope to the other man and left.
After that Jeannie wandered around and met other teenagers. She exchanged phone numbers, but only with boys who displayed interesting possibilities beneath the veneer of their voluble, self-assured conversation. In all, it was a successful afternoon. She was still running over it in her mind that night in bed when she felt Jimmy's mind touch. He was here, and he was searching for her!
* * * *
Jimmy was pleased when he sensed Jeannie's presence, and she was receptive to him. He and his parents had arrived that day, but were staying in a motel until their furniture could be moved into the home the family was buying.
It had been days since the last contact with Amber, and Jimmy was antsy with longing. His only intention in seeking out Jeannie was the hope that the last friendliness she had displayed would continue out here. Despite his and Amber's closeness, they both agreed that it was nice to be able to communicate mentally with someone else, and so far as they knew, Jeannie was the only other person like them in the world.
With the mental equivalent of speech, they agreed to see if their parents would drive them to the mall she told him about on Sunday afternoon for a few hours.
When Jimmy's presence left her, Jeannie hugged herself. She would wear some of her new clothes and enthrall him with how much she already knew about the teenage culture in Los Angeles. Not the drugs, though. She knew he was pokey about that.
Jimmy had trouble going to sleep in the strange bed in a strange city with night noises continuing long past midnight. In fact, they never really stopped, but only slowed. He was worried about Jeannie. He sensed something not quite normal about her mind. He had no idea that it was the residual drugs still working in her body that skewed her thoughts. She had taken another pill before going to the mall, and it hadn't worn off yet.
* * * *
The man Casey had met at the mall so that Jeannie could test his loyalty was an infiltrator into one of Brazos’ illegal organization, which dealt in funneling counterfeit and fake prescription drugs to wholesalers. Brazos was using California Pharmacies as a front and dishonest executives in the company as cover for that and other illegal activities, including a piece of the huge illegal narcotics trade. Unfortunately, Casey had revealed a bit too much about his activities and the abilities of the special group of children being recruited from Mountain Grove to him before he learned of his impending betrayal.
Casey used a low level operative's phone to take Jeannie's report when she called to tell him that the man who was going to betray him worked for someone named Rudo. Casey knew the name Rudo. It was the code name for one of the biggest smuggler and narcotics dealer in the area and was used by the underworld and law enforcement officials alike. Rudo, in turn, worked for one of the big international cartels. It was easy to see that already word had leaked that a special source of information was shaping up that might put Brazos in control of all activities in Southern California and that other drug cartels were lining up to stop him. Unfortunately, he would have to tell Brazos about the infiltrator since Jeannie hadn't revealed enough information so he could hunt Rudo down himself. That was probably impossible anyway. He would be too well guarded.
Casey knew he was in a rather shaky position; he would have to tell Brazos what was happening, and Brazos was smart enough to learn that he had been a little too indiscrete with his own knowledge.
Casey debated with himself, but ultimately called Brazos for an emergency meeting. It was going to start an underground war, but, at this point, he didn't think he had a choice. He was just one man, and he needed the protection Brazos could offer. He made the call to Brazos even though he knew that taking out just that one infiltrator wasn't going to stop the impending violence or even slow it down much. He just hoped he could make his fortune and retire from the field before it got too bad.
* * * *
Sunday afternoon, Melissa took Jimmy to the mall. The request for a ride had been simple since she wanted to do some shopping anyway. They separated after agreeing on a time and place to meet later.
Jimmy and Jeannie had agreed to meet at the same bookstore where Jeannie had gone the day before. He thought nothing of it since they both liked to read, and Jeannie had mentioned it as a meeting place because she had bought clothes the day before and still wanted to pick up a book or two.
Out of some subconscious suspicion he was only vaguely aware of, Jimmy approached without making contact with her mind. He spotted her outside the bookstore, sitting on a bench with two older boys. They were laughing and talking. One of them had an arm draped around her shoulder. Curious, he touched the surface thoughts of the two young men, but quickly retreated. One of them was concerned only with the possibility of whether Jeannie could be enticed into sex while the other's thoughts were on how much money Jeannie might have and whether he could sell her some drugs for enough cash to feed his own habit.
They're almost as bad as Casey, Jimmy thought, just as Jeannie got tired of the attention. She glanced at her new watch and extended her awareness, searching for him. She sensed his nearness, looked around, and spotted him. She smiled at him, told her two companions a hasty good bye, and hurried in his direction.
At the same time as Jeannie got to his side, both of them caught a viciously self-centered mind concentrating on Jeannie with lethal intent. Startled, they couldn't help but searching the area to see what the person harboring those thoughts looked like.
As they did, the man's lapel camcorder caught their image. He stared at them from behind tinted glasses and a cap with the bill in front, partially hiding his face.
Jimmy retreated from the man's mind quickly, not liking the mental contact with such a twisted personality.
>
Jeannie maintained contact a few moments longer; she had become accustomed to reading others’ minds. Her mouth opened in surprise and fear. “Jimmy! I think that roach is planning on kidnapping me! Maybe even...” She didn't want to consider what else the man held in his mind. He thought it might become necessary to kill her.
Jimmy caught the concern. “Come on, let's get away from here,” he said urgently. In the back of his mind, he could practically hear Bailey's admonition: Don't attract attention!
It wasn't that easy. While they had remained standing together, the two boys Jeannie had been seated with approached, blithely unaware of the dangerous individual nearby.
"Hey, kid!” The taller of the two spoke in what he imagined was a commanding voice. “I haven't seen you on the floor before. What campus?"
"I don't know yet. Come on, Jeannie,” he said.
The other blocked their path. “What's the hurry, kid? We want to natter at the little one here. Decipher?” He took a step nearer, getting into Jimmy's space.
Jimmy made a mind probe and saw immediately that there was no use reasoning with them. They were both bullies and were looking for trouble. He scanned the area hurriedly and found no one but the man in sunglasses and hat paying attention. Quickly, he shifted as if turning to go then brought the four stiffened fingers of his right hand around in a short, powerful punch to the boy's solar plexus just as he had practiced in the martial arts classes. The boy doubled over with a whoosh of exhaled air. Before the other had a chance to react, he shoved the one who was struggling for air into the path of the other, causing him to fall. He grabbed Jeannie's hand and pulled her with him as he hurried away.
The man in the sunglasses made a note to himself. If the girl was with that kid at the time, they would have to be careful when they grabbed her. Maybe just dispose of him with a quick shot to the head or heart with an automatic.
Then he remembered. Both the kids had known immediately what he was, and he had never laid eyes on them before. Maybe the rumors were true!
"What in hell are you getting mixed up in, Jeannie?” Jimmy demanded as soon as they were out of sight.
"I don't know! I never saw that man before!” Jeannie declared. She was almost in tears, as much because Jimmy hadn't paid the least bit of attention to her appearance in her new finery as because of the possible threat to her life. That was already fading now that they were out of sight of the strange man.
"Well, you better stay away from this place. He might be back, and those broke rocks you were with ... you can do better than that!” As soon as the last words were out of his mouth, Jimmy caught the reaction from Jeannie. She could indeed do better than that, and it was still him she was after.
"Jeannie..."
Then she did burst into tears.
Jimmy had no idea what to do. Instinctively, he put his arms around her when she fell against him. He held her while she cried, glaring at shoppers who hesitated then hurried on when they saw the look on his face. He didn't attempt to pry into her mind. Whatever was tormenting her besides his unavailability was her business.
Eventually, Jeannie wiped her eyes, and they went on. She tried to be happy at being with Jimmy while Amber was still back in Arkansas, but the thoughts of the man who wanted to kidnap her returned and spoiled the remaining time they had together. Even the mind touches they both had been craving were tainted because she had to conceal so much.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Bailey met with Ray one more time before they embarked on the trip west. He had gotten a good supply of the nerve agent from Ray the day after he had asked for it some weeks ago and quickly got his trusted friend to begin work in the animal research lab where he was employed. Starting with white rats and chimps, he had already discovered the optimal dose of the agent required to stimulate the mirror neurons in the chimps, and it did something he thought might be similar with the rats. He also carried out Bailey's suggestion of giving the adult chimps even higher doses, and Bailey was pleased with the results. Next, Bailey supplied him with some liquid Benadryl, transferred to a bottle with no label and asked that it be added in varying increments, along with a request not to try discovering the formula for it, just as he already had requested that he not investigate the nerve agent's composition. He trusted John Woods not to do so in both cases, promising to reveal everything at the proper moment. Bailey discussed the situation with Ray at the local library where they had agreed to meet this last time.
"My friend is already excited about the results, Ray,” Bailey said. “So am I, for that matter, but I'm going to have to think about what to do with the data. You've been a great friend, and I don't want to keep things from you forever. In fact, when I get ready to tell you about the results of the experiments I'm having done, I'm probably going to need to consult with you before going any further."
Ray grinned. “We've been experimenting too, Bailey. What we'll do when the time comes is just compare notes. By the way, I talked to Mrs. Larkin and told her about Casey. She is one pissed lady, but she only half believes me. No telling which way she'll jump or what she'll do. I hope I haven't put her in danger. I thought my shadows had quit tailing me, but then I spotted another one. There's more recruiting going on, too, but Casey seems to have vacated the area for the time being."
"Who's doing the recruiting now? And for whom?"
Ray shrugged. “Most of it on behalf of Casey, I'll bet, but there's another player, too, who isn't with any legitimate company. One of them is a known mid-level illegal drug distributor who's probably acting for someone higher up the food chain. There may be more for all I know."
Bailey thought about this development for a long moment. “Ray, my main concern is keeping my own kids safe. I hope you understand that. If word gets out of what they can do..."
Ray nodded, face grim. “Then they wouldn't be safe anywhere, Bailey."
After they parted, Ray sat at the table in the library for a while longer. He felt guilty for not telling Bailey he had traced the samples he'd mailed to his researcher friend and was well aware of what he was doing. He had come to like and admire the family, but this was too important to be left in the hands on one person. It had national and world implications, but he was like Bailey in one respect: he didn't want knowledge of real mind readers getting out either, not as long as three teenage children were the only ones in the world who were capable of it.
* * * *
The day before they left for California, Bailey had a phone call from a woman. She was friendly and pleasant over the phone and wanted to meet with him and Pat and offer them a great package. Interesting and very well paying jobs for each, she said.
"We're satisfied now,” Bailey told her and hung up. So, he thought, now it's us they're after. Do they know? He didn't think so, but it was obvious that whoever she represented was well aware of Amber and the group's extraordinary perceptive ability and wanted the parents as a means of access to the kids. All of them, not just the wayward ones. Word was spreading, perhaps slowly, but as inexorably and remorselessly as the flow of lava down the slope of a volcano.
* * * *
When Jeannie reported for work Monday morning, she had a surprise coming. Borcham led her to a door in a dead end hallway. It had no nameplate to indicate what was inside, but Jeannie knew even before Borcham produced a key, unlocked the door, and handed it to her.
"Be back downstairs in half an hour,” he said and left.
Jeannie stepped confidently inside.
"Fancy meeting you here,” Jordy Rhieman said, a huge grin plastered over his face. His eyes roved over her figure with unconcealed longing.
"Jordy, what...” She got no further before he stepped forward and began kissing her and feeling her breasts.
Despite herself, Jeannie felt her body responding. Jordy was full of foam, but he knew what he was doing when it came to sex. Finally, she broke away and looked around. The room contained a small refrigerator, a long wide couch of some velvety material with a co
vering over the seat cushion, a single affair that extended the length of the couch, unbroken. Other than that, there were two chairs and two coffee tables and a bathroom with a basin and a shower. The door to it was standing half open. She could see it was furnished with plenty of towels.
"What is this place?” Jeannie asked, even as Jordy's mind told her.
"This is an executive getaway room, where the big boys come to jump rope. It's ours every day from eleven to twelve, but Borcham said we had a half hour right now. We don't have to wait."
Jeannie didn't have to think very long about it. Sex with Jordy might not be the best thing in the world, but it certainly beat fooling around in the minds of drug distributors while pretending to be interested in what they were doing. She nodded and began unbuttoning her blouse while Jordy locked the door to the hallway.
* * * *
"You should have told me about Larkin,” Brazos said. His eyes glinted with malevolence.
Casey faced Brazos in a chair across from the desk his boss was sitting behind. Brazos’ forearms splayed out on its surface as he leaned forward.
"I did tell you! I said she was the one that identified all the kids, didn't I?"
"You didn't tell me you were screwing her. Would you like to guess what happened when you dropped her without even an attempt to ease her feelings?"
"I didn't think it was necessary,” Casey said. His mind raced frantically, trying to think of what the damned old maid might have done or said.
"It was. You tell me everything you do from now on. This is your first and last warning. Understand?"
"I got it. What did she do?"
"It's not what she did. It's what one of our competitors did. They heard about her from one of those perceptive kids and went after her. When they discovered you had shafted her, they didn't have much trouble recruiting her for a job the old broad would love, but she's not going to live long enough to do it."