Mind Waves

by Amanda Uhl

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Kudos for Amanda Uhl

  Mind Waves

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  A word about the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  “Stay calm and let me do the talking.”

  Her savior mumbled, stepping in front of her to face her tormentor. “Let the girl go.” He called across the chasm.

  “No need to shout,” the deadly voice said. “I can hear you clearly.”

  “It’s me you want, not her. Let her go and you can have me.”

  “Really? You would give in that easily? She means that much to you?” Grace’s tormentor was clearly enjoying himself. “You’ve got it all wrong, you know. It’s not you I want. Grace is mine. I discovered her long before you, which gives me prior claim.”

  Once again, something about the way the madman spoke sounded familiar to Grace. He must have been familiar to her helper, too, because he stared at the lunatic for a moment as if putting the pieces of an intricate puzzle together.

  “You were after Grace all along. Why? She’s innocent. What can she possibly offer you? Unless…”

  “You don’t even understand her true value, do you?” He let out a sinister laugh, pacing on the other side of the pit. “I’ve had the chance to poke around in her mind a bit. She’s strong like your Meg. I’m not letting her go. Which means you must.”

  His arm flew out from his side, stretching like a giant rope across the gap in the earth and pulling her to his side.

  Kudos for Amanda Uhl

  MIND WAVES received a bronze medal in the paranormal category for the 2015 Rudy contest, second place in the paranormal category of the 2015 Central Ohio Fiction Writers Ignite the Flame contest, and honorable mention in the 2015 Music City Romance Writers Pitch Competition.

  Mind Waves

  by

  Amanda Uhl

  Mind Hackers Series

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Mind Waves

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Amanda Uhl

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com

  Cover Art by Diana Carlile

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Fantasy Rose Edition, 2016

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-0977-4

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0978-1

  Mind Hackers Series

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To my husband, Barry,

  and my children, Simon, Samuel, and Ella,

  with love

  and in fond memory of many happy hours

  gathering beach glass on the shores of Lake Erie.

  Acknowledgments

  Publishing a novel is an ambitious project. When I began, I had no idea it would take three years from start to finish to see the book in print. Yet, the actual journey began long before, as a ten-year-old, dreaming up stories in my head. ONE DAY I’ll write them down, I thought. ONE DAY turned into one year, then five, and eventually, three decades, until one day, became THE DAY—the day I decided to set aside my self-doubts and write.

  Nine months later, I stared at the final words in astonishment. In trembling fear, I gave it to Holly Ridgeway, the head of my department at work, who finished the book in one night. Her initial encouragement gave me the confidence to show it to others.

  Thank you to all those who read and critiqued early versions: Darlene Hritz, Lynn Shirk, Stacy Helco, Jackie Hudson, Natalie Verardi, Barb Thuel, Janice Bartholomew, Ricketta Van Dress, Debbie Kessler, Judy Bartholomew, Johanne Bartholomew, Cheryl Young, Jon McKenzie, Jillian Petrocci, Debi Wehr, Audrey Haygood, Laura Baricevic, Joyce Caylor, Cathy Matuszak, Leslie Kessler and Tara Harlow.

  To my editor, Laura Kelly, thank you for saying “yes” to Mind Waves and lending your incredible talent to the final version.

  To those reading who have buried their longings deep, please don’t let your fears stop you from pursuing your dreams. The first step is to believe.

  May today be THE DAY.

  ~Amanda Uhl

  Prologue

  Three years ago

  David, do you think we’ll ever marry? She twirled her hair absently, a habit when she was deep in thought.

  I don’t know. Maybe. Why? Despite the fact they were in each other’s minds, frequently sharing thoughts, he didn’t always understand Meg’s emotions. It was typically this way before the more critical missions. She grew introspective and questioned their life together.

  I wondered, that’s all. I mean, we’re not getting any younger. Sophia met Brian when she was only twenty-five.

  David took a precious minute to study her where she sat in the Cleveland office. Her long dark hair and oval face were youthful, giving her a dreamy innocence their dangerous line of work never seemed to mar. They had joined the ranks of the U.S. government’s Cognitive Mind Unit, or CMU as they called it, when they were barely twenty. Now, some seventeen years later, they still worked side by side, he as the hacker and she as his trainer, infiltrating minds, implanting thoughts, and stealing secrets to protect the nation’s intellectual capital. After all this time, David was intimately familiar with Meg’s moodiness. He took a moment to calm her.

  This is our last mission, I promise. There’s plenty of time to plan for the future. What are you worried about?

  I don’t know. Meg shrugged, laughing it off. Nothing, I guess. It’s…sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever lead a normal life. I’d like to have children someday, you know.

  David did know. Still, he quashed the urge he had to comfort her. They could not afford the delay. The others were waiting.

  I understand. But we’ll talk about this later. It’s time to go.

  She nodded. David closed his eyes and gave the signal. Instantly,
the shimmering, orange energy portal she created appeared, allowing him to slip inside their target’s mind undetected to find his crew waiting. They would not start without him, their leader. He had the most dangerous task of holding their shield in place. A controlled focus was required to draw on his trainer’s powerful energy and maintain a steady flow of waves to mask their presence.

  Although his men spread out, dodging and neutralizing the dark soldiers, almost immediately David sensed something was wrong. He felt the smallest tremor. That was the only warning he received. A massive energy wave burst upon him, destroying their protective shield and giving him mere seconds to react. Unthinking, he pushed outward, while at the same time pulling enough latent energy to propel himself back through the portal. He was safe! But his relief was short-lived. The orange doorway in the target’s mind closed behind him, leaving the others trapped.

  “No!” David tried desperately to force a spike in the energy field, but it was too late. His crew perished instantly, their life-force absorbed into the target’s mind. Meg’s light was sucked through the portal with them. “No!” He screamed, a deep agony filling him. Instinctively, he followed their special mental path, but he could not cut through the darkness.

  She was gone. He had killed her.

  Chapter One

  The Interview

  Present day

  Grace Woznisky was about to con the CEO of a billion dollar corporation—or at least omit one tiny, but crucial, detail. She took a minute to wipe her clammy hands on her skirt, while staring at the shiny, glass office building of Cleveland’s Gallant Enterprises. The giant structure appeared cold and sleek, like the high-tech, robotic parts manufactured there. Grace could not screw up this opportunity. Her bank account could not afford it.

  With a deep breath, she gathered her courage, and for at least the twentieth time since she got out of bed this morning, rehearsed exactly what she would say to convince Brice Gallant she was the woman for the design job. Grace was fortunate to have been granted an in-person interview, a favor orchestrated by her ex-husband Greg, who had been high school pals with the CEO.

  Making her way through the double doors, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. The girl in the glass had short dark blond hair and filled out the skirt and jacket with curves in all the right places. She appeared confident and professional. At least she looked the part. Now, if only Brice Gallant thought so, too.

  “Hello.” She smiled at the receptionist, who did not smile back. “My name is Grace Woznisky. I have a meeting with Mr. Gallant?” She hated how her words came out, like she wasn’t certain she had an appointment.

  “Certainly. Let me notify his assistant that you’re here. Have a seat.” The receptionist indicated the black, leather chairs in the waiting area.

  Grace did not remain seated for long. As promised, the assistant arrived to escort her to the elevator, which took her to a large conference room with windows overlooking a sleek landscape design in the shape of a robot, next to a cascading waterfall. “Make yourself comfortable. It will be a moment,” the woman said.

  Grace had just sat in one of the sleek, black chairs when the door opened widely and in strolled a heavy-set and short Gallant, followed by a small army. Grace had not expected such a large audience. She had only brought materials for five.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Grace. I hope you don’t mind I’ve invited a few others along.” Gallant indicated his companions, three women and two men, but did not make any further introductions, leaving Grace guessing at their roles at the company.

  “Not at all,” she said. “Thank you for giving me the chance to bid on the project.”

  “Of course. We’re excited to see what you have to offer.” The rotund Gallant waved one manicured hand toward her portfolio. “I’ve heard great things about you from Gregory Tilko. He reminded me you’re a talented artist. We’re looking for someone who can design the right artwork for our new building. The art we display is important to me, since that’s the first thing our employees and customers will see. Which is why I’ve made it a point to personally meet with all those who are bidding on the project.”

  “Great. Well, I’m eager to show you my ideas.”

  “Let’s see what you’ve got for us.” He pulled out the largest chair at the head of the table and sat. The rest of the pack followed suit, until every chair around the table was filled.

  That’s when Grace noticed a third gentleman in the room. He must have been at the rear when the group entered, and so she had missed seeing him. His ebony hair gleamed under the fluorescent lights, and he took a seat slightly apart from the others, staring at his notebook with a stillness that stood out. Although he was not looking at her, Grace sensed he watched her carefully and, in fact, was already making notations in his notebook.

  He turned his head toward her slightly to catch her staring, his eyes stabbing into her like a mouse singled out by a dangerous predator. Maybe it was her imagination, but they seemed to glow from within, like a cat in the night. His thick, glossy black hair contrasted dramatically with the chiseled lines of his face, which could have been carved from marble.

  She peeled her gaze away from his with some effort and pulled out her samples. “I, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect such a large group. I only brought five packets. Hopefully, some of you can share.”

  Handing them out hurriedly, Grace began her presentation. Having spent long hours poring over design ideas to create the mockup she was now showing, she knew it was some of her best work. The mural she would create with pieces of green, blue and yellow beach glass she had gathered mostly on the Lake Erie shoreline would dominate the south wall of the main entrance of the building, rising like a giant wave to greet its visitors. The biggest issue was whether she could pull it off. The yellow glass she would need was rare. And since she worked alone, she would have to hire plenty of help to bring the design to life. Grace was also not sure she could get the pricing she had indicated, which was where she would fudge a little. Once she got the job, she would convince Brice Gallant to up the budget slightly for materials.

  After showing them her proposal, Grace was concluding her speech when she was interrupted by the intense man with the notebook. “How do you propose to obtain that much beach glass for your design? One of the colors you have specified is rare.”

  His question threw her off, given Grace had the same thought only minutes before. She had a large collection to offer from years of gathering glass from the Lake Erie shoreline, but it would be likely she would have to buy off the Internet. She wasn’t confident local providers would have the colors she was after—many of them were her artist friends with their own projects involving beach glass. Grace studied him again carefully. How did he know about the rarity of certain colors?

  “I have a few sources.” She forced herself to look at him directly, heart pounding. “If I can’t find what I’m looking for locally, I’m certain I can find what I’ll need on the Internet.”

  “Ah, but that could be expensive. And besides,” her interrogator glanced at Brice, “didn’t you say you wanted only local products in the design?”

  Brice Gallant looked startled for a moment, but quickly seized on the idea. “Good observation, David. Although it may not look like it today, Gallant Enterprises is a neighborhood company, started by my great grandfather nearly one hundred years ago. We pride ourselves on keeping our business in the community, hiring local workers and supplies as much as possible. I want to make sure the chosen design reflects our philosophy.”

  “Well, I’m sure I can find enough local sources for the artwork.”

  “What about labor?” The man, David, was persistent, his expression impossible to read. “This is a big effort and must be completed by the grand opening in November. How do you propose to get all the mosaic work completed in such a short amount of time? You’ll need skilled assistants. Will those also come from the community?”

  Sweat beaded on her forehead. He had her there. There
were only a few other skilled mosaic artists who were local, and they were her competitors. They would be unlikely to assist her on the budget she had to offer. Grace had been planning to hire a few friends from art school who lived in New York City.

  “I do plan to use art students at a local college. But as you pointed out, mosaic work does require skilled labor. I know several talented artists working out of New York City who could assist if I can’t find the local talent. Also, I—”

  “Great questions, Jenkins.” Brice Gallant interrupted. “This is why I like to have you attend these things.”

  David chuckled, the sound grating on Grace’s nerves. “Happy to assist.”

  Brice Gallant rose from his chair and offered her a hand, indicating the interview was at an end. “Grace, it was a pleasure talking to you. We’ll be in touch after we have a chance to consider all of our options. Thank you for sharing your ideas with us.”

  Grace had a sinking feeling she had lost the bid. What’s more, she suspected the dark-haired David knew it, too. She squared her shoulders. “When can I expect to hear from you, Mr. Gallant?”

  “We’ll be in touch with you within a few days.” Grace noticed the big man looked at David before responding, as if seeking his approval. Weird.

  “Okay,” she agreed, plastering on a smile. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

  There was nothing left to do but gather her materials, shake Brice Gallant’s hand and the hands of all the others, and hustle out the door. Although she kept her head high, in her mind, it hung in shame. If she didn’t get this job, she would have to call the bank again and beg for an extension on her mortgage payment. She might even have to move in with her mom and Glenn, until she could get back on her feet.

  Chapter Two

  Job Crusher

  The bell over the antique door of Coffersations chimed as Grace entered. A wave of coffee shop aromas washed over her, and she breathed deep their rich warmth. The dark tang of roasted coffee beans eddied with the sweetness of fresh-baked apple muffins. Above the deep sea of venti caramel latte scents and cinnamon pastries circled the hushed conversations of the shop’s patrons. Most were huddled over small tables this evening, coveting their steaming mugs and murmuring. A dry laugh pierced the monotone sounds like the cry of an angry albatross, sending shivers down her spine and causing her stomach to churn. No way. It can’t be.