by Amanda Uhl
Dazed, Grace nodded.
“You have my private cell number. If you need anything, call me, okay? I know we haven’t known each other long, but I hope you’ll think of me as a…friend.”
“David, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve been on my own for many years now.”
“I know.” He smiled, his austere features softening. His eyes glowed with an inner warmth, setting her heart racing. Slowly, as if worried he would frighten her, he reached one long arm out and gently ran a finger down her cheek. Grace could not look away. She shivered at the contact.
“It’s…you remind me of someone…someone dear. I’m concerned about you all alone. Promise you’ll call me if you’re ever in trouble?”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
David’s cell phone went off, and he dropped his hand to reach into his pocket. His gaze never wavered from Grace’s face as he answered. “Yes,” he said. “I know. I’m on my way right now.”
He pocketed the phone. Oliver barked and stood as if he had some unspoken communication with his master.
“Grace, I have to run. But, I’ll call you when I return. I’ll be anxious to find out what you think of the cottage.”
He turned abruptly and strode up the beach toward the cottage he had pointed to earlier. Was it only moments ago? It felt like a lifetime. That’s when she noticed the young girl waiting for him. The same one from the coffee shop. As he approached, she grabbed his hand and began talking seriously.
Grace stood frozen, her mind a blank. Who was the woman?
As she watched their earnest conversation, David glanced back. He shrugged, as if in apology, and waved. He turned his young companion toward his cottage and they walked briskly away, leaving Grace staring after them.
Chapter Seven
Dangerous Work
“Is that her?” Geneva asked. Like most trainers, she was nosy about his personal life.
David smiled. “Yes.”
“Oh,” she said with a sniff.
“She thinks you’re my lover.”
“Does she know about your…skills?”
“No, of course not.”
Geneva stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips, indicating a lecture was forthcoming. She did not disappoint. “David, I swear. Sometimes I think all men are dense. You’re interested in her, aren’t you? She’s a civilian. She’s not one of us. She can’t provide what you need. You’ll grow bored and slip up. Or you’ll end up controlling her. You know how it is. She’ll freak and put us all in danger. And you know what you will be forced to do. Do you really want to tamper with her memories?”
David put both hands on Geneva’s shoulders and pushed her forward. “When I want your advice, I’ll ask for it.”
They continued moving rapidly toward his cottage. It wasn’t fair to take out his worry on Geneva. She was only trying to help. He sighed. As his trainer, she knew all about his fascination with Grace—had known for some time. Shielding his thoughts from her all the time wasn’t possible.
David paused mid-step and tried again. “You’re right. It’s…” He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know what it is. There’s just something about her. Her energy…it’s…I can’t quite put my finger on it. God, I’d almost think she’s one of us if I didn’t know any better.”
“There is something odd about her, I’ll give you that. I mean I haven’t seen that particular shade of green light before. But we’ve checked the database. She’s not in it.”
He nodded and started to move forward, conversation over. But she gripped his arm again tightly, stopping him. “David, I know it’s not my place. But we do need to talk about this. Her light…that color…she spells trouble. Don’t ignore the warning. You don’t want to hurt her. And for the record, I’ve shared this with your whole family and they agree with me—even Sophia. I know you’re under a lot of pressure. But we think you need perspective. You aren’t thinking rationally.”
Taking a deep breath, Geneva ran a hand through her hair. He could tell the conversation was difficult for her. Close ties had knit their families together for decades. They may have guarded their privacy from outsiders, but there were few secrets among them. Being protective of each other was natural for them, and Geneva was stronger than most. She knew things the others didn’t.
“I think it would be best to erase your memories of Grace. I could take care of it for you if you’d like.”
David’s entire body tensed. “Not without my cooperation.” Steel edged his voice.
“Of course not. But you have to think about what you’re doing. We need you right now. Your life is in grave danger, which means all of our lives are, too. Hell, that girl’s also in danger. Did you even think of that?”
Fear gripped his guts with icy fingers. Geneva was right. Why had he not anticipated this? David’s unknown enemy was ruthless. If David were being watched as Peter suspected, the enemy would pay attention to Grace—could even use her as a tool to wedge entrance into David’s mind. He should keep his distance.
Of course, if it was as he and Peter theorized, no one could get through David’s defenses. He was too strong. Besides it wasn’t like he had linked with Grace. He’d merely stopped her from being used by Gallant. That was no reason for the enemy to target her, was it?
David sighed, rubbing a tired hand across the back of his neck. He wasn’t certain he could stay away from Grace entirely, but he would try. “She’s safe. But you’re right. Grace could be in danger. I’ll keep a close eye on her.”
Geneva studied him with sympathetic eyes. She had been in his mind again. He would have to guard his thoughts more closely. She was far too strong for his liking.
“Well, good thing she doesn’t know she has a psycho after her.” Geneva grinned.
David laughed, which was undoubtedly her intention, and the mood lightened. He was grateful to be given a reprieve. Explaining his protective feelings toward Grace was difficult for even himself to understand, let alone Geneva.
They turned and made their way to Geneva’s car. He preferred not to tunnel in from the cottage. Since it was nearby, they didn’t need transportation to get to this particular destination, but they kept up appearances whenever they could. Besides, they had to drop off Oliver. David’s type of travel could be dangerous for the body left behind. A safe location was required.
They drove the short distance to Geneva’s apartment, parked the car in the garage, and saw Oliver safely stowed in her back bedroom. Soon they were in her office, door closed, shades drawn. The dark room helped them avoid distractions. David lay on the familiar blue chaise lounge and closed his eyes.
He felt the moment Geneva took control of the energy field in the room, creating the orange portal, which would carry him safely into their target’s mind. It pulsed and beckoned to him like it always did. David watched the waves carefully, and when the sequence was exactly right, his mind reached out to snag the energy stream. There was a sensation, like entering a viscous fluid, and he felt the snap and crackle of the live stream zipping through his system. David slipped in undetected—a skill which had taken him many years to develop. He knew his cousins would be expecting him, but still he enjoyed the added edge he gained entering a target’s mind on his own rather than being pulled in—an edge granting him a moment or two to study the scene and the players and to anticipate the action.
They were all there in front of him, Rolf, Kevin, and Jordan. He couldn’t see his cousins in human shape. With the mind, there were no physical bodies, only energy waves. But since his brain still liked to manufacture a body, that’s how he saw them. Rolf had placed himself in the center, like he always did, and it was he who recognized David’s presence first.
Glad you could join us, cuz. Rolf didn’t vocalize anything. He thought it. In this place, no words were necessary.
I wouldn’t miss it.
We weren’t sure you would be up to it, Kevin said. Kevin was the youngest and most easygoing one of the bunch. Whenever David looked at him,
he remembered the little boy he had been, blond cowlicks sticking up every which way and a milk mustache. He was now twenty-three, having completed basic training after entering their hacker unit a year ago. David had a soft spot for Kevin and did not bother to hide it. He and Rolf kept a close eye on the younger cousin when they were all together. The kid showed promise, but was still so young.
David recognized the slight question in Kevin’s energy, but he did nothing to dispel it. They should worry. It would put all of them on their guard. Even Rolf and Jordan were rookies in the field compared to him. Although they liked action, they did not fully understand the risk they took nor the deadly power of the energy fields they encountered. Not the way he did—especially now that the stakes were so much higher. Someone—some power hungry rogue hacker—wanted him dead. Since he had rejoined his unit, his job as the senior member of the unit was to keep them all safe. A familiar mantel of responsibility for the safety of the others settled around his shoulders like a lead cloak. Still, David was careful not to let a whisper disturb the energy field Geneva had created lest they be discovered before they even started.
Okay, we need to get a move on. He motioned toward the dark tunnel, which led to the memory center of the brain. Let’s go.
They walked in formation, each of the three men taking an outside stance with David on the inside. Guarding him was critical, so he could track the information they were after, while concealing their presence. Their job was to help him navigate the energy fields and fight off the mind’s natural defensive system, which operated similar to white blood cells attacking invading bacteria.
The portal dipped and swayed as they made their way toward the center of the target’s mind. Dark blotches detached themselves from the sides of the cavern—an army of sorts—attacking his shield. He could feel the counter force of their energy waves, seeking to destroy the portal Geneva had created and put an end to his intrusion. Not only were the dark soldiers swift and lethal, they had been reinforced. For a moment, David registered surprise and nearly let the shield slip. Their presence had been anticipated.
Every mind had a natural defense—some stronger than others. This mind, the wife of Thung Yeh, the target they were sent to investigate, was incredibly strong. Although she had let them in initially, David had difficulty keeping their shield in place. He had to act quickly. If their target were to awaken while the shield was lifted, they would be discovered and the target’s waking brain would take over and eject them—an event which could be painful, even deadly.
He wrenched his thoughts back to the work at hand. Control was essential. A tremendous amount of focus was required to create and hold on to the neutralizing waves disguising their presence.
They worked their way quickly past the cerebrum and the basil ganglia and into the hypothalamus, which was at the center of the brain and processed memories. While his men penetrated and destroyed the black energy shards, he slipped into the center, searching her thoughts until he was satisfied. He could find no memories leading to Thung Yeh’s mission except for one—a short thought, as if someone had been interrupted during the elimination process. He examined the image carefully. The target was at what appeared to be a sales convention. She was looking for someone; spotted a man in the distance. From the back, he appeared to be tall and broad-shouldered. He wore a dark navy suit. A young, beautiful woman clung to his arm.
David felt a sudden disturbance, as though someone skipped a rock along the surface of a pond. A tell-tale buzz and hiss signaled the approaching mind blast. His heart raced, knowing they were in terrible danger. What he did within the next few seconds would determine their survival. David signaled the others urgently to prepare themselves. He scrambled to produce the energy force necessary to wipe the mind of their presence and eject them each back through their respective portals.
Power rippled through him. One of his cousins screamed in agony. Kevin. Deadly waves erupted. He hurtled sharply through blackness and into blinding light as the portal winked out of existence. The return was jarring, and he panted at the sharp pain in his head.
“Arrggh.”
Someone was groaning loudly. It was a minute or two before he realized the voice he heard was his own.
“Hush now.” Cool hands gripped his.
David squinted his eyes open cautiously. He was in the familiar office, Geneva beside him. Although it was still daylight, he knew from experience they had been under for some time.
“What is it?” Geneva demanded, suddenly alarmed. “Was it…?”
“Not Rolf.” He ground out. Geneva and Rolf were an on-again, off-again romance. He privately believed Geneva would have been a much better match as a trainer for Rolf. But Peter had paired David with Geneva.
His eyelids were heavy but he managed to open them briefly to see her bending over him, her expression anxious. He was breathing too fast. He closed his eyes.
Geneva began the process of eliminating the dead energy waves, which was crucial to restore his normal levels. But David could sense her unanswered questions, so he spoke again as soon as he could manage.
“Kevin.” He gasped, a thousand drill bits driving into his skull. He took another deep breath. “I believe he made it back but I don’t think…. not in one piece.” The pain caused him to speak more harshly than he intended. He sucked in air and spat out, “I can’t be certain.”
He tried to calm his breathing, but the mission had taken its toll. As the usual after effects gripped him, David summoned all his strength to force his worries to the back of his mind, enabling him to recover.
Geneva closed her eyes. Was it relief Rolf had survived? Or was it fear for Kevin, who would be in tremendous pain even if he had survived? Perhaps, it was a bit of both. Whenever a soldier died in a mind battle, his energy was absorbed into the target’s mind. Lucky for Kevin, David had managed to penetrate the field and destroy the counter-waves. But a part of Kevin’s life-force had been trapped in the field and absorbed before it could enter the portal. Whether Kevin could survive without the portion was questionable.
His breathing grew unsteady with his worry, and he sensed Geneva’s silent reprimand. He must remain calm so that he could recover. They would not know immediately. Kevin would have to be watched carefully for the next forty-eight hours. No doubt their Cleveland headquarters would be in a state of pandemonium.
“It was a hit at least.” Geneva didn’t ask. As his trainer, she knew David was seldom unsuccessful in finding the required information and wiping the minds of his targets. He was incredibly good at what he did.
Twenty years ago when he had joined the unit, he had been eager for adventure. He’d had his share, too. Most of his comrades had long since left the force. They’d married, had children and kept themselves and their families away from the watchful eye of the government. He had chosen a different path. Right from the beginning, David had been stronger than the others—better equipped to navigate the dangerous energy fields. So he had kept on, erecting powerful defenses for important world figures or wiping the minds of those who wished to do them harm. Until the accident that claimed Meg’s life.
He should have retired three years ago when he had the chance. He forced his breathing into a calming pattern, as he had been trained, and tried to stop his legs and arms from shaking. Deep breath in the stomach, fill lungs, slowly breathe out. The day his employer discovered a plot by the Chinese government was the day he should have turned in his badge. He hadn’t though. At the time, he was the only one capable of preventing the Chinese from stealing information from one of the brightest scientists in the United States, Basil DuMar. DuMar had been working on artificial intelligence. Robots. He had achieved a breakthrough, which would have significant positive impact on the American economy when it was brought to development. Someone had to protect DuMar. All eyes turned to David. And like a big sap, he agreed to one last mission.
To be fair, the task had seemed simple in the early days. He had tracked those in on the plot, jump
ing from mind to mind as he discovered new details, leading to more targets. Stealthily entering their minds, he wiped all memories of their attack plans and replaced them with new memories—all without revealing his presence or alerting the public. If the Chinese were unaware of Basil DuMar’s discoveries, they wouldn’t know there was anything worth stealing. The method was cost effective and non-violent, which is why the government liked it so much. It had worked, too. Until the last mission.
David gripped the arms of the couch where he lay. Geneva immediately grasped his hands, the warm contact and flow of neutralizing waves soothing. Deep breath in…breathe out. Still, he couldn’t stem the tide of memories.
They had encountered a deadly new energy source: someone or something capable of magnifying and inflicting potent levels and not afraid to kill, rather than wiping the minds of their victims. The hacker appeared to have powerful backing—perhaps another country—but no one could figure out which one. The only certainty was some other powerful hacker also wanted the secrets in Basil DuMar’s brain, too. Only David and his team stood between them.
David opened his eyes to see Geneva watching him. How much did she know? Had she explored his more painful memories when he was unaware or his defenses were low?
He tried to stop the bitter memories from surfacing, but it was too late. They flooded his mind, washing in from the dark corners where he had buried them deep.
The mission had been like countless others he had endured. They had been in the mind of Chinese diplomat Thung Yeh, who was suspected of masterminding the plot to steal DuMar’s technology. The procedure should have been a simple in and out. Instead, they were attacked by someone who hijacked and channeled David’s own immense energy waves.
A low moaning sound seemed to echo the hollowness inside him. He had been lucky, that day. The stranger was not prepared for the power David generated, and his aim was slightly off. Acting on instinct, David used the seconds gained to escape through the portal, his mind intact. The rest of his team, along with Thung Yeh, were not so lucky. David’s rapid exit left the stranger in control, and he left no one inside alive. Thung Yeh never woke from a coma. Worst of all, David’s former trainer, who had felt the strange tremors and knew he was in jeopardy, had ignored protocol and had attempted to rescue him—a mistake, which cost her life. His fault.
