by Darrell Bain
Pat, Bailey, and Melissa Gomez were the chaperones, along with two other friends, but Pat insisted that they not be obtrusive. The party was a rite of passage, but this one was a very mild version of some of the Turnteen parties the adults had heard of. Jimmy's had been the same type of gathering as Amber's and had taken place only a month ago.
"Let's go talk to Jeannie for a minute,” Amber suggested, looking around to see where her friend was. She couldn't find her in the living room. She waited, thinking Jeannie might have gone to the bathroom, but when she saw another teen coming from there, she knew that wasn't it.
"She's outside,” Jimmy said positively. “And..."
Amber knew, too. The three tried not to pry into each others’ mind, but did use their talent to know where another person was, if need be. Jimmy and Amber had done that at the same time but had backed off immediately.
"Oh, damn and desolation!” Amber exclaimed. “She's smoking green matter, right out in the front yard! Right in plain sight and with the porch light on! Come on, Jimmy. We have to stop this before she hits a snag."
Amber hadn't paused to find out who Jeannie was with. When she saw the two boys, one on each side of her, she stopped abruptly, causing Jimmy to almost stumble into her. The anger she had felt toward her friend changed to puzzlement.
Jordy Rhieman and Henry Keller! What were those two broke rocks doing here? She thought. Henry was bad enough, but Jordy was horrible. Amber took a deep breath. The boys hadn't seen them yet, but she knew Jeannie had sensed their presence immediately.
"Hey!” Amber shouted.
All three turned around.
"You two broke rocks weren't invited,” she said angrily to the boys. “Get off my property, right now or I'm calling the cops.” She reached for her phone.
"Yeah?” Jordy sneered. “I don't think so, you little goodyslit. You wouldn't want to see your friend arrested, would you?” He deliberately took another big hit from the marijuana cigarette.
Amber sensed Jimmy's intentions and grabbed his arm before he could attack Jordy. The other boy had just used an epithet for her worse than a curse among teens.
"You'd better go,” Jeannie said to Jordy and Henry, knowing how mad Amber was and how close Jimmy was to forcefully breaking away from Amber and slugging Jordy. She didn't want them to cause a ruckus here.
Jordy acted as if he were debating the decision, but he really had no intention of tangling with Jimmy again, not unless he was armed. “Okay, but only because you say so, realtimer, not little goodyslit, there.” He deliberately took another hit from his smoke and tossed it into the grass. He chucked Jeannie under the chin and casually dropped his hand down to her breasts. He stroked her there, winked, and departed, not at all in a hurry.
Amber was speechless for a moment, but her mind was hectic with questions. “Realtimer” was an expression denoting a girl or boy who was willing to experiment with drugs and sex, sometimes more. It also meant a girl who would give a guy a good time. Finally, Amber said, “How long has this been going on?” It was all she could manage.
"Well, you and Jimmy are liplocked. I want to have some fun, too,” Jeannie said defensively. She shrugged her shoulders, almost causing her strapless bra to slip.
Amber could read the defiance and the sense of embarrassment behind Jeannie's words, but she could find very little shame there. She sighed, not knowing what to do about it just then. “We can talk tomorrow, Jeannie. Come on, let's go back inside."
Jeannie had very little choice since her mother wasn't due to pick her up for at least another hour, probably more. Back in the living room, she tried to brush off the incident by flirting artfully with almost every boy there except Jimmy and avoiding being close to either of her two closest friends. It made for a depressing atmosphere since all the others could sense something untoward had happened but weren't exactly sure what.
"Is everything all right?” Bailey asked his stepdaughter a little later when he made a quick appearance to let the kids know adults were still around.
"We had a party crasher, but it's okay now. I'll talk to you about it later, Bailey. Okay?"
"Sure, Lumpkin. Have fun.” He retreated, knowing as well as the gang of perceptive kids did that Amber was very upset.
* * * *
"You were right, Bailey,” Amber admitted desolately after all the kids were gone and she had kissed Jimmy good night.
"About Jeannie?” Bailey was sitting across from Amber and Pat, finally having a drink now that the kids had departed.
"Uh huh.” She leaned her head against Mom's shoulder, taking comfort from her mother's nearness, even if she was maturing so quickly. She looked at Bailey and told what had happened. “She was smoking some green right out in plain sight, and what's even worse, she told those two broke rock boys they could drop by when she knew I didn't want them here. I think she's jumped, had sex, with one of them. That's the impression I got, even if she was trying to hide it.” She clutched her mother's forearm and hand with both of hers. She felt a tear slide free of her lashes and trickle down her cheek. “Mom, she's ... it's like if she can't have Jimmy, she doesn't much care what she does! And it's all happening so fast!"
Pat had changed into a simple housecoat after the guests all left. She adjusted it while putting her arm around Amber, unsure of how to handle the situation but knowing Amber needed her support and love. She looked to Bailey to see what he thought.
"I suspect you and Jimmy are already pretty well bonded, what with being able to see into each other's mind, aren't you?” he said.
"Oh yes. It just gets better all the time,” she said enthusiastically. “We call it being liplocked, but...” Amber had to pause for a moment to let Mom and Bailey chuckle over the teen slang, but she was entirely serious. “...but it's deeper than that. It's like...” She struggled to explain what she and Jimmy felt for each other in words. “...like we're each part of the other. It's like what you and Mom felt for each other when ... well, you know, like when I was there that first time but didn't now how to not look. It's like that but not so intense all the time. It's always there when we're near each other.” The young girl got a puzzled look on her face as if she were seeing an emotion or hearing love. The experience was plain to her, but language had no words to describe it. “I'm sorry, I don't know how to explain any better, but it's not something we can share with Jeannie. It's like we own each other. Does that make sense?"
Bailey nodded sadly. “Lumpkin, I'm sure it's wonderful, but you don't have to try explaining any more. It's like we're blind, and you're trying to describe colors to us. It's probably something everyone in the world would love to have if they knew what it was, but in the meantime, we have to figure out what to do about it."
"To keep us safe.” Amber said seriously, her pretty young face no longer carrying its usual elfin expression.
"Exactly, and I don't like what happened this evening a bit. You and Jimmy and most of the other kids seem to be developing fine, you and Jimmy especially. But those others you said were acting terribly; they're learning how easy it is to manipulate normal humans, and they obviously haven't had much moral guidance growing up. They're going to get you all into trouble.” Bailey's expression was a grim counterpart to Amber's seriousness. He stood up and began pacing. “I wish we could just take you and Jimmy and his parents and go somewhere else where we wouldn't be noticed, but it's probably already too late. And I still feel responsible for the rest of those kids."
Pat remained silent. Bailey continued, turning directly to Amber. “Lumpkin, this may be a situation you can solve better than adults. I guess you know we've already talked to Melissa and Joe about what we should do, and they have no more idea than we do other than they're aware that you and Jimmy don't intend to be separated. They're both in denial about your talents, mind reading aside, but you probably know that, too, so I want you two to think about everything and help us come up with a solution if there is one. I'm awfully afraid that there might not be one."
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br /> "Bailey, we have to try something. If we just sit and wait for a crisis, we're avoiding responsibility,” Pat said. There was a hint of desperation in her voice.
"How well I know.” He glanced at his watch. “Well, we don't have to do anything tonight. Let's all get some rest and come back to the subject in a few days. In the meantime, we'll all keep it in mind. Sometimes the subconscious will produce answers if you don't force it."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Casey stayed in his hotel room, venturing out only to eat and to gather more information on the children. When he had enough to satisfy him, he decided it was time for his final act before temporarily leaving the area. It was a Thursday afternoon, more than two weeks after Amber's Turnteen party. He was waiting, disguised by sunglasses, a fake mustache, and casual clothes: a brown shirt and green slacks, easy colors to forget. He didn't want to be recognized by the kids so he could get a good reading on whether they actually could read minds—the three Larkin had fingered in particular. He sat on the bus stop bench at the intersection inside the alcove where some of the kids stopped for a quick kiss and grope on their way home, or if they were allowed, waited there for their bus.
At three o'clock, Casey stood up and walked to the edge of the alcove where he could see the students coming and where they could see him. He undressed and did mortifying things to several of the younger girls in his mind as they passed. Only one paid him any attention, a member of the group that Casey recognized, though not one of the three he was primarily interested in. The girl happened to glance at him then took another look as she perceived part of the content of his attention. She speeded up her steps so she could mingle with a group of kids ahead of her.
Amber was strolling slowly along with Jimmy, hand in hand. They passed the well-disguised Casey without paying him any attention. He waited until they were a few steps away with their backs to him and then let the full force of his fantasies loose. He didn't have to fake the images or emotion he felt. Everything he thought of was something he would love to do to the girl.
Amber caught all of Casey's degraded imagination full blast when he concentrated his attention entirely on her. It startled her so badly that she juggled and dropped the print book she had been carrying in the hand not entwined with Jimmy's. She let out a short, involuntary cry of disgust and moved closer to Jimmy, almost causing him to trip over her feet. She didn't have to look around to know who was responsible.
"Oh God, it's that Casey Creeper again!” she said to Jimmy, her voice low and shaky with fear. “Come on, let's get away from him!” Now her whole body was trembling in reaction to the vivid images from Casey's mind. When she reacted, his emotion made the images all the more vivid.
Jimmy's face flamed red with anger and embarrassment as he caught the truly repugnant lasciviousness of Casey's mind himself as Casey mentally stripped Amber of her clothes and performed unspeakable acts on her naked body.
Jimmy stopped momentarily, anger making him want to attack the former FBI agent regardless of the danger he represented. He couldn't help turning around for a moment.
"Jimmy, come on! Please, he's horrible.” Amber tugged at Jimmy's hand, feeling a nausea building in her middle, like she had eaten some rotten food. Even after practice, it was almost impossible to shield her mind from all of Casey's loathsome thoughts.
Jimmy glared his hatred at the perverted mentality of the man but let Amber hurry him away from the bus stop, almost running. Neither he nor Amber had to look back over their shoulders to know that he was following them with his gaze, an evil grin plastered on his face.
Casey now knew for certain that those two truly were mind readers, implausible as it was. All the younger children subjected to the nerve agent had grown to be unbelievably perceptive, but the talent these two had was mind-boggling. He could hardly contain himself with thoughts of what he could do with people like that assuming he found a way to control them, and that could be done if he went about it in the right way. Espionage agents had spent untold years and huge amounts of money researching and practicing how to manage and control spies both for and against their own interests. The best way was usually with subtle but undeniable threats of harm to their loved ones accompanied by cash, but he had to be careful. He shuddered with the thought of how a former FBI agent would be received by other inmates of a prison should he get caught. Better not to be so direct with these kids.
Larkin and Shaeffer had told him that there appeared to be a rupture in the relationship between the paired Morrison and Gomez kids and the odd one of the threesome, Jeannie Burger. He intended to try working on that. He waited. The girl was hanging out with a couple of boys Larkin said were “Juvenile Delinquents.” Observation over the last two weeks had shown him that Jeannie Burger passed his waiting point a few minutes behind the other two. He prepared some new images quite different than what he had used on the other brats.
* * * *
To observers, Jeannie would have appeared to be a typical middle schooler, relieved and happy to be free of classrooms for the day, having fun flirting and bantering with the boys in the small group of students she was walking with. Inside, Jeannie was confused and unhappy and jealous. She couldn't help it. Amber and Jimmy enjoyed a continually growing closeness to each other that she envied and wanted to experience herself, but there was no other boy, or even a girl, with their talent. She was beginning to feel like a pariah in reverse, as if she were a higher cast Indian having to live among the “untouchables” like the ones they were studying in social history class this week.
The boys she was fooling around with were perceptive and they were inducing her to try some experiences that were disconcerting in a way but gave her a thrill at times. Like doing green. And sex. She picked Jordy to show her that since she knew he was more experienced than Henry. It was okay, but she knew from vagrant thoughts Amber let slip in the one class where they were together that she and Jimmy were enjoying themselves much more, and they hadn't even skipped the rope yet! They were still just petting the kitty. It was frustrating and left her not only resentful, but also feeling unchallenged. Everyone except Jimmy and Amber were so easy to manipulate.
Jeannie's musings were interrupted by images from another mind thrusting strongly at her, as if someone was aware she could pick up the thoughts. Casey! The FBI man Amber said did bad things! But ... ? That wasn't what he was thinking at her! Instead, he was telling her silently that he could provide her with almost unimaginable wealth and fun and could prepare her for assimilation into the ranks of the elite women of the world, all in return for using her talents now and then. She slowed her walk, seeing the frown lines above Casey's sunglasses as he concentrated mightily to convince her he was truly wanting that and nothing more. Some of his thoughts were vague and fuzzy, encompassing things she knew little about as of yet, but enough got through.
Jordy and Henry saw Casey, but their perceptive ability told them little other than that he seemed to be propositioning her in some weird manner. His thoughts were so concentrated on Jeannie that they had little inkling of what he was really up to. Both of them started to urge Jeannie away from him but then they saw she was smiling.
"Go ahead,” Jeannie said. “I'll catch up with you later."
When the boys hesitated, Jeannie said, “It's okay, really.” Jordy still showed a reluctance to leave her alone in Casey's presence until she stood on tiptoes and whispered a promise into his ear. He nodded and tugged Henry on with him, grinning lasciviously.
Jeannie kept her distance but listened to the former FBI agent when he began talking. She could easily tell that he was sincere, so far as what he wanted from her was concerned. He wanted the same thing from Amber and Jimmy, but didn't think he could get it short of force or vile threats—that thought leaked from his mind as he was talking, an acute reminder of what kind of man he was. She told herself she would be careful. She found out quickly that he was working for a man he was certain could provide all he was offering if she cooperated. He h
ad the way all prepared. All he had to do was show proof of her ability, and the world would open in front of her like a path into fairyland. She saw that even he didn't know the full extent of what he, with Jeannie as his partner, could garner, but even what he was sure of was enough to tempt her.
"How would it work?” Jeannie asked. “I couldn't just up and leave on my own, you know."
Casey grinned. “Don't worry. Just as soon as I get our support lined up, I'll have one of the companies we'll be dealing with offer to hire your parents for enough money that they'll jump at the chance to move."
"Where to?"
"Los Angeles, probably. Right near Hollywood, but far enough away not to have to mix with the riff raff. Sound good so far?"
"So far, yes.” Jeannie said, envisioning herself as an enormously wealthy movie queen. “Just one thing: you keep your distance from me, or I'll turn you in. You know what for."
Casey nodded, and Jeannie saw that he was sincere even though he couldn't keep some of his background fantasies from getting loose, wistful thoughts of what he would enjoy doing with her if he weren't after a much bigger prize.
"When?” Jeannie asked.
"I'll be in touch. A rep from the people I work for will check you out. After that, we're home free.” Casey looked around and saw another throng of kids moving toward them. “I'm leaving now before I attract any more attention. You'll hear from me, don't worry.” He walked away, secure in the knowledge that at least one of the kids would cooperate. Some of the merely perceptive ones surely would, too. Casey began whistling a tune and dreaming of all the things he could do when he had enough wealth and power to act as he wished without fearing arrest and prison.
Jeannie slowed down as she walked toward where Henry and Jordy were waiting. She was wondering if she could handle the proposition Casey was offering by herself without having to deal with him. Despite knowing he was sincere right now, there was no way of anticipating what he might do in the future. By the time she joined the boys, she decided she didn't know enough to try what Casey was proposing alone. She would have to let him get it set up. After that, though? Maybe he could be discarded and she could make arrangements on her own. Even if not, she was thinking of one demand she was going to make.
