MindWar

by Darrell Bain

Just as she got there, it opened. A second later she was in his arms, holding him in a tight embrace while tears ran down her face.

  "You kids can close the door any time now,” Bailey said as he laughed. He and Pat went to meet Jimmy while he was still entangled with Amber.

  "I'm so sorry, Jimmy,” Pat whispered, putting her arms around both of them.

  "You're going to live with us,” Bailey said, hoping it would ease Jimmy's pain a bit, but, of course, Amber had already conveyed the news.

  Amber had, and she was also swiftly filling him in on developments the last few minutes. Those thoughts were interspersed with keeping track of Jeannie.

  Once he was partially loose from Amber, Jimmy's first words were “I'm hungry."

  "I'll make you some breakfast in a minute, Jimmy. I just need to run to the bedroom for a moment, first.” Pat told him.

  Once Amber and Jimmy were seated, sitting very close to each other, Tarker introduced himself and picked up where the conversation had left off.

  "Okay, are we all agreed on releasing the news and the formula to the public?"

  "Pat and I are,” Bailey said, knowing she would agree. Anything to lessen the danger to the kids. They had also tossed around ideas of what the world might become like if everyone was as perceptive as the children were growing up to be.

  "I think it's the right thing to do. I've already given some thought to what might happen should we do that. It's going to cause some awesome changes in the way society functions,” Ray said. He gestured toward the outside with an open hand, indicating the endless number of people who would be affected.

  "You don't know the half of it,” Bailey commented from his perspective as both a psychologist and physician. “There's going to be giant upheavals, but, in the end, I think we'll have a better world."

  "They've arrived,” Amber abruptly announced. “Jeannie's getting out of the van. I don't know the address, but it's on a large hill. She can see some of the city down below. It's a great big house. There are men around with mean looking dogs."

  "Damn, I hoped it would be somewhere Jeannie could see the address or a street sign. Amber, you or Jimmy may have to read Casey's mind to find out."

  "He probably doesn't know, either. He's been in back of the van with Jeannie and her parents.” She paused, closing her eyes and focusing all her attention while Jimmy did the same. A moment later, she sighed. “I'm sorry. We can't read the driver's mind. We've never met him and don't know the ... the...” She looked puzzled. “I don't know how to describe what we were trying for. Once you've looked at someone's mind, there's a signal, I guess you could call it, but that's not really right. Anyhow, once you've touched a mind very deeply, you can find it again. Otherwise, it's like stumbling around in the dark in a place you've never been before."

  "A man named Brazos is behind this,” Jimmy said. “Jeannie learned that from Casey. If he goes to see Jeannie, she can find out from him. We'll know then."

  Pat came in from the kitchen with more bacon and egg sandwiches. She was very carefully trying not to think of what she had done in the bedroom before going back to the kitchen. The kids wouldn't read her mind deliberately, but she knew they sometimes unintentionally picked up stray thoughts from those near them. “We need some more groceries,” she announced as she extended the plate toward Jimmy.

  Jimmy grinned and took a sandwich. “Thank you,” he said and began eating ravenously.

  "What are they doing with Jeannie and her parents now?” Tarker asked. “And while you're connected, try to remember each step they take inside the house. It might be important later.” He was thinking silently to himself that if there were guard dogs, rescuing Jeannie would be harder than he anticipated. It was too bad they couldn't have pulled off a rescue while they still knew where the van was located, but there had only been one operative near enough to even try. It probably wouldn't have worked.

  "They've been separated,” Amber said. “I'm following her mom while Jimmy stays with Jeannie."

  "What about her father?"

  "Neither of us has ever met him,” Jimmy explained.

  "It doesn't matter,” Amber said. “I can tell from her mom that they're together. They just got shoved into a bedroom. She heard them lock the door."

  "Same for Jeannie,” Jimmy said.

  No one said anything else while the adults waited, their eyes on Amber and Jimmy. Jimmy had finished one of his sandwiches and was working on the other, hampered by Amber clinging to his arm. Eventually, Amber said, “Nothing else is happening now, but Mrs. Burger is looking around. There's a phone in the room, but it doesn't work."

  "Is it live?” Ray asked immediately.

  "Yes, but it won't dial outside. She tried. Wait. Now she's calling up some numbers that've been dialed."

  "Memorize them!” Ray said urgently.

  Amber did better than that. She still had her phone. She concentrated, trying to see the numbers in Mrs. Burger's mind. She thumbed them into her phone's memory, getting all of two of them and most of a third before the woman stopped fooling with the phone and began doing something else. “Okay, Mister Hetrick, here's what I got."

  She read them off while Ray entered them into his PDA. “Great,” he said. Now I can get a record of what numbers they've called in the past. If we're lucky, the people belonging to those numbers have called the place where the captives are being held and we'll get their location. We already know it's in the hills above the city. That narrows it down already.” He dialed a number and presently was conversing with someone who had access to the phone company's records. After he was finished, he said, “Now we wait."

  "While we're waiting, we may as well start putting together a web page and a clandestine press release of the perceptive-inducing formula. How to manufacture it, the effect it has on people, and so forth. So long as we're all agreed, there's no sense in waiting,” Tarker suggested. “Ray, I'll need you and Bailey to help, and I need to talk to my boss about this. I'm relatively certain they'll agree, but or something this big, I'd better check first."

  "While you're doing that, may we be excused?” Amber asked politely, but she was already on her feet and tugging at Jimmy's hand. He got up, too.

  "Just let us know if the situation with Jeannie changes,” Tarker said absently. He was composing a report in his mind and at the same time trying to come up with a way to protect the three mind readers on a permanent basis.

  Pat and Bailey watched them leave the room, arms around each other's waists. Each of the them was still thinking of how young their daughter was to be heading to a bedroom with her boyfriend. It seemed strange, no matter how mature they were.

  * * * *

  Later, Amber lay with her head resting on Jimmy's shoulder while he moved his hand gently over her body. She was still amazed at how wonderful it was to make love when their minds were merged as deeply together as their bodies were.

  "I wish there was some way to make Mom and Bailey know how good it is when we're together like that,” Amber said. She shivered momentarily as Jimmy touched her breast.

  "Yeah. There's not, though. Even the perceptive kids can't feel what we do.” His hand stopped moving, and his voice broke momentarily. “Poor Mom. She was never even very happy with Dad.” He closed his eyes, thinking how grateful he was that Amber could fully share his hurt in a way no one else possibly could. She even understood how he could make love with her so soon after his parents’ death and not feel a heavy burden of guilt, something he couldn't possibly explain to anyone else.

  "I guess we better go back outside. Bailey just came back in.” Amber hadn't been reading minds. Anyone she was as close to as Bailey and her mother emanated a mental aura that told her when they were nearby and when they moved around. It was like background information, not particularly important but always present. She got up and took her clothes into the bathroom.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Jeannie was finally beginning to understand just what she had gotten herself into. It w
asn't a happy realization, and she saw no way out of it except through Amber and Jimmy. She was also worried about her parents even though she wasn't really close to them. They had never had time for her, but she still supposed she loved them after a fashion. She checked on them periodically. So far, they had been left alone except for having food being brought in by an uncommunicative woman twice a day. They were provided glasses, but had to use the cool water from the bathroom tap to drink.

  It was hours before anyone came to see her, and then it was Casey. He was gloating.

  "Not so high and mighty now, are you?” Casey said, not so much a question as a declaration that he was now in control.

  Jeannie refused to read his mind and wouldn't even give him the satisfaction of speaking until he suddenly lashed out, slapping her across the face with brutal force.

  "Talk to me, you little bitch,” he ordered.

  The innate cruelty inside him was plainly evident in his voice. Jeannie didn't have to see it in his mind.

  "What do you want?” Jeannie asked, holding the side her face.

  "I want you, little dumpling, so get your clothes off."

  "No."

  "Then I'll—” He broke off as his phone rang. He took it out and held it to his ear for a moment then turned to leave. “Sorry, you'll have to wait, but don't worry. We're rounding up all you little mutants now. Maybe I'll take turns, but don't worry; you'll be first."

  Casey left, but not quickly enough to keep Jeannie from reading his mind. He had been telling the truth. His boss had ordered all the perceptive kids of the group he could get his hands on to be taken into full custody. Casey didn't know what would happen after that, but he thought some of them would be shipped to Mexico and Canada or near the borders to help with identifying federal drug enforcement agents and other groups competing for the lucrative narcotics market.

  Jeannie quickly passed the data on to Jimmy and Amber. She couldn't bring herself to reveal Casey's plans for her.

  * * * *

  For the next few days, Tarker Blackmon and Ray Hetrick were very busy. The complete story describing the ultimate results of the terrorist attack on schools over five years ago went out, causing a national uproar on the Internet that quickly spread to the print world. Newspapers and weekly magazines gave the story wide coverage, which only reinforced the Internet frenzy. After that the two men came and went at all hours, and while they were present, one or both of them were usually on the phone.

  Tarker explained it while they were all together eating a scratch meal prepared by Pat and Bailey. “There are several organizations vying for the kids’ services. Some of them are legitimate, others aren't. None of them trust the information we disseminated enough to leave the kids alone until other perceptives are available."

  "What are you doing to protect them?” Pat asked, a worry lines forming on her face. She was afraid for the children she had known and taught despite her complicity in releasing their story.

  "Actually, we've got three operations going at the same time, and it's stretching us almost to the breaking point. First priority is rescuing Jeannie, of course. I have a team standing by ready to go if we ever pinpoint the exact address."

  "Didn't the phone numbers work out?"

  "No, it was a good idea, but we've checked all the addresses called and none matches what we know. We have several big houses as possibilities, but so far we're not sure enough to go in."

  "Jeannie is watching Casey sometimes,” Amber said. “He's got a gang trying to grab some of the group."

  "We know. The second operation involves stymieing him, and so far, he's been successful only twice."

  "With Brenda and LaTonna,” Jimmy said.

  "Uh huh. I'm sorry we didn't get there fast enough to prevent them from being kidnapped, but as I said, we're stretched thin. You did find out where they're being held, so we'll get them back when we can."

  "Why don't you just kill that bastard Casey?” Pat said. “If anyone ever deserved to die it's that slimy son of a bitch."

  "He's still the key to Jeannie, remember? If he would ever go back to where the Burgers are being held, we could have Jeannie or Amber and Jimmy follow him with their minds. He's driving most of the time now and sees where he's going."

  "Jeannie passed word to Jimmy that Casey wants to get back to her, but his boss is still using him to find the last ones of the group. She didn't say why he's so anxious to see her, but we can all guess. Why didn't you bring the other kids here?"

  Tarker glanced at Ray and sighed, wondering how to best explain the reasons to the worried teacher, which wasn't easy to do. “It's not that simple, Pat. Maybe you already know from your kids, but I'll tell you anyhow. Somehow, word has gotten out about the three full mind readers. You two are safe here, and we want to keep it that way. Besides, we have to have permission from the parties involved; we can't just barge in and carry them off; we're not into kidnapping. All we can offer is sanctuary and money, and even the money is short."

  Bailey got up to help Pat gather the remains of the meal. They had eaten in the living room. “You look like there's something else bothering you, Tarker. What is it?"

  "The military is getting into the act. So are foreign governments. Hell, even the terrorist organizations want a piece of the group, and all the ones who know about them want the three mind readers."

  "So we just wait, huh?"

  "That's all you can do for now,” Ray said, his voice gentle. He knew the inactivity must be dragging on the family. Even Amber and Jimmy occasionally wandered about the house, looking for something to do out of bed other than watch television or surfing the net. They had asked for books that no one had time to get, and they certainly weren't being allowed out.

  * * * *

  Jimmy gently shook Amber awake from where she was curled against him, spoon fashion.

  "Hmm? Again, already?"

  Jimmy chuckled, but it died quickly. “Jeannie says Casey's been recalled and is on the way to that big house where the dogs are."

  Amber sat up in bed immediately and merged with Jimmy's mind. Seconds later, they were up and gathering their clothing. As soon as they were dressed, Jimmy headed for the room Ray was occupying. Fortunately, he had returned after going out and was trying to catch up on lost sleep. Tarker hadn't come back that night, calling to say he was too busy. While Jimmy was waking Ray up, Amber headed for her parents’ bedroom. Both of them awoke immediately at Amber's first soft tap almost as if they had been listening rather than asleep. She opened the door and saw that Bailey was already sitting up.

  "What is it, Lumpkin?” he asked without glancing in her direction.

  "Jeannie says Casey is coming to where she is now. Can you or Mister Hetrick contact Mister Blackmon? If he has people waiting like he said he did, maybe they can rescue her now."

  "We'll be there in a minute,” Pat said, swinging her feet to the floor and standing up.

  Amber headed for the kitchen to put the coffee on. She knew everyone would want some at this time of the morning, including Jimmy and her.

  Within a few minutes, they were all in the living room, the odor of fresh coffee wafting in from the kitchen. Ray was already on the phone relaying information from Amber or Jimmy as they got it from Jeannie. Amber tried once to follow Casey with her mind but quickly retreated from the morass of sick thoughts. Did Jeannie know what he had planned for her when he arrived? Surely she must. No wonder she hadn't mentioned it!

  Ray was halfway through his second cup of coffee when Jeannie relayed images from Casey's mind describing the last few hundred yards he had driven before turning off on an unmarked side road. When she described the gate where he stopped, and the German Shepherd dogs on the other side of the high, solid fence, Ray let an exuberant epithet escape.

  "Got it. I recognize the gate! It was one of the possibilities. Damn, that's going to be a tough nut to crack. Let me call Tarker and see what he wants to do."

  "Whatever it is, please hurry,” Amber pleaded.
“Jeannie is scared. Casey is planning on doing bad things to her. Awful things."

  Ray took the phone from his ear for a moment. “Is his boss there?"

  "No, but he's supposed to meet Casey. It's Brazos."

  Ray talked another moment then put his phone away. “Tarker wants me to go help. We're going to need every able body we can scare up for this, and it still might not be enough. If we fail, we'll have to bring the army in on it to get her out."

  "Then they'll grab her,” Bailey said positively. “That's how they think."

  "No matter. Better them than Brazos.” He took his weapon out, checked the action, and put it back in its holster."

  "Do you want me to come along?” Bailey asked.

  "No. Stay here, and help protect the kids, just in case."

  "In case of what?"

  "In case they make Jeannie tell where we are. I'm surprised they haven't thought of it before now.” Ray looked around until he found a pencil and a scrap of paper. He scribbled rapidly and handed it to Bailey. “This is the address of another safe house. Stay by the phone. Be ready to leave if I call. If I do, head for this place, and we'll send some people quick as we can to guard you.” He ran from the room, and, a moment later, they heard the sound of his car starting. His tires screeched as he roared away.

  In the house, Amber and Jimmy concentrated tensely on what Casey and Jeannie were doing. Pat and Bailey waited silently for them to relay tidbits of information to them when they could. Bailey looked at his watch. Four o'clock. Dawn would be breaking before long. Neither he nor Pat had corrected Ray. Perhaps he had forgotten how Amber and Jimmy had gotten away from their intended captors. The “kids” could pretty well protect themselves, especially with he and Pat on their side.

  Bailey got up and left the room for a moment to concentrate. He nodded to himself and went on down the hall to the room where the computer setup was. He had it already prepared, and now he made the final decision. All he had to do was call up the file and post it. In a moment, it was done. There was no turning back now.

  * * * *