Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
A collective gasp went through the GhostWalker team. Before Gideon could stop her, Rory was up and leaning over the balcony. He didn’t know why, because she couldn’t see anything from there; at least he didn’t think she could, and everything was happening so fast.
Rhianna, get up against the wall. Press tight against it. There was hard authority in Rory’s voice.
Westlake ran straight at Rhianna. She’d dropped to the sidewalk, the bullet in the calf taking her down, but strangely there was no blood, not a single drop. Gideon viewed her from overhead, his vision usually sharp, but he seemed to look through a gray veil when he tried to see the sidewalk.
Westlake appeared frantic as he cast around for his victim. He couldn’t find her, and he had to keep going. He ran around the corner right into what appeared to be a teenage boy on a skateboard, who nearly clotheslined him. The kid swept on past Westlake as he went down, choking and coughing but still clutching his revolver.
Larrsen came around the corner, ignoring Javier, who had hopped off the skateboard and gone up onto the sidewalk and was kneeling. Westlake fired several shots at Larrsen as other officers raced to back up the detective who called out orders to Westlake to put his weapon down.
Westlake shouted obscenities at Larrsen and fired again.
“What did you do, Rory?” Gideon asked. “Javier’s with her now. Whatever it was, you can undo it.”
She shrugged and sank down again on the bench. She was breathing heavily. Don’t let anything happen to Larrsen.
Gideon was more worried that Rory had overtaxed herself. Rhianna had been a distance away. They were all waiting for a report on her condition from Javier. He’d shown restraint in not killing Westlake when he could have. He’d followed Mack’s orders, which wasn’t always the case.
“I think Larrsen and the police have it under control.” He was watching the scene closely, although a big part of him was keeping an eye on Rory’s physical condition. Another part was waiting to hear how Rhianna was doing.
“John, throw the gun down. Hands behind your head. You know there isn’t any way out of here,” Larrsen said patiently. “You know the drill.”
“You’re not arresting me. I’m a detective. You don’t have the authority to arrest me.”
“Put the gun down.”
Westlake fired at him repeatedly. When his gun was empty, he drew a second one, put his head around the pillar and took careful aim. Several shots were fired at the same time, and his head snapped back, bright red blood blossoming from his temple, the top of his scalp and his eye.
Larrsen sighed and hung his head for a moment, watching the body topple.
Does Rhianna need Paul, Javier? Mack asked.
No. There was relief in Javier’s voice. Rhianna could have taken that bastard if he’d gotten near her. Rory gave her an out, so she took it. It’s a flesh wound, nothing serious.
Thanks, Rory, Rhianna added. I have to say, that was very cool that he couldn’t see me. He looked right at me too. He couldn’t see the blood on the ground either.
Gideon flashed her a small grin. “Red, I can shield myself, but I’ve never been able to shield my team or any other member of it. And certainly not from a distance. You just did it without even thinking. How can you know how to do that when you don’t remember your past?”
To his consternation, her finger pressed hard into the spot above her left temple. This time, Gideon felt the sensation she’d told him about. He had stayed connected to her mind ever since he’d brought her out of the warehouse, unable to make himself completely let go. Paul was correct when he said the sensation had become agonizing. His woman had a very high pain tolerance.
“Don’t answer that. Don’t even think about it, Rory.”
I need to think about it, Gideon. She was back to leaning her head against him. I went back through the images in your head of what Paul went through to save me. He transfers whatever the injury is to his body in an exchange. That’s why it’s so dangerous and he’s so weak afterward.
“Yes, that’s how it works. He performs surgery using his mind, not physically. In doing so, there’s a huge risk to him. There are only a very limited number of people in the world who can do such a thing. We guard them carefully. No one, not even those above us, knows of their skills. It would be too dangerous if word ever got out.”
He’s talking to me about undoing what Whitney did to my lungs. Or attempting to. He isn’t sure what it is yet. But that could be fatal to him. I’ve lived with my lungs this way for as long as I can remember. In my nightmares, I was the same way, so apparently, Whitney must have planted whatever he did when I was a child. Risking Paul’s life seems unnecessary when I’ve been doing this for so long.