Chapter 17
T aryn sat down with a cup of coffee, as Cassie curled up beside her. Both of them had eaten and were now on Alex’s laptop, wasting time on the internet, looking for anything that would make this go faster for them. But, so far, nothing was working.
Cassie once again looked over at her. “Did you hear from Alex?”
“No, not yet,” she replied. “You and I both know that, as soon as he can tell us something, he will.”
Cassie just nodded and didn’t say anything.
“What about your brothers?” Taryn asked, repeating the same questions they had been trading back and forth time and time again.
“Nothing. John and Jack are out cold.”
Taryn nodded.
The Feds kept looking at them sideways, almost as if they had timers on them going off every time Taryn and Cassie brought up anything that could be construed as woo-woo stuff. Each time the agents got an odd look on their faces.
Taryn couldn’t imagine what it was like to live without at least some understanding of that innate level of intuition in all human beings, even in animals. She felt this to be true, even for humans who weren’t energy workers. Regardless, these Feds seemed to have no problem sticking to their outdated notions as to what they believed and what they didn’t.
At one point Cassie stated suddenly, “Uncle Jeff is waking up.”
Taryn smiled down at her. “That’s very good news,” she replied. “And, in case you were wondering, your uncle is in the hospital, under guard, and he won’t be getting out of jail for a very long time.”
Cassie stared up at her, her eyes filled with an inner knowing. “He won’t get out at all,” Cassie noted calmly.
One of the Feds asked her, “Why do you say that?”
But Cassie didn’t respond to him.
A little later Taryn whispered to Cassie, “Meaning, Uncle Jeff will die in prison?”
Cassie nodded. “He’s a very bad man.”
“That’s very true,” Taryn agreed, her voice soft. “I’m so sorry you had to live through that.”
“He wasn’t always a bad man,” she whispered. “Only since my mommy died. Except that once.”
“That’s because your mom was such a beautiful angel, so maybe it was hard for your uncle Jeff to deal with the loss.”
Cassie gave her a small smile and whispered, “I hope so.”
“Jeff’s life won’t be very pleasant from now on, so that is his punishment for being so awful to you and your brothers.” After that exchange, they didn’t bring up the topic of Jeff again for a while.
It belatedly occurred to Taryn how these woo-woo discussions with Cassie could create a whole new problem she had to consider.
She needed to assume that any conversation she had out loud with Cassie could possibly go against them whenever a judge was involved in granting custody. Frowning, she sent Cassie a telepathic message, asking her to keep quiet about certain topics, just in case they decided that Taryn shouldn’t go to England with Cassie. The little girl just shifted in her seat and stared, looking puzzled. Taryn gave Cassie a gentle smile, then, speaking telepathically, filled her in on the problem.
Remember that they don’t understand this special stuff that we can do. So we need to choose carefully what conversations we have out loud and when to keep our discussions just between us .
Cassie looked around at the others, as if unsure why that would be.
Taryn explained further, They can’t hear us when we talk like this because they don’t talk like you and your brothers do .
My mom and I did too , she added telepathically.
That makes it even harder to lose her then, doesn’t it?
She nodded, tears coming to her eyes. I really miss her .
I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Your world got flipped upside down when she died .
At Cassie’s crying, one of the agents looked over at the child, but asked Taryn, “Does she understand what happened?”
Taryn gave him a flat response. “You tell me. She is a child. Her mom is dead. Her father abandoned them to her uncle Jeff, who is going to prison. Meanwhile, her uncle Bruce is recovering from torture at a Russian prison, and her brothers are missing. What do you think?”
He nodded and didn’t say anything. Yet he cast Taryn a raised eyebrow.
She frowned back at him, wondering what he was thinking.
He finally asked, “How did her mother die anyway?”
“We’re not sure. It’s something to check into further. I was told it was a car accident.”
He nodded. After a moment, he seemed to have considered it a bit and returned his attention to researching something.
Cassie shifted in Taryn’s arms and asked, “Are there any movies? Is there any snack food or anything?”
“Do you mean, anything to take your mind off this?” Taryn asked. “We are getting there, although it doesn’t seem like it. However, we do trust in Alex,” she reminded the little girl.
“I know,” Cassie replied, “and he’s a good man.” Then she looked up at Taryn and giggled. “He likes you.”
“That’s good to hear.”
In the onslaught of the childhood giggles that followed, Cassie added, “I like him too. And he really likes you a lot, Taryn.”
Taryn tapped the child on the nose, and Cassie gave a smile that was once again that of a happy, innocent child. “Good, because I really like him too,” Taryn stated in a firm tone. “And that will be enough of that discussion, young lady.”
Cassie burst into laughter. “Ooh, you really like him then, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do,” she admitted, with an eye roll. “I get it. We’re back to being a child again, but could we potentially change the subject anyway?”
One of the Feds interjected, “Hey, it’s the most fascinating subject we’ve heard in a while.” He gave her a smirk. “It helps to keep away the boogeyman.”
Taryn nodded. “Yes, you’ve got a good point there,” she muttered, looking back at the little girl. Cassie was happy now that everything had shifted in her own brain. She was now searching for possible movies to watch online. With a fresh cup of tea, Taryn sat back and focused on sending as much healing energy as she could to Bruce and now to Jack and John, hoping that at least one of them could utilize whatever made its way to them.
She wasn’t even aware how any of this worked, but she figured that the human body, as miraculous as it was, had to have a fail-safe and could accept whatever energy was coming its way and put it to good use. At least she hoped so. She couldn’t stand the thought of doing nothing, so doing something would at least serve to make her feel not quite so useless.
Her phone rang ten minutes later, and everybody froze. She didn’t recognize the number so answered it cautiously. “Hello?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” Alex confirmed. “I’ve got a burner phone.”
“Okay,” she said, looking around at the others. “Gosh, my phone ringing has never had so much attention.”
He snorted. “Not the good kind either, I’m sure.”
“Probably not,” she agreed, with half a smile. “Are you there?”
“I am, and I’ve connected with Riff, who is taking twenty minutes to power up. Then we’ll go take a look. Tell the Feds to get ready to move.”
“Okay, I’ll let them know.”
And, with that, he disconnected.
“He’s there. Riff is taking twenty for a power break, and then they’ll do some reconnaissance. He’ll send word when he has something to share. He wants you to get ready to move.”
“ Great ,” Delores replied testily. “I guess Riff’s not superhuman after all.”
“I think he pretty well is. Everybody needs a power nap every now and then. So I don’t think fifteen or twenty minutes is asking very much, not when he’s been driving for twenty-eight hours straight,” she shared.
Delores shook her head. “You’re the one who was dying to get the twins out of there right now .”
“And it’s finally happening. Alex and Riff will rescue John and Jack very soon, so it’s all good.” Then Taryn waited for everybody to return their attention to their laptops.
As soon as Taryn relaxed and sensed Riff in her mind, along came Alex, not to mention Cassie. Taryn shared, If the four of us work together, we could probably do something about this .
Riff replied, Yeah, we usually do it that way, but I’m used to having trained people, not family and friends .
Well, you’ve got what you’ve got , Taryn declared. Surely I would be better than nothing .
He didn’t say anything at first, then added in a clipped tone, Surely you would. I suggest you keep this channel open, and we’ll let you know more as we move in. It wouldn’t hurt either if Cassie wanted to talk Jack and John through this process either . And, with that, he seemed to leave.
Taryn felt a surge of energy and actually saw Cassie’s energy weaving through hers, forming a trail to connect to the little boys.
Cassie shared with Taryn, Jack and John are on the second floor, in the second bedroom, and are unconscious .
Taryn called out to her guys, Cassie’s already in contact with the boys, in the second bedroom in a motel room on the second floor, but both boys are unconscious .
That was a nice surprise to everyone.
We’ve got this , Riff replied. Now butt out, don’t distract us, so we can do our thing . And, with that, he closed the door firmly and shut them both out.
She still felt the presence of Alex, who added, We’ll check back in a bit .
She turned to Cassie. The little girl stared at her with both hope and fear in her eyes. “It’ll be okay, honest.”
Almost immediately the Fed nearest to her asked, “What the hell is going on? What are they doing, and how the hell are you even aware that they’re doing anything?”
She turned and stared at him with her best incredulous expression, then stated in a flat tone, “As far as I know, you heard my phone ring as much as I did. I’m just reassuring Cassie that it’ll all be okay.” She shook her head. “God,” she exclaimed, as she rolled her eyes, then sank back onto the couch. “When they call—which they will… and hopefully soon—you’ll know at the same time as I will.”
She then directed her energy to Cassie. Wake me up if anything happens . She closed her eyes, as if to fall asleep. Instead, she reached out with everything she had to soothe those two boys and their sister.
The question now was whether these agents would sit back and wait some more, or if the gals would have to save the twins.
*
Riff and Alex were together in a nearby copse of trees, right beside the motel. Merk was up on the roof of a motel to the north of them, happy to have a bird’s-eye view. Not wanting anyone to overhear them, they spoke telepathically, even with Merk, who still claimed to all that he had no energy-working skills.
Interesting partner you’ve got there , Riff noted, with a smirk. Didn’t know she had this level of abilities .
I don’t think she knew it either , Alex acknowledged, and it seems to be growing, the more she’s with Cassie .
Yep, just like when you get energy workers together in Terk’s castle, enhancing each other, but that little girl appears to already be quite strong and talented herself.
Apparently Cassie and her brothers communicated like this a lot .
That should make this easier, except for the fact that she’s very aware her brothers are not awake. So she’s pretty freaked out and worried about it.
I would be too , Alex replied. Nobody could argue the love between siblings or family members who cared deeply about each other, but particularly with children who bonded together over the loss of their mother and the abandonment of their father, followed by an abusive uncle, beating them into compliance .
As they moved closer to the motel, Riff shared, Our driver’s on the second floor too. Seems to be looking out the windows still. You know the room number. I’ll go to the back, will enter through the bathroom window. You stay front and center .
Yeah, I’m thinking about walking right up and knocking on the door .
What will you say to him?
I might let my fists do the talking .
Riff smirked. Pretty sure that’s not FBI protocol .
Pretty sure I don’t give a fuck either , Alex snapped.
As Riff disappeared around the back, Alex waited, keeping to himself and looking for the signal that Riff was in position. Meanwhile, his cell vibrated. He ignored it. But when more vibrations came in a row, he knew he had to at least take a quick look at his phone. Guys, stand down for a moment. We got something. I’m forwarding two texts to you and to Taryn . Confirm with me when you finish reading them.
Holey-moley , Merk replied.
Need to know, my ass , Riff stated with glee.
Can I tell Delores? Taryn asked. You gotta let me do this, guys.
Alex replied, Let’s put it to a vote. Yays or Nays. And he heard three yays and added his own to it.
*
Taryn got a couple texts, the sounds like a ticking clock in their hotel room, which brought everyone’s attention to her. She read them once more, smiling broadly.
Meanwhile, Delores was demanding to know what the hell was going on and complaining about the lack of communication again.
Taryn couldn’t help but smirk as she faced Delores. “The original plan has now been expanded, due to some brand-new intel. First, Alex and Riff take down the driver. Second, Alex and Riff get Jack and John to the nearest hospital. Third, Alex and Riff get the driver to confess, especially any info about your elusive James Gordon. Fourth, the FBI talks to Levi.” Taryn’s smile just got bigger. “Levi’s team has been doing a forensic deep dive into the black market, comparing notes with an international group of hackers, specifically following these illegal sales of children. They may have found some money trails leading to James Gordon. What with all his criminal activities, surely somebody can find a pattern here. No promises, but it’s worth taking a good long look at, and Levi is willing to share this information with the FBI and other overseas governments. Fifth, the FBI speaks to Terk. Terk’s team has worked up a profile for the man that Levi is tracking monetarily. Most likely James Gordon or someone of his ilk. Terk will share their findings as well. But the bottom line is, Terk thinks Gordon has gifts .”
Delores frowned. “Do I want to know what that means?”
Taryn laughed out loud. “I think you already know what that means.”
The two male agents shared a knowing look. “Gordon is psychic too?”
“Yep,” Taryn declared loudly. “Which also means that the three of us you have sidelined all this time are now necessary to your op, with a compelling need to know .”
Delores snapped at Taryn, “Let me see those texts.” She frowned as she read them, probably twice. Then she went silent for a bit too long before she finally spoke again. “I’ll make some phone calls.” She walked out into the hallway, leaving Taryn smiling behind her.
*
Immediately thereafter, Alex got the birdcall from Riff. So Alex walked up the steps, then quickly knocked on the door in question.
A surprisingly small man opened the door, frowning at him.
Alex smiled. “Hey, I heard a guy could purchase something special here.” Immediately, he knew this guy had some energy skills. No wonder he was getting away from the authorities.
The other man stared at him nervously. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Alex sent off a quick telepathic message to Riff and Terk. This guy is playing the rube, but my bets are all in that he’s the buyer, might even be James Gordon. He’s paranoid and a control freak too, which matches the profile . Alex rubbed his hands together, as he continued to play his part. “Not that I usually do this face-to-face, but I understand you’re in a bit of trouble and maybe need to make a quick deal. In the interest of time, I’ll just cut to the chase and say that I’m prepared to offer cash and take the twins.”
The other man stared at him, backing up slightly. His gaze screamed bloody murder. “You get the hell out of my space and leave me alone. No kids are here.”
Alex called out, “Hey, Jack and John, are you here?”
When no answer came, the other man snorted. “See? Told you no kids are here. Now get the hell away from me, freak.” As he went to shut the door, Alex made sure his foot was in the center, just so it wouldn’t close. “Get out,” the perp muttered, “or I’ll start yelling.”
“Oh, now that would be great,” Alex agreed. “Could you do that for me, please? I really want the cops to look at this room.”
He cried out, “Leave me alone. Just get out of here. You don’t know anything.”
“I know too damn much about this.” Alex snorted. “Too damn much about slugs like you infesting the world. And, no, I’m not the FBI agent you contacted to make a deal.” He gave the guy a sneer. “I don’t really give a shit about making deals. I’m just here to tell you that those boys are coming with me, whether you like it or not.”
Gordon blinked several times, not sure what he was supposed to do. Then it looked as if he was about ready to cry.
Alex smiled at him again. “And you’ll also tell me everything I need to know about everybody else in your lovely little circle of sickos.”
“I’m just a middleman, a courier,” he wailed.
Alex pulled his phone from his pocket, then put it on Record, totally ignoring the perv’s lies. “Let’s bring the Feds in to find out about everything you’ve got to say. I hear you’re a pretty big fish too, so you must have lots to say.”
“That’s coercion,” Gordon muttered. “That’s against the law.”
Alex smiled at him, knowing that, as soon as he wanted, Riff would make this man’s life miserable. Meanwhile, Alex would do his best to make this pervert squirm right now. “Look forward to spending your life in a small cell, with bars and no window and where everybody else can watch you take a dump and where you never get a good night’s sleep. Not unlike the way these children get treated, right?”
Gordon stared at Alex in horror. “What are you talking about?” he cried out. “Who are you? What are you doing here? Surely this is against the law.”
“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Alex replied. “I came for those two little boys, and I’m not leaving without them.” With that, he was about to poke Gordon in the chest, yet making no contact whatsoever with Gordon, caused him to step backward. The man looked around, as if seeking help, and, when he turned, Riff was right behind him.
The man’s fear level was palpable at this point.
“Look at that, will ya?” Alex told Riff. “This guy seems to think that some coercion is going on here.”
With a flip of his hand, Riff sent a probe to hit Gordon.
The man cried out, “My spine! Stop it! My spine!”
Alex shook his head. “We haven’t touched you. See?… I’ve got it all on video, right here. Obviously, you’ve got some issues, maybe from drugs?” he asked. “So now that you’re going to prison, we can get you some help, get you clean and sober.”
Gordon started to cry and blubbered away. “You guys leave me alone. Just leave me alone.”
“Why? Why should we leave you alone when two little boys are in that room, both of them hurting?”
“I didn’t hurt them. I didn’t touch them,” he wailed, almost on the verge of hysteria. “That was their uncle.”
“Yeah, don’t worry. Uncle Jeff is already in custody,” Alex confirmed, his tone hardening. “That’s another sicko who doesn’t deserve to see daylight.”
Gordon went silent.
Alex decided to add some lies of his own. “And we have Jeff’s brother too.”
“You’ve got him?” he asked, his voice quivering.
“He’s in custody with Jeff, and guess what?” Alex left it unsaid, looking at Riff.
Riff nodded. “You’re next for prison.” Riff was clearly enjoying this.
“No, no, no. I didn’t do anything. I’m looking after the boys. They need help.”
“Yeah, those boys need help all right, yet you didn’t take them to a hospital, did you?”
“I can’t. I’m not their uncle, but their uncle told me to get help for them. Only afterward did I realize how it would look.”
“God,” Alex muttered, looking over at Riff. “See how he’ll try and spin it?”
Riff tilted his head. “That’s okay.” Riff walked closer to the perp.
“You can’t hit me. You can’t. Then anything you get out of me, that’s coercion,” Gordon blubbered, “and anything I say can’t be used against me.”
Alex shook his head. “Amazing how much he seems to know about the law. Are you an attorney, Gordon?”
He was too busy sidestepping Riff to respond to Alex’s question.
“Gordon, you are right, my man. I probably can’t hit you,” Riff admitted, sounding disinterested as he walked past the perp, then stood behind him. “I won’t touch you at all.” Then he sent another probe up and down the man’s spine.
With a shriek, Gordon spun around. “What was that?”
Riff sighed. “Just the screams of a little psycho bitch, whining about your future, a future you already knew would come your way someday. It’s called karma,” Riff explained, with a laugh. “Looks as if the reality of all this crap you’ve been doing to kids is catching up to you.”
“Not me. No way.”
“What? You didn’t know this is how you would end up?”
“Of course not. How would I? I’m just the middleman,” Gordon repeated, staring around the room, avoiding turning to make eye contact with Riff. “Please, please, please, don’t do that anymore. Whatever you’re doing, please don’t.”
“Start talking,” Riff stated. “If you talk, we’ll consider the information, but other than that? Oh, hell no.”
“What guarantees do I have that you won’t turn me in to the Feds?”
“No guarantees whatsoever,” Riff declared. “Absolutely none. Yet I can tell you that I won’t give you to the Feds, but my partner might.… Plus, we can get you some real help,… if you talk.” Riff again twisted his wrist midair.
“They won’t help me,” Gordon shrieked, as if he were in too much pain. “Nobody can help me.”
“Then you better sit down and start talking to us,” Riff noted, “or you might just feel some more of… What was it that is bothering you today?”
“Ghostly things, but I don’t know what the hell it even is,” Gordon muttered, looking around nervously. “You guys stay where you are.”
“Sure,” Alex replied, with a smile to Riff, who once again sent a probe to Gordon, who shrieked yet again.
“Okay, okay, okay. I’ll talk.” Then he opened his mouth, and the story that came from the dark recesses of this sick man’s brain made both Riff and Alex sick to their stomachs. Thirty minutes later they had it all recorded, and Alex sent the recording to Delores, one of the FBI agents at the hotel, and then he phoned her.
“We have Gordon in custody,” he told her, his tone filled with disgust, “and listen to the attached recording of his initial confession. I would suggest you have a barf bag nearby. If you’re lucky, he might even still be alive by the time you get here.”
“Don’t you touch him, dammit. You’ll screw up the case. Don’t touch him,” Delores warned.
“We haven’t touched him at all, and he’ll prove it, as well as our video.”
Alex stood in the front room, one eye on Gordon and the other on Riff, who went to the second bedroom and checked out the little boys. He telepathically shared his findings with Alex, also asking Terk to call in an ambulance for the boys.
“And the twins?” Delores asked.
“Hurt, and they need a hospital, so that’s where we’re going. Do me a favor and bring the gals with you, when you pick up your pervert, will you?” And, with that, he disconnected, then looked over at Riff. “It’s a sick world out there.”
“It is a sick world,” Riff confirmed calmly, “but today the good guys won a round. Just one round, not the war, but we gotta take the successes where we can. These little boys will get whatever help they need, and they’ll live to see another day.… That’s the best we can hope for in this situation.”
“We’ve got Uncle Bruce healing, and we’ve saved his niece and nephews,” Alex noted, “and everybody will have a chance for a future they didn’t have even ten minutes ago.”
“Here’s the ambulance,” Riff said. “Let’s get these little guys to the hospital. How about you follow the ambulance, while I keep our friend Gordon here entertained until the FBI comes to get him.”
Alex nodded. “Will do. What about Merk? You want him to hang around?”
“ Nah , I got this. Cut him loose.”
And, with that, Alex sent a text to Merk, then directed the ambulance crew to Jack and John, and they were soon on their way to the nearest hospital.