Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
“Are you sure?” Henderson said, settling the camera back in its spot. The older man closed the case, flipped the locks down, and glanced up at Delgado.
“Pretty damn sure, General. The instruments went crazy.” Delgado shrugged. “She bolted, so I followed her home.”
“And?”
“Nice house, about four blocks from here. No security. She’s not government.” Delgado folded his arms. Catherine brushed past him, her mohawk nodding. Thank God our mystery girl didn’t see that. Might’ve scared her off even sooner.
The woman had just appeared out of nowhere as he’d stepped outside to scan the perimeter. She’d blown out the alarms he’d set up, whether by chance or skill, he wasn’t sure, but he was beginning to think chance.
Of course she’s psi. The instruments were going nuts. And it felt like a jolt of electricity—she’s definitely got some talent. Lots of talent.
Only one thing bothered him. She’d bolted as if the hounds of hell were after her. He’d been projecting reassurance hard as he could, but she’d grown more visibly jittery during the whole conversation and finally run away.
“I deliberately tried to be nonthreatening,” he said, as Cath fitted her telem rig into its carrying case.
Catherine snorted, her nose-rings glittering. “Since when?”
He ignored the gibe, as usual.
“We should check it out.” Henderson sighed, a familiar sound. “If she’s got that much talent, we want to recruit her. If she’s government, we need her neutralized. I want to test some more of the telem rigs here and iron out that bug in the flux phasing.”
“We could do that back at HQ,” Delgado offered, knowing they couldn’t. It was his job to make the suggestion.
“Not bloody likely,” the older man said. “If there’s any leakage we’ll have Sigma on our tail in no time. And if this woman is psi enough to bust through our perimeter and knock you into a tizzy, Sigma will find her.”
Delgado made a short movement of agreement.
He hadn’t been able to see much except pale blonde hair, glowing in the uncertain light, and the sparkle of her eyes.
She’d been clutching something in her hand; he’d identified a cell phone and eased his hand away from his gun.
She hadn’t noticed. Hadn’t had a clue. Civilian.
Then why did she run?
Something about this bothered him. She’d been buttoned-down so tightly she was practically invisible, which meant at least some training. But then why run away?
He’d waited until the downstairs lights had turned off, and then made a recon of the house.
Nice little two-story affair, old like all the houses in this neighborhood, with a slightly shaggy garden, a clean, green kitchen seen through a bay window.
Whoever she was, she was a neat little soul.
There were thorny bushes underneath all her windows, which made it a little difficult, but he’d detected no invisible traps or defenses. That made it even more of a puzzle.
“Okay.” Henderson pitched the call to duty loud enough for everyone to hear. “Let’s roll back to base and get some chow, team. We’ll work out a surveillance on this woman for a few days and see what we can suss out.”
“I’ll stay,” Delgado offered. “If there’s a leak on the telems and it brings Sigma here, they’ll try to scoop her up. She’s all over the spectrum, General.”
Henderson actually paused for a few seconds. “Your instincts are too good to disregard, Del. I’ll send Zeke over with a car and some chow for you, ten-four?”
Delgado nodded. “Got it. If Sigma shows?” He knew what the other man would say.
“Scoop her first and bring her.” Henderson didn’t sound happy.
The white patch over his right temple glowed in the darkness as he slid behind the wheel of the van.
Cath slammed the back doors and leapt into the passenger seat.
“And Del, if she’s government, get rid of her quietly. We’ve got to get these rigs running.”
“Ten-four.” Delgado backed away, fading into the laurel hedge as the van started with a swift purr. Henderson pulled out carefully, and in a moment all that was left was the smell of exhaust and a dark, abandoned house.
This place gives me the creeps. Delgado looked up at the shattered windows.
It was right on a ley line, and there had been a murder committed here in the 1920s.
Since then the place had been amplifying and reverberating with psychic turmoil.
In another few years it might have active poltergeist phenomenon, which made it the perfect place to test the rigs.
The only wrinkle in the otherwise smooth operation had been the sudden appearance of the woman.
Isn’t that the usual story. A smile touched his lips.
Nobody would see it here. And if anyone else in the Society ever saw him smile, they might well find a wall to protect their back.
Not that he would shoot a fellow operative in the back, but the taint of Sigma was a hard thing for them to get over.
Besides, his talent wasn’t warm or fuzzy, it was flat-out dangerous, and he didn’t have any gift for making himself liked.
Delgado flitted through the dark, empty streets as if they were enemy territory.
He found a good sheltered spot to watch the woman’s house from across the street, lying under a hedge, the branches obscuring him from sight.
It was cold, but not unbearable. Thank God it hadn’t rained for a while.
If he had to lie in the mud, he’d never hear the end of it.
The mailbox said “Price” in neat, even lettering, but there was no mail inside that would give him a clue.
He let himself relax a little, slowing his breath, waiting, but he could see no telltale shimmer in the air around the house.
Which meant either she was fantastically good or untrained.
Either way it was going to be one hell of a hassle.
If Henderson decided to recruit her, he’d probably send Yoshi to make contact. Yoshi was the most nonthreatening.
Delgado settled himself for a long night, watching Miss Price’s house.