Extrasensory (4 page)

Mia closed her eyes, squeezing them shut. When she opened them, only her own pinched face stared back at her. Opening the medicine cabinet, she found the bottle of aspirin, shook two into her hand and ran a cup of water to swallow them with.

Replacing the cup, she rinsed her hands and face with cold water, blotting them with a hand towel, trying to wash away the vision.

And the memory of what she’d done in her office.

In the kitchen she fixed herself a cup of herbal raspberry tea and carried it into her den. Of all the rooms in the house, this one always served as her refuge. The walls lined with bookshelves filled to overflowing, the stereo system where she could play her favorite jazz and blues, the thick carpeting and the graceful oak desk always seemed to reach out welcoming arms to her.

Today she wasn’t sure any place could soothe her, as disturbed as her mind was.

Her body, too. She needed to do something to get the erotic image out of her mind completely. Finishing her tea, she heated more water, dropped the tea bag in and left it to steep while she changed into a tank top and yoga pants. The rock. She’d focus on that stupid rock. Maybe find a way to figure out what that was all about. She hated it when the messages in what she saw were unclear. If only it were possible to turn off her brain, or whatever gremlins resided in it.

Sighing, she took her tea to her desk, booted up her laptop and did a search for

“rocks”, “Plexiglas” and “carpenter” in any combination. Her efforts produced so many hits she wiped them out and tried to start again. It was always a laborious process, trying to figure out the meager clue that could mean absolutely anything. If only the pictures were more complete, more detailed.

If only they would take up residence in someone else’s head.

Finally, her eyes gritty and tired, her head still throbbing, she shut down the computer. She’d wait and try again tomorrow. Maybe she’d receive another clue by then that would help with her search. Or maybe, if she was lucky, the vision would disappear altogether.

The little clock on one of the shelves chimed eight o’clock and she realized she hadn’t eaten a thing since taking an early lunch. She rummaged through the refrigerator for sandwich fixings, finally settling for ham and cheese on rye and a Diet Coke. Sitting at the narrow rectangle that served as her kitchen table, a sort of antique she’d inherited with the house, she sorted idly through the mail, pushing the junk mail to the side to toss later on and separating the bills from mail she actually wanted to read.

Refilling her glass, she opened the newspaper that she’d picked up from her porch.

She didn’t know why she even subscribed anymore. She seldom took the time to read it.

Too often the things she read created disturbing images in her mind that tempted her to follow paths she knew would destroy her. How often had she simply placed her hand on an article and been shocked by images she couldn’t decipher?

But sometimes, like now, although the visions were vague they hit her with such force she couldn’t turn away from them. Something very bad had happened, or was about to happen. Every nerve in her body was zinging her with that message, telling her it was somewhere in the newspaper. Whatever it took, she’d have to search for the answers, then use her normal method of warning. And hope someone listened.

Mia almost never read the business section, unless she was seeking information on a possible major donor to the museum. Today, however, her mind pushing her to seek clues, to skip nothing, she unfolded the section and smoothed it out to scan the headlines.

Zap!

A shock traveled from the newspaper to her brain. Her hand recoiled and she blinked. What the hell?

Gingerly she touched the newsprint again. This time the Plexiglas image flashed through her brain, with hands reaching for its contents. She studied the page, this time deliberately not touching it, her eyes traveling over each article. A new hybrid auto. No, not that. A hedge fund under investigation. Definitely not that.

Then, at the bottom, a tiny announcement of a new robotics development by a company called Carpenter Techtronics. The story continued inside. Holding the paper with her fingertips, she flipped to page three to read the rest of it. There wasn’t much more. The reporter indicated that the company was holding back details until the press conference in one week. Chase Carpenter, the CEO, only mentioned that the invention would revolutionize the ability of the police and military to deal with criminals and the enemy.

Mia leaned back and raked her fingers through her hair, feeling the edges of the headache still gripping her skull.

Okay, so she had one or two tiny pieces of the puzzle. Maybe the gizmo looked like a rock. And now she understood what the “carpenter” sign meant. But she knew from past experience that wasn’t nearly enough. She couldn’t very well call up the company and ask them if their new little baby was designed to look like a rock. Oh and by the way, did it live in a plastic box? They’d either have her arrested or committed. But just touching the article gave her a sense of urgency.

All right. Back to the computer to do more research. But this time she’d focus on robotics and Carpenter Techtronics. There had to be some other thread for her to follow.

* * * * *

The Baltimore sun, a rare commodity during this rainy season, blazed through the massive window in Dan Romeo’s office, wrapping everything in a warm glow and cutting the sterile edge of the room’s appearance. Like the offices of the other partners, one entire wall was filled with banks of monitors, feedback not only from the building’s own security cameras but also from various jobs under contract.

The floor was a gleaming hardwood with an Americana woven rug in the center, the only hint of softness in the room. The furniture was all severe angles and rough material. The extreme neatness and precision of the room bespoke Romeo’s years of training in the Marines. His big frame was still tough and lean and in top condition, his eyes hard and watchful. His only concession to civilian life, besides his clothing, was the length of his nearly black hair that now touched the collar of his pristine dress shirt.

There were no names on any of the doors on the floor of the building Phoenix owned and where they housed their offices. As an international security firm formed by lifelong friends—a SEAL, an Army Ranger, a member of a Special Ops team and one from an elite air team and now a former member of Delta Force—that did everything from teaching corporate executives survival skills and how to protect themselves from kidnapping, to tracking corporate espionage, to full-blown hostage negotiation, theirs was not a business that advertised except by word of mouth.

While Phoenix had highly trained and capable operatives, the low-profile organization had earned its reputation partly due to the fact they had their fingers on the pulse of everything everywhere at all times. And partly because they were known for their ability to handle any emergency while flying well under the radar.

They walked a high wire daily as they went about their jobs. Some of these jobs were even contracted with the US government. Long ago they had agreed to be on call for those times when a special job needed to get done and plausible deniability was paramount.

Eric “Rick” Latrobe, former SEAL, was as light as Romeo was dark and just as forbidding. The business they were in was dangerous and often life-threatening.

Keeping in shape mentally and physically was a requirement. No one would have mistaken either of these men for soft.

Now Latrobe sat opposite Romeo, the morning paper on his lap folded over to the business section.

“I see your friend, Chase, is about to launch a new product,” he commented.

“Heady enough for all the major dailies to carry a blurb about it.” Romeo nodded. “He says this one will put them in a class by themselves.” Latrobe flicked a nail at the paper. “Going to the big press conference next week?” Romeo pointed to his computer screen and grinned. “I guess I am. This is the third email he’s sent me telling me he wants me there. I think he’s a little nervous.”

“If what he has is as good as he says, I’m not surprised. Are you going there early to check out security?”

“I told him I would.” Romeo called up his calendar on the computer. “Anyway, Mike ‘suggested’ I might want to take some time off after Mexico.” He laughed. “He’s lucky I didn’t pop him in the nose. He did everything but tell me I’m getting old for what we do.”

“Age has nothing to do with it,” Rick disagreed. “Mexico took a hell of a lot out of the entire team. You gave the men time off. Why do less for yourself?” Dan leaned back in his chair. “Well, I’ve decided to take Chase up on the invitation.

I’ll be leaving Monday morning. Ed can fly me down there so I’ll have four days to scope things out, see if we need to make any changes, although they should be airtight.

After all, we trained his security people ourselves. Still, he sounds very jumpy about this project, for some reason.”

Ed Romeo, Dan’s brother, was the other pilot who flew their air equipment.

“Corporate espionage is the latest disease of the millennium,” Rick pointed out. “I’d be nervous too, in his shoes. Send Justine the details and she’ll plug it into the master schedule.”

Justine Henry was their worth-her-weight-in-chocolate-kisses office manager. She didn’t think it strange that she was told not to answer the phone, only pick up the messages from the machine. Or to burn all her transcription notes when they finished a case after giving them to Andy, their newly acquired tech, to wrap his secret codes around. She just did what she was told very competently, kept her mouth shut and kept track of the men and their equipment with terrifying efficiency. Her husband, a close friend of Dan’s who had served with him in the Marines, was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device—IED—in Iraq. Now Phoenix was taking care of her and her two children.

Romeo swiveled in his chair to face his computer. “I might as well make use of my time now to pick up everything new about Carpenter Techtronics. I’ll get Andy to run their staff through the Dragon. We haven’t updated our files on them this year and I’d like to be prepared when I get there. Just in case.”

The Dragon was the ultra-sophisticated computer system that as Rick once said could do everything but sing and dance. Andy, who had come to them through Mark Halloran’s wife, played the machine like a violinist with a Stradivarius. If information on any subject in the world could be found Andy and the Dragon could find it.

Rick raised an eyebrow. “Expecting trouble?”

Dan grinned. “My friend, I’m
always
expecting trouble. You know that.”

“Well, enjoy yourself. Have a margarita or two for me.”

Rick grinned as he unfolded his long length from the chair. As he left the office, Dan was already tapping search parameters into the computer.

* * * * *

The telephone conversation between the two conspirators was brief and tense. The closer the deadline loomed, the more uptight they became with each other. Being unable to meet in person put an additional strain on their situation. There was only so much you could do by telephone. You couldn’t see the other person, judge their facial expressions and the nuances of their body movements.

They weren’t exactly strangers to each other, nor was this their first project, but that made no difference. Regardless of the relationship, lack of trust was inherent in both personalities.

“We have a very small window of opportunity here, you know. If we miss it, the chance is gone.”

“Did you expect any less? He’d take the thing home to sleep with him if he could.” A sharp laugh echoed over the connection. “That would certainly make our job easier if he did.”

“We knew this wouldn’t be a cakewalk.” The voice carried a note of irritation. “But with so much money riding on this, it’s worth the effort.” There was a short pause.

“This is the big one, you know. The one that will set us up for life.”

“I know, I know.”

“Not getting cold feet are you?” Now the tone was one of suspicion.

“Not on your life.” The voice was vehement, almost angry. “I don’t even know why you always ask me that.”

“Just checking.”

“After all this time? I’m good to go. Quit worrying.”

“Just do your part and we’ll be fine. Like I said, we have a small window. Use it wisely. Don’t screw it up.”

“You don’t need to worry about me.” The voice was defensive. “Worry about yourself.
I’m
ready.”

They both disconnected and, in their separate locations, dismantled the throwaway cell phones they were using. They would dispose of the phones and batteries separately and at widely separated locations. They couldn’t afford to take any chances on being traced or overheard.

* * * * *

At two o’clock in the morning Mia finally gave up her search and shut down her laptop. Her eyes were blurring and the eyestrain was exacerbating her headache.

Using normal search parameters and applying several search engines, she’d gotten as much as she could on Carpenter Techtronics, compiling a history of the company and a profile of its CEO. The information on robotics had been more difficult to collect because she didn’t always understand what she was reading. She finally printed out the articles she thought she’d need and slid them into a folder.

Tomorrow she’d call someone she knew, an engineer she’d met at a book signing who, strangely enough, had an interest in parapsychology. They’d become friends, meeting for the occasional drink or dinner. She was gratified that, when she’d finally blurted out her secret to him, he didn’t see her as a freak but as an interesting human being with unusual abilities.

Once she got to work in the morning she could also tap into the Lexis-Nexis system that the museum subscribed to—the vast, worldwide database of every piece of knowledge in the world. That always provided more than her independent searches could dig up.

Swallowing two more aspirins, she pulled on a sleep shirt and crawled into bed.

But before she could close her eyes she felt her psychic power grab her and the muscular god shimmered before her eyes.