Psychic Visions 08-Now You See Her... (18 page)

“It’s too early for that, let Hunter do his thing first.”

She stared at him in surprise. “Hunter is his name?”

Stefan nodded. “It’s the one he’s used for a long time.”

“And he does this for a living?” Her curiosity of the man who hunted and belonged to Stefan’s group piqued. Disgruntled, she realized she wanted to belong to his group. Or might if she knew what it was.

“It’s for people like us,” he offered as if understanding her thoughts, or had he read her mind? “We help each other and learn from each other. Several work with me on cases, and others I call on when I need a specialist.”

“Like Hunter.”

“Like Hunter.” Stefan gave a small smile. “In truth Hunter would be pissed if he wasn’t in on this one. It’s right up his alley. He’s on a mission to eradicate assholes like this one from the world.”

“Then he has no family,” she said. “There’s no way he could do this kind of intense work if he had a wife and children.”

“True. That would be a weakness to him. Something others could use against him.”

“And he’d be right.” Dean glared at Stefan. “That’s exactly what’s happened here.”

“It is, but Hunter has already tracked them away from the house.” Stefan waved an arm in the direction of the search going on around them. “This needs to happen just in case, but Hunter is already moving toward his target.”

Tia gasped. “You mean he’s found Jeremy?”

Stefan shook his head. “Not yet, but he’s tracked them to Minion Mall.”

“Why there?” Dean asked, pulling out his phone. “I need to talk to the captain. Get a team to go.”

“Sure you do,” Tia said. “But you also have to trust in Stefan. If he says Hunter is on the trail I’d be inclined to believe him.”

Tia glanced over at Stefan. “We can go there, can’t we?”

Stefan nodded. “And we need to go now.”

Dean shook his head. “No. I’m bringing a team.” He glared at Stefan. “No way is this guy getting away with this.”

“You’re forgetting something, Dean,” Tia retorted. “I can go places most cops can’t. I could go in and get out without being seen.”

*

Dean spun and
stared at her. His heart in his throat. It never occurred to him she could do something like that, but that was, in fact, exactly what she’d been doing all along.

“Holy crap.” With a question in his eyes, he raised his gaze to Stefan.

Stefan nodded. “Yes, she should be able to do that just fine.”

Hope bloomed. “That would be huge.” Then reality set in. “But only if we know where he is.”

“I’d trust Hunter if I were you.” Tia said.

“Why is that?” he said, his voice dry. “I thought you didn’t trust Stefan.”

“I’m getting there,” she muttered.

Stefan turned away. Dean watched as his gaze defocused as if he’d been talking to someone telepathically.

Then Stefan straightened. “McDonald’s. They are in the restaurant at the mall.”

Dean stared, his mind slow to process, and then he got it.

T
ia watched Dean
rush toward her and Stefan. “We’re taking my truck. Let’s go.”

They packed into the truck and took off with gravel spitting behind them. The mall was only a few blocks away. At the entrance, Dean slowed down and crept to the restaurant.

Stefan said, “Easy. We don’t want anyone to know we’re here. Hunter is inside. He needs time to scout out the place.”

“Is my boy there?” Dean’s voice was thin, thready.

Stefan hesitated, Tia turned to look at him. Then he gave a decisive nod.

“Do you have a photo of him,” Tia asked quietly.

Dean shuffled papers beside him. He picked up his cell phone and held it back for her. His son’s bright smile shone from the background. He was missing a front tooth. The twinkle in his eyes as he hugged his stuffed rabbit made her grin.

“Okay, I’ll go see what I can see.”

“Don’t do anything stupid. If Hunter is correct and he’s there, we have to stop this from becoming a hostage situation.”

She snorted, hopped out and slammed the truck. Walking casually up to the side door she realized this guy would be looking for her so incognito started now. Up against the side wall, she rested her back to the wall and closed her eyes.

It helped to be able to pull her camouflage trick in private. Someone might be watching her, in fact, she sensed both Dean and Stefan’s gazes. She frowned. Stefan was a whole lot closer than the truck. She shifted and opened her eyes. Stefan stood beside her, waiting.

Ready
, he asked in her mind.

Surprised but willing she nodded.
I am.

Let’s go.

He waited for the next people to arrive at the door and both slipped inside behind them. Standing at the entrance Tia studied the packed restaurant.
I can’t see him.

Hunter said they are in the corner by the washroom.

They moved through the restaurant, her gaze darting from side to side.
Is Hunter here?

Yes.

Can you see him?

No one sees Hunter unless he wants to be seen.

Sounds like my kind of guy.

Very different abilities.

Hmmm.
She couldn’t image.
There!

She could see the little boy, he was stuffing a french fry in his mouth and trying to share with the rabbit.
He’s got his bunny with him.

According to Dean, he takes it everywhere.

Good, it helps identify him
.

She froze.
I don’t see his kidnapper.

Stefan sucked in his breath.
It could be a trap. Don’t move.

I’m not, but you know the choices are limited.

No. We have more than you think,
he warned.
Don’t do anything stupid.

Not going to.
But she had to save the little boy. He’d been taken because of her. She studied the other patrons.
He’s on the other side, about four booths behind Jeremy. I think I saw him on the street six weeks ago when I was attacked.

Must be him.

Or a coincidence.

No such thing,
Stefan said flatly.
I’m telling Dean.

Good, you do that. I’m getting Jeremy.
And she slipped away.

*

Dean hated waiting.
This was too damn important. It was his boy. Guilt ate his insides. He should never put his son in danger. He pounded the steering wheel. This shouldn’t have happened. His family should have been safe. It was never a problem before. Until he met Tia.

It wasn’t her fault.

I know that. But damn it…if anything happens to Jeremy.

I’m thinking this is almost a done deal.

What’s a done deal?
All of sudden he froze inside the truck and turned to face Stefan.
Damn it. You know that freaks me out when you talk to me inside my head. Yet here you are sitting like a zombie beside me. But you’re not here, are you?

Yes I do. Get used to it,
Stefan snapped.
I’m inside the restaurant with Tia. Hunter has just gone outside.

Dean peered through the windshield.
What does Hunter look like? I can’t see anyone.

And you won’t. He’s only seen if he wants to be seen.

Easy to say. Damn it. How the hell are you doing that?
He groaned.
Never mind,
he said.
How’s Jeremy?

He’s fine and is sitting alone at a table eating fries.

Alone?
he asked incredulously.

Yes. Tia thinks a man sitting back four seats was there the night she was attacked.

What?
Enough of this shit. He needed to have a face for this asshole. Better to punch his fist through the guy’s jaw if he knew which was his. The team pulled into the mall. Shit. They were here already.

Tia is beside Jeremy.

What about the kidnapper? We need to grab him or no one is going to be safe.

Hunter is on that.

Dean hopped out.
I’m walking in.

No.

He froze.
Why not?

The asshole is on his way out.
There was a pause.
Hunter says to go to the other side. He’s heading there.

And Tia?
He asked as he bolted around the back of the restaurant.

She’s approaching Jeremy now.

*

Idiots.

Like he was going to hang around and wait for them to tap him on the shoulders and say, “Gotcha.” Better he disappeared and for them to get the message.
I can access who I want anytime I want.

Not that they were smart enough to do that. In fact, he might have to leave them a bigger message next time. He wanted Tia. He’d do what he had to do to get her, but he wanted her willing.

The two of them had unfinished business.

What the hell did that damn cop have to do with anything? Why cops? Tia would never have gone to them. Not willingly. She’d been honed and conditioned against them for years. They all had been.

This didn’t make sense. She couldn’t have changed that much over the years.

Then he shrugged. So what if she had. He’d just beat it right back out of her.

He had a lot of bones to pick with her.

But there was time. He’d get to them all eventually.

First he was going to get the hell away from this place.

Cops gave him the hives.