Mind Over Matter Page 7

  “Easy, sis,” Adam soothed. The camp is shielded. One of our members has the talent. PAPRA has no idea where we are. You don’t ever have to run again, I promise.”

  “Besides,” growled Ethan. “If that bastard comes anywhere near here, I’ll kill him.”

  “No!” gasped Shanna. She grabbed at his hand. “I don’t want you to hurt him.”

  They all gaped at her. “But Shanna,” Althea whispered. “He’s our enemy.”

  She closed her eyes. “I know he is.” She sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. “But he’s also the man I’m in love with.”

  There was complete silence for a long moment. Finally Shanna couldn’t stand it any more.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to happen. I didn’t know who he was.”

  “Impossible,” growled Ethan. “You can tell a PAPcop signature anywhere.”

  “Not with him. We had this electrical thing that went through us every time we touched. He didn’t know that I was the one he was searching for until it was too late.”

  Adam’s brow was furrowed. “Electrical, huh?” He stared at his sister, curiously. “Just how close did you two get?”

  Shanna’s blush was revealing, and her two brothers growled in unison. “Promise me you won’t hurt him,” she insisted. “I want you to swear it.”

  “Damn it, Shanna,” Ethan groused. “You’re just getting here, and already you’re ordering me around.”

  She smiled weakly, but squeezed his hand again. “Please.”

  Adam sighed. “All right. I’ll put out the word that he’s not to be harmed. But if he tries to hurt you again, Shanna, all bets are off.”

  * * * *

  Later that day, Shanna and Althea sat outside the cabin where she had been sleeping.

  “It feels good to be free again,” Shanna murmured. “I don’t ever want to be in that much pain again.”

  Althea saw the shadows in her sister’s eyes. “Falling in love with the enemy has got to hurt, too.”

  “I’ll get over it. I’ll have to.”

  Her sister bit her lip. This wasn’t going to be easy. “When I was using my empathic healing on your arm, I checked you out to make sure the rest of you was okay.”

  “Thanks for taking care of me.”

  “I found something that you should know about.”

  Shanna stared at her sister and her heart beat faster in trepidation. “What is it?”

  Althea sighed and leaning over rested her hand on her sister’s stomach. “Is he the father, Shanna?”

  Shock robbed her of speech. She didn’t move for so long, Althea got worried. Rising from her chair she knelt at her sister’s feet. She took her cold hands into her own and rubbed them. “Shanna?”

  “I’m pregnant?” The words felt thick in her mouth.

  “Yes. It would be way too early for a test. But I can sense life at just a few hours.”

  Tears welled and ran down her cheeks. “We were only together for a couple of days. I didn’t even think about protection. It was ... it was my first time.”

  “Oh, Shanna.” Her sister’s empathic heart broke, and she cried with her.

  “I was getting ready to leave the city, and I was going to ask him to come with me. I never had the chance.” Shanna sobbed. “All hell broke loose when these PAPcops came in to do a random testing on the bar. That’s when we found out about each other.”

  Althea sniffled. “You sure he didn’t know what you were? He could have been playing you.”

  Shanna’s sore heart twisted. “He thinks I’m a murderer. There’s no way he would have dirtied himself by sleeping with me.”

  Her sister rose and wrapped her arms around her to comfort her. “I’m so sorry, Shanna. But you aren’t alone anymore. Your family is here. He can’t hurt you any more.”

  Shanna cried into her sister’s shoulder, thinking of the child who would never know his father. It didn’t seem fair, but then again, when had life ever treated her fairly?

  * * * *

  Bryan drove away from the Thompson farmhouse with a myriad of emotions running through him. He drove aimlessly as he tried to make sense of what he’d learned. When he saw an overlook of Klamath Lake he pulled over and climbed out of the car.

  He stood at the edge of the mountain side and gazed over the crystal blue water. This was where Anna had grown up. He shook his head. Not Anna, Shanna. He’d asked her mother her daughter’s name, and when she gave it, it was all he could do not to swear out loud.

  She’d said on the roof top that she’d lost everything, even her name. Now he knew what she meant.

  Shanna had died, and Anna had been born.

  He rubbed tired eyes. But what had happened that day in Salt Lake? Knowing the woman he’d just talked to was An ... Shanna’s mother, he should be leery of anything she said, but instead he found he believed her.

  For some reason, PAPRA had decided to make an example out of her and had destroyed her life in the process. His gut clenched, knowing that she’d left her family and had struck out on her own at the tender age of eighteen. He didn’t want to think about what she might have been through. That she was as sweet and loving as she was he considered a miracle.

  He paced as he thought about the agency that had been his home for almost fifteen years. Like Shanna, his parents had tried to shield him from detection, but he’d been discovered when a test raid had come to his high school. One reading of his talent, and he’d been ‘liberated’ from his family and taken to a special school for investigators.

  The first year had been tough, and he’d felt just enough resentment with how he’d been taken to keep himself slightly apart from all the other candidates. He’d learned to hide his talents, and though the agency knew he was a strong detector talent, he felt no compunction to tell them that he never used his full power or that he had another talent all together.

  By the time he’d accepted his lot, he’d decided to keep that knowledge to himself. As the years passed, he became one of their top investigators, partly due to the talent and strength he kept hidden.

  But now, for the first time, he seriously doubted his employers. Shanna was right, in a way. He had been programmed to believe a certain way, but he’d honestly thought that what he did was for the best. Now he didn’t know.

  They had made a horrible mistake about Shanna. Did that mean there were other mistakes? Ones that ruined other innocent lives? And how many of those mistakes was he personally responsible for? That was what bothered him the most.

  Bryan groaned. This latest assignment had opened up a can of worms. Eventually the powers-that-be would hear about what he was doing and start asking questions. Either way, he couldn’t let it go now. He had to find her.

  But not for the agency--for himself.

  * * * *

  So he tracked her. He started back in Charleston and followed her trail from city to city. He had to chuckle in admiration. Shanna was very good at making herself disappear. Now he understood why no one had ever caught up with her. If he hadn’t been an off-the-chart detector, he would have failed, as well.

  But he was more powerful than the others had been, and he had the added advantage of being intimately familiar with her energy signature. Plus, he had another motivation going for him. One that grew stronger and stronger as the days went by.

  He was in love with her.

  Bryan had known he’d cared from the very beginning. After they’d made love, he’d realized he had never felt like this about any woman. But then everything had come apart around them, and he’d spoken so cruelly to her, he hated to think about it.

  But standing in her mother’s living room, staring at the picture of the empty chair, he’d known the truth. He loved her. No matter what, he loved her. He didn’t care anymore that she was unregistered. He didn’t care that she was a fugitive. He just wanted her in his life.

  As far as he was concerned, her family could go on hiding. They were no danger to society.

  Now the tricky pa
rt was to convince her. After the things he’d said to her, he wasn’t sure she’d ever believe him again, but he had to try. Living without her would destroy him.

  He followed the trail as it crisscrossed the country. When he got to Dayton and heard the transit cop’s blustering story about how he’d hurt her, it was all Bryan could do not to rip him apart.

  Then his gut twisted with the knowledge that he himself was responsible for Shanna’s pain. She was wandering around the country with a broken arm because he’d given it to her. And she couldn’t go to a doctor, so she lived in agony. If Bryan could have reached his own ass, he’d have kicked himself.

  He continued doggedly on, finding the energy trail much fresher. When he got off the bus in Boulder, Colorado, he sensed a dozen other signatures, as well. He looked around him cautiously, but saw nothing amiss. Where had she gone now?

  He was distracted by the sight of a dark-haired woman crossing the street in front of him. He stiffened, seeing Shanna in the slender form and languid grace. Forgetting all caution, he ran across the street calling her name.

  He grabbed the woman by the shoulder and turned her around, but was disappointed. While this woman had his lady’s dark hair and amber eyes, she wasn’t Shanna.

  “I’m sorry,” he choked out, stepping back from her. “I thought you were someone else.”

  Too late he felt the web of psychic energy surround him. Before he could muster his power, he heard a small pop. A dart hit him in the neck, and he was frozen in place.

  He’d walked right into a trap.

  Chapter Ten

  Cursing himself for being a fool, Bryan stood, unable to move. The woman he’d accosted stepped up to him and spoke quietly.

  “You’ve been given a neuro inhibitor,” she said. “It prevents you from using your talents and keeps you immobile. But you can speak. It doesn’t affect that part of the brain.”

  Bryan wanted to growl but he couldn’t. Too late he recognized her. “You’re her sister.”

  She lifted perfectly arched brows. “How do you know that?”

  “You look like her. Besides, I’ve been to your house.”

  She nodded. “Yes, we heard.” A frown touched her brow. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “It’s my job.”

  Her face closed up. “Of course.” She turned swiftly and walked away from him as if being in his presence was more than she could stand.

  “Wait,” he called out. He struggled against the drug, but to no avail.

  She turned and looked at him.

  Bryan swallowed. “Is she here? Is she all right?”

  Her eyes softened a little. “Do you care?”

  “Yes,” he whispered, his eyes begging her to believe him. He had the strong hunch that getting this woman on his side might make the difference.

  “Don’t bother, you son-of-a-bitch. You’ve done enough.”

  Bryan blinked at the venom-filled voice behind him. He wasn’t prepared for the punch that landed in his kidneys and knocked the breath out of him. His body collapsed to the street.

  “Ethan!” the woman remonstrated. “You know what Adam promised Shanna. He isn’t to be hurt.”

  “Damn it, Althea,” the man growled. “I didn’t promise. He deserves even worse for what he did to her.”

  Through a cloud of pain, Bryan watched Althea put her hands on her hips. It reminded him so much of Shanna, that if he hadn’t been in pain, he would have smiled.

  “Adam promised her, and what he says, goes.”

  He felt Ethan step over his prone body. Next thing he knew he was dragged into a sitting position with the man’s hands at his throat. Familiar golden eyes glared into his own.

  “I should kill you.”

  Bryan managed a laugh. “Is her other brother as welcoming?”

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “If I had my way, you’d never find out. But I have my orders.” He made a gesture over Bryan’s shoulder, and he found himself lifted to his feet by two unseen men. He groaned out loud. His back throbbed with pain from the unexpected blow.

  “We knew you were coming, and as much as I’d like to kill you where you stand for hurting Shanna, I’ve been told to bring you back to the compound.”

  Bryan’s heart raced. “Is she there?”

  Ethan glowered at him. “That’s none of your fucking business.”

  Althea sighed. “Ethan.”

  Her brother glared at her, refusing to answer. When he turned back to Bryan, he grinned evilly. “I’m afraid that since the location of our camp is secret, I’m gonna have to put you out. We usually use drugs, but for you, I’ve got something special.”

  Bryan watched him warily. The big man was enjoying this way too much. When Ethan grabbed him by the throat and pulled back his fist, he was sure of it. His last conscious thought before the blow connected was that if he had to go through all of this, he’d better find Shanna when it was done.

  * * * *

  He awoke to the sound of arguing. Far off and indistinct, he couldn’t understand it at first. But as it got clearer, he smiled to himself.

  “Damn it, Ethan. I said you weren’t supposed to hurt him!”

  A loud snort. “I didn’t. His head is too fucking thick to do any real damage. Trust me on that. He’s a PAPcop!”

  Shanna’s voice grew louder. “He couldn’t move, and you still hit him. That’s not even fair.”

  “Screw fair.”

  Bryan’s head felt like it was filled with mud, and it took several attempts before he could even open his eyes. When he did, he was treated to the sight of Shanna punching her brother in the stomach.

  Ethan’s breath flew out of him, and he groaned. “What did you do that for?”

  She glared at him. “You deserved it.”

  “He did at that. Thanks, babe,” Bryan managed as he pulled himself to a sitting position. Though he was still a little numb, he was very glad he could move again.

  All eyes turned to him, but his were only for the woman who had filled his dreams for the last month. She looked as beautiful as ever, but her face was sad. “Shanna.”

  Suddenly, there was a wall of men in front of her as her brothers took positions. Ethan narrowed his eyes at him. “There’s more where that came from, Campbell.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” Shanna huffed as she elbowed her way through her siblings. They all glared at each other.

  “I don’t want him anywhere near you,” another man with her eyes and hair stated firmly. “He’s not to be trusted. He’s PAPRA.”

  She looked up at her brother and nodded sadly. “I know.” Turning she met Bryan’s gaze. “Are you all right?”

  He took a step closer to her, surprised. “I should ask you the same question.” His eyes darkened. “Your arm?”

  She lightly touched the bandage. “I’m fine now.”

  He took another step towards her ignoring Ethan’s threatening growl. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  Her lip trembled once and then firmed. “I know. But I was lucky. My family found me first.”

  “Damn it, that’s not what I meant. Shanna ….”

  She interrupted him. “You’ve met my sister Althea and my brother, Ethan.”

  Bryan narrowed his eyes at the big man who stood protectively by Shanna. Then his eyes softened as he nodded to Althea. “I can’t say it was a pleasure.”

  “Was for me,” Ethan bared his teeth at him in a semblance of a smile.

  “Ethan!” Shanna hissed. “Can we please act like adults here?” She shook her head and then motioned to the other tall, dark-headed man who stood close by. “This is my brother Adam.”

  “Campbell.” The voice was ice cold.

  The line was drawn. “Thompson.”

  Adam put his arm around Shanna. “Let’s make this clear from the beginning. The only reason you aren’t in the stockade is because of Shanna. If it were up to me, you’d be in a five-by-five room waiting to have your powers stripped.”

  Bryan didn�
�t like the sound of that.

  “For some reason, no matter what you’ve done, she thinks you’re a good man. She says you deserve a chance to make things right.”

  His heart leaped with the knowledge. He ignored the others in the room. He had to get her to listen to him.

  “Baby, I saw your mother.”

  Shanna frowned. “We know.” She shook her head. “She shouldn’t have been dragged into this.”

  “I didn’t know she was your mom when I went.” He searched her face, searching for any feelings she might still have for him. “I ... I listened to what you said on the roof. I went back to D.C. and checked your file. What I saw didn’t make sense.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There was no statement from the family you were supposed to have tried to kill. But I found an address. That’s how I found your mom.”

  Ethan swore a pithy oath. “No one listened to us. PAPRA made up its mind before we made any statement.”

  Bryan kept his eyes on Shanna. “She told me what happened. How you were blamed when you tried to save that kid. When I investigated, all the evidence was circumstantial. In fact, the forensics showed that the truck was out of control. There were skid marks on the pavement. If you had been trying to kill the boy, you wouldn’t have used the brakes on the truck.”

  Shanna didn’t say anything. She just watched him with big amber eyes.

  “That meant you were railroaded. They used you as an example. Wanted people to be afraid of unregistered Psys.”

  “Tell us something we don’t know,” Althea muttered.

  He ignored her and kept his focus on Shanna. “I may be slow. But I’m not stupid. If they did it to you, then they might have done it to someone else. It made me start second guessing a lot of what I’d heard over the years.”

  He glared at Ethan. “And if they were trumping up charges, they might have used me to bring in people that didn’t deserve it. That pisses me off.”

  Ethan snorted. “You think we are going to just believe you’ve had a change of heart after all that you’ve done? You’re crazy.”

  “I did my job. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

  Ethan laughed bitterly. His hands clenched as if he’d like another go around with Bryan. “You’ve sent some of our best people to their deaths, you son-of-a-bitch. You’re on our top ten most wanted list.”