Page 2 of Joshua's Mistake
He kept the six inches of wire in his hand and walked through the door into the holding room. The charge of psychic ability buzzed around the room. Every psi had a rhythm to their abilities, a vibration called an aura. Tessa’s thrummed louder and more synchronous than that most people with psychic abilities. A layer of darkness shrouding the soul was the byproduct of having psi powers and using them as most agents had to. It was a hazard he had long ago accepted. With an aura as strong as hers, she would be difficult to probe.
Her good looks didn’t make him any more comfortable digging into a mind that would likely scar him. He was used to it and knew how to deal with the damage. He had his own dark places to hide secrets. Still, he couldn’t ignore how stunning Tessa was, her heart-shaped face and full lips were set off by crystal-blue eyes.
She turned her attention from the hidden camera and focused on him. Her mouth opened, but he held his index finger to his lips. She cocked her head and studied him. He walked to the wall of shelves where the small camera was hidden and pulled it from its perch. He then turned it to face away just in case someone got an idea about fixing the link. He tossed the wire from the monitor on the floor in the corner.
Returning to the door, he held his hand over the lock and concentrated his energy before he heard several satisfying clicks of the tumblers within. If the agents in the other room tried to enter, changing the tumblers would buy them a few seconds. Then the door would come crashing down.
Of course, if she was what they said, the delay could be his biggest mistake and he’d be her next victim. He didn’t think so. Already he sensed she was exactly what she seemed, a dedicated agent for the government.
He nodded to her.
“Joshua Lakeland. I think I’m honored to have elicited such a high level agent’s attention.” Sarcasm dripped from her words.
“Tessa Clark, I’ve been ordered to probe you.” His words were even, though the gravity of what they conveyed heightened the energy in the room. If he pulled the listening devices, the outside agents would likely force their way in so he left the in place.
Her eyes widened and he saw fear for only an instant before her training returned and she masked all emotion. “I understand.”
He pulled a chair around to her side of the table, sat and leaned in very close. “Do you? Because I don’t really want to kill you or leave you a vegetable, Tessa. I have orders and they come from pretty high up.”
“You’ll have to follow them.” Her voice was even, but her emotions bubbled just under the surface.
He already liked the feel of her energy swimming around him. It didn’t happen often, but once in a while a psychic came into contact with another whose energy meshed with their own. He thought of it as if they were two musical instruments that had been perfectly tuned to play together. It was rare for anyone with psi talents, but for Joshua it had never happened. His abilities were off the charts. Theoretically he was the most powerful psychic talent in the world.
Joshua stood up and walked a few steps away. “I’ve read your file. You were on the short list for my next field team.”
“I’m flattered.” She sounded as if she actually was.
The irony wasn’t lost on him. “I’ve been doing this a long time. I didn’t notice anything in your record that would indicate you were a traitor about to cause the death of three good men.”
“No.”
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“No.”
He spun around and found her staring at the empty table. “Because you had them killed?”
Her head snapped around and her eyes locked with his. “Because it was the single most horrifying experience of my life and I’ll be fucked if I’m going to relive it here with you.”
“The powers that be don’t believe you.”
“Obviously.”
“I have to probe you. Do you think you can let me have access? It would be better for both of us.”
“I don’t know.” Her expression remained unchanged. She didn’t look or sound afraid of the probe. She put up a good facade. Fear bubbled as if it were in a cauldron under her calm exterior.
He’d probed hundreds, maybe thousands, of people over the years. Blake was right, it was his specialty. Even so, he hated that he was the cause of her distress.Shit, get your head in the game, Josh.
Her fear was warranted. Guilty or innocent, having a stranger pulling down the walls of your mind was a terrifying prospect. Regret for what he was about to do had already begun to fill him. He didn’t want to hurt her and he cringed at the idea of her hating or fearing him. Worse, he could damage her. If he made a wrong move, pushed too far, he could change the vibrations of her gifts. If that happened she would no longer be the same woman. It was not something he could afford to think about.
What he really wanted from Tessa Clark was inappropriate to their current situation and he forced down his desire. Distractions would not help him navigate his mission.
“Why did you pull the video feed? If they’re right about me I might try to kill you and you’ll have no backup.”
“That’s true.” He placed his fingers over one side of the handcuffs and concentrated until the mechanism tripped and opened the manacles around her wrist. He did the same to the other side.
“What are you doing?”
