Page 72 of Joshua's Mistake
Joshua’s heart stopped. His brother was wounded, he didn’t know how badly. He knew he had to stay focused on his task.
No one thought they would fire on a room full of non-psi. People in the piazza looked stunned for half a second and then began to run in every direction. Banta reached a hand out toward where the bullet had come from and a second later one of his men tumbled out of hiding and dropped to the ground. Even at that distance Joshua could see the puddle of blood forming near his face.
A second of Banta’s men appeared from an alcove one flight up. He stared at his dead comrade and then at his boss. Joshua could see the fear twisting his face. He lifted his gun toward Joshua. Another series of shots from behind and to the left took him out. The man’s body jerked several times and crumpled to the floor.
Joshua wasn’t sure who had fired, but he guessed it was one of Blake’s team. He’d know the sound of a Glock 22 being fired anywhere.
“Kane?” Joshua said.
“Little more than a flesh wound, Josh. I’m okay though I don’t think I’m going to be of much use.”
“Get to safety and don’t open your mind no matter what.”
“Got it.”
“Tessa?”
“I’m fine. Go on with the plan.”
It took a few minutes but the entire piazza cleared out. Even the woman who had been pretending to be a statue was nowhere to be seen. Local police would be there in a few minutes.
Banta’s voice boomed across the empty space. “I want what I came for, Lakeland. Give it to me and I’ll let the rest go.”
“You know I can’t do that, Troth. I can’t let you take my soul and leave me to die a vegetable. You’re asking too much.”
“Give me the woman then. I had no idea she had so much to offer. Not quite as gifted as you, but if I could slow time, imagine what I could accomplish.”
Joshua started forward slowly. “When did you lose your sense of right and wrong, old friend? How did this happen?”
Banta’s face twisted as he mirrored Joshua’s movement forward. “You are a child. There is no right and wrong. I told you that. There are the powerful and the weak. I intend to be the most powerful and no one, not even the great Joshua Lakeland is going to stop me.”
Banta waved his hand and the café tables lining the Grand Canal went flying off to one side.
“Impressive.”
“You can’t win, Lakeland. Hell, you’re too afraid to even open your mind in my presence. How do you intend to defeat me? Your bullets have no effect against my shield. I’m invincible.”
Joshua smiled and kept his eyes focused on Banta until they stood across the canal from each other. “You’re right, I can’t beat you. So perhaps it’s time to join you.”
Banta narrowed his eyes. “Why would you do that?”
Joshua was a blind man walking in a desert. He had no idea what his people were doing. How did ordinary soldiers ever succeed without an idea of what the enemy would do? It would be better if he gave himself over. At least if he believed Banta would keep his word. The team would live and maybe figure out a way to capture this madman another day. It was possible draining Joshua would take so much out of him Tessa or Jess could kill him. That was actually a better plan than taking Banta at his word. He gave a fleeting thought to what would happen to his aura when Banta died.
He stalled. “If you agreed to teach me to gather it would be worth my while.”
Banta seemed to be considering the idea. “And your brother?”
“It would take some convincing after what you did to his wife, but I think I could bring him around in time. If you want to be the best, Troth, you have to surround yourself with powerful people. It looks to me as though the support you had from Washington might have just run out on you. Maybe it’s time to go solo. I know I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I’m sick of taking orders from bureaucrats.”
Banta’s eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. “Prove it.”
Joshua knew Banta wanted to probe him and find out if what he was saying was true. He didn’t relish the idea. “Your word, no gathering.”
“My word,” Banta said.
He knew it was a risk, but Joshua very carefully let down his mental barrier. He pushed the thoughts he wanted probed to the forefront and allowed Banta to see his desire to set up his own agency. Since it was the truth, the other man suspected no deception. He put his wall firmly back in place before the madman got any other ideas.
Closing off his mind was the same as a soldier going blind or losing a limb. He was crippled against a superior force. The only difference was he had friends and family who he was willing to die for. Banta was a man. The fight in the helicopter proved that. It also proved his shield worked on objects but not on people. Joshua knew he should have killed him then. But even now he hoped there could be salvation for his old comrade.
