Page 58 of Training Rain
Chapter 10
“So you’re tellingme that bastard has a psychic son and he still wants to destroy everything psi?” Kane Lakeland paced the room. His dark hair was sticking up from running his fingers through the thick mass. He looked as if he was a caged animal though they had only been inside the small conference room for an hour while Rain and Jess were debriefed.
Rain loved how they told their story together. In a short time they had become a team. Jess would tell part of the story and then she would slip in and tell the next, each one knowing where to start and when to stop. There was something poetic about the process.
Jess continued, “I think it’s because of his son that he’s so anti-psi.”
“Do you think the younger Breckenridge is like Banta?” A shiver ran down Rain’s spine. The idea of something as evil as Banta made her want to rethink her choices. No, she would not second-guess herself. She had saved Jess’s life. In fact she had done it more than once. She was an asset.
Tessa leaned against the wall. They had secured a small executive suite at the W Hotel. It had its own conference room, kitchenette and two bedrooms as well as a large living room and dining room. “Joshua, you should call Blake and see what he knows about the Breckenridge boy.”
The head of the Psi Alliance groaned aloud. Blake was an FBI agent who had given the Psi Agency support in the past, but everyone knew there was bad blood between Blake and the Lakeland brothers.
Tessa stared him down.
Rain knew they were likely communicating through telepathy. Adianca had told her the two were deeply linked. It was that link that had saved them. A wave of jealousy surprised her. Did she want that kind of connection? Could she stand to have someone in her head all the time even if it was Jess?
Joshua was the most powerful psychic in the world, but Tessa must have won the argument. He lowered his head and left the room, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.
Kane mumbled, “I hate that guy.”
“Yes, we all know how you and your brother feel about Agent Blake, but he’s saved our lives on more than one occasion. So ease up.” Tessa rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall. She stared Kane down with her hands on her hips.
He didn’t exactly cower, but he did change the subject. “Jess, you said the kid is in an institution. If he’s not a complete whack job, we might be able to use him.”
Rain didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean ‘use him’?”
“He’d be a hell of a bargaining chip against his father.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Kane’s voice rose to just under a shout. Maybe he expected Rain to back down.
“Because he’s a human being. You can’t use him as currency to get what you want.”
Tessa resumed her position against the wall. Her blonde hair fell in front of one eye and she pushed it behind her ear. “Rain, if Will has been taken and not killed, what do you think our enemies will use him for?”
Rain had to make a concerted effort to keep her temper under control and her mind guarded so that her every thought wasn’t broadcast into a room full of psychics. “I’m not naïve. I know they will take advantage of capturing Will. He’s your friend, hell, he’s mine too. I don’t want to see anything happen to him. I just believe that the Psi Alliance should be better than those who would seek to destroy us. If you kidnap the senator’s son and then use him to get Will back then you become the monsters they make us out to be.”
The room became completely silent. No one spoke or even made eye contact. Everyone but Jess, who looked her directly in the eye. The corner of his mouth tipped up and she could have sworn he looked proud of her. An instant later his expression returned to unreadable and he stared across at Tessa.
They all waited for a full five minutes and no one spoke. Rain couldn’t be sure they were not all reading each other’s minds and keeping her out of the conversation, but she didn’t think so.
Joshua walked back inside as he hung up his phone. “Blake told me that Troy Breckenridge is twenty-three and listed as schizophrenic. He’s been heavily medicated for years and tucked neatly away in the Alexandria Mental Health Facility so as not to interfere with his father’s bid for the presidency. Breckenridge only brings him out for short periods to do public appearances. He’s always kept medicated and he’s never allowed to speak.”
Rain’s anger at a man she had never met consumed her. She hadn’t been happy when the senator had sent men to kill or capture Jess and her, but this? He was the real monster.
Tessa looked at Rain. “I’ve conveyed your thoughts to Joshua.”
Rain nodded and prepared to take the full blast of whatever Joshua was going to say. She would not waver from her stand.
His eyes narrowed and he arched one eyebrow. “I agree with Rain. We put the Alliance together to work for the side of right. If we go off track now, we’ll never recover.”
Rain let out the breath she’d been holding. She’d just decided to be a part of this organization. It would suck to have to walk away now.
“What’s the plan?” Kane stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.
She and Jess continued to sit. Frankly, she was tired. She really needed a good night’s sleep. She wasn’t going to waste energy posturing with psychics.
