Page 64 of Training Rain
Breckenridge’s breathing was labored. “No.”
“What do you use him for?”
“He finds you fucking monsters.” Sweat broke out on the senator’s unnaturally red face. His efforts to keep Jess from bending his mind were likely raising his blood pressure to unhealthy levels.
Jess knew his eyes must be as wide as Joshua’s. “A dowser.”
“I think that’s enough,” Joshua said.
“What about Will?”
“If the senator strokes out in this hallway, we’ll have a lot to answer for. We’ll find Will another way.”
Jess released his hold and stepped back to take Troy’s weight from Rain.
“I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping.”
“I don’t think so. If you so much as breathe a word to the police or the media, I will make sure the public knows exactly how you’ve treated your own son. Using him and keeping him drugged so that he wouldn’t interfere with your political goals. Not to mention that I’m fairly sure you’ve done some kidnapping of your own. You wouldn’t care to tell us where Will Starkey is, would you?”
“I have no knowledge of anyone with that name. Besides, no one will believe you. I’m a United States Senator.”
“And I have the ear of the president. I suggest you tell the media you’ve had Troy moved to another facility for his own good and leave it at that.”
Breckenridge looked as if he might pop a vein in his temple, but he said nothing. They had won the round. They moved toward the elevator as a group, leaving the senator behind. Troy stumbled and it was a struggle for Jess and Kane to keep the dead weight from pulling them down, but they managed to make it out of the hospital.
Once again, Jess used his mind to manipulate the front desk nurse and the security guards.
They had parked the cars just outside the gates, which meant they still had to cross an open courtyard. They would be seen by someone. It was unavoidable. Patients would likely be waking. Someone would look out the window or drive past the hospital.
“That didn’t take you long.” FBI Agent Blake stepped out from behind a shade tree and into their path. “When I saw the senator enter, I was sure you would come out empty-handed.”
The expression on Joshua’s face was halfway between a grin and a grimace. “You still don’t know me that well, Blake.”
The relationship between the Lakelands and Blake was tenuous. Yet there was an odd sense of trust between them. Jess didn’t know all the details, but the FBI agent had been essential in them getting out of the Troth Banta incident alive, so the guy was okay in his book.
Joshua towered over Blake, yet the agent never appeared the least bit afraid of him or any of the psychics he encountered. It earned him respect. “What are you going to do with him?”
Joshua frowned. “Keep him safe until he can take care of himself.”
Agent Blake didn’t look that surprised. “I’ll check in with you in a few days and see how the kid is doing.”
“What are you doing here?” Tessa asked the question every one of them wanted to know.
Blake shrugged. “I figure this place is lined with surveillance cameras.”
Tessa stepped closer. She was tall for a woman and Blake had to crane his neck to look her in the eye. Still he didn’t flinch. Jess couldn’t help it, he admired the guy.
She said, “Not to protect us.”
The short burst of laughter was more scoff than laugh. “Not a chance, sweetheart. I’m in the business of protecting this country. I’m going to keep those tapes nice and safe so that if the good senator decides to make a bid for the presidency…”
In spite of the Lakelands’ feelings, Jess liked Blake. He was a clever, fearless bastard.
Blake’s smirk said it all as he walked around them and headed toward the hospital’s front entrance.
Rain never let her barrier down as she climbed in the car after Troy. Tessa started the engine and as soon as Joshua got in, they were on the move.
Jess stood with Kane and watched them pull away from the gate. Then the two men ran toward the second car. They didn’t follow too closely. Breckenridge would probably try to find them. There was only one place to go. They headed toward the airport.
