Cross Waves, page 2
Her gaze flicked from Rolf’s to Peter’s. “And?”
“You two are a perfect match.”
Rolf frowned and uncurled his fingers. He didn’t need any government-run tests to know they’d be a match. He’d known her talent resonated with his since they were kids.
“Bullshit,” Geneva said.
Rolf pressed his twitching lips into a firm line before a smile slipped free.
Peter glanced at the pens, rattling in the canister on his desk, then back to Geneva, his brows raised. Geneva flushed. They all knew there was nothing more detrimental in their line of work than an out-of-control talent.
She waved a hand, and the pens stopped moving.
Peter took a sip of water from the glass in front of him. “The government doesn’t make mistakes where psychic talent is concerned, Geneva. And even if I agreed with your statement—and I don’t—the other mind hackers capable of channeling your energy are…nervous around you. Rolf, on the other hand, is not.”
“So, because he’s crazy, I get to partner with him? This is ridiculous.” The desk light flickered as power surged through the room.
“Is it?” Peter asked.
The hair on Rolf’s arms rose and his stomach dropped. Energy tunneled to the surface, attracted to her light. He ground his teeth together and took a measured breath, tamping it down.
Geneva flicked her hands in an upward motion. The light dimmed then returned to its normal level. Rolf let his breath out slow and easy. The tingling in his gut relaxed.
“I know neither of you are happy with this development,” Peter said, “but it’s for the best. Your country needs you—I need you—to set aside your differences and act like adults. As of today, you’re partners, so get used to it. I think you’ll both have a vested interest in your first assignment.”
“What first assignment?” Rolf asked.
Peter opened a Manila folder on his desk. “What do you know about the legend of the crystals?”
Geneva stiffened. “They exist.”
Peter shuffled the papers in the folder. “Correction. A few exist. The ones your mother found. The ones someone murdered her to steal.”
Geneva shielded her eyes with her hand. Her anxiety hit Rolf’s skull like a mallet. A phantom ghost of power brushed against his chest. He sucked in air. This was what made it so dangerous to work with her. Whenever she was upset, it wreaked havoc with his ability to control his own energy. He flared his nostrils as he’d been trained. This allowed him to release the air in his lungs in slow and even increments, eliminating the excess energy building inside him.
“Yes, and the one my former partner used to restore his wife’s memories,” she said, finally sitting in the chair. “I witnessed him activate the crystal. He said the stone had been in his family for decades.”
Rolf shifted his weight on the chair. Despite her air of confidence, Geneva had never fully recovered from her mother’s murder more than twenty years ago. A murder she had witnessed. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself in check and forced his brain to reason. Peter had brought up her mother’s death for a purpose. This entire meeting was a test of her control. The recent examination must have proven Geneva’s talent was stronger than the higher-ups reckoned.
Peter tapped a pen on the desk. “That’s the only other crystal we’ve cataloged. Some say there are more, each with special properties, allowing them to absorb and project psychic talent. Many have searched long and hard for them without success.”
Rolf clenched his muscles to keep himself from moving and pretended his insides weren’t as jumpy as a grasshopper. “What do missing crystals have to do with me needing a new partner? And why did I need to rush here to learn this? Seems to me you could have put it all in a text.”
“When’s the last time you talked to your sister?”
He stilled. Dark energy stirred in his belly. “Friday morning,” he ground out. “Why?”
“She’s missing.”
2
Partners
An iceberg of fear punched a hole through Rolf’s gut. Automatically, he stood, reaching for his cell phone to check his recent texts and calls. Nothing from his sister. He moved toward the door but paused in front of Peter’s desk. “Why the hell didn’t you say so as soon as I got here?”
“Because you would have taken off.”
“Right.” He turned to leave.
“Stop. I want Geneva as your partner on this. She can trace your sister’s energy trail.”
He thought about ignoring his boss’s order. It was his sister they were talking about, after all. He didn’t need Geneva and her extraordinary tracking ability to find her. He could draw on his own power. But it would be risky, to say the least. He sighed and turned around.
“When was the last time you communicated with Julia?” Geneva asked Peter, tilting her blonde head.
Rolf recognized the pose. Geneva saw something in Peter’s energy the rest of the world couldn’t. That extrasensory gift to see and read a person’s aura made her unique, even among their kind. Automatically, he searched for a weak spot in Peter’s defenses and found none. No surprise there. The safeguards protecting his boss’s brain had been reinforced.
“Late Sunday afternoon,” Peter said. “She’d been dreaming about an unsolved murder.”
“You’re leaving out an important detail,” Geneva said. “What is it?”
Peter swiveled his chair toward Geneva. “She dreamed of your mother’s murder.”
Geneva froze. Static electricity flashed around her body and disappeared.
The ball of energy inside Rolf twisted and churned, excited by her distress and the power she generated, which threatened to blow the roof off the place. Despite the risk to himself, Rolf moved to Geneva’s side and squeezed her shoulder. Heat sparked between them like he’d slid his shoes across an invisible carpet before touching her. He snapped his hand back. “Breathe.”
Her blue eyes met his for a moment before moving back to Peter’s. Tears moistened her long lashes. “My…my mother? Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“She begged me not to.” Peter rubbed one hand at his temple and fingered a paper in the folder with the other. “Julia had no choice but to investigate your mother’s death. You know what it’s like for a dream talent. They don’t choose their dreams. Dreams choose them.”
Rolf tugged a hand through his hair. “Who’s she paired with?”
“Percy Withers.”
“My idiot cousin? Why the hell would you pair Julia with Percy? He can’t fight his way out of a paper bag. Explains why she’s gone missing in such a short space of time. He could never protect her.”
“I paired her and Percy because they both asked me to.”
“Well, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Julia ask to be paired with Percy? She doesn’t like him any better than I do.”
“Julia dreamed Percy could help her.”
“Where was she last seen?” Geneva asked. Two small crease marks formed between her eyes. Besides being his sister, Julia and Geneva were best friends.
“I suspect Julia’s in Phoenix, Arizona. Cell phone records indicate she contacted a jewelry store there on Saturday.”
“A jewelry store?” Geneva tipped her head to the side and pursed her lips.
“Why would Julia not tell me what she was doing?” Rolf asked, his voice tight. His gut clenched. His sister always told him when she was assigned a case. Why had she kept silent on this one? “I would have helped her.”
“She knew you were guarding the POTUS from mind hackers in China. Speaking of which, I assume you successfully safeguarded the president’s mind before coming here?”
Rolf nodded. “Of course.”
Peter cleared his throat. “Julia didn’t want to pull you away from such a critical assignment for a lead she wasn’t sure would amount to anything. She had doubts about her dreams. Told me she kept getting mixed messages.” He turned to Geneva. “And she didn’t tell you because she’s protecting you. She didn’t want to put you through the anguish of reliving your mother’s death if she was wrong.”
He thumbed through the papers in the folder, pulling a photograph from among them. “That’s why I allowed her to go with Percy. It was supposed to be a simple follow-up on a dream sequence. I blame myself for their disappearance.”
Rolf studied the picture. An assortment of crystals was displayed in a jeweler’s case.
“Julia found the missing crystals?” Geneva asked, her tone harsh.
“I don’t know. She cut off contact with me shortly after she arrived.”
Geneva splayed her hands on the desk. “Get me on the next flight to Phoenix.”
Peter nodded and held up a white envelope. “I’ve chartered a flight for both of you.” He swiveled his chair toward Geneva. “Time is of the essence. The longer she stays missing, the greater the likelihood she won’t return. Stay together on this.” He pointed at her. “You can track Julia. And you’re a human lie detector. But you can’t hack into minds or change thoughts. You need Rolf for that.”
“And you”−Peter swiveled toward Rolf−“need a strong partner to enhance your power. Both of you have a vested interest in a successful outcome. You’ll work better together than apart.” His eyes issued a warning. “It’s time you got over your irrational dislike of each other.”
“Fine. What time is the flight?” Rolf snagged the envelope from Peter at the same time Geneva did. Their fingers brushed and tangled, and his gaze collided with hers. Goose bumps tickled his skin. Raw power hit all six of his senses, setting his body on fire. He tugged on the envelope. She resisted, but he had a better grasp on it, and it slipped through her fingers.
“Seven p.m.,” Peter said. “Details are there, including a hotel reservation in Sedona if you need it. Pack your bags and get to the airport—Burke Lakefront.”
“On my way.” He dug his nails into his skin until he broke the surface.
“Wait!” Geneva called, standing.
He turned at the door, raising an eyebrow.
She settled her hands on her hips. “I know it’s your sister, and you think you’re in charge, hotshot, but we’re partners now. We should talk about this first. Develop a plan.”
The dark energy cut a line to his heart. He tightened his hands around the envelope but couldn’t stop them from shaking. “We’ll talk at the airport. Meet me there at five.”
He yanked the door handle and fled the room like demons from hell were chasing him.
3
Rolf
Where the hell was Julia?
Rolf studied the airline clerk and fought the panic surging in his veins, testing his self-control. He gritted his teeth and reached into his coat pocket, forcing his power back inside where it could do no harm.
A touch softer than butterfly wings brushed his arm. Geneva. The citrusy scent of her perfume filled his nostrils. He looked down at her hand and took a breath.
He grabbed his wallet, pulled it out, and gave his driver’s license to the clerk. Next to him, Geneva did the same. The top of her head didn’t quite reach his shoulder. Light glinted off each golden strand of her hair.
He blinked and shifted his gaze toward the windows. The situation was fraught with tension. Julia investigating a murder on her own without telling him. Partnering with his cousin, the weakest member of their team. What was his sister thinking?
He scraped a hand over his five o’clock shadow. How would he ever be able to muster the control needed to find her?
Outside, a small airplane taxied to a stop. Crew members in blue jumpsuits surrounded it.
“Two for Phoenix?” the clerk asked, pulling Rolf’s gaze back to the counter.
He nodded.
“Right,” Geneva said.
“Looks like your flight’s on time.” The clerk checked a list and presented them each with a plastic ticket. “You can grab a seat over there.” She pointed to a series of green padded chairs facing a glass window overlooking the runway. The sun began to move toward the horizon, casting late-afternoon shadows on the tarmac. “Help yourself to beverages or snacks in the lounge.”
“Thank you.” Geneva took off toward the waiting area, dragging her suitcase behind her.
Rolf followed, watching the gentle sway of her hips. Between his worry for Julia and the tension between him and Geneva, the flight ahead would be torture. No doubt about it.
He found a seat in the far corner from hers and pretended to read a newspaper he grabbed from the chair next to him. All the while, he could feel her energy seeking him out like a pulsing, living being. Despite his better judgment, he squinted at her from the corner of one eye. She watched him, an annoyed glare on her face.
She opened the gates of her mind. “What is your plan to find Julia? I can tell by your aura you’ve concocted something I’m not going to like in that stubborn brain of yours. You might as well come on over here and tell me, so I don’t waste precious energy communicating this way.”
He took his time folding the newspaper and setting it on the seat next to him. He wasn’t eager for another go around with Geneva, but he did need to let her know the course of action he’d decided on. He stood and ambled toward her, stopping when he was a foot away.
“We’ll go to Bell Rock first. It’s an energy vortex, close to the jewelry store Julia contacted. You know how Julia likes to visit vortexes to strengthen her talent, since they magnify our power. It’s a good possibility she spent some time at this one. We’ll go at midnight when no one else is around to see if you can pick up a trace of her energy.”
“I can’t go there.”
Rolf barely controlled a shudder at the image flooding her mind. An intruder lay on the floor of her childhood home in a pool of his own blood. Geneva’s thought. Her memory. Her gut-wrenching horror. Her power had gotten so out of control, she hadn’t been able to stop from killing the intruder. But not before her mother had been murdered.
Rolf shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll go alone.”
Static flickered between them. “Don’t be a fool. You’ll never find Julia on your own.”
“I’ll find her.” Power surged in the atmosphere. He breathed in—a silent peace offering. Geneva was right. He did need her and her talent. But not to track Julia as she believed. His own talent could handle the job easily enough. No, he preferred to use her tracking ability because drawing on his own was too risky. The more he used his gift, the more unstable he became.
Overhead, a speaker crackled, and the airline attendant announced their charter. Rolf turned and gestured toward the airplane. “C’mon.”
She grabbed his arm and stepped in front of him, her luggage blocking his path. “Rolf.”
A tingling sensation ran across his spine, and heat flooded his senses. The hair on the back of his neck rose. He looked over her shoulder—anything to dampen her churning emotions, anything to maintain his self-control, anything to calm the impatient beast.
“You do understand when I go to this vortex there’s a good chance I won’t be able to manipulate the energy I generate, and I’ll blast you into outer space?”
He stepped backward. He’d spent too many years keeping his distance to screw up now.
Her eyes stabbed into him. “Vortexes mess with people like us. Julia said their energy makes her dreams more vivid. Who knows what effect it’ll have on me? Despite what you think, I don’t want to kill you or anyone else who might be in the vicinity.”
He kept his eyes on hers. “I’m hard to kill. Besides, you won’t.”
Geneva wrinkled her nose, moving a small sunburst of freckles with it. “How could you know that?”
“Simple logic.” He took a breath. She smelled like the sheets his grandmother Nonna hung out to dry in the summer when he was a child. All sunshiny, fresh, and pure. “If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already.”
Waves of frustration, anger, and something more—something closer to sadness—jumped from her mind to his. A vision of himself, dressed in black and seated on his motorcycle in front of The Last Chance bar, appeared in her thoughts, then vanished. He remembered the moment well. She’d been eighteen and stubborn as hell. She’d asked him for a ride on his motorcycle. He’d refused.
Rolf clenched his jaw and shoved his hands back in his pockets. That was the night a drunken asshole attacked her, and he’d been forced to intervene. He’d nearly killed the man. The event had driven him to the edge of his control. At least that was his excuse for kissing her. Eventually, he’d come to his senses. Told her to go home and play with her Barbie dolls.
She curled her lip. “I don’t need you to go to the vortex with me. I’ll pick up the trace and let you know where it leads.”
His heartbeat thumped out an uneven rhythm. He squelched the knot in his chest at the thought of her tracing Julia on her own and encountering danger. “No way you’re going to a vortex alone. End of story.” His voice sounded clipped and cold, even to him. He stepped around her and moved toward the line of passengers.
Something shifted in the atmosphere, and the door in her mind slammed shut, blocking him from her thoughts. Blocking the enemy.
He rubbed his aching forehead. Although he knew Geneva was highly trained, he couldn’t jeopardize her safety. He didn’t care how bossy he sounded. He continued moving toward the boarding passengers, not waiting to see if she followed.
As if she sensed his churning thoughts, she marched by him, swinging her carry-on bag in front of her like a weapon. Twin spots of red covered her cheeks. The familiar rush of her vibrations surrounded him.
The attendant asked for their tickets. They entered the small aircraft with a dozen other passengers taking the same charter, and Geneva took the seat closest to the window, leaving him the aisle. He settled his large frame in the small space and did his best to seal his emotions from her ever-prying psychic antennae. He checked the time on his cell phone, then raised his gaze to hers. A thunderstorm gathered in her eyes, but he didn’t look away. “I take it you’re coming with me.”
