JoshuasMistake (13 page)

“Trouble at the dojo.” It had gotten oddly quiet outside and
Trip’s voice was ripe with warning.

The building where Kane had sought safety was the farthest
from the house. Farther than the length of a football field, it would leave any
of them too exposed to get there and help him.

Three soldiers were closing in on his location.

“I don’t think I can reach that far with the bolts.” Joshua
was talking mostly to himself. Kane had come to Key West to help him and now he
was pinned down and alone. Joshua needed a way to help his brother and he could
think of nothing.

Will knelt by the window with a rifle. “I can get the one on
the left from here. The other two are a bit out of range. I might wound them.”

Without waiting for an answer he took the shot. The leftmost
soldier dropped and didn’t move again. The house was again peppered with
automatic-weapons fire. It was coming from the left where several of Banta’s
team had run for cover behind an oil tank.

“Will?” It was all Joshua needed to say to get his question
across.

“What the hell, but it’s going to make a hell of a stink.”

“Sorry, buddy. Cover me.” The entire group fired in the
direction of the oil tank. They couldn’t penetrate or get to the men hiding in
its shadow, but they managed to clear a path so Joshua could step out of the
house. He grabbed hold of the generator wire and fired his lightning at the
tank.

Banta screamed from where he still held position near the
helicopter. The tank gave the eerie sound of metal twisting and the explosion
that followed knocked Joshua off his feet and ten feet away from his original
position.

The air rushed from his lungs. His head thudded on the hardtop.
Heat from the fire flashed outward, singeing the hair on his arms. The fire
rolled back to the fuel source and subsided to a steady burn. Smoke filled the
air.

No further weapons fire came from that direction.

Joshua pushed himself back to his feet, shook off the
cobwebs in his brain and ran toward the dojo. He heard footfalls behind and
knew it was Tessa following. There was something nice about knowing she had his
back. She fired toward Banta, but it had no effect. Whatever kind of shield he
created neither electricity nor bullets could penetrate. Maybe it was keeping
him from moving forward. Evidently all his men were expendable. He only
protected himself and the helicopter.

Joshua changed out the clip in the AK-47 while he ran. When
he was within range he fired toward the two who had gone to the right of the
dojo. He clipped one on the shoulder and the other backed away.

The heat of the explosion had taken all the fire out of the
oil and now it was tapering down. Out of the corner of his eye Joshua saw three
figures running across the compound behind the shed. He knew it was Wanda, Will
and Trip using the distraction to take a better position.

Suppressive fire from Banta’s men came in from the barricade
of cars behind the helicopter.

Without any use of a microphone Banta’s voice boomed through
the night. “You are a fool, Lakeland.”

Joshua saw the other soldier lift his gun. For leverage he
touched the metal building. Joshua couldn’t fire on the metal building without
the possibility of electrocuting his brother. More movement to the left told
him more of Banta’s men were closing in on his position. He made a choice and
fired his bolt toward the men on the left. After only three seconds the
generator failed and the electricity petered away. Still, one of the soldiers
fell.

Gunfire from the barricade ricocheted off the dojo. The
enemy shooter fell.

Kane opened the dojo door and fired at Banta. The bullet got
within three feet and dropped to the blacktop with a tinkle. He fired several
more times with no effect.

A gun battle was erupting behind the helicopter. Soldiers
were shouting orders on both sides.

Joshua stopped running, dropped the backpack and turned
toward Banta. His old friend was within a hundred feet now. From the beams of
the spotlights mounted on the buildings he could see the crazed look in Banta’s
eyes.

“How so, Troth?” Joshua recognized having a certain psi
power gave his foe an advantage. While the rest of them were carefully guarding
their minds and unable to use most of their abilities Banta could remain wide
open, unafraid of a mental attack.

Troth changed to a normal voice. “You should be flattered. I’ve
gone to great lengths to get to you.”

Joshua took a step forward and put himself between Tessa and
the madman. “I can’t say that’s my first reaction. You got a lot of good people
killed for nothing.”

“You must know. You must have figured out by now. You must
know what I can do. How far I’ve advanced.”

“I know gathering is an abomination. Stealing the aura of
the psychically gifted leaves them without a soul. You’ve lost your last scrap
of humanity, Troth.”

The laugh vibrated the air and hurt his ears. From the
corner of his eye he saw Tessa wince and try to protect her ears. Troth didn’t
seem to be expending any energy with the shield or throwing his voice.

“I knew you were my match. I knew you would figure it out.
The problem, old friend, was I couldn’t get to you. But I’m smart too. I knew
if I set up a high-rated agent they would bring you in. I have to admit you
threw me a curve ball when you took off with Agent Clark. I never took you for
softhearted.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, at the Jersey Shore or here, it
makes no difference to me. I’ll get what I want.

“Your right and wrong boxes don’t mean anything to me. I
only care about strength. I’m the strongest and so I have the right to prey on
the weak. Today you are my goal, you are the weak one. Today I get to claim the
ultimate prize.”

Joshua was still looking for the angle. What had Banta
learned in the last year? How was he going to penetrate his barriers? Both he
and Tessa had their minds closed off. He didn’t have to open his mind to shoot
the lightning. What was this guy after?

“Great, now what, Troth? Where do we go from here?”

Another booming laugh cracked the air. “Now I kill
everything you love and then I take that sweet little talent you just used to
kill most of my men. Or you can just come quietly and I’ll let them live.”

“You’ll have to kill me and if you could have done that I’d
be dead already.”

Banta’s mouth twisted into a crooked grin. Joshua’s stomach
turned as well. There was something he didn’t know. Some important fact only
Banta knew.

He lifted his mental barriers enough to get the familiar
sense of Troth Banta’s presence. It was the same as that of the man he’d known
years before, but twisted as if he were a vine allowed to grow wild and take
over the garden.

Immediately Banta pushed his mind forward and tried to
invade. Joshua shut it down before he was breached.

At a hundred feet it was impressive Banta could have gotten
so close. It had been worth the risk. He’d learned something important. As
whatever power Troth used to transfuse psi energy snapped back, his shoulders
had slumped slightly. It may not cost him anything to keep the barrier up, but
gathering appeared to take its toll.

Banta reached out one hand to lean on the Apache. The reason
his enemy remained by the helicopter. Stealing the aura of another was
draining. Pushing his mind across space also took a lot out of him. Joshua had
a suspicion. “What happens when you succeed, Troth? I assume that chopper
whisks you away to rest from the exertion.”

Troth looked inside and made a spinning motion with his
finger. The propeller started to spin slowly and then picked up speed. “Make it
easier on yourself, Lakeland. I’ll let your brother and your new friend live if
you come quietly.”

Without the same psi gift of voice Banta had, Joshua was
forced to scream over the engine and propeller noise. His entire body was on a
spring waiting to see what would happen next. “That’s quite an offer but I don’t
think so.”

A rifle fired from near the dojo. The wounded soldier had
taken aim and fired at Joshua. In the same moment everything slowed down. He
tried to turn toward the gunman and even his movements were slowed down. He saw
Banta’s eyes widen. The bullet meant for his heart spun in a path and he could
see the air around it displaced as if it were shooting through water.

Tessa’s mind was open. It had to be. No one else had the
ability to interrupt an instant in time. She pressed her hand forward, forcing
the bullet out of its trajectory. She kicked out a leg and swept his right calf,
sending him to the ground. Her movements appeared inhumanly quick while he was
stuck in slow motion.

As the hard ground crashed into his backside time slipped
back into normal speed.

Her mind was open!

Joshua tried to force his own walls to encompass Tessa too.
He heard gunfire but ignored it.

Too late. Banta seized the opportunity as soon as he’d
recognized the value of her gift. Agony stretched across her face. A piercing
scream split the night and poured from her open mouth. Her skin paled to almost
gray.

Joshua did the only thing he could. He sprinted in Banta’s
direction, hollering his battle cry and ducking under the path of the
helicopter’s propeller. In no time he had closed the distance. He didn’t know
if he would come up hard against the barrier, but he suspected the gathering
would require all Banta’s energy. No walls stopped him. Head down Joshua barreled
into Banta’s gut and forced him into the gaping door of the Apache, breaking
his concentration.

It took a moment for the insanity in Banta’s eyes to
transform into rage. When that happened he roared as if he were a wild beast.
He thrashed against Joshua, who pinned him to the floor of the craft. Joshua’s
weapon tumbled out the door. It would have been difficult to take the much
bigger man in hand-to-hand combat on a good day. The effort Banta had just made
to steal Tessa’s psi power away from her must have weakened him.

Joshua straddled his chest and threw punch after punch
against his face. His own anger pushed him harder to batter the monster Troth
Banta had become. Blood splattered across the metal floor when Troth’s nose
broke after one crushing blow.

The lights across Will’s property were exploding. Joshua
knew it was his doing. Rage and regret swamped him and he lost control. Glass
was always the first thing to go when Joshua lost his temper. If he didn’t get
it under control stronger materials would bend and pop as well. He could hear
the instruments in the helicopter’s cockpit sputtering and crackling.

The ground was falling away as the helicopter took to the
air. Banta was only half conscious, spread-eagle on the deck. Joshua wanted
Troth dead but there was no time. Standing, Joshua gave him one last kick to
the ribs and stepped to the door. He had to jump before they got too high. On
the ground Kane cradled Tessa in his arms. Will looked up at him. Trip and
Wanda knelt at her side.

He stepped out onto the runner, shimmied down so his legs
dangled and then gripped the metal with his hands. His legs dangled and he hung
there a second and took a deep breath.

He let go.

It was a ten foot drop but he’d fallen from greater heights.
As soon as his body hit the ground he collapsed and rolled. He would hurt for a
few days. He would be battered and bruised. He didn’t care. His hip ached and
his ribs were likely bruised, maybe broken. Ignoring all of it he rushed toward
Tessa.

Kane cradled Tessa’s upper body as if she were a sleeping
child and looked up at Joshua. “She’s alive, Josh, but it’s not good. I don’t
detect an aura.”

His brother could also sense the psi vibration more commonly
referred to as an aura. If she had no aura then she was not inside the shell of
her body or she had retreated so far into her mind she might never find her way
out. Either way Kane was right, it wasn’t good.

Joshua knelt next to her and gripped her face with both of
his hands. “Tessa.”

Why he thought yelling in her face would help he didn’t
know. It didn’t work. The beautiful vibration that made Tessa unique was quiet.
Joshua couldn’t detect any of her essence. He couldn’t get his brain to accept
what he was seeing. He waited, knowing at any moment she would open those pale-blue
eyes and smile up at him.

“I’ll call an ambulance,” Wanda said.

The brothers stared at each other a long time. No words were
spoken nor did they communicate psychically. This was not a psi moment. What
passed between them was purely emotional, one brother crying out for help and
the other being there.

Kane finally responded. “No, it won’t help. She needs a
different kind of medicine.”

Joshua’s chest and stomach ached. His heart pounded in his
ears. “You could heal her.” He grabbed Kane by the shoulder.

“No. I wish I could.”

“I’ve seen you do it. You can heal people. You can go inside
her mind and lead her back to me, Kane. You have to do it. You have to.”

“This is beyond what I can do, Josh.”

“You’ve done it before.” If his brother hadn’t been holding
Tessa he would have punched him in the face.

Kane must have known Joshua was close to losing his temper.
His voice was eerily calm. “Those people had lost their way or suffered some
tragedy that needed suppressing. This is not the same. I don’t know where she
is and I could do more harm than good.”

He wanted to hit someone. He wanted to lash out and make
someone hurt as badly as he did. His mistake had caused this. He should have
seen the gunman. He shouldn’t have underestimated Banta. He should have
shielded Tessa or made her stay away. His mistake had cost her life. She was a
vegetable. She would wither and die and it was his fault.

His brother was talking but Joshua didn’t hear the words.
His brain had completely shut down to everything but grief. Pain cracked across
his cheek.

That snapped him back to the present. Kane stood in front of
him. “Did you hit me?”

Kane’s mouth was turned down and he took Tessa from Will’s
arms. “You need to wake up, Josh. We need to get her help and I need you.”

Ever since his brother stepped back into his life Joshua had
been the more reasonable of the two. Kane was impulsive and brash. Joshua took
care of business and followed all the rules. Suddenly their roles were
reversed. He needed his brother’s help and not the other way around.

Joshua tried to clear his mind. “We need a plane fueled up.”

Kane said, “Now you’re thinking.”

“I’ll take her,” Joshua said. Not waiting for a response, he
took Tessa in his arms. Her body was warm against his chest. He felt her heart
beating but she was otherwise still and lifeless. His throat tightened and it
was hard to breathe.

Will said, “My jet is already fueled up. Go put Tessa inside
and I’ll run the flight check.”

“I’ll fly,” Joshua said.

“No,” both Will and Kane said at the same time.

“You keep talking to Tessa. Will can fly us to Nevada.”

Will took a look around his property at the blood and
bodies.

Trip said, “Wanda and I can clean up here. Someone will have
heard all the gunfire. The local police will get calls and eventually make
their way here. We’ll take care of it.”

Wanda nodded.

“Thanks,” Will said.

Jess and several others ran across the tarmac toward them.
Jess took one look at Tessa and his frown deepened. “We lost Lon and Brady is
shot, but it’s not too bad. Where are you taking her?”

Will said, “Nevada. There’s a place southeast of Vegas.”

“We’ll follow as soon as we can. I get the impression Banta
is not done with this.”

Joshua locked eyes with Jess. He could see the other man’s
accusation. Everyone knew this was Joshua’s fault. He had failed, Lon was dead
and Tessa was lost.

Kane said, “We’ll need all the help we can get.”

Jess gave a nod and Will, Kane and Joshua with Tessa ran
toward the hangar. A few minutes later they were taxiing down the runway and
then heading northwest.

As jets went, Will’s was all luxury. The
Gulfstream G550
heavy
jet could seat up to sixteen with its large luxury seats and couches.

There were seats with tables and they all reclined so
passengers could sleep. Joshua placed Tessa down on the long couch, grabbed a
pillow from the overhead compartment and knelt beside her.

His brother was sitting in the copilot seat, assisting Will
with the flying of the plane. The cockpit door was open but he felt alone.
Tessa’s chest rose and fell evenly and her expression was serene and peaceful.
She looked as if she were merely asleep and would wake up at any moment.

From the moment he’d met her it was her aura that let him
see she was the one. He couldn’t feel anything from her now and yet he knew he
had to have her back. He knew no one else would ever make him feel as complete.
Without Tessa there was nothing for him.

He rested his forehead on hers.
Can you hear me? Please
come back to me, Tessa. Are you in there at all?

He’d probably repeated those same things a hundred times
when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into the sympathetic eyes of
his brother.

“Let her be for now, Josh. Adianca will know what to do.”

“You don’t understand. This is my fault. I should have
protected her.”

“She didn’t think so. That bullet was headed straight for
you. It would have killed you and she knew it. She wanted to protect you and
she did. She saved your life and her decision came at a cost.”

“The price is too high, Kane.” His voice cracked. “I’m not
worth it.”

His brother squeezed his shoulder. “I know you feel that
way, but Tessa disagreed. Frankly so do I.”

Joshua couldn’t stand the idea anyone would sacrifice
themselves for him. The fact it was Tessa made it a hundred times worse.

Kane said, “You should rest. I have a feeling this is going
to be more difficult than anything we’ve ever done before.”

Kane was right and Joshua knew it. If the shaman could help
there would be another price to pay. They would be stationary and vulnerable.

He didn’t even want to think about the very real possibility
Banta would recover and find them.

“Go lay down, Josh. I’ll keep an eye on her until we get
close to landing. Will is going to try to put down on the reservation.”

He wanted to stay there and keep trying to reach Tessa but
it was irrational. His brother was right. He needed to rest and she couldn’t
hear him anyway. She was too deep if she was in there at all. His chest
clenched at the idea all their efforts might be for nothing. If Tessa’s soul
had moved on or been damaged too severely by Banta’s gathering power she would
not come back.

He got up off the floor and sat down in the bucket seat just
across from the couch.

“Take these.” Kane handed him two aspirin and a bottle of
water. “I’m betting you’ve got a few aches and pains from that fight and
jumping from the helicopter.”

“Thanks.”

Kane didn’t acknowledge the thanks. He turned toward Tessa.
“Her parents are safe. I found them in a hotel about fifteen miles from their
home. Pretty clever to have left home when they did.”

“Tessa said her mother was intuitive.”

Kane nodded. “I moved them to the safe house with Lena and
everyone. They’ll wait this out there until one of us contacts them.”

Joshua’s throat tightened, he gripped his brother’s arm from
across the aisle. Kane turned and looked at him. It took Joshua a moment to put
it into words. He offered his hand. “Thanks.” He struggled for another moment. “I
mean it. I couldn’t do this without you, Kane. Thanks.”

Kane took his hand in a firm grip. “You call, I come. We’re
brothers, that’s how it works. Right?”

“Right.”

With a nod Kane sat on the couch beside Tessa.

* * * * *

Joshua had no memory of closing his eyes but Kane’s voice
came through the speakers, letting him know they were about to land. He looked
across the aisle. Tessa hadn’t moved an inch.

Hang in there, beautiful.

He pulled his seat upright and looked out the window. Will
was setting down on a dirt road. It was a road Joshua had traveled many times
to get to the reservation and meet with Adianca. The shaman had brought him to
a peaceful place when his mind was without rest. Now his world had collapsed
and he had to beg her to build it back up. She was powerful but this might be
too far beyond even her scope of psychic healing. The shaman could call on
forces beyond their world. Her abilities were closer to magic than psi. Joshua’s
gut tightened and his chest ached. Worry wouldn’t bring Tessa back. They couldn’t
get on the ground fast enough.

The road was clear but the uneven ground caused the plane to
bounce severely. Joshua got up and rushed to keep Tessa secured to the couch.
He pinned her with his body until the jarring stopped and they came to a halt.

“Sorry about that,” Will called from the cockpit.

“You two okay?” Kane asked.

Joshua looked down at her inert form. His heart clenched. “Yeah,
we’re okay.”

The engines powered down but a new sound could be heard
outside. Both Kane and Will were up and out of the cockpit in an instant.
Joshua didn’t move from the couch. He would protect her body even if he had
failed to protect the rest of her.

His brother pulled a rifle out of the overhead bin. He
removed it from the case, grabbed the magazine and loaded it before moving to
the back of the plane where he could see the approaching vehicle. “Black
Hummer.”

Joshua relaxed. “It’s Adianca. That’s what she drives.”

“If you don’t mind I’m going to hold on to this until we get
the all clear.” Kane patted the stock of the weapon.

“I would prefer if both of you would load up all the weapons
and ammo that Will probably has stashed in this bucket. We may be safe for now
but Banta will not move on without getting what he’s after. He’s a predator. He’ll
find us.”

Joshua’s words hung in the air. The engine noise outside
stopped and Will opened the hatch, lowering the steps.

Picking Tessa up, Joshua headed for the stairs after his
brother. He whispered, “Did you call her?”

“No.”

“How did she know we were coming or that we would land here?”

“No idea.” Kane still held the rifle but he kept it slung
over his arm.

The woman standing near the large vehicle was just over five
feet tall. She had long black hair that was streaked white, and deep wrinkles creased
her weathered skin. Her bright eyes focused on them as she crossed her arms
over her chest and waited until the travelers were several feet away.

Putting one hand up was the only thing needed for the petite
woman to stop them in their tracks. Joshua gripped Tessa tighter as Adianca
stepped toward them. She put her hand on Tessa’s forehead and a frown creased
her already wrinkled face. “Yes. You have done right bringing her to me,
Lakeland. If she is willing we can find her.”

Joshua relaxed the tiniest degree. “Thank you, Shaman.”

She reached up and cupped his cheek. The spark in her eyes
dimmed. “She must be willing to come. I do not know if she will. The horror of
what she has endured may be too great.”

He nodded his understanding even though his chest felt as if
it were ripping in two. Under normal circumstances he might have asked his
teacher how she had known they were coming or what horrors Tessa had gone
through. Though it was unlikely the answer he’d receive would give any
enlightenment. Adianca had her own way of looking at the world. How she knew
things…well, she was a shaman.

She pointed at Kane. “Little Lakeland, drive. You, keep
watch.” The second order was for Will.

“Come.” She turned and got in the back of the Hummer. Joshua
followed and kept Tessa cradled on his lap.

Will got in the passenger side and turned toward Kane. “Little
Lakeland?”

“Shut up, Will.” Kane started the engine and headed toward
the cabin where Adianca made her home.

The desert road stretched out for miles. This had been the
land of his restoration. He’d survived to become the man he was because of
Adianca and this place. Every time he’d returned to the desert it had brought
him peace. In the past he’d come for revival and sometimes just for rest. His
mind needed the quiet of the desert and the comfort of the shaman’s steady
mind.

With Tessa’s lax body lying in his lap he found no peace in
arriving at the one place in the world that usually brought him solace. His own
aches and pains probably needed tending to but those were the consequences of
his mistake. He deserved much more of a punishment for failing her.

The main community lived in small houses over a mile from
Adianca’s small log cabin. She was their healer and spiritual guide. Joshua had
always gotten the impression, even amongst her people, she was both revered and
feared in equal parts. Everyone was more comfortable with her a safe distance
away yet close enough to run to when a need arose.

As they pulled up to the simple house two men met the truck.
Adianca said, “You can start the fire.”

One of the men said, “My wife brought soup and bread.”

“Thank you, Jon.”

The man she’d called Jon stepped around to open the car
door. He spoke to Joshua, “I can take her for you.”