“I didn’t have anything to do with them,” he wailed in a panic. “What do you mean they’re taking them out?”

  Terk motioned at the two dead men on the ground. “Just like this. We don’t know who is running this operation, but they are taken down every person involved.” Just then his phone buzzed again. He looked at it. “Merk is outside.”

  “Good, are we leaving it to him?”

  “Yeah, we are,” Terk stated. “I’ll be paying him off for a lifetime after this.”

  “What about this guy?” Rick asked, pointing to the snoopy neighbor.

  “I don’t know what to say. We’ll wait for Merk and see what he suggests.”

  At that, the door back door opened, and Merk walked inside, his face grim. “Yeah, I saw the drones, though I’m not sure what’s going on with them. They’re a little high, almost like they’re doing reconnaissance.”

  “We were wondering.” Terk pointed at the two bodies. “Apparently the dead guys were outside earlier. We were wondering if maybe the drone shot them with some poison or something, trying to get them back inside and fall down here. Then somebody came and finished the job with a bullet.”

  Merk walked around, took a look at the bodies, and whistled. “Wow. They are not missing much when it comes to cleaning up, are they? Although they could have shot them outside with the drones.”

  “But we wouldn’t have come inside, if we found these bodies outside.” Terk added quietly, “And that’s definitely been an ongoing concern.”

  Merk nodded. “I came in through the garage, so I didn’t have to deal with the drones.”

  “Good thinking.” Terk nodded. “That will give us a little bit more exit room. One issue we have now is what to do with this guy.” He pointed at their live prisoner.

  “Who is he?” Merk looked over at him, walking closer to stand above him. “What the hell is your involvement in this mess?”

  “Nothing, nothing at all,” he squeaked out. “Honest. I’m just a neighbor.”

  He snorted. “You believe that?” he asked Terk.

  Terk shrugged. “We’ve come up against nosy neighbors many times before. They just don’t get any smarter.”

  “Nosy neighbor, huh? Jesus.” Merk shook his head. “You know that there’s a reason why these guys like to move in the dark and not have anybody around them,” he murmured, “and that’s so they don’t get seen. The minute people start poking around, the bad guys get antsy and they start killing.”

  Their prisoner’s eyes got wider and wider, and the team talked like the neighbor wasn’t even here.

  “So, what do we do with him?” Terk murmured. “I hate to see him get shot, if he’s not involved.”

  “He’s already involved,” Merk stated. “You know that. You can see it yourself.”

  “I know,” he agreed. “It’s a pisser though. I really didn’t want to have to deal with any other bodies today.”

  Merk stared at him. “Since when do you deal with them?”

  Terk grinned. “I did tell you that I love you, right, brother?”

  He snorted. “I’m just trying to keep you alive and to get through this nightmare you’ve got yourself into.”

  “The fact that every time I turn around, there are more bodies is just making my life hell too. Who will you call for this time?”

  “MI6. Who else?” He grinned. “And believe me. They’re not happy.”

  At that, Terk smiled. “Say hi to Jonas for me.”

  Merk snorted. “Yeah, if I do that, he’ll probably come after you. He keeps asking me if you’re involved.”

  “And what do you tell him?”

  “I don’t tell him anything,” Merk stated. “There has been a lot of talk about some attack on your unit.”

  “I’m sure the government had to do something to cover it up.”

  “Well, what they’re saying versus what actually happened is a different story,” Merk noted.

  “And how that narrative is working through the system is something we have to keep an eye on,” Terk noted.

  Rick agreed. “Well, if you can handle this and him,” he said, with a pointed look at their guest, “that would be very helpful.”

  “And you, what will you do?” Merk asked.

  “We’ll tear apart the house,” Rick replied, with a smile.

  “I’ll be here for that, so we’ll just leave this guy where he is for the moment, and I’ll contact Jonas to see what he wants to do with him.”

  “MI6 might be very interested in him,” Terk said. “If nothing else, they should do a full check on his taxes.”

  At that, the man started to yell, “Just let me go. Let me go. I didn’t do anything.”

  “No, but remember that whole thing about nosy neighbors?” Terk asked him. “Yeah, that’s what got you where you’re at right now.”

  And the guy got quiet, but tears were in his eyes.

  Rick nodded. “Pretty amazing how much people come to a complete understanding of their actions as soon as you mention taxes.”

  Damon shrugged, then looked over at Merk. “I think he’s probably okay to let go. I just don’t know that he won’t get killed when he steps outside.”

  “He probably will,” Terk said.

  At that, the guy frowned. “I heard that. If I’m in danger, what about my wife?”

  “I don’t know. Where is she?”

  “I left her outside,” he stated in panic. “She was waiting for me.”

  “So, does that mean she’s about to come inside the door?” he asked, looking at him in surprise.

  “I don’t know.”

  At that, Terk got an odd look on his face. He turned to Merk and reached out a hand.

  Merk looked at his brother. “God damn it.”

  Terk nodded slowly. He cast a glance back at the neighbor. “I think it’s already too late.”

  Chapter 8

  Cara got a response to her email faster than she expected and quickly read the description of the case. It was a fourteen-year-old boy who had been in a car accident. He was in a coma, and the family was desperate to try anything that could bring him back out. He’d already been comatose for three weeks and showed no signs of coming back to full awareness. She frowned at that.

  She immediately sent a response, asking for the medical records, stating that she refused to look at any case without that type of background information and that she only took on cases where she felt she could do something. In this case, she wasn’t exactly sure anybody could do anything, but it was too early to tell. Then she went back and started thinking about her own apartment, trying to figure out what she wanted to do.

  Even before this assignment had come up with Terk, she had been wondering about letting her apartment go and just renting short-term or maybe even hoteling it for a while. Traveling sounded pretty decent too, given the circumstances she was currently under, but it was all in theoretical states at present. Nothing she could really do right now until she was fully disconnected from Rick and this case.

  She was working on it, but, every time she went to yank out more of her energy, she found resistance. She wasn’t sure what the resistance was, but it caused her some trouble. Again it was different because, often at this stage, they were either awake and had other people to love them, so she could hand them off, or they’d crossed over to the other side, and she would be separated from her patient that way. It was all a bit of a mess with Rick, and she didn’t quite know how to handle it, but she was working on it.

  Nothing quite like knowing you had some shit to deal with to help you get your act together but not being in a position to deal with it. Finally sensing a restlessness that she didn’t know how to address, she got up and wandered toward the commercial kitchen, finding Mariana putting together a meal. “So, do you know something I don’t know?” she asked, with a note of humor.

  Mariana looked at her, smiled. “I can’t imagine what that would be. I just know that people need to be fed, and it gives me something to do on a regular basis, a way to contribute.”

  “I get that, and, in fact, I’m almost jealous,” Cara admitted. “I was fully occupied before, caring for Rick, and now I’m at loose ends.”

  “And was there actually stuff to do?” she asked. “I’m not trying to question what you do at all, but, I mean, it seems like it’s all in the mind.”

  “Lots of it is,” she confirmed, “but a lot of it isn’t. A lot of energy work entails keeping Rick connected yet isolated, without other people interfering. In his case, it was mostly the rest of his team. I got to know their energy pretty well because of that constant clearing out of those connections. I was always blocking their energies as they reached out, particularly Brody.”

  “Wait.” Mariana frowned. “I haven’t met Brody.” Mariana stared at Cara. “Nobody here is named Brody.”

  Cara frowned at that. “Huh, I’ll have to talk to Terk about it then.”

  “Well, for all you know,” she said, “that could be one of the bad guys.”

  At that, the two women stared at each other. Cara shrugged. “I don’t know what to say to that. Again I’ll have to wait for Terk.”

  They nodded.

  Cara looked at Mariana and the mess around her. “I don’t suppose I could do anything to help you here?” She looked at Mariana expectantly. “I’m desperate for something to take my mind off things. I’m waiting for some medical records to come in on another potential case, which will keep me occupied, but right now I’m at loose ends and struggling.”

  “Well now, there’ll always be potatoes to peel in my world,” Mariana said, motioning at the large bag in front of her.

  “You don’t just do countrified with the skins on?”

  “Depends on what I’m making.” Mariana laughed. “But, if you have a need to keep your hands busy,” she noted, “the potatoes await.”

  “Got it.” Cara immediately picked up a small paring knife and got to work on them.

  Only a few minutes later, Mariana looked over at her. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Serious about what?”

  “Well, for one thing, you needed something to work on. And, two, you’re heading off on another job.”

  “I can’t stay here,” she explained, “and that’s what I do.”

  Mariana nodded slowly. “Somehow I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”

  “Why not?” Cara asked in astonishment. “This is an awkward stage. I get that, but Rick won’t want me to stick around.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Mariana stated, “and it sure doesn’t take any energy worker to understand that.”

  “What? What do you mean?” Cara asked, looking at her, puzzled.

  “It doesn’t take a magician to see that something is between you two.”

  “Yes, but that’s just because of the healing energy work,” Cara said dismissively. “Besides, he has made it pretty clear that he’s upset with me over it all.”

  “He can be as upset as he wants,” she replied, “but that doesn’t change the fact that you did what you needed to do to keep him alive. Whether he likes it or not, that’s on him, not you.”

  Just then, the connecting door opened, and, sure enough, in walked Rick. He stared at Cara. “Did I just hear part of a conversation that included my name?”

  “Maybe.”

  Terk came in beside him, took one look at the coffeepot and his face lit up.

  “You guys drink way too much coffee,” Cara quipped, as she held a cup herself, so she was hardly one to talk.

  As soon as Terk had a cup in his hand, Mariana said, “Look. I know that this has nothing to do with me, but Cara just made a statement about something that has us both confused.” At that, Terk turned toward Cara, waiting on her to tell him more.

  Cara shrugged. “I said that part of the final elements of my job that I was doing for your friend here”—she made a dismissive wave of her hand in Rick’s direction—“was clearing away the healing energy.”

  Terk immediately nodded. “Yeah, that’s a pretty common thing.” He looked over at Mariana. “What part was confusing?”

  Mariana continued. “Cara said she had figured out the energy coming to Rick came from the team, particularly from someone named Brody.”

  Terk’s eyebrow shot up. “Brody?” he asked in astonishment.

  Mariana nodded. “Then we realized that neither of us knew who that was.”

  Rick stepped forward. “Jesus Christ. Are you serious?”

  “Yes, but you’re not telling me who he is,” Cara replied.

  “Brody’s one of the team,” Terk agreed quietly. “One that we haven’t had a whole lot of success in communicating with. At least I haven’t.”

  “Have you still got that heavy shield up?” Cara asked Terk.

  “Of course,” he confirmed.

  “Well, maybe you need to lighten it because Brody is out there, and he’s been reaching out. I just didn’t know who he was.”

  “I wish you’d told me earlier,” Rick noted, fascinated.

  “Tell you what?” she asked. “I was working, and it wasn’t for me to dissect everybody in your world. My job was to try to keep you alive.”

  *

  “I can’t believe that you were picking up Brody,” Rick stated.

  She looked at him directly for the first time since he had walked in. He almost felt like it was a benediction, as if it was a final acceptance in some way, except he wasn’t expecting that reserved look in her gaze. He frowned at that.

  “Is he a special friend of yours?” she murmured.

  Rick nodded. “Absolutely. To all of us, but Brody and I were probably the closest. Brody had a special ability,” Rick explained. “He made us all feel like we were his best friend.”

  Cara smiled. “That’s because, to you guys, I’m sure he is. The fact of the matter is, he’s out there, searching. He’s lost, and I guess I didn’t help him.” She frowned, as she looked over at Terk. “Can you contact him?”

  “I’ve been trying.” He stared at her. “Which is why I’m so surprised that you picked him up.”

  “Well, he came knocking,” she said. “What was I supposed to do? At any time I can have dozens of souls knocking.”

  “Let him in,” Rick said. “Can you contact him now?”

  “I don’t know.” She frowned. “I closed all the doors.”

  At that, everybody stopped and stared at her.

  She shrugged. “That’s what I needed to do.” She didn’t elaborate.

  Then Rick realized that it was exactly what she needed to do, mostly because of him. He looked over at Terk. “I can handle this.” He looked over at Cara. “Let’s go talk.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t have anything to say.”

  He frowned at her. “I do.”

  She glared at him. “That’s nice, but I’m really not in the mood.”

  “Too damn bad,” he stated forcibly. “We obviously have a few things to sort out here.”

  She gave him a stare that would set anybody’s nerves on edge.

  “It would be nice if you would go talk with him,” Tasha urged, as she joined in the conversation. “Brody is a very important part of this team. If he’s lost, then …”

  Rick heard the tears in her voice. He nodded. “And, in order for Cara to do that”—he faced her—“you have to open some doors.”

  “I have no intention of opening any doors,” she stated firmly. “Some doors need to stay closed.”

  “Does the door to Brody need to stay closed?”

  She frowned. “I don’t know. Depends on what wavelength he’s using.”

  The others just stared.

  She shrugged. “I can’t explain it. My methodology isn’t exactly something that is taught.”

  “Maybe it should be,” Terk noted in fascination.

  “You’re the one who contacted me.” She shrugged. “So you obviously know more about me than I necessarily do.”

  He laughed. “No, I wouldn’t say that at all, but I do find that every person I meet who has an ability in this field, all have some things that are self-taught, things that they’ve learned all on their own, that they find hard to describe.”

  “Well, I’m no different,” she agreed. “It’s not like I can turn around and say I do A, B, C, D and expect that it will work for you. It might. It might not.”

  “The bottom line,” Wade added, stepping forward, “is regardless of whatever issues you have with Rick, can you contact Brody and let him know that we’re here and give him a way to contact us?”

  She frowned and looked at each and every one of them individually.

  Rick could sense her hesitation. “Come on. Let’s go talk.” She remained reluctant, but he managed to get her to agree.

  “I better not miss dinner because of you,” she snapped.

  “You won’t. I promise. I’ll give you mine if that’s the case.”

  She just glared at him, and he heard a silent collective sigh from those around him.

  When he got her to her room, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. “Look. I know that you’re having some struggles with everything that’s gone on and that I haven’t helped. I’ll be the first to admit that.”

  She didn’t say anything. She just walked over to the bed and sat down.

  He added, “I apologize for that. It was a bit of a shock—all of it’s been a bit of a shock. … I’ve always been a loner, a little bit of a renegade, and I haven’t necessarily handled some of this news very well.”

  She just gave him that same look again.

  “You know that I’m really starting to dislike that look on your face right now.”

  She smirked. “Good. Now, if you’ll just go away, I’ll see if I can contact Brody.”

  He hesitated because ultimately that’s what he really wanted. “Brody is a really good guy. If there’s anything you can do to help him, please try.”

  “I can’t do anything while you’re interfering,” she stated.

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Yes, leave me alone.”

  He groaned, stepped forward. “Look, Cara. I won’t do that.”

 

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