The Thought Pushers (Mind Dimensions #2)(68)

As I think these thoughts, the fear that overtakes me is so intense, I half-expect to phase into the Quiet—except I’m already there. So I don’t phase; I just feel odd as the feeling intensifies. Phasing must provide me some relief in tense moments like these because I’ve never felt so much like jumping out of my skin before.

And then I see a second, not-frozen Jacob show up behind Thomas. This Jacob looks around him in confusion for only a moment. When he sees Thomas touching his frozen body, he seems to realize what happened. I can tell what he’s thinking: someone pulled him into the Quiet.

Someone he doesn’t recognize.

If Jacob’s here for the reason I suspect, then he’ll be scared now. He’ll be feeling cornered.

For my part, the feeling is one of stunned immobility. I watch, in a trance-like state, as Jacob jumps back. He throws the briefcase he’s been holding to the side, and begins to reach with the freed hand into the back of his pants.

When the briefcase hits the ground, it breaks open. Bundles of hundred-dollar bills spill onto the pavement.

There’s no longer any doubt.

Jacob is the man on the phone—the paymaster for whom we laid this trap.

And that means Thomas is in danger, I realize instantly. We all are.

Metal flashes as Jacob removes his hand from the back of his pants. He’s holding a gun now.

Why hasn’t Thomas turned around already? I think in mute terror. Couldn’t he hear the sound of the briefcase landing and splitting open? Or is he so focused on the Guiding that he’s oblivious to his surroundings?

I raise my own gun and fire, aiming upwards.

It would’ve been better to shoot at Jacob perhaps, but I don’t trust my marksmanship skills. Not with him so close to Thomas. Besides, I’d rather wound Jacob than kill him. That, unlike death, is reversible upon phasing out and would allow us to ask Jacob several pertinent questions.

The noise of my gun is deafening. It’s like a roar of thunder, made stronger by the fact that my ears had adjusted to the almost absolute silence of the Quiet.

Thomas instantly turns around—which, of course, was my intent. There’s no way he could’ve missed that terrible noise.

Everything that follows happens with astonishing speed.

Thomas turns and sees the man he just tried to Guide standing behind him, holding a gun. I would’ve expected Thomas to be confused, but instead, his reaction is lightning-fast.

With one swift motion, Thomas kicks the gun out of Jacob’s hand. I wonder if my gunshot disoriented Jacob, causing him to become an easy target for that kick. Some Caleb-and-Haim-forged part of my mind also registers an extra detail about Thomas’s maneuver.

It was a kickboxing move.

Almost immediately, Thomas punches the now-disarmed Jacob in the face.

That’s a traditional boxing uppercut, the same fight-attuned part of my brain informs me.

Jacob staggers backwards. His movements seem to slow. That hit must’ve really taken his brain for a spin.

Thomas closes the distance between them in one powerful lunge and executes another punch. Boxing again, but this time mixed with something I can’t even place.

Jacob staggers back again and falls. He looks drunk, like boxers do when they get that final knockout punch. Only he doesn’t stay down. Instead, he begins crawling on the ground a little to the left of Thomas.

I see Thomas watching him. It’s hard for me to tell if the expression on Thomas’s face is disgust or pity, but what’s clear is that he’s not hurting Jacob for the moment. Maybe, like me, he wants him alive for questioning. Otherwise, it would be an easy thing for him to end the fight with just a single shot, or even a few well-placed kicks.

But then I understand what Jacob is trying to do.

“Kick him!” I try to scream at Thomas, but my voice is hoarse. Seeing that Thomas doesn’t hear me, or doesn’t understand what I’m saying, I raise my gun and point it at Jacob. At the last moment, I hesitate. I still don’t trust my aim, and they’re way too close to each other. So instead of shooting, I clear my throat, preparing to let out the loudest scream of my life. At the same time, Jacob speeds up his crawl, and his hand is by Sam’s pant leg.

Jacob is about to pull Sam into the Quiet.

“Fucking shoot him, Thomas!” I scream, this time loudly. “Now!”

Thomas looks at me instead. I point at Jacob with an exaggerated gesture and slice the edge of my palm across my throat in the universal ‘kill him’ signal. Nodding, Thomas turns toward Jacob and raises his gun.

Only it’s too late. Jacob rolls up Sam’s jeans and grabs the big man’s ankle.

“Watch out!” I yell at Thomas again. I also ready my own gun, determined to risk taking that shot if I have to. If Caleb is to be believed, Sam’s a much more dangerous opponent than Jacob. He’s on par with Caleb himself—and I’ve seen what Caleb can do. It’s ironic that the man we almost asked for help is the very one we need help from.

I try to focus. I can’t miss the moment Sam materializes in the Quiet. When he does, I’m taking my chances with my aim. There’s no other choice.

Meanwhile, Thomas, after a brief hesitation, shoots Jacob in the chest. I’m startled by the noise, and also shocked by this turn, even though I was the one who suggested it. I hope that Thomas knows what Jacob just did, that he pulled in reinforcements. Is that why Thomas made that shot? Did he make a decision to keep his enemy’s numbers controllable?