The Thought Readers (Mind Dimensions #1)(3)
Still, working at a hedge fund has taught me to hedge. As crazy as that reasoning is, I stick with my decision not to phase because I know it’s the gentlemanly thing to do. In keeping with this unusually chivalrous me, I also decide not to cheat at this round of poker.
As the cards are dealt again, I reflect on how good it feels to have done the honorable thing—even without anyone knowing. Maybe I should try to respect people’s privacy more often. Yeah, right. I have to be realistic. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I’d followed that advice. In fact, if I made a habit of respecting people’s privacy, I would lose my job within days—and with it, a lot of the comforts I’ve become accustomed to.
Copying the Professional’s move, I cover my cards with my hand as soon as I receive them. I’m about to sneak a peek at what I was dealt when something unusual happens.
The world goes quiet, just like it does when I phase in . . . but I did nothing this time.
And at that moment, I see her—the girl sitting across the table from me, the girl I was just thinking about. She’s standing next to me, pulling her hand away from mine. Or, strictly speaking, from my frozen self’s hand—as I’m standing a little to the side looking at her.
She’s also still sitting in front of me at the table, a frozen statue like all the others.
My mind goes into overdrive as my heartbeat jumps. I don’t even consider the possibility of that second girl being a twin sister or something like that. I know it’s her. She’s doing what I did just a few minutes ago. She’s walking in the Quiet. The world around us is frozen, but we are not.
A horrified look crosses her face as she realizes the same thing. Before I can react, she lunges across the table and touches her own forehead.
The world becomes normal again.
She stares at me from across the table, shocked, her eyes huge and her face pale. She rises to her feet. Without so much as a word, she turns and begins walking away, then breaks into a run a couple of seconds later.
Getting over my own shock, I get up and run after her. It’s not exactly smooth. If she notices a guy she doesn’t know running after her, dating will be the last thing on her mind. But I’m beyond that now. She’s the only person I’ve met who can do what I do. She’s proof that I’m not insane. She might have what I want most in the world.
She might have answers.
Chapter 2
Running after someone in a casino is harder than I imagined, making me wish I’d downed fewer drinks. I dodge elbows and try not to trip over people’s feet. I even debate phasing into the Quiet to get my bearings, but decide against it because the casino will still be just as crowded when I phase back out.
Just as I begin to close in on the girl, she turns the corner into a hall leading to the main lobby. I have to get there as quickly as I can, or she’ll get away. My heart hammers in my chest as I fleetingly wonder what I’ll say to her when I catch up. Before I get far with that thought, two guys in suits step directly into my path.
“Sir,” one of the guys says, almost giving me a heart attack. Though I’d spotted them in my periphery, I was so focused on the girl that I hadn’t truly registered their presence. The guy who just spoke to me is huge, a mountain in a suit. This can’t be good.
“Whatever you guys are selling, I’m not interested,” I say, hoping to bluff my way out of this. When they don’t look convinced, I add pointedly, “I’m in a rush,” and try to look beyond them to emphasize my haste. I hope I look confident, even though my palms are sweating like crazy and I’m panting from my run.
“I’m sorry, but I must insist that you come with us,” says the second guy, moving in closer. Unlike his rotund monster of a partner, this guy is lean and extremely buff. They both look like bouncers. I guess they get suspicious when some idiot starts running through the casino. They’re probably trained to assume theft or something else shady. Which, to be fair, does make sense.
“Gentlemen,” I try again, keeping my voice even and polite, “with all due respect, I really am in a rush. Any way you can frisk me quickly or something? I’m trying to catch up with someone.” I add that last part both to deflect suspicion of nefarious activity and because it’s the truth.
“You really ought to come with us,” the fatter one says, his jaw set stubbornly. They each keep one of their hands near their inner jacket pockets. Oh, great. Just my luck, they’re armed.
Struggling to find a way to deal with this unexpected event, I channel the natural fear from my situation into phasing. Once I enter the Quiet, I find myself standing to the side of our not-so-friendly duo, with the world mute again. I immediately resume running, no longer caring about bumping into the immobile people blocking my way. It’s not rude to shove them aside here, since they won’t know any of this, nor feel anything when the world returns to normal.
When I get to the hall, the girl is already gone, so I move on to the lobby and methodically search for her. Seeing a girl with a ponytail near the elevator, I run over and grab her. As I turn her to get a look at her face, I wonder if my touch will also bring her into the Quiet. I’m pretty sure that’s what happened before—she touched me and brought me in.
But nothing happens this time, and the face that looks at me is completely unfamiliar.
Damn it. I’ve got the wrong person.