Sound of Darkness

And by being...strange.

They knew about each other’s abilities, which had shown up in each of them by the time they were ten.

But that day, they’d been young teenagers, complaining quietly to each other they really had places to go and people to see, their different sets of friends. Megan had wandered off toward the mangrove trees at the park, Patrick had just been sitting with his handheld video game playing, and she had been wandering a little aimlessly after picking up family trash and recycling when she heard her sister’s voice.

Looking around, she saw that Megan was nowhere near her.

And she knew she was hearing with her mind.

Megan was asking for help.

She’d concentrated as hard as she could, whispering, “Where are you, Meg? Where are you?”

“By the trees! My foot is stuck! Can’t say I was crawling around in here. Dad would be so mad. Please, please, come quickly! There are snakes here, Colleen!”

She’d run to the edge of the pond where the mangrove growth began and carefully sloshed her way over the climbing and curving roots, through the shallow water and over land.

Her sister’s voice came closer and closer.

And she found her.

Megan was indeed stuck.

“What the heck were you doing out here?” she’d demanded.

“I—I don’t know. I was just curious looking at the little things in the water, and I didn’t realize I was going so far or—”

“You were thinking about boys!” Colleen had accused her. “Maybe Brian Appletree?”

“Maybe. He asked me out. And here I am in the mangroves!”

It had taken some doing. They’d had to chip away at a root to free Megan’s foot, but she was fine and they’d never had to tell their parents.

Why dream about that occasion?

She wondered if her sister was calling to her—either for real or perhaps in her mind?

I don’t read minds, I just hear...

Her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but with everything going on, she answered it quickly.

“Special Agent Law.”

There was a slight hesitance on the other end. Then a female voice she recognized asked, “Colleen?”

“Yes, is this Casey?”

Casey Johnstone was an editorial assistant at the publishing house where Megan worked and was one of Megan’s friends.

“Yes, Casey. I was just concerned. I know Megan was with you, but she said she was coming back for the meeting yesterday. Then she didn’t show up. Megan isn’t like that, and I was wondering if she stayed with you or if she’d left a message as to where she might be and if she’s coming back in today.”

Megan.

Fear shot through her, curling into her with an icy grip.

“Megan left the night before last,” Colleen said. “She hasn’t contacted you at all?”

“No.”

She tried to keep from panicking.

Something might have happened that was entirely innocent. Another author might have called for help, and being Megan, she might have decided on a personal visit if she was in the area. Megan might have missed her train and just stayed by the station rather than bother her or even call because she knew Colleen was on a case.

Yes, something might have happened.

But there was only one reason she had dreamed about her sister being in trouble.

Her sister was in trouble.

“I’ve got to go. I need to file a report and start finding out what happened,” Colleen said. She didn’t want to cause a cold and crippling fear in another person, but Casey knew Megan as well as Colleen did.

She was never irresponsible. She would have called someone.

“Please! Call me back. Please, I’m worried.”

“I will, Casey. I’ll call you back.”

Colleen didn’t wait for a reply. She hung up and started down the hall.

Her phone rang again. She thought it was going to be Casey, but it was not. And while she didn’t know the number, she would answer anything at that moment.

It might be Megan.

“Special Agent Law,” she said, answering as she always did.

“Special Agent Law!” came a voice. “How delightful. I hope you’re alone. I’m not actually looking at you right now.”

“Who is this? And why would you be looking at me?”

“I am someone you want to talk to. Trust me. So, let me start off by again saying, I hope you’re alone. Because if I see either of those men you work with or that stupid dog, your sister is dead. I’ll kill her on the spot, no negotiation, no chance. I have a gun at her head right now.”

Colleen froze. The whole of her body seemed to be comprised of ice and fear.

“Who is this? And why should I believe you?”