Chasing the Shadows (Nikki & Michael 3)

She sat up and looked around. The warm light played almost lovingly across Michael's well-toned back and shoulders as he pulled on his pants.

"What's wrong?"

"Jake's at the door.” He leaned across the bed and quickly kissed her. “And from the feel of it, he's not happy. You'd better get dressed."

She tossed off the blankets and rose. “Something's happened."

"Obviously.” He pulled on his sweater and walked quickly from the room. A heartbeat later she heard Jake's angry tones.

She hurriedly pulled on some clothes and walked out. “What's wrong?" Jake threw the newspaper he was carrying onto the coffee table between them. “That's what's wrong." The headlines screamed at her. Another woman had gone missing overnight.

Chapter Eight

She looked quickly at Michael. “It must have happened after that couple tried to kill us."

"Not us. You.” He picked up the newspaper and studied the front page.

"Hang on,” Jake said. “What am I missing here?"

She waved toward the window. “Someone took a potshot at us through the window last night. Turns out the fiend behind these kidnappings was psychically controlling a couple with a gun." Jake's glance shifted to Michael and back again. “So why is he trying to kill you and not Michael?"

"Because he sees Nikki as the threat, not me."

"Why?"

"He's clairvoyant."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning,” she answered with a smile, “he can see things other people can't. Sometimes this can include the future."

"That obviously means you're going to catch the fiend."

"Not necessarily. The future is not set in stone, you know. And knowing it means you can do something to change it."

"Well, that's just great.” Jake dropped down onto the sofa and glanced at Michael. “You'd better turn to page three while you're reading that thing."

He did, and though his expression didn't change, a wave of annoyance singed her senses.

"What?” she said.

He folded the paper and showed her the headline. Psychic recovers kidnap victim, it all but screamed. Complete with a picture of her that had been taken during the inquest into Matthew Kincaid's death.

"Oh, that's just great.” Just the sort of headline she needed while trying to stop a killer.

"It mentions the agency in the article,” Jake said. “And about an hour after that edition hit the streets, I got a call from Jeff Harris, the husband of the woman who's just been kidnapped. He wants you to try to find his wife."

And why wouldn't he, given what had happened to the other victims? She bit her lip and met Michael's gaze.

You don't have to, he said gently.

Yes I do. I couldn't live with myself if I stood back and did nothing, only... Only this time it might very well be a trap, he finished for her. She sighed. Yes .

He studied her for a moment, then threw the paper back onto the coffee table. “You remember what we did when Jasper kidnapped Jake, and we had to find him?"

She nodded. “Merged minds."

"It might be worth trying something like that again. I'll direct your abilities and hold them in check." "But what if this Farmer fellow senses you?"