chapter 5b

Colin drove fast, putting as many miles as he could between him and the resort. He wanted to use hyper speed, but he knew it would freak Ondi. He tried ignored the woman in the seat next to him and concentrate on a plan to get them to Heartland. Her fear and anger came at him in waves and at the moment, he didn’t have time to discuss the whole incident with her. One thing he knew about women, they liked to talk.

He had enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and the drive north, now all he could do was concentrate on driving the two lane highway back to Duluth. Once he passed the city he would be on four lane highway and maybe able to use some hyperspeed.

It bothered him that Charles knew where these two were living, but he hadn’t done anything to take them from their home, or set them up in his Institute for the Paranormal, in Colorado. He knew there was something special about Chandra. That made the mother special too. The moment he had them in the SUV, and they were on their way, he felt his inner protective urge, rise to meet the situation. There was a wind of change in the air, where it was blowing, was anyone’s guess.

When they had been on the road for about 45 minutes, and he was sure that they were a safe enough distance ahead of anyone, he slowed down. Ondi’s thoughts bombarded him. He wasn’t really listening, just not blocking out her thoughts. It was as if she were talking out loud.

She was getting madder by the moment. She either hadn’t learned to shield her thoughts, or just didn’t care who was listening.

‘I am going to stop this car as soon as we get near a town. I’ll have to put him out for a short time until Chandra and I can call Jenna. She will come and get us out of this mess. Hopefully, he won’t wake up until we are long gone.’

‘Not a chance sweetheart.’ Colin softy interjected into her thoughts, ‘First, you couldn’t put me out. You don’t have that much ability, at least not that I have seen. No offence, but you don’t even know how to shield your thoughts. Second, calling your so called friend would be a big mistake as she was the one that set you up in the first place.’

"What are you talking about? Set me up how?” She lowered her voice so the sleeping Chandra wouldn’t wake.

'I am just like you, a Kindred. To answer your other question, I was outside your house just after you left. I was about to leave, and follow you, when a man drove up and your “friend” Jenna answered the door. She welcomed him in your house with open arms. After he thanked her for getting you to go to the resort, they went upstairs to a bedroom and well, did the wild thing.'

'You are lying, Jenna wouldn’t do that. She is my friend.

'I did a little searching in their minds while they were getting it on-'

'Sick, you are just sick.'

'Well, they would be the least likely to notice being sorted when they were otherwise occupied. Anyway, it seems that your friend, Jenna, was planted here by none other than Charles.'

'Charles! I would have known. I have read her mind and discovered that she was working with Charles.'

'Did you sort her very often?'

'Well no, I mean, I respected her privacy and only sorted her if I wanted to know what she wanted for a special dinner as a surprise.'

'There was your mistake. She figured you trusted her and would never violate that trust. My bet is she counted on your integrity and strict adherence to privacy to keep you from reading nay thoughts she had of Charles and his plan. Someone may have put a mental shield around her.'

'Why? If that were true, why didn’t he come after me, or even get in contact with me?'

'My rough guess was that if he left you alone, you would feel safe and stay in one place. Jenna was there to befriend you and get in good so she would feed him information on you. He must know about Chandra, he was waiting for her to show some extraordinary abilities. Jenna must have told him that Chandra exhibited special gifts and she probably encouraged her to do so when you weren't around. He was biding his time. How lucky for him when you practically handed her to him on a platter today.'

'What are you talking about? I would never have given her to him.'

'Your fears drove you right into his waiting arms. Those halflings up there at the resort probably have more ability than you do, so when you walked into that dining hall, unsuspecting, they knew they had you. If it wasn’t for your daughter, and not to mention the fact, me, there would have been some nasty stuff going on after dinner.'

"He was right. She hadn't relied on her gifts. She had acted like any normal person and walked into that dining room without sorting it. In fact when was the last time she had gone somewhere with Chandra that she even sorted the place. She was careless, stupid and now she was paying for it.'

'Yeah, well that cost you. Right now Charles is probably on his way here and will have spotters out looking for us and sorting everything in the area to find us.”

"'Thanks you are certainly a ray of hope and sunshine. I want to go back home." she whispered aloud.

”Well you can’t.”

“I have to think, I have to go somewhere safe again. “ He could feel her fear, and hopelessness, it was like big weight pressing her down,

“Hello, Knock knock, anyone home?” Colin’s fist knocked the air next to her head.

“What do you want?” she muttered not looking at him.

“Did you forget about me? I am the one that rescued you.”

“Right and for all I know you could be on his side. I can’t trust you either, and for your information, I will get away from you before you can do anything to Chandra.” Her voice was hard and determined.

“Hold on there. I didn’t rescue you for Charles, for your information I have spent the last 12 years rescuing people like you from his clutches and doing everything I can to k-stop him.”

“If you are any good why is he still out there kidnapping and brainwashing people to do what he wants?” she flung the accusation at him.

“That is a story for a different time. Right now, I am going to call my brother and have him meet us at the St. Paul Airport. He will get us to Heartland by tomorrow morning.” He past Duluth and was out on the four-lane. The traffic wasn't as light as he would have liked. With all the casino's open, people were driving at all hours of the day and night.

“You expect me to trust you? Why? What do I know about you? Just because you say you don’t work with Charles doesn’t make it so”

“Your daughter likes me?” he offered as he pressed the auto dial on his cell phone.

“She is young and doesn’t know good people from bad.”

“And you do?”

“Yes, when I am thinking properly and on guard like I will be from now on. You won’t pull any thing on me.” Ondi plaited a shield around Chandra and heself.

Colin didn't want to break her confidence, but her shield while strong by most standards, could be take apart by someone with his abilities. It was why he had the job he did. He could unplait almost any shield or circle the average Kindred could put up. He could sense their configuration and just undo them. He tried to contact Gil, but he wasn't answering his phone. He would try later.

“I hate to tell you this but you are a baby compared to everyone else that has been using their gifts. You can’t shield your thoughts, I doubt if you can plait a shield around you and Chandra that would withstand a fledgling.” When she didn’t respond he shook his head. “We need to get you to Heartland where Moira can educate you. You are a liability to your own daughter. She has more power than you do. Did she tell you that she put the people in the dinning hall to sleep and most of them probably drowned in their soup.”

“Yes,” It was a scared whisper. She was staring out the window at the blackness. Knew that Chandra was special and that she would somehow need to be tutored by a Kindred of power. It was scary when she thought about it. In the back of her mind she knew she would have to find someone to teach Chandra and herself. Who or where they were was a mystery to her. Now she was a hostage by someone who claimed to be a Kindred and was determined to rescue her and Chandra. Part of her wanted to trust the handsome cavalier, and then there was the part of her that had witnessed how devious Charles could be.

“I told you before that I hate Charles and all he stands for. You will just have to believe me when I say that. I have had to deal with him personally.” He paused. “Chandra told me that he killed your husband. I am sorry.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Stop sorting my mind.”

"I can't help it when you blast all your thoughts on the airwaves. It is no wonder Charles found you so easy."

Anger fueled by selfpity rose insid her. It burned in shame a hot flame. She was un aware that the heat of her anger was now directed at him.

Colin felt the heat. It was pouring at him and set a circle around him, but it wasn't fast enough, she had already set some kind of shield that didn't allow him to shield against her. He had never had that happen.

The heat wasn't like a physical fire it was as if her emotion was scorching him. 'Stop! what ever you are doing stop it.

Ondi turned her head to look at him. There was a redish glow around him like a heat lamp. She was surprised and her thoughts cooled and immediately the red glow dimmed. Thanks. I don't know what you did, but don't do it again.'

She started to tell him she had no idea what had happened but when she saw him looking at her with an expression of puzzlemetnt, she kept quiet.

Colin drove in silence until he saw a sign for a rest area and pulled off the highway. He passed the main parking a pulled to the edge of the road.

“Get out!” Colin ordered in a low voice.

“Why?” Ondi hugged the seatbelt strap.

“I want to talk to you and I don’t want to wake Chandra.” Her seatbelt unlocked and flew out of her hands into its holder. The door next to her unlocked and opened. When she still didn’t move, she was elevated and began to move out of the SUV.

“Okay,” she put her feet down and she was lowered until she was standing on her own. Colin was in front of her and shut the door quietly.

“I know you are scared. I know it is hard to trust me. I can’t protect you and Chandra if I have to worry about you trying to get away from me. I need you to trust me and do what I say.”

“Hold on. ‘Do what you say?’ What makes you think that even if I did trust you and went with you to this safe place that I would just “do whatever you say?”

“Because I know what is best and I will have my hands full trying to get you past Charles’ Jaka. I need to be sure that you are following my orders.”

“I can get through an airport on my own. I don’t need you telling me what to do.” she was standing stiff in front of him.

Anger and frustration caused a hum in the air, she could feel it like a hot wind flowing around them. The temperature had risen considerably but Colin didn’t seem to be aware of it.

She backed up, the power that emanated from him scared her a little. “I will concede that you have more power. I will accept, for now, that you are not going to sell me to Charles. I will follow your lead, got that? As long as I am sure that where you are taking us is for our safety.”

He relaxed and the temperature cooled. “I have your promise?”

She nodded. He opened and shut the door when she got in.

“Thank you.” He shifted the SUV into gear and they were back on the highway.

Colin slowed his pounding heart and sensed he was cooler. Why had that happened? It was like a spark off flint. Her anger had fueled something in him and it wasn’t just protection against Charles. He reacted to her. It had never happened before. She didn’t seem to notice but she backed down. Maybe she did feel something. Whatever it was, it had made sitting very uncomfortable and thankful it was dark, or she might have noticed more than she should.

For a moment he remebered something he heard. When two Kindred were life partners, they couldn't hurt each other without hurting themsleves. The anger he was feeling and the anger she felt was sparking like flint on a rock. That couldn't be true. Ondi had been married and had Chandra. He pushed the thought away and concentrated on driving.

Ondi leaned her head against the window and stared at the blackness. When she had been angry at him and he told her to stop, was he feeling that same heat? She looked over at him.