arms like that. She never let her guard down so far with anyone but family, like David or Tamara.
Rachel’s stomach let out a muted roar. She was starving. How long had she been asleep? The window showed only night sky spangled with the lights of the complex. If Fluke had gone to get food she’d have to marry him.
As she rose, intending to start a serious search for him—and her clothes—she heard the strains of ‘Spirit in the Sky’ issuing faintly from a bureau beside the bed. Tamara’s ring tone.
She found her phone in the top drawer, along with her handbag and the clothes Fluke had virtually torn from her while she’d been finding her way through his. The memory brought back a thrill of lust, but she ignored it to grab up the phone. Tamara’s ID flashed onscreen.
“Tamara. Hi.”
“Hi. Is this an okay time to call? Can you talk?”
“Of course. Why not?”
“You said you had to lie low—something to do with Guardian business.”
“We’re not hiding from you .”
“Well I have an enormous favor to ask—and I know it’s kind of an awkward time…”
Rachel moved the phone from ear to ear as she worked her way back into her clothes. “Ask away,”
“I don’t want to impose, but I’m really worried about my mother in Ames. She was supposed to call me tonight and she still hasn’t. I tried her earlier, and I’ve been trying every hour since. It’s past one a.m.!”
“Oh, Tamara. Did you call 911 for Ames? Have them check on her?”
“I thought of that, but if she just turned off her phone and forgot about it, she’d kill me for getting the police involved…”
“How can I help?”
“You know a teleporter, right? Well enough to ask a favor? I’d certainly pay him something for his time and trouble if he’d just take me to Ames long enough to pop in and check on my mom.”
“Well…” Rachel hesitated. She couldn’t speak for Tom, but checking on a person in potential trouble did fall within the mission values of the Team.
“I’m asking too much. I’m imposing.” Tamara sounded distraught. “I’m sorry… I’ll go ahead and call 911.”
“No. No, no, Tamara. It’s totally okay to ask.” Rachel sat again, pulling on her sandals, which she’d found set neatly beside the bed. “I just have to check with Tom, the teleporter and see if he’s free. This is what we do. We help people.”
She could hear the relief in Tamara’s voice now. “Okay. I’ll just stay on the line then while you check with this guy.”
“Yeah. Hold on.” She’d found her specs with her other things and donned them, used the Team channels to contact Tom. In a matter of minutes she’d arranged to meet him on the roof of the hotel. His ‘buddy,’ Beth Talbot was catching a nap and he didn’t want to disturb her for this quick unofficial trip.
Fortunately, occupancy of the penthouse suite came with rooftop access—for those dignitaries who preferred to travel by helicopter. She found Tom waiting for her by the time she exited the fire door near the helipad.
“Hey,” he greeted her.
“Hey. Thanks for coming on such short notice—I know you’ve got a life outside the team.”
“Not as much of one since Jessie broke things off.” He sighed. “But, mission of mercy, right?”
“Right. You know my friend, Tamara? It should only take a few minutes to set her mind at ease about her mother, and I can keep an eye on things at the ashram while you’re gone.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in hiding?”
“That’s already a bust. The perp put a tail on us instead of coming himself, so he knows we’re at the casino. He won’t expect to find me at home—and I won’t be there long.”
“You got it. So let’s do this.” He scooped her into a hug, lifting her off her feet, only to set her down again immediately among the pots of
hibiscus and geraniums—on the front porch of the ashram.
“C’mon in.” Rachel quickly unlocked the door and ushered him in. Johnson
Rachel’s stomach let out a muted roar. She was starving. How long had she been asleep? The window showed only night sky spangled with the lights of the complex. If Fluke had gone to get food she’d have to marry him.
As she rose, intending to start a serious search for him—and her clothes—she heard the strains of ‘Spirit in the Sky’ issuing faintly from a bureau beside the bed. Tamara’s ring tone.
She found her phone in the top drawer, along with her handbag and the clothes Fluke had virtually torn from her while she’d been finding her way through his. The memory brought back a thrill of lust, but she ignored it to grab up the phone. Tamara’s ID flashed onscreen.
“Tamara. Hi.”
“Hi. Is this an okay time to call? Can you talk?”
“Of course. Why not?”
“You said you had to lie low—something to do with Guardian business.”
“We’re not hiding from you .”
“Well I have an enormous favor to ask—and I know it’s kind of an awkward time…”
Rachel moved the phone from ear to ear as she worked her way back into her clothes. “Ask away,”
“I don’t want to impose, but I’m really worried about my mother in Ames. She was supposed to call me tonight and she still hasn’t. I tried her earlier, and I’ve been trying every hour since. It’s past one a.m.!”
“Oh, Tamara. Did you call 911 for Ames? Have them check on her?”
“I thought of that, but if she just turned off her phone and forgot about it, she’d kill me for getting the police involved…”
“How can I help?”
“You know a teleporter, right? Well enough to ask a favor? I’d certainly pay him something for his time and trouble if he’d just take me to Ames long enough to pop in and check on my mom.”
“Well…” Rachel hesitated. She couldn’t speak for Tom, but checking on a person in potential trouble did fall within the mission values of the Team.
“I’m asking too much. I’m imposing.” Tamara sounded distraught. “I’m sorry… I’ll go ahead and call 911.”
“No. No, no, Tamara. It’s totally okay to ask.” Rachel sat again, pulling on her sandals, which she’d found set neatly beside the bed. “I just have to check with Tom, the teleporter and see if he’s free. This is what we do. We help people.”
She could hear the relief in Tamara’s voice now. “Okay. I’ll just stay on the line then while you check with this guy.”
“Yeah. Hold on.” She’d found her specs with her other things and donned them, used the Team channels to contact Tom. In a matter of minutes she’d arranged to meet him on the roof of the hotel. His ‘buddy,’ Beth Talbot was catching a nap and he didn’t want to disturb her for this quick unofficial trip.
Fortunately, occupancy of the penthouse suite came with rooftop access—for those dignitaries who preferred to travel by helicopter. She found Tom waiting for her by the time she exited the fire door near the helipad.
“Hey,” he greeted her.
“Hey. Thanks for coming on such short notice—I know you’ve got a life outside the team.”
“Not as much of one since Jessie broke things off.” He sighed. “But, mission of mercy, right?”
“Right. You know my friend, Tamara? It should only take a few minutes to set her mind at ease about her mother, and I can keep an eye on things at the ashram while you’re gone.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in hiding?”
“That’s already a bust. The perp put a tail on us instead of coming himself, so he knows we’re at the casino. He won’t expect to find me at home—and I won’t be there long.”
“You got it. So let’s do this.” He scooped her into a hug, lifting her off her feet, only to set her down again immediately among the pots of
hibiscus and geraniums—on the front porch of the ashram.
“C’mon in.” Rachel quickly unlocked the door and ushered him in. Johnson
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