The Next Chronicle (Book 1): Next by Joshua Guess

and I will take it off your hands.”
    Snyder's face was grave as he locked eyes with each of them in turn. “All right, kiddo. There's an old empty warehouse down by the river. Multiple levels. The top one sits at a busy intersection next to a bridge at street level with downtown. The other two stories stair-step down the hill right to the edge of a cliff. We followed a meth ring that led there, but we got info telling us the place is a fortress, and the boss leading the ring is a telepath. Want to guess what flavor?”
    Archer groaned. “Son of a bitch. It's a Charmer, isn't it?”
    Snyder raised his cup of coffee in salute.
    Kit's brow furrowed. “I'm guessing we're not talking about a guy popular with the ladies, right?”
    Snyder glanced at Archer. “New blood, huh?”
    “Yeah, but she's quick,” Archer said. He turned to Kit. “A Charmer is what we call telepaths with a very narrow specialty. They don't have a lot of range, but they can get into your head and basically turn you into a puppet. Thing is, they don't have to control you. Just give a set of commands—which can be very complex—and send you out, you never even question it. If we're going after a Charmer, today is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”
    “ You're goddamned right,” Snyder said.
    Archer ran a hand through his hair. “I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Give Agent Singh the address, old man. We'll head out when I get back.”
    Kit scooted out to let him by and sat facing Snyder as he scribbled out the information on a napkin, which he slid over when he was done.
    “ Thanks,” Kit said. She pondered the man as he sipped his coffee. “You and Archer worked together, then?”
    “ Yeah,” Snyder replied. “He was fresh out of the academy. Spent a little over two years here before it happened.”
    “ Fairmont?”
    “ Yep. He was on vacation at the time. Quit a few days after, moved back to Louisville. Disappeared for a while, then next thing you know he's a unit supervisor with the OSA.” The older man leaned in. “What's your story, young lady? You don't look like a cop.”
    Kit shrugged. “I've got a colorful past, but you could say I was a late bloomer.”
    Snyder turned the switch, his manner going entirely over to 'cop' in a heartbeat. His eyes narrowed, and Kit could almost see the gears whirring.
    “ You're his new partner, eh? Co-director and all that? Yeah, you must be, or he wouldn't have brought you here. That makes you something special, doesn't it?”
    Kit glanced around, but Snyder had kept his voice low. “Yes,” she said in an equally quiet tone. “I am.”
    Snyder took another sip of his coffee. “Late bloomer. I like that. The change hit you later than most, did it?”
    Kit blushed, mocha skin darkening. “Actually, I didn't change until my senior year of college. It happens sometimes.”
    “Yeah, so I hear,” he said. Being an officer who dealt with superhumans regularly, he would know the statistics. While most Next began to develop their powers at puberty, there were always outliers. Then there were the huge number of people of all ages whose powers ignited the day Ray Elliot killed an entire town.
    “ Hear what?” Archer said from over her shoulder. “Did I miss anything important?”
    “ Nah,” Snyder said. “Just chatting with your young lady here. Nothing serious.”
    “ You should know better by now, you old playboy. What would your wife do if one of the women young enough to be your daughter actually said yes?”
    Snyder snorted. “Shit, she'd probably thank them for keeping me out of the house for a night.”
    Kit shot the older man a wink. “A night? Lieutenant Snyder, I don't think you'd last ten minutes with me.”
    Snyder choked on his coffee. Archer grinned.
    “Come on, Kit. Let's go meet the team.”
     
     
    The field team arrived far enough ahead of Kit and Archer that by the time the Mustang rolled into the parking lot of the temporary command center, computers and