Kenneth Hammond
Introduction:
Complete
I appeared on the ledge and glanced around the solid wall using the tiny fiber camera. I could see the security cameras and the sensors clearly. I focused on the small area beside the inner window. I disappeared and appeared inside beside the window. I used the camera to peek into the other room. I watched the two guards before looking at the monitor.
I concentrated on the room beyond and the sweep of the camera. I disappeared and appeared in a warm dimly lit bedroom. I moved back and under the camera as I started looking around. I saw the large jewelry case I had come for and looked up at the camera again.
“There is an alarm and zap field around the case.”
I jerked and looked at the bed, the girl had not moved but it was her that had spoken. I almost jumped away but hesitated as she shifted as if in her sleep, “take me with you?”
I looked at her and then up at the camera again, “why?”
“They are keeping me here.”
I disappeared and appeared beside the case to look at everything before going back. I grinned, “where do you want to go?”
I could see her slitted eyes, “out.”
I looked at the case and pulled. The huge fancy diamond necklace dropped into my hand. I thought about the girl and looked at the camera. I carefully timed it before reaching out and pulling her to me. She was wide eyed as she flew to me but I just pulled her against me and disappeared. I appeared in a smelly alley in the middle of the worst part of the slums.
I set her down as she sniffed and smiled and started walking. The girl ran to catch up, “I need to make a call.”
I looked at her and then stopped to peek around the corner at the street. I walked out and headed across the street. She kept up and stayed beside me as I went into the large apartment complex. None of the slides worked so I glanced around and pulled her against me before porting up to my apartment. It was small but nicely furnished with a lot of expensive electronics.
I brought the small vid phone from the couch and handed it to her before heading towards the kitchen. Using my power always made me hungry. A couple of minutes later she walked in and smiled, “my dad is sending someone.”
I nodded and pushed a cup of hot chocolate towards her. I finished the large bowl of cereal as she drank her chocolate. When the banging started on my door I frowned. I looked at the girl to see her face white. I gestured and she stepped close before I disappeared. I appeared in another apartment identical to the other one. I crossed to the array of computer screens and sat.
The girl walked up behind me as I flipped through screens until the other apartment appeared. I looked at the group of black suited men searching my apartment before looking at the girl angrily, “your father’s men?”
She shook her head, “they look like the men that took me.”
I turned to another computer and opened a program. I entered a command and turned to look at the men as they grabbed their heads and dropped to the floor. I smiled, “serves you right assholes.”
The girl touched my shoulder, “what did you do?”
I looked at her, “I used sonics.”
She grinned, “good!”
She looked at the screen as another group of men stopped at the door, “those are from my father.”
I looked at the weapons they were carrying and frowned. I glanced at the girl, “how did they find you?”
She looked at me, “the phone?”
I looked at the other men on the floor, “than how did the others find you?”
She kept looking at the screen and whispered, “I do not know.”
I sighed and took her hand before disappearing. I appeared beside an array of electronics in a large warehouse. A skinny white haired man turned and I smiled, “I need a wide spectrum jammer.”
He nodded and turned to flip a few switches before looking at me. I gestured to the girl, “she has a tracker.”
He looked at her before picking up a wand and walking to us. He moved it up and down her body before smiling, “radio sonic crystals.”
I looked at him and he shrugged before turning to bring up a screen, “they are like an invisible powder. They look like this and the more there are, the stronger the signal.”
I looked at the screen closely before looking at the girl. I thought of the crystals on and possibly inside her before pulling. I held up my hand as a pile of extremely fine powder appeared. The man laughed and turned to pick up a small dust vacuum. He sucked everything from my hand before grinning, “anything else?”
I hesitated and then brought out the necklace, “Can you check this too?”
He used the wand on the necklace and shook his head, “it is clean.”
I nodded, “how much do I owe you?”
He grinned, “five hundred.”
I tossed a credit chit and he caught it and turned away. I took the girl’s hand and disappeared. We appeared in my other apartment and I looked at the computer screen. I sighed and turned to shut the sonic blast off in the other apartment. I turned and had her use my comp to show me where she lived. I used a look down sat and zoomed in on the huge estate.
I got a fix before standing and taking her hand. We disappeared and appeared beside huge, wide stairs. I let her hand go, “you should be safe now.”
She looked at me and smiled, “thank you.”
I nodded and looked at the door as it was opened. A tall butler stepped out and she stepped away. I disappeared and appeared in my apartment. It took a few days to get back into my life and get the necklace back to its owner. It was another week before I heard the light timid knock. I was relaxing and listening to soft music.
I shut everything off and stood, I was tempted to teleport away but moved to the door at the second knock. I opened the door to see the girl and a tall well dressed man. She smiled, “I found you.”
I glanced from her to the man, “why?”
She looked at the man, “my father wanted to thank you.”
I looked at her father and he smiled, “Samantha told me what you did and I wanted to tell you how much it meant to me.”
I shrugged, “I do not like slavers.”
He glanced at his daughter before looking at me, “it was a… past associate.”
He gestured into my apartment and I stepped back to let them in. Samantha walked in and looked around but her father looked at me after I closed the door. He hesitated and then took a breath, “have you ever thought to join the others like you?”
I glanced at the girl and back at him, “like me? There are others that can do what I can?”
He blinked and then smiled, “a few yes.”
That made me think and he cleared his throat, “I could make inquires for you.”
I glanced at Samantha and she grinned, “I checked and they help people too.”
I turned as I thought about others like me. I finally turned back to Samantha and her father, “I would appreciate your help.”
After they left I was alone to think… and worry. I went out to eat and when I returned I knew someone had been here. I stood still and looked around before disappearing. I appeared in the new apartment I had found and crossed to turn on the computer. I was looking at my other apartment and saw it become foggy. I hissed as the gas filled the room.
It was several minutes before six white suited men came through the door. They stopped as soon as they saw no one there. They looked around before backing out. My private vid phone line began ringing and I pulled in out and switched it on, “yeah?”
“Kyle?”
I relaxed, “want did you want Tess?”
She whispered, “cops came to the dome looking for you.”
I frowned as I watched the screen, “by name?”
“No, just your description.”
I thought for a second, “did they say why?”
She nodded, “they said you stole a necklace.”
I smiled, “thanks Tess.”
I disconnected before calling a private number for a litigator. He said he would check into it and I was left wondering what was going on. The necklace had been valuable but already stolen but only the girl, Samantha knew I had… I carefully pictured Samantha before disappearing. I appeared in a large pink bedroom and heard a gasp. I turned to see her and another girl quickly covering themselves.
I looked at Samantha calmly, “did you tell anyone about me or about the necklace?”
She shook her head and smiled, “dad called the Psyche group and they said they would contact you.”
I frowned and turned, “someone is hunting me and they know about the necklace.”
Samantha came closer, “Trent might have found out who you were from the vids.”
I shook my head, “I made sure none of the vids saw me.”
I glanced at her and then at her friend, “you were the only one that knew.”
Samantha frowned, “but I did not tell anyone.”
I looked at her for a minute before nodding and disappearing and going back to my new apartment. I thought of the cleaner and sat down, he had known. I stood quickly and disappeared before appearing in the warehouse. All the equipment was smashed and tossed aside. I looked around before thinking of Dillon. I appeared in a large room. He was slumped in a chair and I could see someone had beaten him.
I looked around before carefully moving around the chair. I knelt to look under it and saw the bomb. I glanced around before carefully checking Dillon. I cut the tape holding him in the chair and he hissed almost silently, “careful kid they are watching.”
I grinned as I moved around in front of him and held his arms tightly. I disappeared and we appeared in the alley behind the dome. I thought of the tracking crystals and pulled. A dust cloud slowly formed as he coughed and spasmed and some came out his mouth and nose. I absently sent it back to his warehouse before helping him towards a backdoor.
I found Tess and she glanced around, “what are you doing here?”
I nodded to Dillon and she bit her lip before nodding, “okay I will help but you owe me.”
I grinned, “you always say that.”
She grinned before helping me move Dillon into the back of her booth. I stripped Dillon as she went to buy him new clothes with a large credit chit I gave her. I sent the clothes he had been wearing to his warehouse. Tess returned and I glanced out of her booth before looking at Dillon, “can you get away on your own?”
He nodded and smiled weakly, “they want you bad kid.”
I smiled, “they can kiss my ass.”
I nodded to Tess before disappearing. I appeared in my new apartment and sat to think. I glanced at a news story that flashed on the screen and sighed. If I was going to change I needed to just do it. I looked at the sinking shuttle orbiter and thought of the large city park no one went to anymore. I stood and disappeared, I appeared on the stubby wing of the orbiter.
I glanced at several men and women on the wing and smiled, “hold on.”
I knelt to touch the cold metal to get a feel and then pulled as I disappeared. It was like wrenching my body through a tiny hole but we appeared in the central clearing of the park. I was completely drained and could not have done anything even if I had wanted to. I dropped to the wing and my body slowly began to slip down. A man was suddenly there and knelt to grab my shoulder and then everything went dark.
I woke in a comfortable bed in a strange room. A blue haired woman turned and smiled, “you are awake.”
I slowly sat up and felt my head. She stood and walked to the bed, “we used a pain med so your head might feel stuffy.”
I glanced at her before moving off the bed, “I do not want or need meds.”
She smiled, “you over extended yourself. If we had not…”
I waved to cut her off as I looked around for clothes. She moved to a closet and opened it, “they are in here.”
I slowly crossed the room to the closet and reached in to pull out my pants. After I was dressed I turned to the woman, “where am I?”
She smiled, “Haven.”
I looked at her, I had never heard of anyplace called Haven. She glanced at the door before it opened and I followed her look. Two women walked in and she nodded before leaving. I went back to lean against the bed, I had tried to concentrate to disappear but nothing happened. I felt a pressure against my mind and the older woman on the left cleared her throat, “you are different Mr…”
I smiled and she frowned before looking at the other woman. She shrugged, “none of our current talents could have done what you did alone. You also seem to have a remarkable mind shield.”
I shrugged like she had, “I like my privacy.”
She smiled, “so we noticed when we tried to find you.”
I looked at the other woman and the first moved slowly in front of her, “she is here for my safety.”
I looked at her and then smiled, “I would not hurt a cute duck like you.”
The other woman snorted as the first grinned, “tell me Mr…”
I waved, “call me Kyle.”
She nodded, “I am Stacy and this is Mara.”
I nodded to them, “the pleasure is mine.”
The second woman glanced at a glass that had been beside the bed and it floated towards me. Reflexes are wonderful, I glanced at the floating glass and pushed. It shattered and the pieces flew against the far wall. The liquid that had been in the glass floated in the air. I looked at the two startled women before moving it across to the sink, “do not do that.”
Mara looked at me before nodding and Stacy cleared her throat, “it was just water.”
I looked at her calmly, “I do not know you and I do not like being drugged.”
She smiled, “okay.”
I thought about trying to slip away again but decided to wait, “what do you want?”
Stacy walked to the bed and leaned against it, “we were told you wanted to join us.”
I looked at her and then at Mara, “I was thinking about it.”
Stacy gestured to the door, “come meet Roger. He leads us and handles everything.”
I followed them out and after a few minutes began to feel better. Roger turned out to be an older man. He was in a large room with dozens of large monitors. He smiled and turned when I walked up, “how is the head?”
I smiled back, “not as stuffy as when I woke up.”
He grinned and turned to face a man across the room, “send Henry, David and Edger. Edger can find the boy and Henry and David can bring him out.”
I glanced at the other man as Roger turned back to me, “sorry. A boy is trapped in a cave.”
I nodded and then smiled, “why not just look at a vid image and port him out?”
He blinked and looked at Mara and Stacy before looking at me, “you can do that?”
I shrugged, “as long as it is a good and current vid image.”
He grinned, “I think we are going to learn a lot from you.”
He sighed, “okay. We do mostly public services. The government pays us and we get extra benefits.”
I glanced around, “and they monitor everything you do?”
Roger shrugged, “yeah.”
I turned to look around the busy room, “I do not like being watched.”
He was quiet as I turned back to him, “I will think about it.”
He nodded, “they know about you now… There might be a few people that will try to… force you to work for them.”
I grinned, “I already have that problem.”
I thought of my apartment and disappeared. I stood still in the middle of the room before starting to make checks. No one had been here so I relaxed and made dinner as I thought about Roger and the others. I made sure to seal my bedroom before I laid down and turned on the wall vid. I woke sweating and trying to decide what had awaken me.
I looked at my alarm monitor before getting up and dressing. I used my comp and an anonymous account to lease a small apartment across the city. I opened the seal on my bedroom and walked out. I disappeared and appeared in the lobby far below. I smiled at the two surprised men, “I am moving so you can tell the rest of your team I left.”
I disappeared as they pulled some type of dart pistols. I appeared in the dome not to far from Tess’s booth. I glanced around at the almost empty building before walking out. I used public trams to get across the city to the new apartment. I used my anonymous comp to order new furniture before leaving again.
I disappeared and appeared on the ledge of the building where I had taken the necklace. I peeked in and teleported the two guards into the vault room. Of course that set off alarms and other guards rushed in. I was not looking for them though, it was the well dressed older man that appeared that I wanted. He disappeared and appeared off the ledge in front of me.
I smiled as he screamed, “I believe you wanted to see me.”
He twisted and jerked, “put me down!”
I dropped him and looked down as he fell. At the last minute I teleported him back in front of me, “are you sure you want me to let you go?”
He was gasping and shaking, “I will give you whatever you want!”
I smiled again, “what I want is to be left alone. You had the necklace stolen and I retrieved it, it was business. If you send one more man, make any more trouble…”
He shook his head and I nodded, “than we understand each other.”
He disappeared and reappeared inside before I vanished and appeared outside on the ledge of my first apartment. I glanced in and sent the four man team to the center of one of the richest jewelry store vaults in the city. I waited and another team burst in and I sent them to a gold exchange vault. The third team I sent into a bank vault. After that no one else came and I smiled as I slipped away.
I appeared in my new apartment and ate a large dinner before locking all the door and going to sleep. I had used my abilities a lot more than usual and slept soundly. When I woke up and walked out I used the building lift to descend to the lobby. I went into the building shopping center and bought breakfast. When I was done I headed towards a small out of the way place that few people knew about.
It was away from the normal city buildings beside a large park. I slipped into the door and glanced at the two men behind the desk and smiled, “company Ben?”
The smaller of the two men grinned and sat, “I had a few inquiries about you.”
I walked to the desk and sat in one of the two chairs, “why?”
Ben shrugged, “I know what you are and I am sure you have a few friends that know but your stunt with the orbiter…”
He shook his head and I shrugged, “I had a moment of humanity.”
He grinned and sat back, “want a hard job?”
I smiled, “depends on what it is.”
Ben slid a screen across the desk. I picked it up and looked at it before looking at him, “who is the client?”
He shrugged, “some fancy merchant with deep pockets.”
I shook my head and pushed it back across the desk, “why all the retrieval contracts?”
Ben glanced at the other man and I smiled, “peacekeepers?”
The man stirred, “you reading me?”
I laughed and stood, “not my ability Jon Law.”
I looked at Ben, “same deal as last time?”
He nodded and I looked up as I thought, “you know Dillon?”
He nodded and I looked at him, “he was burned last time. I want him set up again.”
Ben glanced at the peacekeeper, “I can do that.”
I looked at the other man, “no strings.”
I disappeared and appeared in a corner of the city library. It was a huge building with floor after floor of books and info banks. The one I went to had a small pale looking woman sitting at it. I held out my comp and she glanced at me before touching hers to it to accept the transfer of credits. I told her what I wanted and she started looking for the plans I wanted.
It was not long before I had what I needed and left. I went to the ledge outside my apartment and glanced in before sending the four men to a bank vault. I teleported a small spy comp and distance glasses to me and disappeared. I had to go from building to building before I was outside the target’s. I appeared on the ledge outside his place. I was under a camera which told me he was smart about his security.
I had watched from the building across the street and tilted the camera before I had appeared here. I put the distance glasses away and pulled the spy comp. From a tiny side compartment I pulled what looked like a spider. I glanced at Mara when she appeared before sending the spider to the window, “you need something?”
Mara cleared her throat, “I can not let you steal.”
I smiled but watched the small screen in the spy comp, “do you know what a retrieval is?”
I looked around the large room inside and then teleported the spider across the room. I looked at Mara and she shook her head. I turned back to look at the screen, “when someone important steals something… valuable but the peacekeepers do not want to arrest the person responsible for whatever reason they contract a retrieval expert.”
I teleported the spider again and glanced at Mara, “I get a tenth of the insurance value for returning the stolen item.”
She shifted, “how much do you make?”
I teleported the spider through a door that was just opened, “the item I am retrieving this time is worth ten million credits.”
Mara grinned when I looked at her, “so why did you come?”
She sighed, “we have a kid missing and all the clairvoyants see is darkness. They say he is alive though.”
I nodded and looked at the screen on the spy comp, “did you bring a recent pic?”
“Yes.”
I reached across a room where I saw a large vault and pushed all the keys at once. I waited as an alarm went off and looked at her, “let me see him.”
She held up a comp screen and I looked at the picture of a small boy. I pictured darkness around him and pulled. He was suddenly off the ledge in the open air. I smiled at him, “Hi. Want to go home now?”
His eyes were huge as he nodded and I looked at Mara, “anything else?”
She shook her head and grinned before sending the boy someplace else. I watched the guards around the vault door and then a richly dressed man walked in. He gestured the guards back and unlocked the vault. He waited several minutes before walking into the vault and looking around. I had a clear view and sent the spider into the vault. I glanced around in the vault as the man stood inside frowning.
Just from the items I could see I knew everything in the vault was probably stolen. I know I recognized a couple of dozen items from bulletins that had been sent out. I glanced at Mara as she looked over my shoulder, “sometimes I wonder about the peacekeepers. Everything I see is on a missing item list.”
She frowned and looked into my eyes. I waited until the vault was closed and blinked as a hazing mist began filling the room. I grinned, “sneaky bastard is using some type of gas.”
I began teleporting items into the air beside us. I absently closed cases and brought a pillow case to put everything in. When I was done I brought the spider to me and slipped it back into the spy comp. I put the comp away and looked at Mara, “want to meet my agent?”
She nodded and I disappeared with the pillowcase and her. We appeared in the park and I started for the small pump building, “you have to swear to never tell anyone about this place.”
Mara glanced around, “if this is legal.”
I smiled as I opened the door and led her in with the bag floating behind her. The peacekeeper was still here and frowned as I led Mara across to the chair in front of the desk. I sent the pillowcase to the desk and sat beside her, “I need you to check the other items.”
Ben pulled his eyes off Mara and dumped everything out of the pillowcase. The peacekeeper pulled a comp and started taking vids and comparing each item. Each time he said stolen Ben slid it to one side. He finally looked at me, “he was busier than we thought.”
I shrugged and pushed my comp across the desk. He sighed and took the comp the peacekeeper held out. I took my comp back and stood, “pleasure doing business with you.”
Ben cleared his throat and looked at Mara and I smiled, “She has not seen anything.”
After the door closed behind us she glanced at me, “I recognized that peacekeeper.”
I shrugged and took her hand before disappearing. I glanced around when we appeared outside the Cathedral. It was a viral club I had started after I began making money. Mara stared at me as I walked towards the door and she caught up, “you can not just walk in there.”
I looked at her when I stopped by the rope blocking my way, “why?”
The door bouncer looked at me before removing the rope, “Boss.”
I smiled and led Mara in the door, “I own the place.”
She stayed close as I walked through the crowd and onto the main floor. I stopped at a booth to one side of the large dance floor, “two dinners Momma.”
A young woman wearing almost nothing smiled, “Smoke!”
She turned and pulled out two covered dishes and set them on the counter, “Marko told us you fired Leon.”
I nodded and turned to hand one of the dishes to Mara, “anyone have a problem?”
She laughed, “No. We were glad he was kicked out.”
I glanced around, “any dealers in tonight?”
She frowned and looked to the side, “he dresses flashy but he has been dealing.”
I sighed and he disappeared, I knew he had appeared on the ledge of a very high building on the other side of the city. I smiled at the woman everyone called momma and led Mara towards the back and then up the stairs. The security officer that stepped in front of me smirked, “invitation only.”
I looked at him calmly, “tell Marko I want to see him.”
I sent him outside and began climbing the stairs again. Mara caught up as I glanced around the balcony and headed towards my stairs. After walking into my box I sat and opened the dish as she sat beside me. It was not long before Marko came in with the guard following him. I glanced at him, “did you tell them not to bother me?”
He nodded and I glanced at the officer, “do you want to keep your job?”
He swallowed and nodded and I sat back, “there was a dealer on the floor. I want him banned and I want a constant check of the floor. You know the policy, no dealing in the club unless it is one of the licensed vendors.”
I looked at the guard, “you work the floor for one month.”
He nodded and I gestured, after he was gone I looked at Marko, “any problems?”
He grinned and shook his head and I smiled, “reviewed Leon’s contract?”
Marko laughed, “it is sweet.”
I nodded, “I sent one to your new club account and registered it.”
He smiled, “thanks Smoke, sorry about the idiot, I warned them.”
I looked at Mara, “look at the club vids and make sure everyone knows her. Her name is Mara and she is to come or go without any trouble.”
Marko smiled, “sure.”
I waved and he turned to walk out. Mara looked at me, “You do not act like a street person in here.”
I went back to eating, “this is my place.”
When we were done I leaned back and looked at her, “so what now?”
She grinned, “you could come back to Haven.”
I smiled, “and have someone watch every breath I take?”
Mara sighed, “we have our privacy.”
I raised an eyebrow, “you really think so?”
She smiled, “do you think they could hide that from a mind reader or a clairvoyant?”
I shrugged, “maybe not.”
She took my hand and we disappeared before appearing in a large comfortable room. Mara grinned, “my living room.”
I glanced around and smiled before she pulled her hand out of mine, “lets see about finding you a room.”
When we walked into a large lounging room with dozens of people on couches and chairs there was a commotion on a screen. I walked closer to see what it was about. A tram car had derailed and was hanging half off the tracks over a huge drop. I concentrated and the tram lifted slightly and slowly slid sideways and back onto the track.
I let it go with a sigh of relief and Mara took my hand, “that was amazing, I would have had to go there and probably needed help moving it.”
I smiled, “well now I am starving again.”
She grinned as everyone around us laughed. We never did find my quarters, I woke in the dark with Mara against me. It was actually nice to wake up with someone or not being alone.
