––––––––
“Holy shit balls,” Nami said.
“He’s the only man we have ever seen with this capability. Our telepaths could read thoughts at a limited range of around one hundred feet. It seems Murdock can direct someone’s actions at over three hundred,” Smith said. “The threat he poses to our national security can’t be overstated. If so inclined, he could potentially collapse our entire system.”
A psychopath with the ability to control the minds of our nation’s most powerful people was beyond frightening. He could start wars and launch nukes. Killing a senator hadn't even been a challenge.
“Again, what the hell do you expect me to do? You said it yourself; I've been a waste of space for years. Why is he even trying to kill me? I'm no threat to him."
“Whenever two individuals with extra sensory perception are in the same vicinity they can discern each other’s presence. Their minds form an involuntary bond that we still don't fully understand. After killing Senator McArthur, Murdock eliminated all of the other telepaths in the program. His talent for disguise, combined with no other living clairvoyants to help identify him, would make him impossible to locate. He sent those men to kill you as a means of invalidating any other resources at our disposal.”
And now I was a resource being fought over by a secretive government program and a murderous, rhyme spewing maniac. Fantastic. I felt like an insect under a magnifying glass on a sunny day.
“Let me guess, you want my help finding this Murdock guy?”
“Correct. To our knowledge, you are the last living telepath, outside of Murdock himself. This makes your assistance invaluable to us. If we can get you close enough to him, your mind will react to his presence and we can end this.”
“If he wants to kill me, why would I agree to go after him when I should haul ass in the other direction?”
“Murdock will not stop until you are dead.”
"Maybe I'll run really, really far then."
Smith considered me for several moments.
"You joined the armed forces after 9/11 because you wanted to make a difference. This is your chance. You're in a position to provide a unique service to your country."
My disdain for the way the wars were handled had started almost as soon as I arrived in Iraq. I signed up to fight terrorism and free the Iraqi people. Instead, I was ordered to kick in people's doors and search their homes at gunpoint. Why? Because their neighbors turned them in for reward money offered to informants, regardless of the accuracy of their information. The last thing I did over there was free people.
By the time they shipped me out of there on a gurney, I hated everything they had me doing. The soldiers didn't run the war; the bureaucrats and the military-industrial complex called the shots. Every decision being made seemed more illogical than the last.
Despite everything, though, I always regretted not being able to make our country safer. Not being able to make a difference. The guilt over my survival and the deaths of two of my soldiers would haunt me forever. And Smith knew it.
I ran my hands through my short hair, trying to figure out what my options were. The drugs had started to wear off, but I still couldn't use my abilities. I really wanted to peek into Smith's mind.
"Assuming I could get close enough to find him, what's to stop him from making me step out in front of traffic?"
"We don't believe he'll be able to manipulate your mind," Smith said.
"You don't believe? That doesn't sound very reassuring."
"Telepaths are unable to access each other's thoughts. We're assuming the same limitations apply to Murdock's mind control."
This just kept getting better and better. They wanted me to dive headfirst into a shark tank, using hopes and dreams as floaties.
I looked over at Chuck, who hadn't moved during the entire conversation.
“What do you think, Chuck? Should I run towards danger?”
“Chuck?” he asked to my surprise.
“I didn’t realize they installed your speech software back at the factory.”
His expression didn’t change. I didn't have to read his mind to know he was thinking about how he could break me.
“Never mind,” I said. I looked back at Smith. "What about Sammy? If I agree to help you, what happens to her?"
"She'll be protected until the situation has been nullified. Her release would be too dangerous at this time."
They weren't giving me many options. I still made a show out of thinking about it.
“All I have to do is get close enough to detect him, and then the cavalry comes in and takes care of business?”
Smith gave me a curt nod.
"Let's do it then. But I'm going to be really pissed if he kills me."