“You have several gifts, the greatest one being your ability to piss people off without a care.”
Wade smiled. “Pure talent, I suppose.”
Monty smirked as he leaned forward. “There is something in your makeup, your DNA that is so charged that when there is an attack of any kind, it puts up an impenetrable barrier of protection around you.”
“Oh, now I’m Superman?”
“Only to Rachel,” Monty laughed, “It’s only right, since she is Lois Lane.” He sighed. “You cut, bleed and hurt the same as the rest of us.”
“Not mentally,” Wade stated as he leaned forward to talk. “You can cut me with a knife, and I will feel the pain. Yet, the news of Star’s death or the possibility of Godwin’s does not pierce my heart. It is as if a section of me does not feel.”
“Hmm,” Monty shook his head. “Not factual. You feel. The proof of that is your relationship with Rachel. She has penetrated that steel exterior you built around your heart. Kate did the same. Then there are your brothers and Dan. You would kill for anyone of them.”
“Damn right,” Wade nodded.
“However, even as a young boy, we could not penetrate your thoughts or even guide them in a different direction when you were pissed. It’s as if your mind travels to a different place until you are ready to deal with whatever sent you there in the first place.” Monty thought for a minute, then continued. “Dan and I had a talk right before he retired and turned the business over to us. We believe there is a reason why the five of us were brought together. At that time, we attempted to do background research on all of us. The only one we could get information on was you. Even that was limited. My gut is telling me what is happening to you is connected to all of us. How, I do not know. As Godwin said, in time it will be revealed.”
“Rachel said something on the way back from the woman’s facility this morning. She asked how two intelligent people like Godwin and Star ended up in small-town Bristol, Virginia.”
“Godwin said they moved there to protect you. They believed you have an eidetic memory. To some with unsavory thoughts, it would be easy to exploit that skill for greed.”
Wade nodded. “He did say that. That may be the key to why you can’t penetrate my mind. But there are other questions he never answered. Where did they move from? Are there any relatives out there?” He frowned then asked, “How did we all end up with Kate? Do you think that was a coincidence?” Wade asked. “I don’t. The four of you came at different times, as did I. What made her put us together? Just the five of us, and no others?”
“All good questions that need to be answered,” Monty replied, then waited. He knew Wade had more questions.
“The ability you have, how powerful is it? Is there a range, or can you hear what’s happening in the houses below us while on this plane? Are all of you able to see or just hear? Is it possible to strengthen your ability if needed? If you do not actively use the skill, does it diminish in any way?”
“Hold on,” Monty chuckled. “You are like a kid with a new toy. You are throwing questions out.”
“They are all hitting my brain, like a damn ping-pong ball bouncing from one thought to another. I need to know all the answers,” Wade explained.
“I get it. But let’s take it slow. Let’s examine each one bit by bit.” Monty nodded. “From experience, I can tell you suppressing does not make it disappear. I believe any skill you have is enhanced when you practice it regularly,” Monty explained. “If any one of our brothers put a little effort into it, we could penetrate a person’s thoughts at will. Maybe even change that thought, as you questioned before.”
“Do you think others like you exist?”
Monty nodded. “Yes, we just met one.”
“Who?” Wade asked.
“The guard who took Godwin away,” Monty replied. “He attempted to penetrate your mind to determine what Godwin had disclosed.”
“How do you know that …” Wade began to ask, then stopped. “You read his thoughts.”
“They were there to be read.”
“Did he read yours?” Wade asked.
“No. I cleared my mind when I realized what he was doing,” Monty replied.
Wade leaned towards him. “There is a reason you cannot read my thoughts. According to Godwin, Star had the same protection. If so, are there others like us, too?”
“I don’t know,” Monty exhaled. “You are an exceptionally intelligent man, as were Godwin and Star. Over the years, it has been proven by us that your mind’s strength is more powerful than our ability. It could be the same for them, whoever they may be.”
“That is the question, isn’t it? Who are they, and how many of them exist?”
Monty sat back. “I believe the answer to that question lies in uncovering the reasons behind the murders in Bristol, Virginia thirty years ago.”
“I agree,” Wade nodded as he sat back.
“How do you want to proceed?”
“Follow Rachel’s story. That’s where this all began this morning. I shut her down because I didn’t want to deal with the past. That was the wrong call. My past needs to be uncovered and dealt with. Godwin indicated that all will be revealed to me in some way from Star. My mind is telling we cannot wait for that to happen. We are going to have to deal with this head-on.”
“Where do you want to start?” Monty asked.
“Rachel mentioned a Mr. Nadler. He was the person who contacted Star. Let’s meet with him, hear his story for ourselves, then follow the facts wherever they lead.”