[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.A moving company would pack Athena's gear and ship it off to her later this week, after picking up her key at a friend's house.And Di's bank balance was going to be lighter by a couple thousand dollars.She didn't care; it was money she was glad to spend.For once she could make a problem a little better by throwing money at it.That kind of solution was rare.And the last thing on my conscience is taken care of.If I go down before Len does— he's got my insurance money, and somebody to lean on.She knew Mark was puzzled; though he was sympathetic, he still couldn't understand why Len was so important to her.And how could she tell him? How could she explain all the times she'd felt that she'd failed other friends—how this time she was determined that she would not?The last thing they did was painstakingly copy Athena's contact list into Di's notebook.Di wasn't figuring on getting a lot of information from the locals—but maybe somebody would have noticed morethan Athena and her circle had."Just the psychics—" Di said—then amended even that."Just the real Talents.Not the ones who play at it.I don't care if they're flakes, but they've got to be in practice, or they won't be able to distinguish a power-drain from a potassium imbalance."Athena had cracked a smile at that."Well that first narrows you down to about a tenth of the neo-pagans in Dallas, and the second to half of that," she replied."Maybe less.Amazing how easy it is to let the mental muscles go as flabby as the physical ones, isn't it?"It was nearly eight when she put Athena and baggage into a cab, and headed back to the bus stop.No solutions, but— Well, I didn't get what I came for— but I found what I needed.She was thinking so hard about Len that she forgot to stay alert.The streets were very quiet, almost like Hartford; it lured her into a false sense of security.She didn't notice that she was being followed until it was too late to do anything about it.It was the sound of several pairs of sneakered feet in her wake that finally woke her to danger.She risked a glance over one shoulder, and saw a handful of young men, all in ornately decorated jackets, following about half a block behind her.They felt—yes, they were after her.Predators.Hunters.And a quick probe ahead told her that there were more of the same lying in wait around the corner.Oh, shit.No, don't run, that'll just set them off.Cross the street first, see what they do.Half of them followed, the other half moved up to parallel her.She stumbled over broken concrete, cursed under her breath, and thought furiously.Great, now I'm cut off in all directions.Okay, confrontation time; that's not what they're expecting, it'll buy me delay.She stopped dead where she was, and whirled to put her back against the wall.Broken glass and trash scrunched under her feet; the brick was rough under her hands.They stopped, and milled uncertainly for a moment.She used the time to think.Okay, no gun.I'm no karate champ; I can't take out all of them.Any help around?She risked a glance up and down the street.It was deserted in both directions, not even a stray car in sight.And the streetlight nearest her was out.Ain't nobody likely to even look out to see why the yelling's going on if I start raising cain.Oh hell.That leaves just one option.Now are they sensitive enough, or hopped up enough to be sensitive?She dropped shields and touched at the surfaces of their minds.It was like touching rotting wood and cobwebs.No doubt about it, they'd been doing something.That was in her favor.Gah.They're sensitive enough.Here goes nothing.Boy, I am going to regret this in a half an hour—She gathered the power within as they regained their gang unity and began to move in on her from both sides, laughing and spitting obscenities at her.She waited, feet slightly apart, arms down at her sides, and hands clenched, until they were just about to rush her—the moment that they were most off-balance.Then she struck, grateful that there were no witnesses.It was a two-pronged attack; she flouresced her aura in the visible range, bright as a photo-flash, and followed that by psi-bolts to the minds nearest her.Three of those she hit grabbed their heads and collapsed, moaning.Those of the rest that had been looking straight at her yelled in surprise, temporarily blinded.She cleared the path for escape with a couple of handstrikes and a kick to those disabled, and ran—Behind her she could hear commotion, but it didn't sound like anyone was going to follow immediately.Oh gods, don't let me fade out now!She ran as fast as she could manage, her breath rasping in her throat, her feet uncertain in the half-dark on the street; her side hurt already, drained as she was by the energy expenditure.It was three blocks to the haven of the bus stop.She stumbled, recovered, stumbled again.Two blocks—she could see it up ahead, brightly lit, with three or four people waiting wearily for the last bus of the evening.And they looked like cleaning ladies, gas-station attendants, not crazies.Thank you, Lord and Lady.One block; was there pursuit yet? She touched back—not yet, but they were thinking about it.But she was almost out of breath, lungs and side on fire.She had to take a break—she let herself slow, her sneakers making slapping sounds on the pavement
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Tematy
IndexChristine Feehan [Sisters of Water Bound (epub)
[ebook] [PL] Lackey Mercedes Dixon Larry Trylogia wojen magow 1 Czarny Gryf
Lackey Mercedes Cykl Heroldowie z Valdemaru (17) Magiczne Burze (2) Burza
Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill The Bard 03 Spirits
Lackey Mercedes Trylogia Magicznych Burz 1 Zwiastun burzy
Lackey Mercedes Trylogia wojen magow 1 Czarny Gryf
Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis Ill Met by Moonlight
Mercedes Lackey Cykl Heroldowie z Valdemaru (11
33 1 3 061 The Flying Burri Bob Proehl (pdf)
Własysław L. Jaworski Banki