Mindtease

Chapter 19

"Josh," Kirk asked as they drove back, "what was that...I mean a business card?"

Kirk gestured with the business card for emphasis, and then put it back into his pocket.

"Hang onto it," Josh said casually, "I'd bet the address, phone number are non-existent...remember this is about twenty years ago...but..."

Kirk considered, and then suddenly realized.

"Psychometry..." Kirk said, "you can read the thoughts imprinted on the card. Which is why you wanted me to handle the card..."

"Yeppers," Josh said. "I can read past any thoughts or feelings you have imprinted...but the thoughts of the woman Mrs. Nolan are probably imprinted, and Mrs. Nolan."

"I don't understand Josh," Kirk said. "What are you doing?"

"Getting a...how to put it...a telepathic scent."

Kirk patted Josh on the shoulder in a friendly, reassuring manner that was too much.

"You ole bloodhound you," Kirk said as they pulled up at the motel.

Josh smiled and shook his head, wondering if he should tell Kirk how he found him...by his telepathic scent.

# # #

The two friends were watching a television show, drinking beer, comfortable in the mutual silence.

"Kirk," Josh said, "you seemed a bit taken aback when I explained getting a telepathic scent...my metaphor seemed to disturb you."

Kirk finished his bottle of beer, putting the empty bottle on the table.

"Well Josh," Kirk said..."you just sounded like a...I don't know...serial killer or something."

"Oh, I see..." Josh replied. "But, how do you think I found you? Your telepathic scent...perhaps scent is the wrong word. Maybe telepathic signature...frequency...I don't know."

"Telepathic radiation...finding the source?"

"Exactly. I did that with you, found your radiation trail, and it led me to you. Hope that doesn't freak you out."

"No Josh, I'm just a bit worried. You're following this...trail, starting from the kid whose mind you can't do a tease on."

"You think the government...those black ops bastards have set a trap?"

"Yeah."

"Well I've read everyone's mind we've come across...and nothing reads of a trap, no compartmentalized information, no...no nothing. So I'm surmising we crossed path with someone telepathically immune and unreadable by a random fluke."

"Okay. I'm just worried where this might lead."

"The truth...what are the chances of having telepathy? Probably one in a zillion, and the chances of being telepathically immune...about the same. Now imagine the probability of someone with telepathy encountering someone that is telepathically immune. And the person who has telepathic immunity will never know it unless someone with telepathy knows and is telepathic. So it is very extreme happenstance, beyond believability but not impossibility...after all here I am and that kid Sebastian Nolan."

"Yuppers Joshy," Kirk said. "What about the business card?"

"I will read it..." Josh explained with a pause for thought, "when I'm up to par again...all this telepathic exertion is tough on me."

"Why not just talk to the blonde-haired kid...Sebastian Nolan."

"Noppers."

"But why?"