Mindtease

Chapter 39

"What? That's crazy!" Kirk shouted in shocked surprise at the psychiatrist's revelation.

"Terminate," the man uncomfortable in his suit said coolly, "with maximum prejudice and intensity."

"If he lives," the other man said, "he will kill again, and on a larger scale."

Winters turned and glared at the man for several seconds in baleful reproach. The other man seated at the table turned and looked at him for a few moments. Winters returned his gaze and focus upon Kirk.

"Yes, you must terminate your friend...Josh," Winters said gravely. "It must be done Kirk."

"Does it have to be kill?" Kirk asked solemnly. "Can't you please help Josh?"

Winters shook his head gravely in disapproval.

"With Josh's ability," Winters stated, "how could we know that any help is not simply a suggestion or false idea put into a doctor's mind? Also there are no medications to control Josh's ability."

"This is insane," Kirk answered, "you want me to murder...to kill a human being...and my best friend...my only friend on your say so..."

"You know deep down it must be done," Winters said, "and if only to protect yourself."

Kirk shook his head in disbelief and disgust at what the three asked.

"Me? Josh would never hurt me...you three are cracked," Kirk said. "Josh has protected me, looked out for me when no one else would."

"You never did answer my original question Kirk," Winters said, deliberately ignoring Kirk's statements.

"What question?" Kirk asked directly.

"Does Josh read your thoughts?" Winter stated flatly.

"What does it matter?" Kirk replied. "You want me to kill my friend...become a murderer..."

"It matters," Winters said evenly, "since you'd be the only one with a chance at terminating the subject."

"The subject is Josh...my friend," Kirk said, "not some political target or corrupt dictator."

Winters smiled at Kirk, something Kirk found annoying...the bureaucratic cheerfulness while talking about murder...no assassination of a human being.

"Josh is the subject," Winters said, "and will be terminated. Please answer my question."

"I will say it again...what does it matter?" Kirk asked.

"Simple," Winters said, "if the subject...Josh is reading your thoughts, he'll instantly know you're going to terminate...and you'll have zero probability of success."

Kirk sighed, seeing the truth in Winters statement. Unfortunately, it was true.

"No," Kirk said, "Josh doesn't read my mind...I don't think he has...never pulled a tease on me."

"Tease?" asked one of the two men...which one Kirk was not sure.

"A brain tease..." Kirk started to explain.

"When the subject exerts telepathic empathy...control," Winters answered, "and reads or writes the thoughts of a victim."

"So you can get in close to strike and terminate," Winters said, "with a highest probability of success."

"Drop the euphemisms," Kirk said hotly, "you mean I'll murder Josh...and am your best bet...but this talking about it so casually..."

"What?" asked Winters.

"You want me to murder my only friend in this world," Kirk said hotly, "so drop the bureaucratic babble."

Winters glanced towards the two men.