TELEPATHY

CHAPTER SIX

I was huddled in a blanket at my desk, coworkers crowded around.

"Hey, Annalise, it's okay. There's nothing that you could've done to stop him." One of my office friends, Logan, was sitting next to me. He had his arm around me, and he looked me straight in the eyes. I felt butterflies flutter in my stomach- to be truthful, I had some feelings for him. And, by reading his mind, I knew he liked me back. I just didn't choose to go anywhere with those feelings.

"He- he wanted to die..." I stared straight ahead, reliving the moment, over and over again. Him, falling backwards. Him, prying my hand from his. Him, falling, falling...

"I've never seen anyone die before," I said. I was a young recruit, only seventeen. I was recruited so early because of my telepathic powers and brain capacity. I shivered, thinking of the day that the tall, dark man had come to me...

"Actually, I think I'm going to go home," I decided. I sat up and pushed the blanket off. "Will you tell Gillingham that I left? I'll contact him later."

I stood up and left, not really listening to Logan's answer. I knew he'd tell Gillingham, our covert branch of the CIA's head, what had happened. Assuming he didn't already know.

I left the building an entered the bustle of New York City. After I was recruited, the sleeplessness of the city took some getting used to, but now I felt like a true New Yorker. I took the subway to my apartment in Manhattan, checking for tails out of habit along the way.

When I finally reached my home, I walked in as fast as I could, unlocked my door, closed it behind me, and collapsed on my bed. For a while, I just lay there, feeling tired and sick and disturbed by the days events. After some time, I turned over and stared at the ceiling, pondering.

What had he meant? What had already begun? Who would've killed him? I didn't even know his name. Why was telling me that such a risk? Information is power. What, or who, would I be threatening by knowing that? Is that why he killed those people? To get close to me, so he could warn me?

All this thinking led me to one bone-chilling conclusion.

Someone is after me. They want what I can do for themselves.