A Psychic Detective's Investigation in Wales (8/?)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
They had been working on the plan of attack well into the night. Alan and Jack brought the military tactics, Gwen, Rhys and Andy, the local knowledge, and Shawn…well, Shawn brought his own unique style which would give them an edge over Davis.
Alan defended Shawn’s ideas. “Davis will be expecting pretty much all we’ve outlined. He doesn’t know Shawn, doesn’t know the way he thinks.”
“Even I don’t know the way I think,” Shawn commented.
“He makes things up as he goes along which makes it difficult for people to figure out his plans and less chance of something going wrong.”
“Sounds like someone we know,” muttered Jack.
Alan nodded to keep himself from yawning.
His argument didn’t help the debate any. He slipped away to the couch, hoping to rest for a bit and clear his headache. There must have still been drugs in his system because the night ended for him right there.
*
Alan woke in the morning to find that someone had taken off his shoes and covered him with a blanket. After a stretch, he shuffled into the kitchen to see Jack already sipping coffee.
“Hey, it’s Rip Van Winkle.”
“I didn’t sleep that long.” Alan poured himself some coffee. “How did you sleep?”
“Not really one for sleep. There’s much better things to do between the sheets.” He gave Alan a crooked grin.
Alan wasn’t buying. It was as if Jack were trying too hard to be his old self. He just raised an eyebrow.
Jack’s smile faded and he gazed down at his coffee. “Every cup I’ve had since then has been mud, y’know? I keep drinking thinking I’ll regain the taste for it.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there, Jack. You know I would’ve been if I could.”
“Yeah, it was one of those events that had to happen. I’m starting to recognize them now by feel. I’ve certainly lived through enough of them.”
“I could probably tell you it gets better with time, but I think you know the truth of that statement better than anyone. Since you’ve got your manipulator working again, you’re welcome to stop by and talk.”
Jack nodded.
“So, we good?”
“Yeah, we’re good.”
“All right, no more maudlin moments. We’ve got some crooked agents to bring down.”
Jack chuckled which made Alan smile.
Rhys walked in with Mary in his arms. “I’ve a feeling I should be nervous seeing the two of you whispering together. What have you been planning?”
“No need to be nervous, Rhys,” Jack assured the man. “Alan and I were just catching up.”
“Okay, then. Time to get breakfast started”.” He put Mary in her high chair.
“I’ll go wake up Shawn,” said Alan. “You don’t have anything pineapple, do you?”
Rhys pulled a container of pineapple chunks from the fridge. “He made a point of it.”
“I’m sure he did.”
Alan took the dish and walked to the nursery. Shawn was sprawled on the floor lightly snoring. Using telekinesis, he levitated a pineapple chunk over to Shawn and made it hover just under his nose. Some of the juice dripped onto his lips and Shawn instinctively licked them. When Shawn made to bite it, Alan made it dance out of reach. If Shawn really wanted this, he’d have to be upright.
Shawn slowly rose from the floor like a mummy from the tomb. Alan decided to reward him by having the pineapple stop right in front of his mouth. Shawn snapped at it and a moan of ecstasy escaped his lips.
“Man, if I could wake up like this everyday…”
“I figured it was the best way to wake you quickly and in a good mood.
Shawn stood and pulled on his pants. “How come you didn’t tell me you could do that?” He wiggled his fingers to mime movement through the air.
“The telekinesis? I don’t use it that often except in emergencies-and for cheap tricks.”
“Cool.” Shawn walked past him and grabbed the bowl from his hands. “C’mon, Rhys makes a fab fry-up.”
Alan shook his head as Shawn strolled down the hall, popping pineapple chunks.
*
“Okay, does everyone remember the plan?” Jack’s voice came over the Bluetooth device in Alan’s ear.
“I don’t think we’ve forgotten after 100 times of you reminding us,” came Rhys’ reply.
“I take it that’s a yes.”
“Jack, don’t push it.”
Alan sat back on Gwen’s couch. She had set up the laptop with camera feeds from inside the warehouse. Either Davis didn’t know they were there or he didn’t think anyone could hack in. While he watched and waited, Alan fiddled with one of Mary’s toys in his hand. God, he hated waiting like this, but, until they shut off that device, he couldn’t go anywhere near there.
[Shawn, you’re being awfully quiet.]
Yeah, well, kinda got a lot to think about right now.
Alan realized Shawn was battling nerves. [Shawn, you’ve done stuff like this before. You and Gus would always sneak in somewhere to get info for your visions.]
That’s just it. It was always just me and Gus, not an operation like this. It’s one thing to do it on X-box and another to do it for real.
[Shawn, you’re good at this stuff. Your dad made sure of that. You just need to focus, concentrate on your part of the plan. The adrenaline will kick in and you’ll be on automatic pilot.]
Thanks, Shawn replied after a moment.
“All right, time, gentlemen,” announced Gwen.
Alan watched intently as he had to be the one to tell Shawn when it was time for him to go.
About ten minutes later, Davies and his henchman left the office and appeared on a different screen. Alan waited until they showed up on the camera that was furthest away. [Shawn, go now! The other have them occupied.]
Shawn appeared on-screen as he cautiously crosses the warehouse floor. “Tell me why this is my part again?”
“Because you know what the device looks like and you saw Davies change the settings.”
“And because of the device, you can’t direct anyone how to use it.”
Alan watched as Shawn arrived at the open door to the office. “I don’t have a clear shot of the office so, once you’re in there, you’re on your own.”
“Just let me know when they come back.”
As if I’d let anything happen after all this. Alan saw that Jack and the others had Davies pinned down. He wouldn’t be getting away anytime soon. Then he felt it, the relief of pressure he hadn’t realized was there. Shawn had fixed the settings. He could join the fun now.
Nine
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
They had been working on the plan of attack well into the night. Alan and Jack brought the military tactics, Gwen, Rhys and Andy, the local knowledge, and Shawn…well, Shawn brought his own unique style which would give them an edge over Davis.
Alan defended Shawn’s ideas. “Davis will be expecting pretty much all we’ve outlined. He doesn’t know Shawn, doesn’t know the way he thinks.”
“Even I don’t know the way I think,” Shawn commented.
“He makes things up as he goes along which makes it difficult for people to figure out his plans and less chance of something going wrong.”
“Sounds like someone we know,” muttered Jack.
Alan nodded to keep himself from yawning.
His argument didn’t help the debate any. He slipped away to the couch, hoping to rest for a bit and clear his headache. There must have still been drugs in his system because the night ended for him right there.
*
Alan woke in the morning to find that someone had taken off his shoes and covered him with a blanket. After a stretch, he shuffled into the kitchen to see Jack already sipping coffee.
“Hey, it’s Rip Van Winkle.”
“I didn’t sleep that long.” Alan poured himself some coffee. “How did you sleep?”
“Not really one for sleep. There’s much better things to do between the sheets.” He gave Alan a crooked grin.
Alan wasn’t buying. It was as if Jack were trying too hard to be his old self. He just raised an eyebrow.
Jack’s smile faded and he gazed down at his coffee. “Every cup I’ve had since then has been mud, y’know? I keep drinking thinking I’ll regain the taste for it.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there, Jack. You know I would’ve been if I could.”
“Yeah, it was one of those events that had to happen. I’m starting to recognize them now by feel. I’ve certainly lived through enough of them.”
“I could probably tell you it gets better with time, but I think you know the truth of that statement better than anyone. Since you’ve got your manipulator working again, you’re welcome to stop by and talk.”
Jack nodded.
“So, we good?”
“Yeah, we’re good.”
“All right, no more maudlin moments. We’ve got some crooked agents to bring down.”
Jack chuckled which made Alan smile.
Rhys walked in with Mary in his arms. “I’ve a feeling I should be nervous seeing the two of you whispering together. What have you been planning?”
“No need to be nervous, Rhys,” Jack assured the man. “Alan and I were just catching up.”
“Okay, then. Time to get breakfast started”.” He put Mary in her high chair.
“I’ll go wake up Shawn,” said Alan. “You don’t have anything pineapple, do you?”
Rhys pulled a container of pineapple chunks from the fridge. “He made a point of it.”
“I’m sure he did.”
Alan took the dish and walked to the nursery. Shawn was sprawled on the floor lightly snoring. Using telekinesis, he levitated a pineapple chunk over to Shawn and made it hover just under his nose. Some of the juice dripped onto his lips and Shawn instinctively licked them. When Shawn made to bite it, Alan made it dance out of reach. If Shawn really wanted this, he’d have to be upright.
Shawn slowly rose from the floor like a mummy from the tomb. Alan decided to reward him by having the pineapple stop right in front of his mouth. Shawn snapped at it and a moan of ecstasy escaped his lips.
“Man, if I could wake up like this everyday…”
“I figured it was the best way to wake you quickly and in a good mood.
Shawn stood and pulled on his pants. “How come you didn’t tell me you could do that?” He wiggled his fingers to mime movement through the air.
“The telekinesis? I don’t use it that often except in emergencies-and for cheap tricks.”
“Cool.” Shawn walked past him and grabbed the bowl from his hands. “C’mon, Rhys makes a fab fry-up.”
Alan shook his head as Shawn strolled down the hall, popping pineapple chunks.
*
“Okay, does everyone remember the plan?” Jack’s voice came over the Bluetooth device in Alan’s ear.
“I don’t think we’ve forgotten after 100 times of you reminding us,” came Rhys’ reply.
“I take it that’s a yes.”
“Jack, don’t push it.”
Alan sat back on Gwen’s couch. She had set up the laptop with camera feeds from inside the warehouse. Either Davis didn’t know they were there or he didn’t think anyone could hack in. While he watched and waited, Alan fiddled with one of Mary’s toys in his hand. God, he hated waiting like this, but, until they shut off that device, he couldn’t go anywhere near there.
[Shawn, you’re being awfully quiet.]
Yeah, well, kinda got a lot to think about right now.
Alan realized Shawn was battling nerves. [Shawn, you’ve done stuff like this before. You and Gus would always sneak in somewhere to get info for your visions.]
That’s just it. It was always just me and Gus, not an operation like this. It’s one thing to do it on X-box and another to do it for real.
[Shawn, you’re good at this stuff. Your dad made sure of that. You just need to focus, concentrate on your part of the plan. The adrenaline will kick in and you’ll be on automatic pilot.]
Thanks, Shawn replied after a moment.
“All right, time, gentlemen,” announced Gwen.
Alan watched intently as he had to be the one to tell Shawn when it was time for him to go.
About ten minutes later, Davies and his henchman left the office and appeared on a different screen. Alan waited until they showed up on the camera that was furthest away. [Shawn, go now! The other have them occupied.]
Shawn appeared on-screen as he cautiously crosses the warehouse floor. “Tell me why this is my part again?”
“Because you know what the device looks like and you saw Davies change the settings.”
“And because of the device, you can’t direct anyone how to use it.”
Alan watched as Shawn arrived at the open door to the office. “I don’t have a clear shot of the office so, once you’re in there, you’re on your own.”
“Just let me know when they come back.”
As if I’d let anything happen after all this. Alan saw that Jack and the others had Davies pinned down. He wouldn’t be getting away anytime soon. Then he felt it, the relief of pressure he hadn’t realized was there. Shawn had fixed the settings. He could join the fun now.
Nine