Authors: Randi Cardoza
Chapter 21
Sweat trickled down Shawn’s back and the breath rushed from his lungs as he watched the faceless man. He could hear Kenzi’s struggle as the man continued to hit her. Shawn’s body tensed ready to attack.
Kenzi’s attitude changed when she sensed his presence, as if she knew Shawn would save her from the monster. She pushed the man beyond endurance with insults Shawn had never heard drop from her lips.
Thanks to her training she wouldn’t let her gaze give him away to the monster. She hurled insult after insult at the man until finally he slapped her so hard her jaw snapped.
“You bitch! You fuckin’ bitch! I knew you were a whore the moment I saw you,” he screamed as he raised a gun over his head and cocked it.
Shawn made his move then driving his shoulder into the middle of the man’s back. A shot rang through the dark room and Kenzi screamed.
“Kenzi, are you okay?” Shawn screamed moments later as he continued to fight with the man with a shadowy face
.
Shawn’s body shot straight up in the bed, Kenzi just stirred long enough to turn on her side away from him and continued to sleep.
Every dream became more and more real. The notes had persisted though he never let Kenzi know about them. They were due to leave Memphis early, looking at the alarm Shawn noted that he still could catch another two and a half hours of sleep before they had to get ready to leave for Farmington.
He got out of bed and padded silently to the kitchen. Taking out a bottle of water he drank the entire thing hoping it would cool him off. Everything that was theirs was packed into boxes to be shipped by the owner of the apartment complex.
Shawn sat in the dark kitchen listening to the sounds of traffic and crickets. Nelson and Murphy hadn’t gotten back to him from when he’d contacted them. The shrill ring of the telephone drew him out of his thoughts.
“You better have a good explanation for calling at 3:30 in the morning,” Shawn muttered into the phone.
“It’s Murphy, Shawn. You’ll be happy to know that the Mortimers have been put away for life.”
“Mac already contacted me and told me about it. Kenzi was very happy with the ruling as well. Don’t tell me that’s why you called this late,” Shawn replied.
“Actually, I’m calling in reference to your message. Nelson says that even minor head trauma has been known to cause precognitive abilities. She recommends that you test with the bureau’s newest unit specializing in paranormal activity.”
“The bureau actually believes in the paranormal? I don’t think so. Maybe I’m just so stressed after the shooting that my mind is reacting to that stress,” Shawn said as he fiddled with a small piece of wood that had come off the molding by the door to the living room.
“The testing is very precise, Douglass. If anything you should try it and see if it’s related to those notes you’ve been receiving. It could be that you only have the ability regarding Kenzi because you’re in love with her and share a strong connection,” Nelson said having taken the phone from Murphy.
“Will I be able to stay in Farmington and test at the bureau there?” Shawn asked resigning himself to the fast-talking agent’s suggestion.
“No, you’ll have to go to Quantico to test but that won’t be difficult since you’ll have to go there to turn in the final reports on the shooting. You don’t have to tell Kenzi if you don’t want to,” said Nelson.
“Of course I don’t want to. She doesn’t believe in this stuff anymore than I do but she’ll never believe I’m testing for it just because of these dreams I’ve been having. She’ll expect me to tell her everything and I don’t want to scare her.”
“Well, do what you have to do. What are you doing up so early anyway, Douglass?” Nelson asked.
“I had another dream. Maybe I should be the one asking questions. Like what are you and Murphy doing together at this hour?” Shawn replied.
“I’m sure you can imagine what we’re doing together. I’m sure it’s the same thing you and Kenzi do at least two to three times a day,” Nelson replied with a laugh.
“Whatever you say, Nelson. Can you have the information on that program and the testing at Kenzi’s house later today when we arrive in Farmington?”
“Will do. Have a nice flight, Douglass, and try to get some sleep.”
“Yeah, right. Good night,” Shawn said hanging up the phone.
He went and got another bottle of water and drank the entire thing. Going into the living room he sat in Kenzi’s favorite chair, an over-stuffed, over-sized chair in a powdery blue.
Shawn watched television for another hour or so before he dozed off. He woke up at 7am when he heard the alarm go off in the bedroom. Knowing Kenzi would hit the snooze for another twenty minutes, he got dressed and jogged down the street to the bakery that had just opened.
He came back with two tall, fragrant cups of the freshly ground butter rum coffee, which Kenzi had begun to favor, and a bag with mixed berry bagels and cream cheese. He’d also made a purchase of ten pounds of the butter rum coffee beans and a grinder to be delivered to Kenzi’s house in Farmington.
Shawn could hear the shower running and smiled as he set up breakfast in the kitchen with paper plates and plastic utensils. Kenzi came in the kitchen five minutes later with her hair wrapped up in a towel turban-style.
“Is that coffee?” Kenzi asked sniffing the air appreciatively. “From the bakery?”
Shawn nodded and handed Kenzi half a bagel toasted with the cream cheese oozing off of it and her cup of coffee with milk and sugar in it.
“I got up early and thought I’d go get breakfast. We’ve got an hour to get to the airport, then the flight leaves at precisely quarter to ten for Springfield,” Shawn said as he spread cream cheese on the second half of Kenzi’s bagel and put it on her plate.
He ate his breakfast while Kenzi finished up getting ready. She came in the kitchen twenty-five minutes later wearing a bright pink top with a deep v-neckline, faded jeans, and tennis shoes.
“Ready to go?” she asked as she grabbed her purse and checked through it for her driver’s license, house keys, and all the important information she’d need at the airport.
“Yeah. Do you have everything?” Shawn asked as she rifled through her wallet and then her purse again.
“I’m glad I have my passport here because my driver’s license is still missing. I must have lost it when Mimi and Ryder came to visit and I ran into that man. I took it out of my wallet for a clerk to check it at one of the stores when they ran my credit card.”
“Are you sure the super doesn’t have it from when he did the background check on us?” Shawn asked as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stiffen.
“No, I just showed him my badge and bureau ID and he ran it from that after I explained the situation. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it was missing until now,” Kenzi said as she shoved everything back into her tiny purse and grabbed her sweater from the bedroom.
“Why are you taking a sweater?” Shawn asked following her from room to room as she made sure they hadn’t forgotten to pack anything.
“You know how the weather is at home. I don’t want to get up there and be cold after the heat here,” Kenzi replied as she finally made her way to the front door and waited as Shawn locked it behind them.
Shawn drove the jeep to the airport, which was a bustle of activity for being only 8am. Kenzi showed her bureau ID and her passport to the lady at the check-in counter explaining that she’d lost her driver’s license.
Before long they were seated on the plane waiting for it to taxi onto the runway and take off. Kenzi’s fingers clutched at Shawn’s and he just kept up a steady stream of conversation to occupy her.
Before they knew it, the plane was speeding down the runway and they were in the air. Kenzi’s breath came out in a rush and Shawn kissed her knuckles in reassurance.
“Everything will be fine. You fly all the time and the plane hasn’t fallen out of the sky yet,” Shawn said as he put an arm around her shoulders.
“I know but ever since that crash on our way to Paris in high school I’ve been nervous of flying. I just try to hide it as best I can,” Kenzi replied snuggling into his side.
“Kenzi, that was because someone was trying to hijack the plane, not because of a malfunction with the plane. We’ll be fine, besides more people die in car crashes than airplane crashes.”
“Oh and that’s supposed to be reassuring?” Kenzi asked crossing her arms over her chest.
“Life’s full of risks, you know that. Risks are a major part of our job. Why don’t you read that magazine you brought to keep your mind off of things?” Shawn suggested as he stopped a flight attendant that was passing them.
“Can I help you, sir, madam?” she asked.
“Two glasses of orange juice with a very light touch of vodka,” Shawn answered for himself and Kenzi.
“Right away.”
Moments later Kenzi and Shawn had their drinks in hand and Kenzi’s tension was starting to ease as the slight amount of alcohol relaxed her. They both snoozed on the flight and were woken up by the pilot asking the passengers to buckle up for the descent into Springfield.
“No worries, my love,” Shawn whispered as Kenzi buckled up and looked over at him nervously.
Kenzi closed her eyes and held Shawn’s hand tightly until she could feel the wheels bounce as they hit the ground and the plane started rolling towards the terminal.
Shawn looked at his hand and grimaced mockingly. “I’m not sure which was worse, you on the plane or you in labor. Either way, I almost lost a hand,” Shawn teased as Kenzi unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her purse and sweater from the overhead compartment.
Kenzi ignored the comment and made her way to the door so she could exit the plane. Shawn followed and caught up to her in the hallway between the plane and the terminal.
“Let’s go home, Kenzi,” Shawn said as he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.
“Please. We better go get Sunshine from the loading area first. I’m sure she missed home too,” Kenzi replied as she stopped to hug him.
“Everything is going to be fine, my Kenzi,” Shawn whispered.
“I know it will,” Kenzi replied.
Yes, but I’m not so sure, Kenzi,
thought Shawn as he followed her to the baggage claim.
Chapter 22
Ah, good old Farmington, Illinois. Home of my long lost brother, although if he’s still here I’m not sure. The man is like a snake that slithers away with the first sign of trouble.
I should have known that Kenzi and her man were from the elite. Daughter of John Fromier and Delia Evans and a princess in the town of Farmington. Shawn Douglass, how I detest that name, Douglass, what kind of name is that? A prince among his peers and the apple of Kenzi's eye.
He shall pay for taking what is mine. In time there will no longer be a Shawn and Kenzi, just a Kenzi and me. The time will come soon
.
Shawn could feel the hairs on his neck stand on edge when their families were greeting him and Kenzi. Something was not right but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Every cell in his body was on alert and he could feel someone staring at him and Kenzi with hidden interests.
The only person around that was not their family was an older man wearing a floral print shirt, the type usually favored by tourists, and khaki colored cargo shorts that reached his knobby knees. He looked somewhat familiar but not dangerous in the least.
Ignore that perception, Shawn. You know better than anyone appearances can be deceiving
, he thought to himself as he smiled at Mia who was jumping up and down trying to get his attention.
“Shawn still has to do physical therapy but the doctor said he could come home, so we did,” Kenzi said to Megan and Delia.
“I’m sure you have a ton of mail along with a million messages from work,” Gabe told Shawn as he and John piled the luggage onto a dolly.
“Yeah, Kenzi and I are on desk duty now until I am pronounced fully healed. The department wants us to be partners on a permanent basis since we work so well together,” Shawn said as he grabbed the pet carrier Sunshine was in and Kenzi just as quickly took it away.
“Where’s Tommy?” Kenzi asked glancing around.
“Oh, it’s the Roper’s weekend to have him. Since they agreed to let us have custody on the condition that they get him every other week and two weekends per month,” Megan explained and went on to detail the results of the long custody battle that had been waged for Tommy.
“So they finally decided that you and Gabe could give him the kind of life he deserves but they still want to see him? I guess that’s somewhat reasonable,” Kenzi replied as they made their way to the exit and towards the waiting SUV that would take them home.
“I missed this car so much,” Kenzi said as she touched the buttery soft leather interior with a loving caress.
“Yeah, but you have to admit the Jeep was a good car, too,” Shawn said as they watched John and Gabe pack the luggage into the back.
“It was but your Durango is home, just like my Mustang is,” Kenzi replied as she tucked Sunshine safely into the backseat and buckled her carrier in.
As soon as everything was in, the caravan followed Kenzi as she drove the Durango towards their house. No one questioned whether they would be going to Shawn’s apartment because they all knew Kenzi and Shawn were back together for good.
Shawn's grandparents had trays of food delivered from their restaurant and a short while later there was a welcome home party full of laughing children and adults.
“I still had a few cases I consulted on while Shawn was recovering, so I was not considered to be on vacation. Shawn was on sick leave but they did promise us that we could still go on vacation in the middle of September,” Kenzi told her mom as Shawn sat cuddled with Mia in a chair reading her a book.
“Shawn doesn’t know you were consulting while he was recovering?” Delia asked in her motherly tone.
“No, mom. Although if he thinks about it, I was always busy when he was resting after therapy. Sooner or later he’ll put it together but I doubt he will be mad. He knows it’s my career and I have to work just like he does.”
“Are you going to get remarried?” Megan asked as she wiped at Isaac’s running nose while he ran past them to the kitchen.
“That’s a question your son will have to answer. I wouldn’t mind getting married again but we have some issues to resolve before we can think about it,” Kenzi answered as she sipped at her soft drink.
“Layla is an issue that you both need to handle but it should not effect your feelings for each other,” Megan said touching Kenzi’s arm.
“I know but it’s just that we are both just finding out how the other felt when she disappeared. I think we would like to live together for a while before we decide about marriage. That’s okay, isn’t it?” Kenzi asked sounding like a child.
“Oh, my sweet girl, you and Shawn have always been meant to be together. If that’s how you want to take it then that’s what you should do. Right Megan?” Delia replied looking over at Megan.
“That’s right. Gabe, Shawn, and I lived together for a long time before Gabe and I got remarried. Your mom and John were the same way. I guess it’s kind of a tradition on both sides,” Megan said with a smile.
The party faded and Kenzi sighed with relief as the last guest finally left.
“Is it just me or were you tired of being grilled about our relationship?” Kenzi asked rubbing her eyes wearily.
“Yeah…I’m so tired, I can’t even think about sex. Let’s go to bed and just lie in each other’s arms thinking about how good it is to be home,” Shawn replied as they made their way up the stairs after locking the doors and turning on Kenzi’s new security system.
They lay in bed for hours, neither sleeping nor speaking to each other just enjoying the silence. Kenzi looked at Shawn, whose arm was once again in its brace.
“What?” he asked looking at her.
“I’m thinking about what my mom said tonight. We both have issues regarding Layla to get over. I have an idea, though,” Kenzi replied as she flipped onto her stomach to look at Shawn.
“I’m listening.”
“Well, it’s been years since we actually put out fliers for her again. Maybe we should try the advanced age-imaging thing. We can send the new fliers with that picture all over the country and then if we find nothing we give up.”
“Give up?” Shawn asked sitting up.
“Shawn, we’ve been looking for her for years. This is the last chance we have to find her and if we don’t we have to move on. Neither of us have actually moved on,” Kenzi replied.
“But just to give up?” Shawn asked.
“Shawn we can’t really be together until we either find her or bury her. It needs to be resolved for both of us and if we find nothing, we move on so we can have a future. I hate to be the one to say it but I love you and want to be a couple again. Layla’s my daughter and if we find her later then she’ll still be our daughter but if we don’t find her we have to move on.”
“So you’re saying we won’t forget her but just assume she is not coming back if we don’t find her? I’m not sure I can ever give up on finding her, Kenzi.”
“I’m not saying we'll give up hope. I mean I'll still be looking at every little girl that is near her age and wondering if it’s her but we have to make our life together. I want to have more children, Shawn. Layla can’t be it for me or you,” Kenzi pleaded.
“Do you want to get married again?” Shawn asked as he tried to turn on his side facing her.
“I do but not until you’re ready. So can we schedule an appointment with the artist to have the future drawing done?” Kenzi asked hopefully.
“Yeah. We’ve got a vacation coming up, why don’t we go to the Caribbean and relax. We can find out the results after we get back,” Shawn suggested.
“September isn’t that far away. Should I make the arrangements or have you already made them?” Kenzi asked looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
“Actually, our parents are going to go with us. They’ll have separate cabins across the resort but we’ll all be at the same resort. Is that okay with you?”
“I guess, although the thought of my parents or yours having sex isn’t top on my list. What about the kids?” Kenzi asked as she snuggled into his chest.
“They are going to have a ball staying with my grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa spoil them rotten while my parents are gone,” Shawn said wrapping his good arm around Kenzi.
“We have a busy day tomorrow, so we better get some sleep. You have therapy at ten and then we have to go to the office and start the consulting for a few cases,” Kenzi said with a tired yawn.
“I know. It’s back to business as usual. Try to get that appointment for Thursday afternoon, okay?”
“Okay. I love you, Shawn,” Kenzi said as she fell asleep.
“I love you too.”
Shawn lay there for a while contemplating what he was going to be doing that weekend. The trip to Quantico for the testing and to finalize the report for the Memphis case. Hard to believe it had been two months since he’d taken that case and been shot.
Blocking out the sounds of the night, Shawn fell to sleep and for once it was a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 23
Kenzi hummed softly to herself as she made breakfast for Shawn. He was due to leave for the airport soon and she wanted to be sure he didn’t have to eat the airplane food.
She expertly flipped a pancake in the air and caught it on the flipside. Fragrant coffee percolated while the scent of sausage and maple syrup floated up the stairs to tease Shawn out of bed.
Kenzi rarely cooked and when she did it was always a special occasion. She’d taken cooking lessons in college but they had always been too busy to actually test them out. Shawn pushed back the quilt and crawled out of bed. He rubbed a hand over his scruffy jaw and then through his hair.
Stumbling down the stairs he made his way to the kitchen as he watched Kenzi silently. She seemed to float around the kitchen and she was wearing his old Farmington High football jersey, which barely came to her thighs.
He could hear the song she was humming and a grin came to his lips, it was the song he sang to her at their wedding,
When I Fall In Love
. She opened the back door and bent over to pick up the paper, giving Shawn a delightful view.
Kenzi let out a little shriek when she looked down at the paper. She’d felt it the moment that Shawn entered the room and knew that he was watching her every move. A box holding a decapitated bird was sitting on top of the morning paper.
Shawn was beside her in a moment, pushing her out of the way to see what was in the box. Quickly, he pulled the newspaper in with the box still on top of it as he pushed her back and closed the door. He covered the box with a plastic bag and called Nelson and Murphy.
A short while later, Nelson and Murphy were there and were testing the box for fingerprints and looking for any evidence of who had left it outside. They sent it out to the FBI lab to have tests run on it. Kenzi’s head was beginning to ache as she was wrought with tension of not only Shawn’s leaving for a week but also this sick individual who had left the poor bird on her steps.
Shawn, Nelson, and Murphy sat and ate while Kenzi could do nothing but push the food around on her plate. They decided it was best if Nelson stayed with her while Shawn was going to be gone.
“Honestly, I’m an agent, I know how to take care of myself,” Kenzi whined as she dropped Shawn off at the airport.
“No complaints. I feel better knowing that she’ll be there. Besides, I kinda think that Murphy will be staying there too, if you get my drift,” Shawn said as Kenzi followed him to the metal detectors and then to the private room where he and Kenzi showed the officers their badges and Shawn’s weapon was checked for clearance.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Shawn whispered as he kissed Kenzi.
“I still don’t see why this whole thing is taking so long. The officers in Memphis should have filed that report; you should not have to go to Quantico to finish it up. I love you, Shawn,” Kenzi said as she hugged him and kissed him once more.
“I’m just following orders. I’ll be back as soon as I can, no more than a week. I love you, too, ” Shawn said and then he disappeared down the terminal.
Nelson and Murphy were waiting for her outside and drove with her back to Farmington FBI headquarters. Kenzi sat looking through files while Murphy went out for coffee and Nelson jotted down notes from the computer entries.
Kenzi gratefully took the coffee Murphy handed her while Nelson held out her hand in a silent demand for her bottle of water. Nelson was a bit of an enigma to Kenzi. She had wavy shoulder-length, brown hair, sparkling brown eyes, freckles all over her face, and a gap between her front teeth.
Just Kenzi’s mental description made her think of a child instead of a grown woman. Murphy was crazy about her and Kenzi could see why in a strange sort of way. Although Nelson was quiet, she was thoughtful. She tried to make everyone as comfortable as possible and at the same time seemed to do things effortlessly.
“Can I ask you a question?” Kenzi said not really directing the question to Nelson or Murphy.
“Didn’t you just?” Murphy asked as his gray eyes flashed with humor.
“Very funny, wise guy. What is it Kenzi?” Nelson asked as she clicked the mouse.
“Are your names really Toby and Helen or do you have real names?”
“I guess she wasn’t listening when we introduced ourselves,” Murphy said.
“Dylan Murphy and Megan Nelson. He’ll reply to just about anything but I prefer Nelson,” Megan said with a smile.
“
So if I call you Megan?” Belle asked curiously.
“I'll have to pull your hair out.”
“Nelson it is. I’ve been spinning this around in my mind for a couple days. Obviously, you know about my past with Shawn. What’s not exactly well known in the bureau is we had a daughter that was kidnapped,” Kenzi started but was interrupted by Nelson.
“Daughter Layla Douglass abducted at the age of 18 months while with you at Farmington Place. Both you and Shawn have been looking for her since and are getting back together after a divorce caused in most part by the stress of your daughter’s abduction,” Nelson supplied as Dylan rolled his eyes at her.
Kenzi just stared at her for a moment.
“She likes to know everything about everyone we meet. Don’t take offense, it’s just the way she is. She’s very good at reading people and thinks it’s a good policy to know who you’re working with and what makes them tick,” Dylan said with a laugh.
“So you were saying?” Nelson asked as she continued to work without taking her eyes from the computer screen.
“Well, Shawn and I have decided to do a age-progressed photograph of Layla and send it out again. Is it possible we could find her or is this a bad idea?”
“A last ditch effort before you both resign yourselves to the fact that she may be gone for good. If you haven’t already done one, I say go ahead and try it,” Dylan replied as he settled down at a desk to go through piles of old case files.
Kenzi nodded her head and thought of the photograph she and Shawn had the artist generate. They weren’t going to send it out until they told both their families about it but Kenzi wanted to see it so she could see what her baby might look like.
“Here it is, Murphy,” Nelson said from her chair as she pointed at the screen.
“What?”
“Dana Fulton was kidnapped three years ago from her bedroom one night. Police talked to every neighbor and canvassed the area. I’ve been running checks on the neighbors and look who repeatedly pops up,” Nelson replied her eyes dark with intrigue.
“Who?” Kenzi couldn’t keep herself from asking.
“Arnie Creek. Small time druggie and newly convicted child molester. He lived three houses down from hers at the time and disappeared from the area a few months later,” Nelson replied.
“Nelson, do you know where his newest residence is?” Dylan asked.
“Benny ‘The Snoop’ told me that he’s been living down near the river in a shanty.”
Nelson and Murphy decided to go check out Arnie Creek, so Kenzi stayed behind to finish up some profiles on the consulting she was doing and then left a note telling Nelson and Murphy she went home.
The sun was setting as she arrived home and let herself into the house. Hearing a noise from the kitchen Kenzi sighed and went to let Sunshine outside.
A hand reached out and grabbed her as she walked into the kitchen. A large knife was held to her face as a menacing voice taunted her eardrums.
“Poor bird, he lost his head. Maybe you should too,” the voice said muffled by the ski mask over the man’s face.
Kenzi could feel an arm wrap around her waist like a band of steel and her eyes squeezed shut. The hand on her waist snuck up to pinch her breast and then down coldly grasping her between the legs.
Kenzi’s brain seemed to shut down as the intruder fondled her and she could not seem to remember any of the training she’d had. The cold blade of the knife ran up and down her throat teasing her skin. Her breath came in gulps as she tried not to panic and remember exactly what to do.
His hand was unbuttoning her pants when the front door closed and Murphy and Nelson’s voices could be heard from the living room.
“We’ll finish this another time, perhaps,” he said as he fled out the backdoor.
Dylan seeing the man run out the door took chase as Nelson stooped down to check on Kenzi.
“Are you okay?” she asked as tears started to flow down Kenzi’s cheeks.
“He’s the one who sent the bird this morning,” Kenzi gasped out as she tried to get control of her emotions.
“Do you want me to call Shawn back here?” Nelson asked as she helped Kenzi into a chair.
“No, let him finish his report and then we’ll tell him when he comes back,” Kenzi said as she took the water Nelson offered her.
“He’s gone. Disappeared practically into thin air,” Dylan said as he came back inside, his clothes covered with dirt.
“Maybe we should move her to a safe house. Obviously this guy has deadly intentions for Kenzi,” Nelson suggested as she held her nose when Dylan came to stand next to her.
“Shut up! He ran through a pile of trash and I wanted to catch him. That’s not a bad idea. Kenzi?” Dylan asked.
“No, he’s not going to make me leave my house. He’s not going to control my emotions this way. I will have to make sure I always use the security system and I'm going to have a fence put up in the backyard,” Kenzi replied as she tried to get the grotesque feeling of the man’s hands on her body out of her mind.
Shawn arrived at Quantico to be ushered from one location to another. He filled out a report on the happenings and then his injury. He was put through all sorts of tests and his thoughts blurred into one.
Hours later, his head pounded and he felt an urge to call Kenzi to be sure she was all right. He explained his dreams and the notes to the new division leaders but they just seemed to nod and take down notes.
By the time he reached his quarters he was exhausted. Falling into a deep sleep he dreamed about Kenzi being attacked in their kitchen and then Murphy and Nelson chasing the intruder away. Shawn’s blood simmered when the man taunted Kenzi about the bird but it absolutely boiled when the man touched Kenzi’s body.
Shawn woke up gasping for air and reaching for the phone. He called and immediately asked Nelson what happened when she answered the phone.
“Don’t panic Shawn. Kenzi’s all right just a little shaken up, that’s all.”
“Nelson, that guy touched her. He touched her where no one but her and I have a right to touch her. Maybe I should come back now,” Shawn said as his grip tightened on the phone.
“Shawn, it’s three in the morning. She’s sleeping and besides she told us not to tell you until you get done and come back. Just hurry up, I think she’s going to need you.”
With that Nelson hung up the phone and paced around the room. Unknown to him a video camera watched his movements and people talked about exactly what his dream was about.
Hours later during the brunch that had been set up, Shawn was shown results of the newest branch of the FBI. Known as the Unexplained Results branch Shawn was given the brief history and shown his test results.
“Many people are believed to have psychic sense and just do not realize it. Mother’s intuition, clairvoyance, all that kind of stuff. Apparently, Agent Douglass, the blow to the head gave you a connection to the psychic world even if it only deals with your beloved,” an unidentified agent told him.
“So you’re telling me that I can sense when things are going to happen to my wife?” Shawn asked in disbelief.
“What happened to your wife last night?”
“What! She was attacked in our kitchen,” Shawn replied in disbelief.
“Yes, you were very agitated last night. You had a dream about it, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Shawn replied hoarsely.
“Maybe you can be of service to us but more than likely the connection will strongly relate to your family and friends and you won’t be able to use it on others.”
“What about those commercial psychics? They can relate to anyone,” Shawn replied under his breath.
“The FBI isn’t in the psychic business to capitalize on it. We’re in on it to solve crimes. Go home to your wife, or should I say your soon-to-be and once former wife, Agent Douglass,” the man said and then just as quickly left the table.
Shawn could not believe the day he’d had. He couldn’t wait to get home to Kenzi but he had a feeling something was going to happen before he could.