He made a rough sound. “We’re getting ourselves in deeper every time we turn around.”

“I know. But I want to get the women out of there—then find a way to destroy Lang’s whole operation.”

“That’s a tall order. How long has he been in business?”

“I don’t know exactly.” She gave him a pleading look. “I realize this whole thing is a mess, but I want to see it through. Not just for me. Polly died because I was stalking Lang.”

Relief flooded through her when he said, “Okay.”

“I think we have to go find Sabrina.”

He tightened his hands on the wheel.

She put her fingers on his arm, and she knew she didn’t have to speak out loud for him to pick up what was in her mind. He turned off onto a two-lane road and slowed, finding a clearing to pull off the blacktop.

“You want to talk about how we’re going to work it when we return to the house?”

“Yes.”

“What was your original plan?”

She flapped her arm in frustration. “I wish I knew. Probably, I hadn’t come up with anything definite, which was why I hadn’t acted.”

“But you’re thinking about something that might help.”

She grinned. “You read me so well.”

When he’d cut the engine, she unbuckled her seat belt and leaned toward him. They clung together, both thankful that they’d gotten away from The Mansion.

She pulled away so she could look at him.What if we have a technique we can use?

He knew she was thinking about a book she’d read—about a girl whose parents had been part of a government drug experiment in college. The people who survived came away with superpowers. For example, the girl’s father had been able to influence the actions of others.

Have you read it?

Yes. It’s by Stephen King.

In the book, the father called his power giving people a push—influencing their actions and perceptions.

And you think we can do that? Isn’t that a little grandiose? he asked.

We won’t know until we try it.

“We’d have to practice to be sure we can do it,” he said.

“Of course.”

“Who do we practice on?”

“I don’t know yet.”

He switched topics and asked, “Do you know the part of Baltimore where you met with Sabrina?”

“Yes. I think that’s where I was going when I crashed my car. She gave him directions, and they drove back to the city.”

“But you don’t know exactly where to find Sabrina,” he said as they approached the right part of town.

“I think I only knew her through Wendy—the woman who adopted a child and was one of my clients.”