Page 3 of The Night Island

Luke ignored Katy’s panic-stricken face. He had the fix now. He concentrated on the dangerously unstable frequencies of her husband’s aura.

“All right, Mr.Pilcher,” he said, infusing the words with the counterpoint currents that would send Pilcher’s vibe into a wildlyoscillating mode. “We understand this is a private matter. Give us a little time to clear out of here.”

Hobbs scowled. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“You’ve got thirty seconds,” Pilcher screamed. “If you’re not gone, I’ll—”

He went silent, his mouth open, his eyes wide as he stared at something only he could see.

“Shit,” Hobbs whispered. “What’s going on?”

Luke did not reply. He had the focus. He continued talking to Pilcher.

“It’s over, Pilcher,” he said, continuing to lace his words with the frequencies that would suppress the erratic wavelengths of the other man’s aura. “You don’t want to kill your wife.”

“Stop,” Pilcher said. But he sounded dazed and disoriented. “What are you doing?”

“The situation has changed,” Luke said. “Let Katy go. You don’t need her.”

Pilcher hauled Katy deeper into the house and away from the door. Now neither could be seen.

“You don’t want to hurt Katy,” Luke called, forcing as much energy into the words as he could manage. He was still learning the limits of his new talent. “There will be nothing but pain if you hurt her. More pain than you have ever known—”

The muffled roar of a gunshot inside the house reverberated through the woods.

“Fuck,” Hobbs muttered. He raised his hand to signal the officers to move in.

“Don’t shoot,” Katy Pilcher screamed from the shadows. “Please. It’s me. I think my husband is dead.”

“Toss the gun outside, Ms.Pilcher,” Hobbs ordered.

The pistol sailed through the doorway and landed on the front steps.

“Come out with your hands up,” Hobbs ordered.

Katy Pilcher emerged. She came down the steps, moving awkwardly. An officer intercepted her and pulled her to the side of the house, out of the line of fire.

But there were no more shots.

A deep silence emanated from inside the house. The officer who had taken Katy to safety shouted from his position on the side of the structure.

“She says Pilcher had some kind of seizure. He collapsed. She grabbed the pistol and shot him because she was afraid he would recover and kill her.”

Hobbs looked at the shocked woman. “Are there any more guns in the house, Ms.Pilcher?”

“No,” she said. “I swear it. I thought about getting one to protect myself but I didn’t. I just hoped he would never find me.”

She started to cry.

Hobbs gave the orders to secure the house and moved forward. Luke watched the officer escort Katy Pilcher to a patrol vehicle. She half collapsed on the rear seat and put her face into her hands.

Luke walked to the vehicle, flattened a palm on the roof, and leaned in a little. He opened his senses, got the focus, and infused a calming note into his voice.

“Are you hurt, Ms.Pilcher?” he asked.

She raised her head, lowered her hands, and looked at him with stricken eyes. “He was going to kill me this time. Not just beat me like he did before. He was really going to kill me.”

Luke reflected on the terrible energy in Pilcher’s voice. “I know.”

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