Free Emerald Sky by David Clarkson

she has any sense, which having
studied her record extensively - I know she does, she will certainly change her
appearance again. We have to move now or we may never get another chance like
this.’
    The colonel picked up the receiver to his
desk phone.
    ‘Let me make a few calls. I’ll have this
woman checked out. If there are any abnormalities then we’ll bring her in. You’ve
seen the media circus surrounding this story – do you really want to get
involved in that without good cause?’
    ‘We already have more than enough cause.
What about the boy – do you think it was a coincidence that he turned on the TV
when he did?’
    ‘Did Jimmy himself say this is our girl?’
    ‘No, he’d already left at that point.’
    ‘Then this is your prediction, not his,
and you are no psychic, Agent Cruz.’
    Esteban pressed his hands down on the
table top, leaning in toward his superior officer.
    ‘Maybe this is just a hunch, but that
didn’t work out so bad for you before, did it? I brought you the boy and now if
you allow me to do my job, I will go and get the girl too.’
    Before the colonel could reply, a call
came through on his intercom. It was one of the guards watching Jimmy’s cell.
The boy was on the move again and this time he was attempting to leave the
complex.
    ‘Let me go,’ insisted Esteban. ‘I’ll take
the boy. All we have to do is head in the general direction and his foresight
will do the rest. We won’t get another opportunity like this.’
    The colonel paused for a moment to
consider the options. Monitoring Jimmy and using his visions for intelligence
purposes was one thing, but actually deploying this asset in the field carried
a whole different set of risks. Escape was obviously a concern, but not nearly
as great a concern as that of what may happen if Jimmy was exposed publically.
It would completely kill the operation. Ultimately, though, Esteban was right.
This was the only lead they had and such an opportunity may never come again.
With reluctance, he bowed to the pressure placed upon him by the soldier he had
not wanted to work with in the first place.
    ‘Okay, you can take the kid, but I also
want a full squad backing you up. If there is any doubt as to whether this is
our girl, you will stand down immediately. The press are not to be involved in
the search for Emmy Rayne – do you get that?’
    ‘Loud and clear, Colonel.’
    ‘Then what are you waiting for, soldier?’
    Esteban nodded and then turned to the
door. Just as he was about to leave, the colonel called out to him.
    ‘Oh, and one more thing. You’re leaving
here with one prisoner in your custody and I expect you to return with two. If
you screw this up, your career is finished. Do you understand?’
    Esteban did not bother giving an answer.
A long and distinguished career had never ranked high on his agenda. All he
cared about was doing what needed to be done. Besides, with Jimmy in tow, he
suspected that whatever would come of this mission, his fate was already
sealed.

 
    Chapter 10
     
     
    ‘How much farther do we have to go?’
    ‘It doesn’t work like that. I only see
the journey, not the destination.’
    Esteban nodded. The kid had never lied to
him before and God knows he had reason to. Jimmy had been taken into custody
without access to a lawyer or a phone call. They kept him locked up in a cell
at night and for most of the day. Yet from the beginning he had done nothing
but cooperate with them in every way. This kid had faith – real faith, and in
comparison Esteban could only rue the fragility of his own flawed and hollow
convictions.
    ‘So what are you seeing right now?’
    ‘The same as what you’re seeing - an
empty highway. The visions showed me when to turn onto this road and they’ll
return when it’s time for us to turn off of it. Until that time, I expect my
sense to be dormant. The universe is very economical like that. It’s all to do
with quantum physics or something.’
    Esteban slammed his