Free Prisoner of Fire by Edmund Cooper

better then.”
    “I’m sorry, sir. Time is important to us, as you will appreciate.”
    Jenny gave a brittle laugh. “I have just thought of something. We still live in a democracy. Humboldt can’t have it all his own way yet. I’ll call a press conference and tell everybody that I’m Vanessa’s mother. I’ll tell them all I know, and—“
    “Just what do you know, Mrs. Pargetter?” Ingram struck like a snake.
    Simon, alert to all the implications, cast a despairing look at his wife. Jenny was in no mood for caution.
    “Attend the press conference, and find out.”
    Ingram sighed. “There will be no press conference, Mrs. Pargetter. If there were, you would simply be discredited as a neurotic woman. Officially, your daughter does not exist. But there will be no press conference.”
    Simon put a hand on Jenny’s shoulder, trying to reassure her, trying to calm her, trying to restrain her. But she was in no mood for restraint.
    Again she laughed. “I am a free citizen. I havecommitted no crime. Try and stop me. Let us see who will be discredited.”
    Even before she had finished speaking, Denzil Ingram pressed a button on a small electronic device he had in his pocket. He was not happy. This was going to be one of those jobs where everything had to be done the hard way.
    Simon Pargetter, not knowing that it was already too late, did his best to avert the collision. “My wife is overwrought, Mr. Ingram. Perhaps if I were to talk to her alone for a few minutes, it would—” He never completed his sentence.
    There was a noise at the door, a dull plop. Then the door opened and four men burst into the flat. When they saw Denzil Ingram sitting calmly in his chair, they stood still, as if awaiting orders. Jenny gazed at them open-mouthed. Simon seemed numbed.
    “Mr. Pargetter,” said Ingram, “I really am sorry about this, but your wife’s attitude leaves me no choice. I cannot afford to take risks.”
    “What are these men doing here?” stormed Jenny. “Get them out! Get them out of my home! I’m going to bring a criminal charge against you for this.”
    “Jenny,
please.
You’re making it worse.” Simon Pargetter had enough grip on reality to know what was happening.
    Denzil Ingram stood up. “Mrs. Pargetter, I am taking you and your husband into protective custody. You will both be well looked after in comfortable surroundings. Perhaps you would like to pack a few things.”
    “Protective custody!” Jenny screamed. “Who are these people—Black Joe’s thugs?” She flung her empty glass at him. Her aim was good, and Ingram was caught by surprise. The glass shattered on his forehead, leaving a small cut.
    Jeez, I’m getting old, he told himself. You can never tell with women. One of the snatch team had drawn a gun. Ingram motioned to him to put it away. Then he took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the blood he felt trickling down towards his left eye.
    “Mrs. Pargetter, I am convinced you know something about Vanessa. It may be important, or it may not. You will have to be probed.”
    “You can’t do that,” said Simon angrily. “You don’t have the power.”
    Ingram gave a faint smile. “You would be amazed to know what powers I have, Mr. Pargetter. You really would. Now, let’s not waste any more time.”
    Dr. Lindemann broke the ampoule and quickly filled his hypodermic syringe. Dugal sat passively on the chair, staring out through the window. There were dark circles round his eyes. A growing child needs quite a lot of sleep. Dugal had had very little during the past three days.
    Lindemann was not naturally callous. He knew that the boy was near to exhaustion; and he had tried to use some of his other star paranormals to ease the burden. But Dugal, he knew, was the only one who could effectively reach Vanessa. Dugal, at his best, and with the will, could pass all her blocks and go in deep.
    The scientist knew now that his professional future depended on producing results. He, certainly,