Chapter 5

After going inside to the lobby, I made my way to a chair and sat for a moment. I quickly connected again with the girl who had been with Mr. Wilshire. She was in her office, and the nameplate on the desk said Courtney Smythe, special coordinating director, whatever the hell that was. I checked on Mr. Wilshire's location, and he was at his home out in the boonies.

The first thing I did, was ask to see Ms. Smythe. The next thing was that her beauty in person was an almost psychical thing. She was absolutely beautiful. She had a lovely voice, and she spoke with a British accent. Everything about her was adorable. She escorted me to her office and I sat where she indicated, with the door to her office behind me.

"So what can I and the hotel do for you Mr. Garner?" she asked in that British voice of hers.

Chills went through me and I was finding this disconcerting. I definitely needed a girlfriend!

"I find myself in a rather strange position. What I am about to tell you is totally confidential, and if you tell anyone about it, it can get me into a lot of trouble," I started.

She nodded and waited for me to continue.

I took a deep breath and plunged in. "I have an ability which is unique, as far as I know. I work for Homeland Security, and Tom Wilshire was brought to my attention a couple weeks ago," I paused here.

I could see just a slight tensing around her eyes, but she stayed cool. I was impressed with her control.

"My ability is that of making a connection to someone anywhere in the world from just studying a photograph of that person. I was given a picture of Mr. Wilshire to look at and tried to make the connection, but I got nothing. Nor did I get what I normally do for someone who is dead.

"I told the gentleman from one of the US government's agencies that this Mr. Wilshire was dead, because I received and was getting nothing. Well, thats not a hundred percent true. I was still actively seeking, but I was already over the normal time it takes me to check the entire world. So I told him Mr. Wilshire was dead.

"I assumed that was the end of it, and a couple weeks went by until I had cause to look him up in a Boston newspaper's archives, via the internet. As soon as I saw the photo of him with the accompanying article, the connection was almost instant. He was there!

"Not only was he there, but you were in the car with him. You two were driving down I-70, headed into the city. I watched as he let you out of his car at this very hotel. I followed him mentally through several stops. Then, low and behold, after a stop at an old car shop of some sort, he disappeared. He reappeared in a barn at," I gave her the address and waited.

"I don't understand. What is it you want from me Mr. Garner?" She said tightly.

"I would like you to arrange a meeting with Mr. Wilshire. I need to contact him, speak with him. I mean him no harm, nor have I informed my superiors at Homeland security, or this other agency that Mr. Wilshire is back on my radar so to speak," I said.

She glanced behind me. Since I had not heard the door open or close, I kept my attention on her.

"I'll take it from here, Courtney," a voice said from behind me.

I jumped to my feet, and turned around. There was Tom Wilshire, standing right in front of me. He had something in his hand that he held out. He looked at it, and then put it in his jacket pocket.

I was looking at a man several years older than I was. He looked to be in good shape and was about the same height as I was. We stood there, looking eye to eye. I caught the motion of Courtney moving off to the side of the room.

"Hello, Tom. I was just asking Courtney here to arrange a meeting between us," I said, a bit unsure of myself now that he was there.

"I heard. So what can I do for you, Mr. Garner was it?" He asked me.

"Well, I know for a fact that you were at your home because I checked just before I came into this office. I have been in here, what, five minutes? Yet here you are, in a place that takes well over thirty minutes to drive to, from where you were. I am not here to make trouble for you. I have never met another 'talent' before, though, and I am curious. I know you can teleport, but I think thats only part of it," I finished awkwardly.

Now that I was confronting him, it seemed all my thoughts were a confused jumble. I had thought I knew what to say and how to pursue this, but now that the reality of the situation was here, I was stumbling.

"I repeat, what do you want from me," Tom asked me again.

I was stumped. What did I want? I hadn't really thought it out yet. I just knew I had wanted to make contact.

"After Mr. Smith from the CIA gave me your picture to study..." he interrupted me.

"Smith?" Tom queried in a musing tone, then described Smith to a T.

I nodded and he grinned. He had an engaging grin.

"He was always too serious to believe. He really is one hundred percent into the whole spy thing. Glad I'm out of it," he said the last almost to himself.

"Tom, can you two take this somewhere else? I really need to get some work done," Courtney spoke up from the corner she was standing in.

"Ms. Smythe honestly, I am not going to harm you," I told her when I noticed where she was.

"Oh, I know you won't. I just wanted to get out of Tom's way in case he does something to you," she said smiling.

I raised an eyebrow at her. Bloodthirsty little thing.

"Wow, I hope to get a girlfriend like you some day," I said in an admiring tone of voice.

She grinned at me.

"I think we need to adjourn this to somewhere more quiet, Mr. Garner," Tom told me.