Chapter 17: Rescue

The drive to San Diego was pleasant. She wanted to know all about my old life, and I guess I was ready to talk about it. I told her all about coming of age in the 1970's. She laughed when I related the trauma of switching my car stereo from 8-track to cassette (no hybrid systems in those days) and having to re-stock my entire music library. She wondered at a world with no cell phones, no cordless phones and only the rare television with a remote control.

We talked about my days in the Marines, meeting Maria and our life together. She understood my loss, my confusion. She never once doubted my love and devotion towards her.

Before long the ride was over and we were eating a late lunch at a restaurant about 4 blocks from the club.

"Are you sure you can do this, Danny?" We had decided to continue calling me Danny, I was used to it and wouldn't know what to do if I was referred to by my old name.

"Sure, Bob doesn't erase the original personality, he just covers it up. April is in there and I can get her out."

"No, I mean the club. You said there are a lot of bouncers and two others like you. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"They aren't just like me. I have better telekinesis than they do. Plus once I'm attacked they won't be able to keep up with me. I can get her out. I just don't know who I'll be bringing out with me, the real April, or bimbo April. If its bimbo April, I'll have to be fighting her as well."

"Won't this get you into trouble with... the others?"

"It shouldn't. Bob should have kept his hands off of April in the first place. She was already mine, in a manner of speaking. Once we get April back and safe, I'll call the boss and we'll get this straightened out."

"Maybe you should call him now."

"No, if I know Bob, he would deny everything and have April on a boat to Bahrain in an hour. I gotta get her out first."

After we ate, we went to a small park and lay under a tree, not saying anything, not having to - just being together, loving each other and being happy.

About eight o'clock we called it time and headed back for the car. I could tell she was worried. I was too, a little. I had battled rogues before but the odds were always even or in my favor since I was never alone. This was the first time I would be up against two adversaries and a bunch of drones. Plus, I would be busy with April.

Melody kissed me for luck and waited in the car. She parked about halfway through the parking lot, in a spot she could watch the door and come running as I came out.

I entered the club and spotted April right away. She was on the stage with a few other girls, playing to the audience and colleting bills in her g-string. To watch her I never would have guessed she was a bimbo, but then her eyes fell on me. She regarded me for a few moments, gyrating to the music then her gaze swept on past with no hint of recognition.

I sat down, ordered a beer, told the waitress I wanted a lap dance and which girl I wanted it from. Then I slipped her an extra twenty to put me first in line. While I waited I checked out the club - seven bouncers plus the guy at the door. The same two telepaths were there. Their job was to make sure anyone wanting a 'special' dance wasn't on the vice squad. If I tried to take April back to the VIP section they would spot me as a telepath. I wasn't sure how much they would care but I didn't want to take the chance. I would have to do it out here.

Finally April was standing before me. She was beautiful, as always and still had the fiery lust in her eyes. I slipped her a fifty and she asked seductively if I wanted to go in the back. I told her out here was fine. She began her dance, straddling me and rubbing her tits on my face. Once she was focused on her job, I went for her mind.

She wasn't a little girl running away this time, it was full grown April, but bound by hundreds of marionette strings that rose up into the blackness of her mind. She looked at me, a helpless pleading in her eyes.

"Danny! Help me!"

Her cry was desperate. I went to the puppet in her mind and examined the strings. I tried to break them but they were resistant. I left her mind to check out the club. As I receded I heard a distressed, "NO!"

I checked the telepaths but they hadn't sensed anything. I sent part of my awareness back into April's mind but kept a part out here to keep watch. The disorientation was nauseating. Maybe I should have brought Melody in with me. No, far too dangerous, I would just have to cope.

"Danny! Don't leave me again. Get me out of here!"

I went back to her strings. "You will have to help, April. You are strong enough, I know you are."

I reached up and grabbed the string leading to her right hands. Pulling it down I held it on front of her.

"Only you can break this."

"I've tried! I can't!" She sounded so helpless.

Come on, you are April. You are the strongest person I know. They can't keep you imprisoned like this."

"Please, Danny, I need you."

"I'm here for you April. I won't leave you. But you have to fight like you have never fought before. Someone else may have placed these bonds here, but they are made of your own mind. You have to find every ounce of strength inside you. You have to be determined that no one holds you against your will!"

The look in her eyes changed, from desperation to determination to anger to rage. She looked up at the void above here, where the strings all lead. She screamed in outrage and defiance and the string to her head burst into flame and disappeared. She lunged her head forward and took the strand I held between her teeth and it too vanished. Her right hand now partially free, she began ripping at the others.

I was having problems of my own. At the first sign April was regaining control of herself the other telepaths had noticed me. The drones were closing in. I couldn't leave April's mind just yet. She needed the strength my presence gave her. I only needed a few more minutes.

My awareness still split, I stood with April in my arms as the first waves of fire hit my shield. With part of my mind in April and my shield under such assault, I would have to deal with the drones the old fashioned way. As the first one approached, I didn't even wait for fight speed, I spun a roundhouse to the side of his head. You ever try to do a roundhouse kick with 100 pounds of naked, squirming Korean beauty in your arms? It isn't as much fun as it sounds. He dropped anyway.

The next guy was moving a lot slower and he got a shin planted firmly into the lower two ribs of his left side, I heard the cracks and he flew over a chair. In her mind April was still tearing at her bonds. The more she released, the more her actions were transmitted to her real body. Her thrashing made it hard to hold on. The drones were still coming and the pressure on my shields was building to a force I wasn't sure I could hold off.

"Harder!" I shouted to the April in her mind, "you've got to get free, I don't know how much longer I can stay with you!"

My feet were lashing out in all directions, drones attacked and were repelled; I felt tendrils of heat seeping through my shield. A fist connected with the right side of my head as I kicked at a drone on my left. There were too many of them. More blows connected and it felt like was standing far too close to a raging bonfire.

Covering April as best I could I dropped to the floor and went all the way into her mind.

I began pulling at the strings, trying to help her get free. She redoubled her efforts. As I reached up to grab a string, the skin on the back of my hand smoldered and blistered.

Just as the pain was becoming almost unbearable she was free. I was swept out of her mind back to the floor of the club. Feet and fists were raining down upon me - the fire was intense. I renewed my shield and lashed out with telekinetic bolts. No more fire, the drones pushed back, I regained my feet and bundled April in my arms. The pressure was still on my shields but I couldn't tell where the telepaths were. Again I lashed out with my feet. But I was also striking with my telekinetic bolts as well. The drones fell back as we made our way to the door. I spotted one of the telepaths and shot him with a bolt. He dropped like a sack of potatoes and the pressure on my shield decreased, then stopped.

April began screaming in agony. The remaining bastard was targeting her. I hugged her close and bent my head to hers. I tried to make my shield protect her. It didn't work. I was at fight speed so I knew she hadn't been burning as long as it seemed, but it probably seemed even longer to her. I sent out a powerful broad scan, trying to find a hole where a shield might be. There! The far corner. I sent large bolt of energy that direction. April quit screaming and went limp. She had been burning for almost two full seconds, not long enough for any permanent damage, but it must have been horrific to endure. I cleared away the remaining drones and ran out to the parking lit.

The second I burst through the door I heard tires squealing and Melody was right there. I piled in with April on my lap and she took off. We didn't relax until we were on the highway. Then Melody looked at me cradling the sleeping April and snorted,