Nightrise

in her face — this was a son who was about to do something horrible.
    "Jamie!" Alicia had called out a warning. The policeman who had seen them drive down the ramp was searching for them. He was in front of the filling station — and would have spotted them if it hadn't been for the crush of people between them. There were three more policemen with him.
    "Ladies and gentlemen. It is my very great honor to welcome a fine politician and a fine man back to his hometown on this —- his big day…!"
    The mayor was speaking. His voice was being amplified by speakers positioned all the way up the street.
    Jamie saw him, standing on a platform in front of a bank of microphones. Senator Trelawny was next to him.
    The crowd burst into applause.
    Scott was staring at something, deep in concentration. Jamie couldn't run over to him. He would have to push his way through four lines of people, climb over the barrier, and cross the road. He would never even get close. There was only one thing he could do.
    "Scott!"
    He projected his thoughts over the crowd, directly into his brother's head.
    And reeled back, stunned.
    It was as if he had run into a brick wall. He actually felt it, a physical blow. His head snapped back. He tasted blood.
    "Jamie? What are you doing?" Alicia had managed to reach him. Daniel was with her. But Jamie couldn't explain it to her. Not now.
    "Fifty years old today — and before he's fifty-one, he'll be the next president of the United States." The mayor grinned and put an arm around Senator Trelawny. The crowd applauded again.
    "Scott! It's me!"
    Jamie tried again. Once again, he was rocked backward. His brother had built a sort of force field around himself. It had never happened before. Scott wasn't letting him in.
    "Mom…!" Daniel pointed. The policemen had seen them.
    What was
    Scott doing? His eyes seemed to be fixed on the senator. No. It was the big, fair-haired man next to him.
    The security chief. What was his name?
    Warren Cornfield removed his sunglasses. Jamie saw him drop them on the ground as if he no longer cared about them. Then he took out his gun.
    Jamie understood exactly what was happening. He could see it in the eyes of the gray-haired woman, her expectant smile. This was her doing. It was all happening exactly as she had planned.
    A presidential candidate may feel safe, but he is always surrounded by men with guns — and one of those men had just been turned against him. Scott's powers must have grown stronger than ever. He was giving orders telepathically, without opening his mouth. Jamie could see it happening now.
    He was ordering Warren Cornfield to assassinate his boss.
    And standing next to him, Susan Mortlake felt the power flow and almost wanted to laugh out loud.
    How ironic it was that it should be one of the Five who would be instrumental in creating the new world…and one that would have President Charles Baker in the driver's seat. It was perfect. The blond-haired man would kill Trelawny. There would be thousands of witnesses. Nothing would connect him with Nightrise. Later on, they would assume he had gone mad. And she and the boy would slip quietly away. It was almost too easy. And this was just the beginning…
    Jamie was sweating. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't break through the crowd. He couldn't connect with Scott. But now he could see the gun in Warren Cornfield's hand. The security man was staring into space, unable to stop himself. Nobody else had seen him. Everyone was watching Trelawny and the mayor.
    "Ma'am — I want you to come with us…" The policemen had reached them, the crowd parting to let them through. The officer who had seen them on the bridge was leading them. He was short and plump with brown-tinted glasses and a moustache. Alicia turned to argue with him.
    Warren Cornfield aimed his gun at Trelawny.
    Jamie was still fighting, trying to reach Scott. But the wall was solid. There was no way through.

    It was over.
    No.
    There was another way…
    Jamie turned away from his brother and focused all his mental energy on Cornfield. He sent his thoughts across the street, through all the noise and the confusion, the cheering and the applause, and immediately it was as if he had broken into a private room and Scott was there with him, inside the security man's head. Jamie heard him giving the orders that were forcing Cornfield to commit murder. At the same moment, he felt the gun in his hand, his finger tightening on the trigger, and