The Music of the Mind Ch. 16

First, a big thank you to all of you who have written me with your feedback for this series. Second a thank you for LadyCibille who continues to edit these stories, your help is so very appreciated. Lastly, my apologies for the length of time between chapters. I will strive to do better in getting the last two out. Cheers, S.T.

Chapter 16: Symphonic

I rose early the next morning while all the girls still slept. I felt clear headed and alert, and for the first time in a long time I felt I had a clear path ahead of me. Tonight I was to take Jill out on a date, and after I would tell her the truth, all of it. I was both terrified, and relieved.

I had admitted my love for her in front of my best friends last night, and that acknowledgement within myself made me feel stronger and more purposeful then I had felt in a long time.

I gathered up my things, left a note for the girls, and headed out to my truck. Boulder was covered in a thin blanket of white, and the brilliant blue sky and morning sun made it gleam and sparkle. I doubted it would last past noon, but for those of us that had risen early on this late fall day what a treat it was to see.

I went by the shop for a few hours that morning determined to tidy up a few accounts, and give instructions. It was probably not the best use of my time, but it helped to ground me, and make me feel like I still had a connection to my normal life. Aaron was as efficient as ever though, and I found I had little to do but offer a few words of advice on difficult clients, and sign off on some purchase orders and deliveries.

By noon I was out and about, and after a few more clothes purchases I headed home to my apartment. All the furniture had been delivered, and I spent most of the afternoon putting it away, and organizing my new place. I have to admit all those antiques looked awesome, though I kind of felt like my place now looked more like my grandmothers then mine. It would need some tweaking.

I spent the late afternoon showering and getting ready for my big evening. To say I was nervous would have been the understatement of the century. I had called Jill earlier in the day and left her a voice mail saying I was looking forward to our evening, and asking what time she wanted me to come over. I still hadn't heard back from her.

By seven I had already checked my hair five times in the bathroom mirror, changed my shirt twice, and generally let myself be way more neurotic then I normally am. Finally I decided to just head over, and hope she was ready for me.

I walked out of my condo, locking the door and setting my new alarm system. Part of me cringed at this new restriction on my life and freedom, but ultimately I knew it was necessary.

The lights in Jill's apartment were off, and even her porch light was out. I thought this was odd, but I walked over and knocked on the door anyway. I waited several seconds before knocking again, but there was still no answer. 'Maybe she had forgotten our date?' I thought, but that seemed unlikely. I had even called her cell, and reminded her earlier.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed her cell as I stood in the dark outside her door. As I stood there I heard a faint ringing coming from behind her door in conjunction with the ring on my phone, and I felt a chill creep up my spine. Jill always had her phone with her.

I let it ring until the voicemail picked up before hanging up, and then I froze. As I had stood listening to the ring on my phone my eyes had wandered, and I had found myself staring at the ground beside the door. Often when things are not right, but are mundane, it takes a few moments to register in our brains what is out of place

In this case, what had registered with me were shards of broken glass in the flowerbed beside Jill's door. I looked up to the window, and it was intact. I let my eyes track higher and I saw the porch light. Both the glass globe and the light bulb inside had been shattered.

I felt panic begin to rise in me like a tide, and on instinct I reached out and turned the handle on the door. It turned, and the door opened silently into the dark interior. I pulled my curtain all the way closed in my mind, and sent a pulse of fear and danger down my connection to the girls.

Instantly I felt a thread of connection to Suzan, Ellen and Tuyen spring to alertness in my mind. I felt their fear, but I also felt their protective determination as well. I walked in feeling for the light switch on the left, and snapped it on, jumping at the sudden light.

Beside the front door, the small table that sat there had fallen over, and a pile of junk mail and Jill's keys were spilled across the floor. How many times had I followed her into her apartment and watched her dump her things on that tall round table. My sense of apprehension began to border on panic now.

"Jill!? Are you here?" I shouted as I moved through the house. I looked in the kitchen, then moved back to her bedroom. Everything else in the apartment seemed to be in place. The bed was neatly made; the dishes stacked in the sink, only the table spoke of anything strange.

I began to slow down in my frantic pace through the house, and make a more slow and measured search. I found the note on the coffee table in the living room. It was short and to the point, and without any ambiguity.

It is never only between us my young fool. A good general uses his pawns wisely. If you want her back, you will have to come get her. In the meantime, I will be enjoying her company and all she has to offer. Such a beautiful girl. When you arrive, as I am sure you will, then we will settle things on my terms. I will have a guide to bring you here waiting behind your store tomorrow night at midnight. I have taken pains to find us a nice quiet place to chat, so do not waste your time looking for us. If you do not come, well that would be unfortunate for her.

D.

I read the note several times and with each reading my anger grew. I think that most of us never learn what levels of rage we are capable of. The events of normal life may cause us pain or anger, but not like the life threatening events I had been through in the last month.

Now, the anger I had felt against my enemies, the anger against the men in the alley with Wendy and Meg, even the anger I felt at the rapist I had saved her from paled in comparison to what rose in me now.

Sanity really is a fragile thing; it exists only because we will ourselves to conform to the rules of our society in order to be a part of it. This consensus reality it what allows order out of the madness of human emotion. At that moment I was not sane, I was barely human. If I could have rent Dolkoff with my teeth, pulling him limb from limb and tearing at his flesh I would have done so at that moment.

Luckily for me though I am not an animal, I am a man, and even more importantly I am a man who has friends who care about me. It was the girls who pulled me back down to earth. I felt a flood of emotional support wash through me even more powerful then what I had felt in the alley. It filled and grounded me at the same time.

I felt the rage come under control, and turn into a deep simmering anger that I could hold to keep me warm until I met with Dolkoff. When we did meet I would teach him about whose terms we were on.

As my head cleared, I realized my phone was ringing in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing Tuyen's cell number and flipped it open.

"Hello Tuyen." My voice sounded mechanical, even to myself.

"Mike what the hell is going on? Are you okay? What's happening?" Tuyen sounded almost hysterical. It was the first time I had ever heard her sound so out of control.

"I'm fine Tuyen. They took Jill." I said, my voice still flat, with no affect.

"What!? Where are you?" her voice had managed to rise another octave, which I found interesting in an analytical way.

"I am at Jill's place. I found a note from Dolkoff's. Look, stay calm, I'll be there in 20 minutes or so and we can talk this all over. Get everyone over there."

"Okay, but be careful. Stay in touch by, well you know."

"I will Tuyen, tell everyone I'm okay, but we have work to do." the first tinge of emotion creeping into my voice as the anger fought its way back up from where I had shoved it.

"Okay, be careful Mike." said Tuyen, her voice quieter now.

I snapped my phone shut and straightened the table by the door. I took Jill's keys and locked up as I headed out. I gathered a bundle of cloths and toiletries from my place, dumping them into a bag before heading for my truck. I didn't think I would be back here unless it was with Jill in tow.

As I drove through the dusk toward Susan's house I was tempted to try to call Jill's note to me. I fought the urge knowing that she was likely well guarded, and even calling her note could expose me in ways I didn't know of.

In fact I thought, the things I didn't know about what could be done with the gift was my greatest weakness. Dolkoff had spent how many years perfecting his use of these abilities for his own advancement. I had been at this for a much shorter period of time, though if I was correct I had more natural ability then Dolkoff.

This though really did not comfort me, for I much preferred to be the person with more finesse then brute strength. I was the guy who always took pleasure in outsmarting the bullies in school, now I was thinking I might have to be one. Still, play to your strengths. There might arise an opportunity to use my knowledge in a way that was not expected.

I also had the girls on my side, and that was a powerful benefit to me. It dawned on me then, that back at Jill's place I had felt Tuyen clearly now through the bond with Ellen and Suzan, lending me strength. I guess the time the girls shared last night together had worked to build the bond between them.

Here was another dilemma that I had created with the gift. I was now in some way, emotionally bonded to the three best friends of the woman I loved. I had slept with all of them, and to be truthful would love to do so again. I couldn't imagine Jill being okay with this situation but I couldn't see any way around telling her the whole truth of it. I'm afraid honesty was part of my upbringing.

By the time I pulled into the long drive to Susan's house on the hill I had managed to think myself into a very dark place. All I wanted to do was to find Jill, to keep her safe, and to forget about the gift, the genie, and Dolkoff, but that wasn't going to happen without a lot of work and luck.

Tuyen opened the door for me before I could even grab the knob and hugged me so tight I thought she might break one of my ribs. When she finally let go I followed her into the house. She had tears on her cheeks, and I felt the pain of Jill's loss beginning to creep into my consciousness.

Susan and Ellen gave me hugs of similar strength before pulling me into the living room and sitting on either side of me on the comfortable couch. I handed the note I had found to Ellen and by the time she handed it to Susan tears were rolling down her cheeks. The girls all read it one by one in silence. I broke the silence first.

"Where are Wendy and Meg?" I asked quietly. Ellen Answered me.

"They had to go earlier today. They both have lives they need to take care of. Hell we all do. I called them, they will be here soon."

"Good. I have to go meet Dolkoff's men tomorrow, I don't have a choice. I won't abandon Jill to those animals." I was surprised at the force in my voice, and the shear venom. None of the girls contradicted me, and I realized they were in this as much as I was. I continued.

"My only hope is that the bond I have with you will help me survive. That perhaps it is something new, something more powerful then Dolkoff is prepared for. But, one way or another we need to end this tomorrow night. None of us can go on living like this. If any of you want out, tell me now and I won't blame you." I was met by silence as I looked each of them in the eyes.

Their faces were tear-streaked but resolved. Tuyen looked at me with the fire and passion I had become so accustomed to in her spirit. It was as though a fire burned in her and lit her up from within. Ellen was composed, analytical, and I could see the gears turning at a rapid pace in her clever mind. Susan had her doctors face on now, giving nothing away, but clearly working the problem over in her sharp mind.

I realized I loved all the women in their own way, and that I couldn't have better friends to back me up in this fight. They were all wonderfully intelligent, and completely devoted friends. Perhaps that in itself would be an advantage. I didn't imagine Dolkoff having many friends.

At that moment a thought hit me and I smiled in spite of the situation. I saw all three of my friends get the same look of confusion on their faces at this smile and it almost made me laugh out loud. Tuyen was the first to speak up.

"Okay, I know that look. What are you thinking?" she said, one eyebrow arched.

"I have an idea, but I will need you three to help me. I need to do a little work, but that will leave me open. I want you three to try to protect me while I do it."

"How do we do that?" Ellen said

"I don't know lets just try it. Half of the things I have taught you I just figured out on my own. It may not work, and if that is the case I will stop." As I said this I realized I was committed to my new course of action either way.

"Hell, why not. Can't be any crazier then the rest of this." Ellen said with a wry half smile.

We situated ourselves on the couch, Ellen and Suzan on one side, Tuyen on the other. I opened the curtain in my mind enough to feel their notes beside me, and I called them closer to me. I let notes of love and friendship ring in each of them as I did so, and was immediately given the notes back from them.

I could already feel the bond between us expand and grow to a strong current. I could feel the torrent of fear and anxiety for Jill flowing between us, and the confidence the girls had in me. I could feel the love between Suzan and Ellen, and to a different degree between us all.

I focused first on just pulling the bond tighter and tighter together. All of our notes overlapping, our thoughts passing back and forth through each other's minds. It was the most beautiful music I had heard yet, and it made me want to weep for joy.

I let a loud note of trust and a loud note of faith ring in the girls as I opened my curtain all the way and reached out toward the plane of sound in my mind. All the notes of countless multitudes rang out on the horizon of my mind. I reached out and two notes raced toward me faster then I had thought possible.

Moments before they could slam into me I felt the girls' energy all around me. Not a curtain so much as a shield. The two notes of my attackers, who had clearly been waiting for me, slammed into a whirlwind of sound and emotions from the girls. It was as if I sat in the calm eye of a tornado reaching out to the plane of sound, while my attackers were buffeted by the spinning winds of the vortex.

They seemed to falter and then to regroup for a moment before lashing out at the girls in their spinning column of sound. I felt the anger and the hatred rise through my bond to them, and then I watched as the whirlwind of sound reached out and plucked the notes up like leaves from a sidewalk, and tore them to bits.

I am not sure what I registered first; the shock of the sight of those two minds destroyed in front of me, or the shock I felt through the girls at what they had just done. I felt our connections begin to falter, and I poured understanding back into it. I showed them the attack on Meg and Wendy, the man prepared to rape Wendy if they had not helped me.

I shared with them all the things I had seen that were horrible from these people. I reinforced the fact that they had Jill, that Dolkoff might even now be "enjoying her company", and felt the anger rise in all of them. These people were animals. They attacked first.

I felt the bond reform, I felt the shock begin to subside, and reassurance and love passed between all of us. As the bond stabilized I felt encouragement from the bonds, and I reached out once more onto the plane of thought.

I don't know how long I looked, but it felt like a terribly long time. When I found him at last, it was difficult to convey my desires to him, but eventually he understood. When I came back into my body I could barely sit up straight or even focus my eyes. I heard moans of fatigue from the girls next to me as I opened my eyes. Meg and Wendy were sitting on the love seat across from us, looking concerned.

Meg Spoke first "They are coming out of it. Hey guys, are you okay?"

Suzan spoke up, "Only if feeling like you got hit in the head with a sledge hammer is okay. Damn Mike, what did you do to us?"

"Sorry, I didn't realize it would be that tiring. Hey Meg, hey Wendy, you guys been here long?" I asked rubbing my forehead.

"Only about two hours, what the hell were you guys doing?" Wendy said, her voice trembling a little.

"I was trying to contact someone, and luckily I succeeded. Now if he will only help us."

"Who Mike?" Tuyen asked.

"I don't know if he will or can help us, so I don't want to say right now. But I do need to get my ass off this couch because I have to meet him in about 30 minutes across town."

I tried to stand only to have to be helped to my feet by Wendy and Meg. I felt a little woozy, but my strength was returning quickly.

"Mike I don't think you should be driving anywhere." Suzan said her doctor voice coming out subconsciously.

"We don't have a choice, there isn't much time. I need you guys to bring Meg and Wendy up on what is going on. If I am lucky, I will be back in about an hour with a plan."

__________________________________________

A large cup of coffee and two stale muffins from Suzan's kitchen got me back on my feet and out to my truck in short order. I was surprised to see that it was almost ten o'clock, almost three hours since I had gone to get Jill.

The city was still alive with people out on the town for the evening, and it took me almost 20 minutes to get to my shop. I parked out front and waited anxiously, my curtain tightly drawn in my mind. The feel of the girls rising and falling emotions through the bond was a great comfort to me.

I sat lost in thoughts for a moment when I heard the tap on the passenger side window. I jumped, nearly spilling the remainder of my coffee in my lap before nodding and flicking the switch to unlock the door. The door opened with a squeak and the rush of night air filled the car.

I looked over as Dimitry settled himself in the passenger seat, his long dark hair framing his pale face. He looked at me somberly, but then a slight smile formed on his face.

"I did not expect to hear from you so soon my friend, nor in such a manner. I was surprised you found me with my shields up." His voice rumbled as he spoke.

"I didn't know if I could contact you Dimitry, thanks for meeting me." I said quietly

"It is the least I could do for the man who saved my life." He said, smiling slightly again.

"Do you mind if I drive while we talk?" I asked

"Getting paranoid already? No not paranoid I suppose, not when they are out to get you. No, please drive." Dimitry said the smile now gone.

"First Dimitry, I want to say I don't expect anything of you. I am going to ask for your help now, but you don't owe me anything. I will understand if you simply wish to live your life in peace and not be pulled back into this confrontation with your father." I said glancing at him as I pulled into traffic and headed up toward the foothills.

He simply nodded, waiting for me to continue. I explained to him about Jill, handing him the note as I did so, and told him that I had to try to get her back. I told him that I had the help of friends, and that me and the girls seemed to have formed a bond that I hoped would help me confront his father.