Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? I don't know how long it was, but finally I stopped talking and crying, but I still clung to Andrew and rocked back and forth with him. I was disinclined to stop. I didn't want to have to face him leaving. There could be no other possible outcome, not after what had just happened. A thoughtless comment of mine had ripped into Andrew's soul and caused unimagined pain and suffering for him. I'd be surprised if he didn't spit on me, as he left. I'd be very lucky if he didn't beat the shit out of me when I brought him back out.
Finally we detached ourselves from one another and sat back looking at each other. "Deeper Andy, " I whispered to him as I reached out and touched his forehead. Andrew's torso sagged, and slowly his breathing became deep, and regular. I waited a few minutes longer to be sure that he was relaxed and at peace before I brought him out of his hypnotic trance. His eyes opened and he blinked a few times as he focused on my face. He didn't say anything. He merely looked at me quietly, with a somewhat blank and empty expression. I didn't know what to make of it.
"I'm so very sorry, Andy," I whispered to him. I slowly reached out my right hand and took his left hand in mine. He didn't flinch or jerk his hand away, and I was thankful for that. I covered his hand with both of mine. "I don't know what else to say, other than to beg your forgiveness," I continued. "Honestly, I didn't know."
"I wish you could have left me in hypnosis a while longer," Andrew said, in a small voice. "It was so nice back there. But, I guess we have to face this. I'm not what you expected or wanted, and I can see by the look on your face that you are disappointed in me. A big strong RCMP constable, who is in reality less of a man and more of a coward than you could ever be. Too afraid to take that final step." Andrew shuddered as he spoke the last word and looked away from me. He paused for a moment , and continued speaking. "It's okay. I understand. Give me a minute to pull myself together and I'll be leaving.....corporal."
"What a crock of bull!" I exclaimed.
Andrew snapped his head back , and looked at me with an expression of shock frozen on his face. Well, at least I had his attention now. "I can't believe that you could be so thick headed and addle minded!" I continued, but in a softer and kinder voice. "Who ever said that we were going to get serious tonight, or even anytime in the future? I thought we agreed earlier that nothing was going to happen. When did this change?"
Andrew looked at me confused and a bit hurt. "I...uh....I guess it didn't." He answered after a few seconds thought. "But I thought that once you knew about my inadequacy, that you'd be a bit disappointed. And you were. I could tell by the expression on your face."
"Yes, I am disappointed," I said to him. "But not in the way that you think. I am disappointed in you, that you would sell yourself short like this. Being a virgin is not a shortcoming. All it means that you haven't found the right man yet. Give yourself time. You will know when the time is right." I paused for a few seconds to let that sink in. "I'm more disappointed in myself, though. I caused you unwarranted and unnecessary pain tonight by insisting that you reveal a secret that you really didn't want to tell me. Painful situations like this are the types of things that I try to avoid, and I didn't do a very good job tonight. I am sorry for that, Andy."
Andrew looked at me and thought about what I had just said. "So where does this leave us then?" He finally asked, but in a voice that was much stronger, than before. "What happens now?"
"I don't see that much has really changed," I answered, and smiled at him. "This is still our first date, and I'd be happy to snuggle with you in front of the fire for a few hours more. We can talk and start to get to know each other a little bit. You can leave when it gets late."
"One step at a time, you mean?" Andrew asked, and that sexy smile of his finally returned to his face.
"Exactly. Now I don't know about you but I'm starting to get a bit chilled. Care to share some body warmth?" I asked with a lopsided grin.
"Sure," Andrew replied and moved over next to me. He kissed me on the lips and whispered a soft 'thank you' in my ear as he got comfortable next to me. It took only a few minutes before we were back together, and I was lost in that wonderful world of those big strong arms of his.
We passed the remainder of the evening like that, holding each other close and talking. There were a couple more session of hypnosis for Andrew, but all that happened was some sweet wonderful caressing of his chest and stomach. (Three guesses who got to do that, and the first two don't count.) Andrew became very stimulated, as did I, but we kept control of ourselves. There were many more long sweet slow kisses enjoyed that night. I discovered that Andrew was a kind, sweet and gentle man, with a profound depth to his soul that I had not expected. He wasn't vain or full of himself. He was compassionate, caring, and considerate. He didn't lie and say that he was falling in love with me, but he say that he thought we had a good beginning. When I asked him 'a beginning to what', he said he didn't know, but that he hoped we would both find out given time. It was an honest answer, and for me it was enough.
Finally though, Andrew left my apartment at about 2:30 AM, and headed home. It was a successful first date, for the most part. I knew that we still had many things to talk about, and some issues to resolve, but give us time. We had each broken down in front of the other person, and not been repulsed. I wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but I took it as a positive sign. It was much too late for any more thinking though, so I headed off to bed after being sure that the fire was completely out. My last thoughts as I lay in my bed waiting for sleep to wash over me was that before he had left, Andrew had promised to call me in a day or two to set up a time for another date. I hoped he would keep his word.
Chapter 11. The Panel.
It was just as well that Andrew wanted a few days to think about things, since I had something I had to attend to anyway. My lack of success in influencing Andrew was still praying on my mind, and I decided to go and visit Mary at The Coffee Shop to see if she could shed any light on the situation. Knowing her as well as I did, I was sure that she could explain what had happened, or rather what had failed to happen. Perhaps she could also explain what had happened to me during the mental duel with Lyle. However, when I thought about talking to her about that, I got that sense of danger in my mind again. I trusted Mary. She had been my mentor, but I also trusted my new instincts too. They had saved my life a couple of times, and that is something that you just don't ignore, not even for friendship. I decided to keep quiet about the duel with Lyle.
I had other errands to run that morning, so I arrived at The Coffee Shop at about 2:30 PM, which was usually a slow time. Mary wasn't on duty, so I ordered a cup of coffee, some toast and sat down at one of the booths to read my Saturday paper. I figured that Mary would probably show up sooner or later. I took my time as I read the paper and sipped my coffee. I was in no hurry to go anywhere. I was enjoying myself as I indulged in a rare luxury, that of wasting time.
I was halfway through reading 'Dear Abby' when it happened. I felt the icy touch of danger on the back of my neck. I put down my newspaper and looked around me. I did not see anyone who looked threatening, but the feeling of danger was strongest behind me. I slowly turned around, schooling my face to remain calm no matter what. Mary was on duty at the counter. I smiled at her, and she smiled back at me, but it didn't feel the same. I had come here to talk with Mary anyway, and now was as good a time as any. I walked back to the counter where she was, and waited for a break in the traffic of customers.
"Hi Mary," I said when I managed to grab a few free moments of her attention. "If you have a minute, could we go into the back room and talk for a bit?"
She looked at me warmly, but again something didn't feel right. "Sure, Paul. Just give me a minute and I'll be free"
A few minutes later I followed her back into one of the storage rooms in the back of The Coffee Shop where there was always a couple of empty chairs and a table. There was also a lock on the door to assure privacy. We sat down and got comfortable. She looked at me quietly, waiting for me to begin, and smiled a few times to silently encourage me to start talking.
"Okay, well I've met someone very unusual," I said quietly and calmly. Mary appreciated it when I stuck just to the facts and kept the details simple. "He appears to be completely immune to my abilities. I had a lot of physical contact with him, such as holding his hands, but I was not able to influence him or to touch his mind at all. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
"Yes," she answered. "Just as there are people like you and I who have this gift, there are those people who are able to block or resist it. It is a natural ability, just like ours. You could consider it the opposite or balance of what we have." She suddenly beamed at me, got up, walked over to where I was sitting in my chair, and hugged me tightly. I was stunned and surprised. I hadn't expected such a response.
"I'm so happy for you!" She cried with joy. "You've done it!"
"Done what? Slow down a second. What are you talking about?" I asked as my puzzlement grew.
"Why you've found the man you were looking for all these years," she answered me, as she fought back the tears that were threatening to cascade out of her eyes. "You've found your true opposite. Your soul mate. Your partner for life."
"But we hardly know each other!" I protested. "It's kind of early for wedding bells!"
"Maybe I am overreacting just a tad," she admitted, smiling her warmest smile at me yet. She paused for a moment or two as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. Unlike earlier, this smile looked and felt genuine. She really was happy for me. "But it is a very good sign," she continued. "Most people who have this gift of ours find it impossible to have any meaningful relationship with anyone whom they can dominate easily. The most satisfying relationships are the ones that are more like relationships without the gift. That is to say, the less you can influence your partner or read his mind with your gift, the more likely you are to have a normal relationship. Do you see what I mean?"
"Yeah, I guess I do," I answered as the truth of what she said dawned on me. (Who would want a relationship where your partner was just a puppet?) "But what about your partner, Richard?" I asked her. "I was able to read his mind, that other time a few years ago. Were you?"
"No, I can't read his mind," Mary said with a smile. "What you sensed was how I felt about Richard, and also the feelings that he had for me. You never touched his mind, and neither have I. At least not in the way that we have linked our minds."
Mary looked at me, beaming with joy at the potential happiness I'd found and walked back to her chair opposite mind across the table from me. Her face slowly lost it's smile. It became almost sad. I felt the icy touch of danger at the back of my neck, but it was much stronger this time.
Mary got up, walked over to the door and unlocked it. She opened it. In walked three men and a woman all of whom I'd never seen before. My feeling of danger increased several fold. I had no idea what was going on here, but decided to take precautions. I took a few calming breaths, and got ready to reinforce my mental shields at the first sign of an attack of any type.
"Friends of yours?" I asked Mary, as these strangers each collected a chair from the back wall, placed the chairs beside the chair Mary had been sitting in, and then sat down. It was a lame joke. The cool, calm neutral expressions set on their faces was anything but friendly. These people were seated in a man woman alternating arrangement. Mary's vacant chair meant that she was the woman on the right. I did not have time to get a good look at the four strangers, as Mary started speaking as soon as everyone was seated. I could only spare enough attention to note that all the men were dressed casually, in jeans and golf shirts or some other type of casual shirts, each in a different color. The woman was dressed in jeans and a loose white T-shirt, while Mary had on her work uniform. I turned my attention back to Mary as she started speaking again.
"Not exactly," Mary replied, locking the door. She walked over to her chair and sat down in it. "Are we ready?" she asked the strangers. Each nodded their head in silent agreement. "Good," Mary said then turned to address me.
"Paul Walton, we have been tracking your progress over the past few years," Mary spoke to me in a cool toneless voice, without so much of a hint of friendship in it. "You have progressed well, and now it is time to evaluate how well you have learned what you have been taught, and to determine how much you have built upon the foundation we have provided you."
I looked a Mary blankly, not at all sure I was understanding what she was saying.
"You thought I was training you out the goodness of my heart?" She asked, and then continued speaking before I could start to reply. "You should know that nothing in this life is free. I trained you for a purpose, and it is time to see if you can fulfill that purpose. It is time to see just how strong and capable you are, and if you are ready to take on the task for which you have been trained."
"Don't I have any say in this matter?" I asked. "What if I am not interested in you or your little group, nor in this task that you have in mind for me? What if I just want to go on as I am doing, not harming anyone and having some fun along the way?"
"I would have thought by now, that you would have realized that you have certain responsibilities, Paul," Mary answered me. "It is out of simple self interest that we must take this action, and I hope you can believe that none of us here is going to enjoy what is about to happen. If you have been using your abilities in a flagrant and irresponsible manner that calls too much attention to you, we must know of it. Such action is a danger, as well as a threat to us all. We must know if corrective action needs to be taken. Please do not resist, and let us into your mind willingly. If you resist you will only suffer great and needless pain."
"What gives YOU the right to impose your will on me?" I asked starting to become angry.
"We have to consider the welfare of many people, not just you," Mary spoke loudly, interrupting me. "The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one. We have just as much right to protect ourselves, and to live our lives in peace, as you do. You DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT, to place me, or anyone else on this panel in jeopardy due to your actions."
"Please do not insult our intelligence by suggesting that you didn't know this meeting was due to happen soon. Your experience with Lyle Lawson should have helped to you understand why it is necessary for us to do this. It does not matter how strong or weak your gift is. We must be sure that you know how to use it and that you are not leaving any clues or tracks that would lead back to you or to anyone else you know who has the gift."
I thought about Mary had just said, for a few minutes before I spoke. "You are asking me to surrender the privacy of my mind, my thoughts, to a group of people whom I do not even know. You are asking me to let you rape me, mentally. What guarantee do I have that you will not probe my mind for private information that has no bearing on your so called security? For all I know you could be doing this just so that you could black mail me into doing whatever it is that you want." "You have no such guarantee," Mary confirmed. "If you are able to conceal what you consider private information from us, then you are entitled to keep it. I can assure you that we will not in any way injure or damage your mind."
"I'll open my mind to you, just as much as you open your minds to me," I said in an icy voice, and then looked directly into the eyes of each person, one at a time. "We exchange information equally, or it is no deal." I couldn't help it. I shook as I spoke. My nervousness was all too apparent. I was both scared and angry with these people. I didn't know what I was getting into, but sure as hell I wasn't going to lie down and just let them walk all over me, no matter what their reasons were. I could see that they had some valid points, but in my mind it did not justify exposing my entire mind to their mental gaze.
"Before we begin, there is one other thing that you need to know," Mary said, as she raised her mental shields. I could feel the other people shielding themselves as well. It was like watching someone turn up the brightness on a lamp. Their minds were easier to see, with my mental eyes, but I could not make out any details of their thoughts. It was like they had erected a gray dome around their minds and that's all I could see.
"Somehow you managed to sever the mental tracer I had implanted in your mind, Paul," Mary addressed me. "The thread I planned was nearly invisible and buried very deeply in your mind. For you to have discovered it and snapped it indicates that you have progressed much father than I thought you would. You should not have been able to accomplish such a delicate task for several more years. We need to know how you learned that skill so quickly."
I kept silent. I merely looked at them and waited for them to begin. I silently prayed that the experience wouldn't be as painful as my fight with Lyle Lawson had been. I was kidding myself, though and I knew it. It was five of them against one of me. The odds were not very good. I steeled myself for the assault.
"This is a waste of our time," The man on the far left said forcefully. "I've already scanned his shield while the two of you were having such a nice chat, Mary. His powers are weak and of no concern to any of us. If I were inclined to be generous, I MIGHT give him a level 2 rating. I'd be surprised if he has been able to influence anyone to any great degree." The arrogance in this mystery man's voice grated on my nerves, but I did my best to ignore it. I bit my tongue and fought down the urge to snap off a witty remark. I could not afford the luxury to be flippant. Even if what he said was true, it was still five to one, and I had no way to judge the strength of the minds before me. I had felt something brush against my shield, but it had been light and brief so I paid little attention to it.
"Thank you for that report, Albert," Mary said, never taking her eyes off me. "Just the same we will wait for everyone's opinion.
In less than a minute, the votes were in. This panel judged me to be somewhat weak and probably able to defend myself against one of them but not two and certainly not all five. They were not exactly filling me with confidence. As soon as they finished speaking, Albert launched a probe at me. I felt it impact my shield. It clung and moved around searching for a weakness. I did not increase the strength of my shield. It was not necessary. The probe continued for second after second, getting stronger and pushing harder and harder against my shield. I looked at Albert and remained silent. After nearly five minutes of this I notice a few beads of sweat appearing on Albert's brow.
"Donna, your assistance is required," Mary directed to the woman sitting next to Albert. Donna nodded her head silently and I felt the strength of the probe suddenly increase as Donna added her power to Albert's. I was not aware that two person with the gift could merge their powers into one probe or attack. Lyle and his two cronies had not done that when they tangled with me.
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