Read Online Chasing Power (Hidden Talents) by Genevieve Pearson - Free Book Online Page B

turning over the information he gave her, inspecting it for truth and weakness.  Lane wondered if he would know her long enough that she would automatically trust what he said, rather than doubt it.  He hoped so.
    They formed a plan, or something approaching it.  They would lie low until the car dealerships opened.  Then they’d go and buy something used, with cash and a false identity so that it wouldn’t be traced to them.
    “But where do we go?”  Samantha asked, staring at a small road map on his phone.
    “Seattle,” Lane said, in the tone of someone stating the obvious.  Sam furrowed her brow, confused.  Talking to her was so easy, she caught on so quickly, Lane had almost forgotten she was a new Talent.  “Seattle is where our government is located,” Lane said, “National Talents United.  I have friends there, enough Talents to keep you safe from anyone the Corp can throw at us.  Even Hal.”
    “You mentioned him before,” Sam said, typing Seattle into Lane’s smartphone.  Already sketching out routes, she glanced up at Lane through her lashes: “He’s the one who was responsible for the, ah, what we found?”
    “Yes,” Lane said, feeling a dark cloud settle over him.  Jacobs.  He hadn’t been that close with his boss since they both kept their business and personal lives separate.  But he liked the man, respected him.  Lane felt, acutely, the unfairness of the death. 
    “So who is this guy?  The killer?”  Sam said, and she had that look in her eyes again.  It wasn’t curiosity, exactly.  It was more like a scientist, probing for answers.    
    “He’s a very scary, very mean, very scary Talent,” Al muttered from beneath an armpit.
    “That’s not informative,” Sam said.
    Lane ran his hand through his hair and back again.  “His name’s Hal.  He’s an elemental, like Harry, but he controls fire.”
    “Is that rare?”
    “The way he does it.  See, while most pyros are driven by impulse and emotion, Hal’s more calculating.”
    “Sun Tzu’s Art of War ‘calculating’,” Al interrupted.
    “Great.  Stone, Hal, why are all the big scary Talents after me?”
    “Because all the scary Talents work for the same scary group.  The Corp.  And when the Corp decides it wants you dead, well, that’s that.”
    “The Corp?  You’re telling me there’s a group of evil Talents?  Like the Legion of Doom?”
    “Yup.  Remember how I said there are rules about how you’re supposed to use your talent?  The Corp is made up of Talents who don’t like those rules.”
    “OK.  So, why do they want to kill me?”
    Lane shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine, at this point.”
    “So then why kill Jacobs?  He had nothing to do with me, not yet anyways.”
    Lane went on, “Knowing Hal, the murder that you saw wasn’t so much an act of anger, but a deliberate calling card.”  A flash of anger shot through Lane.  That someone like Hal could exist, could take someone’s life with such cavalier flair.  Like it was some sort of perverse game.
    “I’ve read The Art of War .  I don’t remember a chapter on calling cards.”  Sam brought her fingers up to the bridge of her nose, gently massaging the little crick there. 
    “It’s about intimidation.  He’s hoping to put the fear of God into us—so you’ll do something stupid, or we freak out and abandon you.”
    “Oh,” Sam said, “That makes more sense.”  She dropped her hand, “And are you?”
    “Scared?”  Al said, “Hells yeah.”
    “A little,” Harry said, eyes still closed.
    “I meant, going to abandon me?”  Before Lane could answer, Samantha plunged on, “Because I would understand if you wanted to go our own separate ways.  And I can cope.  I can take care of myself.”
    “No,” Lane disagreed, iron in his voice, “Hal doesn’t change a thing.  There are enough Talents at headquarters to keep you safe even from him.  We just have to get there.”
    “Getting there,