“That was a known fact. There was no need for me to deny it. So now we were getting to his true intention.
“I said, ‘And I never will be. You broke the oath that you took when you learned about RTP. You were taught to never use RTP for evil.’
“He laughed sarcastically and said, ‘Whoever made that rule never had to deal with evil in their life. They were living in a fantasy world to think that there is no evil and that RTP would never be used for evil.’
“ ‘But you took the vow and you are using RTP in a way that was not meant to be, Paul.’
“He shrugged. ‘I’ve never seen it make much of a difference one way or the other. Whether it is used for good or evil, RTP works the same way. But now that I think of it, I think it may be even more powerful when it’s used for evil.’
“He grinned and stared at me in a way that made my fear return. I said, ‘Well, I was taught that a positive, good thought is several hundred times stronger than a bad thought. And I still believe it.’
“He snorted. ‘You would,’ he said dismissively.
“I ignored his comment.
“He said, ‘Well, even though you have turned me down flatly after I’ve done nothing but be nice to you, I still want to give you the chance to join the KTP of your own free will.’
“He stared at me, waiting for an answer. I didn’t respond. I was trying to stall to give myself time to think of my next move.
“After several moments of silence he said, ‘I’m growing impatient, Madeline. You know your options. You join the KTP, we reconcile, I let you live.’
“I grew even angrier. The gall of him! Through clenched teeth, and in the firmest voice I could muster up, I said, ‘I would rather die than join your order.’
“He put both hands over his heart and pretended to be taken aback. He was just playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse. What an asshole. He knew all along what my answer would be. And like the proverbial cat, he was getting ready to pounce.
“He knew if he had shown any aggression to me earlier, I would’ve bolted out of that restaurant. So instead, he lured me in by treating me kindly and getting me to let down my guard. He had planned this all along so that he could make the proposition.
“I knew that if I refused to join him, he would kill me that very night. I scanned the room for any of the familiar faces that I had seen in the ‘wanted’ posters the people underground had circulated so we would know what the bad guys looked like if our paths ever crossed. I didn’t see any familiar faces, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t there. I just couldn’t see them.
“I suddenly grabbed my stomach, doubled over, and said, ‘I feel like I’m going to be sick. Will you excuse me for a moment?’
“He studied me, trying to determine whether I was telling the truth.
“I wrapped my arms around my stomach even tighter and began rocking back and forth. ‘I think I am going to be sick right on this table.’
“As I stood, he stood too and grabbed my arm tightly as he said, ‘Let me help you to the ladies’ room.’
“I felt like he was on to me. He knew that I was faking it, and he was going to make sure I didn’t escape the ladies’ room when he wasn’t looking. He stood post outside of the door as I ran in.
“Once inside, I began making the most obnoxious vomiting sounds. I wanted to make sure he could hear me through the door. While I did this, I scanned the room for an escape route. There were no doors or windows leading to the outside. The only way out was the same door I had come in—where Paul was standing guard.
“But he underestimated my power of manifestation. In between making vomiting sounds, I summoned up all of RTP I could and visualized a window on the wall that would lead to the outside. I continued making vomiting noises and coughing loudly as I opened the window and climbed out of it. I emerged in an alley, and I wasn’t sure what street I was on. I ran to the main road and merged in with a group of people who were out walking. I focused on blending in.
“Paul must have grown suspicious when the vomiting noises stopped and sent someone inside the ladies’ room to check on me. I figured that I only had a few moments before he realized I was gone. I kept glancing behind me as I scurried down the sidewalk, weaving in and out of the crowd, trying to conceal myself. When I was a couple of blocks away I looked back and saw Paul and a few other men running out of the restaurant. I could see them frantically scanning the area, searching for me.
“At that moment I saw a covered wagon coming up the road. When no one was looking, I jumped out of the crowd and sneaked under the wagon cover. I peeked from under the cover and watched Paul and the others running in my direction. I wasn’t sure if they had seen me or not. I started thinking positive thoughts.
“ ‘I am safe. They are not going to find me. I am safe now.’
“I didn’t know the full extent of Paul’s power at that point. I didn’t know to what lengths he would go to stop me. But I felt certain that if he really wanted to, he could have used RTP
