“I didn’t return to my apartment that night. Instead, I hunkered down in the wagon until it stopped near a hotel that I had never been to before. I manifested a man’s outfit, hat, fake mustache, and a suitcase. I quietly changed and the placed my lady’s clothes in the suitcase. When I was certain no one would see me, I quietly sneaked out of the wagon and checked in using one of my false identities. I stayed holed up in the hotel room for two days and did not leave. I ordered room service and had them leave it outside of my door so that nobody would see me. I focused all of my thoughts on being safe and remaining hidden. Nothing happened. There was no sign of Paul, or anyone from the KTP.
“Every two days or so, I would move to a different hotel under a different identity. I repeated this pattern until I felt there was no chance Paul would find me. Eventually, I abandoned my apartment in San Francisco with everything in it except for one thing—the very thing I came back to New York for tonight.”
Chapter 26
Maddie stood suddenly and went to the bookshelf. She pushed several books to one side and then removed the back panel of the bookshelf, which had been painted the color of the wall for camouflage. Adam would have never known it was there if he hadn’t seen her remove it. Behind the panel was what appeared to be a secret safe with a cipher lock and a biometric fingerprint lock. She pressed some buttons on the cipher lock, then pressed her finger on a green, glowing panel and opened the safe. She removed what looked like a very old, leather-bound book contained in a plastic, airtight case.
Maddie returned to sit beside Adam and held it close to his face so that he could look at it. He stared at the strange symbols or words that were engraved in the leather and written in a language he was not familiar with.
“What does it say?” he said.
She said, “This book is centuries old. It’s written in Hebrew. The title translates to “The Power Within.” It was handed down to me by the ones who taught Paul and me. It is the oldest-known instruction manual for teaching the use of Refined Transcendent Power. It is the one thing the KTP would love to get their hands on and destroy. It proves that the knowledge of RTP has existed for centuries, and if it were to ever be mass-published, it could potentially increase public awareness to the point where the KTP is rendered powerless. I promised to keep this book safe at all costs, and I intend to keep my promise.”
She handed the encased book to Adam. He held it gingerly, staring at the cover, afraid to be holding something so old and valuable.
Maddie continued her story.
“I didn’t think Paul knew that I had the book. That is why it was sent with me when I first escaped from New Mexico. The intention was that the book and I would disappear and never be found. But I couldn’t take a risk and leave the book in my apartment in San Francisco. That’s why I risked being caught to retrieve it.
“I was so shaken up from my encounter with Paul that I felt the need to isolate myself for a while. Instinctively, I knew he would continue to try to find me. I also knew he would never give up, and if he ever found me again, he would not let me go. I traveled the country, only staying in locations for short periods of time. And, as I suspected he would, he did manage to track me down a few other times.
“KTP membership has greatly increased, and with modern communication methods such as computers, cell phones, and GPS, he has perfected his methods for tracking people. I have become one of their most-wanted fugitives. Thankfully, the Keepers of the Peace have also developed an elaborate communication system, and we have managed to stay one step ahead of the KTP—so far.
“I have found that large cities are the best hiding places. So recently, I decided to move back to New York City. New York is one of the better places in the world to live anonymously. Needless to say, I have lived a lonely existence for quite some time.”
She paused and looked at Adam. Tears were welling up in her eyes again. He felt so powerless. He wanted to know what to say or do to make it all better, but he didn’t fully comprehend all she was telling him. It was too much to process at once. His heart was breaking for her.
As if reading his mind, Maddie touched Adam’s cheek and gently turned his face toward hers so that she could look into his eyes. She sighed and smiled, even as her eyes were filled with sadness, and said, “Until one day when an angel with jet-black hair and gorgeous blue eyes knocked on my door to deliver my package.”
She stroked his cheek and said, “I was attracted to you from the moment I saw you, Adam. And I had not felt that way for anyone in over a century. It terrified me and excited me all at the same time.
“So now you know my story. Maybe now you can understand what I was trying to do when I left you in the hospital that night. I think Paul used RTP to summon the fire in the nightclub and the storm that almost killed us, just by sending thoughts about deadly events to happen wherever I might be. His power has grown very strong, and we are almost certain he can cause things to happen to me even when he doesn’t know where I
