Adam didn’t know what to do. He was defenseless out in the middle of nowhere. There were no other witnesses around and Maddie was unconscious. He managed to lock the doors before the other men were able to get his door open, but he knew that they had guns too, and he wouldn’t be safe in the car for long. In his panic, he wondered for an instant if he should try to make a run for it, but he would never leave without Maddie.
Then something snapped in him. Just as suddenly as the panic had set in, an instant calmness came over him. He knew without a doubt that he was going to get Maddie back no matter what it took. He waited until the men reached for his door and then flung it open as hard as he could, knocking both of them to the ground. He jumped out of the car and ran toward Paul and Maddie as fast as he could.
Paul was laying Maddie’s limp body in the back seat of the other cruiser. The other two men weren’t down for long before they were up and running after Adam. One tackled him and brought him down hard, while the other jumped on top of him. They had him pinned to the ground. He tried desperately to fight them off as they began to pummel him. He felt no pain, only concern for Maddie.
He shouted in between blows, “No, Paul! Don’t do this. You’ll regret it.”
Paul ignored him and jumped into the back seat of the cruiser beside the unconscious Maddie. The driver of the cruiser peeled out in the gravel as he spun the car around and took off. If ever there was a time to use Refined Transcendent Power, it was now. Up until now, Adam had only been successful at manifesting small things. He still doubted himself when it came to making things happen instantly. But he knew that if he didn’t do something quickly, Paul would get away, leaving him with the other two men, who were intent on killing him, and he would likely never see Maddie again even if he managed to escape.
A sudden rush of anger coursed through his body. He decided he was not going to let this happen. Still struggling to fight off the men, he focused all of his thoughts, emotions, and energy on stopping the car that was speeding away with Maddie in it. He visualized the car stopping and repeated the same thought in his head over and over, “Stop that car. The car must stop.” He felt RTP surge through him.
To his astonishment, the car started skidding out of control. It was almost as if it hit a patch of ice or something, but there was nothing like that out there in the desert. Adam wondered if he had actually done that, or if the driver had just lost control. The car skidded, turned sideways, and flipped over and over several times. It landed so hard that the front driver side of the car was crushed. The driver wasn’t moving. A new wave of panic rushed over Adam. Maddie was in that car. What if she was hurt—or worse?
Adam screamed, “Maddie!” as he tried to get to his feet.
The two men jerked him up by his arms and held them behind his back. This was the first time he got a chance to get a good look at them. They both had stunned looks on their faces. One of them he had never seen before, but the other, he realized with a shock, was Ian—Maddie’s caretaker. When Ian saw Adam’s look of recognition, he looked away.
Adam snarled in his face, “You coldhearted bastard! I will kill you!”
Smirking, Ian said, “Try it.”
So, he was a double agent after all, and he had turned Maddie in. Adam struggled to free his arms. He wanted to hurt Ian badly.
The other man looked confused.
He said, “Release him.”
Ian stared at the other man for a few moments. Adam jerked his arm free and ran toward the other car to check on Maddie. The two men didn’t try to stop him.
As he was approaching the car, he saw Paul climbing out of the shattered window. He didn’t see any other movement.
With only concern for Maddie on his mind, Adam shouted, “Is she okay?”
Paul didn’t answer. He was walking rapidly toward Adam. It was then that Adam saw that Paul had a gun in his hand. His dark eyes fixed on Adam, wild and dangerous. Adam stopped in his tracks. With about twenty yards between them, Paul pointed the gun directly at his face.
“So you’re the new flame in her life?” Paul spat.
The hatred in his voice was unmistakable.
Adam ignored his question and growled, “Is Maddie okay? Let her go now, Paul.”
Paul calmly said, “I don’t think you’re in any position to make demands. I should kill you, but I do find it interesting that you have mastered RTP so quickly.”
Adam didn’t respond. He was trying to look around Paul at the wrecked car to see if he could spot any sign of Maddie.
Paul looked back at the car then back at Adam with an evil grin. “My sources tell me you’ve only been learning about Refined Transcendent Power for a few months. Very impressive. She has taught you well.”
“Paul don’t do this. She doesn’t want to join you and she never will.”
Paul’s grin widened. “Perhaps you’re right. But now that you’re also a master of RTP, we have something to discuss as well. I was just going to dispose of you out here in the desert, but someone who can master RTP as quickly as you have might be valuable for the KTP. Apparently, you are a natural, and I could train you to
