Mind Games (Games Thriller Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

black fabric with glow in the dark stars flanked by two rickety chairs graced the room and in the center of the table stood a hazy crystal ball. Fog permeated the crystal, swirling, creating patterns that coincided with periodic infusions of smoke. A stack of tarot cards sat on the table, almost hidden from view behind the glass sphere. This room had all the cheesy trappings of a hoax with one exception.
    The fortuneteller herself.
    A shiver tried to take hold of him but he dismissed it.
    The fortuneteller’s beady eyes narrowed and she studied Chris with black eyes that peered out from her wrinkly skin. Her white hair provided a stark contrast to her dark skin and brightly colored sari. She stood, circled him, sizing him up and returned to her seat, her robes settled and she leaned on the table, waving her hand at the opposite chair.
    “What ails you boy?” Her voice was scratchy, as if she had just smoked a case of cigarettes.
    Pulling out his money clip, he peeled five twenties off the stack of bills and laid them on the table. “I need to know how to get rid of a ghost.”
    Her head cocked and she closed her eyes, her hand slowly caressed the crystal and then stopped. A gasp slid from her lips and her eyes flew wide like a broken shade. “Boy, you’ve got yourself one evil sidekick and he’s out for revenge.”
    Chris nodded looking frankly at her. “So how do I send him back to hell?”
    Some of the luster faded from her cheeks and her hand gripped the glass sphere like she was holding on for dear life. “He found a way to reach into the physical world.”
    “Yes, through mirrors.”
    Her hand relaxed and she turned her wide-eyed stare toward the crystal ball, staring at the swirl patterns. He could almost hear the whisper of the air moving around in the sphere and this time, when she spoke, he did shiver. “You must kill his spirit in the physical world.”
    “How?”
    “Take away his power and he will fall.”
    Irritation crawled over his skin. He needed an answer, something he could work with, not this cryptic mumbo jumbo. “How?”
    “You must lure him into the physical world and take his path away.”
    “How?” he asked again and the slithering sensation on his skin made him shift in the chair. Uneasy didn’t begin to describe the feeling, it was more of a gripping dread itching at his balls but he ignored it, focusing instead on obtaining information he could act on.
    “She is the key, but you need to take the stand without her,” she said. “You must make him think he has won. That is when he will be most vulnerable.”
    The picture she painted in his mind formed clearly in the crystal ball and Chris’s eyes strained in their sockets. Dread turned into icy terror layering deep into his core and he trembled, understanding exactly what was expected of him. He shook his head, slowly at first and then much more adamantly. “No,” he whispered. “I’m not gambling with her life.”
    The fortuneteller stared into his eyes. “You must or all will be lost.”

Chapter 11
     
    Jessica hung up the phone, her blood thickening to pea soup quality, draining all color from her face, causing her breath to catch in her throat. She turned toward Tom.
    “What is it?” He raised his eyebrows.
    “Em,” she answered. “Em is sick.” She flew into the bedroom and began frantically throwing clothes in a bag. “I need to go to Connecticut now.”
    “I’ll drive,” he said and tossed a few items into the bag.
    Jessica stopped. “All the headaches, all the complaints, why the hell didn’t I see it coming?” Blinking back the mist covering her eyes she stared at him. “I really need you on this one Tom.”
    He crossed to her and gave her a hug. “I’m here for you babe.”
    “I’m serious.”
    “I am too.” He picked up the bags and headed to his truck with her in tow and they pulled out of the driveway as the sun dipped below the horizon.
    Please God, please let the power he gave back to me be