Mind Slide (21 page)

The bald man turned back to the store, a huge smile on his face.

He froze when he saw Mason watching him.

They locked eyes. They could see each other.

The bald man's eyebrows lifted in surprise, his mouth opening slightly.

Mason was just as shocked.

He locked a picture of the bald man away in his mind. He looked to be in his early forties. Dark eyebrows. Fair complexion. Average height and build. His nose was slightly crooked, no doubt broken a few times.

He smiled at Mason, then gave him a simple wave.

He pointed at the door behind Mason, then raised his thumb, like he was aiming a gun.

His squeezed his trigger finger.

The message was quite clear.

He bent his knees and jumped. He didn't lift a few feet in the air, then fall back down.

He flew upward, toward the roof of the mall. Mason ran out of the store to watch him. The bald man looked down and gave another wave before passing right through the roof.

Mason knew gravity wasn't a concern when out of his body.

That wasn't what surprised him.

“
Holy shit.”

“
Mason?”

The suit hung up his cell phone. They both stood from the bench together.

“
Brian, I gotta hang up. Something's going down. I gotta call Kelly.”

“
Mason, wait-”

He slid back to his body. Not even the music in his apartment helped calm his nerves. He held in the two key on his cell phone, Kelly's assigned speed dial number. He kept as still as possible to keep the nausea at bay.

He concentrated on her name as the phone rang. She answered as he appeared in the middle of the lingerie shop.

The two men were talking to one of the employees.

“
I'm sorry, ma'am, we need to lock this store down,” the older suit said.

“
Mason?” Kelly said in his ear. “I was just thinking about you. Is it okay if I call you back in a few minutes?”

He pushed his way through the door into the dressing room.

Kelly stood there checking herself in the full length mirror on the wall. She tried a few different angles as she held her cell phone to her ear. Mason's jaw dropped to the floor. She wore her jeans, but her shirt was sitting on the bench.

She wore a nearly transparent negligee over her black bra that stopped just below her hips. It fit her like a glove, hugging her fit body. She lifted her hair and practiced a sexy pose, very successfully. The mirror wasn't helping Mason's focus, as he could see every inch of her.

“
Dear God.”

“
Mason? Are you okay?”

Sweat started to bead on his head. He wasn't sure if it was the nausea or the sight of Kelly.

“
Kell, you need to get dressed. Right now.”

She instinctively put her arm across her breasts. She looked up and searched for any hidden cameras.

“
Are you...watching me?”

Mason pushed his head through the door. The two suits still argued with the employee running the front register.

He breathed a sigh of relief as a police officer walked into the store.

He pulled back in to look at Kelly. Her face was red as she slipped her shirt back on.

“
Stay here, in the dressing room. Don't hang up, okay? Stay on the phone with me.”

She continued to look at the ceiling. “Where are you? This is creeping me out.”

Mason left the dressing room. As he drew closer he could hear the officer addressing the two suits.

“
How are you guys doing tonight?” The officer kept his voice even with his hand near his weapon. “Do you mind if I see some identification?”

“
Officer, we don't really have time for this,” the older suit said.

“
You'd better make the time.”

The young suit lashed out at the officer. He connected with a punch to the officer's throat, dropping him to his knees. The employee at the register screamed.

Mason watched as employees marched from different areas of the store to the register, curious about what was going on. Other women poked their heads from the dressing rooms.

Kelly's hand shook as she held the phone. “Mason-”

“
In five seconds, you need to leave. Stay to the left side of the store. Don't run. Walk, and don't stop for anything. Head back to the food court.”

She reached a hand out to grab her lingerie.

“
Leave the sexy clothes.”

She pulled her hand back.

“
How are you doing this?”

“
Just trust me, Kell. Leave now.”

Kelly left the dressing room, her bag from the music store swinging as she walked. She did exactly as Mason said. Her eyes drifted to the scene at the register. A younger man wearing a suit was restraining a police officer with his own handcuffs. His partner was dragging a half naked woman by the arm out of the first dressing room.

“
Don't look,” Mason said. “Just keep walking.”

She turned after leaving the store toward the food court. The traffic was heaviest going in that direction. Mason stopped for a moment to see one of the suits continuing to search every dressing room while the other pulled the metal gate down in front of the store. They had maybe a few minutes before they realized she was gone.

“
Mason, I've only been this scared one other time in my life. You can guess when that was.”

“
I know, Kell. I'm sorry.” He jogged to catch up with her. He would have given anything to hold her hand. “I don't know what's going on, but two men have been following you all night.”

“
And you know this how?”

“
I'm a private investigator.”

“
Who can see through walls?”

He said nothing. Even if he couldn't see her body language, the tone in her voice said it all.

Mason noticed another man in a suit approaching from the food court.

“
Wait here one second.”

Kelly stopped and leaned against the glass front of a bookstore. Mason ran to the man in the food court. He went with the crowd on the other side of the walking lane, but that didn't mean he didn't have Kelly in his sights.

Mason ran his hands through the man's coat on both sides.

He felt a leather holster and a gun under the man's left arm.

“
Duck inside that bookstore. Now.”

Kelly did so. Mason stayed with the suit, who picked up his pace. He cut across the walking lane and strolled into the store. Mason walked with him.

Both Mason and the suit stood side by side and looked over the store. People read at tables, browsed the shelves, bought coffee and tea from a counter on the side.

“
Good, good. I don't see you.”

“
I'm in the self help section. Way in the back,” she whispered.

“
Alright. I'll get you out of here. Stay low, and move when I tell you.”

“
Where
are you?”

“
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

“
Of course I would.”

“
He's moving. Going through the magazines. Move on up to the front.”

“
Are you watching me? Did you see me in the dressing room?”

“
Hold on. He's stopped. Stay where you are.”

“
Answer my question.”

Mason moved through the shelves and headed back to the self help section. He walked backwards, keeping his eyes on the suit the entire time.

“
Well, if it helps, I can't see you right now.”

He found her kneeling down and leaning against the end of a bookshelf. When the suit moved to the next aisle, she would be able to stand up and walk out without being seen.

“
How much did you see?”

Mason narrowed his eyes and looked down at her. “Are you serious, Kell?”

“
Yes. I don't exactly...wear stuff like that all the time.”

“
I liked what I saw. Let me put it that way.” The suit finally moved one aisle over. “Okay, you're in the clear. Get up and walk out just like before. Don't run.”

Mason sprinted ahead of her. He looked left and right as soon as he cleared the front of the bookstore. He saw no one that grabbed his attention.

“
Listen, that wasn't for our date, or anything. I wasn't even thinking-”

“
Let's get you out of here first. Then we can talk about our date.”

Kelly was one foot out of the store.

Mason didn't see the fourth suit of the evening until it was too late. He grabbed her by the wrist. The phone dropped to the floor next to her feet.

Kelly looked up at the tall man, fear in her eyes.

“
I'm sorry, ma'am, but I have to take you into custody.”

There was a new voice, directly behind the suit.

“
Actually, no you don't.”

Mason looked over the suit's shoulder to see Brian. His friend kicked the suit in the back of the leg, dropping him to one knee. He let go of Kelly's wrist. Six cops came out of nowhere and wrestled him to the ground. Brian handcuffed him behind his back while the others held him down.

“
Do you have any idea what you're doing?” the suit asked through clenched teeth.

“
Shut up. Are you okay, Kelly?”

She stood motionless, still clutching her music store bag in her hand. Her mouth hung open slightly, a look of shock on her face.

“
Kelly!” Mason called.

He could hear his own voice coming from her phone, still on the ground. Brian picked it up.