Damn.
Stella slowly raised her pistol.
It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, Kaitlin reached up and tugged off the reflector device. All around her, the rest of them mirrored her action.
For a second, nothing happened, and then the pain hit her like a giant fist slamming into her mind. She went down on her knees, which was lucky as a laser blast shot over her right shoulder. It would have taken her in the center of her chest. She forced herself to keep focused. Reaching through the agony, she found their minds. “Accept it,” she sent. Because they couldn’t fight the pain. It was too much. She sensed them calming a little, and she reached out again. Found Kane, felt his love. A switch flicked on deep in her head.
I can do this.
She drew Kane’s mind into hers and bound him to her, then each of the others, pulling them together, forming a group, becoming as one.
“Kaitlin!” Christa shouted.
Kaitlin opened her eyes and dived to the side as a blast burned along her arm, searing her skin. The stench of burning cloth and flesh filled the air. But the pain was nothing compared to the agony in her head, and she ignored it. She had to do this.
“Rose. Now!”
Rose shot out a psi-bolt and Kaitlin fed it through the group, drawing on their strength, expanding the blast and sending itout toward Stella and the others. Stella crashed to the ground. And behind her, she sensed the others going down.
But she was losing control. And there was one more—the man with the bomb. She forced her eyes open, peering through the blinding pain. He was almost at the ship. Kane’s hand gripped her shoulder, and the physical touch gave her strength, focusing her.
“One more,” she said.
Rose sent the psi-bolt, weaker this time, and Kaitlin used the last of her strength to magnify it. The man crashed to the ground.
The pain vanished, but Kaitlin felt her consciousness wavering. She collapsed forward onto her hands and knees and then everything went black.
Chapter 45
She fell as if in slow motion.
Kane’s mind screamed. He crashed to his knees beside her, then turned her gently onto her back and felt for her pulse, his hand shaking. Her pulse fluttered beneath his trembling fingertips.
“Is she okay?” Jake asked.
“She’s alive.” His voice shook as much as his hands did.
He took a deep breath and cleared his mind of the fear. Then he looked around him. Of their people, everyone—with the exception of him and Kaitlin—was on their feet. The Tel agentswere unconscious on the ground, but that wouldn’t last. At least two guns were pointed at each of them.
He turned his attention back to Kaitlin as she blinked open her eyes.
“Thank Christ,” he muttered.
She licked her lips, then swallowed. “Did it work?”
“It worked. You were fantastic. They’re all out cold.”
She pushed herself up, so she was sitting. “Is anyone hurt?”
“You mean aside from you?”
She frowned at that, then glanced down at her arm. “I’d forgotten. And I wish you hadn’t reminded me because, fuck, that hurts.”
“We need to get you to a doctor.”
She shook her head and glanced past him to Jake. “Is everyone okay?”
“Rose also took a shot in the arm, but she’s going to be fine. We need to decide what to do with the Tel people.”
