Fired Up

knew that lamp was bad news. Never thought anyone would actually consider it valuable, though. It’s so obviously a fake.”
    Jack went out to the pool to make the call to Fallon.
    “You’ve got three Nightshade agents?” Fallon asked, urgency vibrating in his rough voice.
    “We’ve got two confirmed Nightshade people.” Jack paced alongside the sun-sparked pool, trying to assuage the postburn rush that was shivering through him. He’d used a lot of juice taking down Sandy and Ike. His reserves were badly depleted. “At least we think they’re agents. They’re still unconscious. The woman is awake, but it looks like she’s just some poor, dumb junkie they hired to play the role of the housekeeper. I don’t think she knows anything. All she cares about is getting her next fix.”
    “How do you know the other two are Nightshade?” Fallon asked.
    “I assumed that would be your take on the situation.”
    “It is. Just wondered what made you buy into my theory of the crime.”
    “Chloe can see some weird, unstable energy in their prints. She thinks it may indicate that they’re taking a heavy psychotropic drug that affects their para-senses. That would seem to support your conspiracy theory.”
    “She can see signs of the drug?” Fallon asked sharply.
    “That’s what she told me.”
    “Huh. Now that’s damn interesting. I’ve got a couple of high-level aura-talents who can see the instability in the auras of Nightshade people. Hadn’t thought about using dreamlight readers to do the same thing. Makes sense, though. Any drug that can affect the para-senses is probably going to disturb dream energy as well. I should have considered that angle sooner. Problem is, strong dreamlight readers are damn rare.”
    “There’s something else.” Jack walked alongside the edge of the pool. “We found another set of prints on the front steps and in the foyer of the house. Chloe says Stone actually did have a visit from a high-level talent last night. But whoever came to see him doesn’t seem to be connected to what just went down. There was no bad energy in the prints.”
    “Have you talked to Stone about his visitor?”
    “Not yet. Haven’t had a chance.”
    “Ask him about it. I don’t like coincidences, but there are some high-end sensitives in Vegas. I can think of at least two strong illusion-talents and a para-hypnotist who are headliners. A major strat owns one of the biggest casinos. And then there are always the intuitives and the probability and crypto-talents hitting town who think they can beat the odds at the tables. It’s possible that Stone had a legitimate guest last night.”
    “One neither he nor the guard can remember? Why would a friend make them both forget the visit?”
    “Stone’s been around long enough to make a few enemies in that town.”
    “Maybe he invented the story.”
    Fallon was silent for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. It feels like the truth.”
    “Feels like the truth?”
    “It fits,” Fallon said simply. “But see if he can remember any more details.”
    “What do we do with the bikers and the woman?”
    “Behave like the fine upstanding citizen that you are. Call the cops. Tell them you walked in on a home- invasion robbery in progress. Hell, it’s the truth.”
    “If I turn those three over to the police they’ll probably all make bail before Chloe and I get back to the hotel. Either that or the two hunters will escape. The police won’t have a clue that they’re dealing with a couple of talents.”
    “Doesn’t matter. Those two got caught, so they’ve pissed in their chili as far as Nightshade is concerned. The organization is a tough outfit. Drawing the attention of the authorities is a big no-no. Getting arrested is a death sentence.”
    “How does Nightshade silence its operatives?”
    “Simple,” Fallon said. “They just cut off the supply of the drug. It appears that the latest version of the formula has to be taken twice a day. Skip a single dose and the senses start to deteriorate. Miss two or three doses and the result is insanity, usually followed by suicide, within a matter of two or three days. It’s a very effective system for snipping off loose ends.”
    “I thought Arcane had some kind of antidote.”
    “We do,” Fallon said wearily. “The team I sent out should be pulling into town soon. They’ll have some with them. All my people carry a supply now when they’re on a job. Feel free to make those two bikers an