Buried Treasure - 3. Part Three

I made sure Craig had everything he needed within reach and thanked whoever was listening that he was now able to get around on his own with the chair. All the work at the gym was paying off.

I jumped on my motorcycle and roared towards the address I had been given.

When I arrived the building had been cleared to ensure I had no outside influences to distract me from finding the child. I found My superiors deputy, Cade Clinton, to get an update.

“She went in here,” he told me, pointing to a spot on the blueprints he had laid out on the ground. “We have searched the top floor, then Thomas called and told us to expect you and to clear the building so you would have room to work.”

I nodded, “What details are there about her?”

Cade pulled another sheet of paper over and handed it to me.

The paper was a missing person’s sheet, it gave the main details about the girl and her abilities;

Name: Crystal Waters

Age: 10

Abilities: Fledgling psychic, no ability to shield but seems to be developing healing abilities.

I handed the paper back to Cade, “A fledgling healer? How did she end up in a derelict building, possibly hurt and not home with her parents?”

Cade’s eyes filled with anger and contempt, “Her parents are a pair of druggies that are even at this moment too high to be of any help to us or their daughter. They only reported her missing because their neighbors where she was. As far as we can tell she had gone to the shops to get food with some money a neighbor gave her and didn’t return. She was last seen leaving the shop with a tall, smartly dressed man but no one saw where they went or could tell us who he was. The parents are currently occupying a cell at the Council Building and if I have anything to do with it they will stay there. ”

While I was listening I was fitted with a wire and I was just as angry as Cade when he had finished. Children are precious and should be protected. Healer psychics are rare and this child could grow up to save many lives, but now her life was the one in danger. I wanted to be the one to wring her parent’s necks but first I needed to find her and get her safely to our local council to be looked after. To do this I had to calm down and relax my mind.

After a few deep breaths I headed in, dropping my shields as I went.

I searched a long time before I finally felt a weak presence coming from below me. I came upon a hole in the floor where the floorboards had rotted and broken through.

I called for help but I could feel Crystal’s presence fading painfully and fast. Cade and some others arrived with ropes but by the time they got her out it was too late to do anything. A quick exam showed she had hit her head when she fell and had gashed her side and leg. She had lost too much blood and it was thought that she was also bleeding internally.

Her pain was overwhelming but I tried to project thoughts of comfort and reassurance into her mind. I felt her gradually relax and then her presence faded to nothing. Just before her presence faded completely I felt her gratitude that she hadn’t been alone.

I could feel the upset from the others and I knew I needed to get out of there fast.

I made my excuses and gunned the engine to speed home.

When I arrived home I rushed in and headed straight for the bathroom, pushing past Craig as he wheeled down the hallway.

The little girl’s pain had exhausted my control and I couldn’t shield my mind from anything. Anyone with even an ounce of psychic talent would be able to read me at that moment if they wanted to and I would feel any unshielded emotion surrounding me whether I wanted to or not.

Craig had only minimal psychic talents but I didn’t want him to be hurt by my pain.

I threw myself on the floor and curled up trying to block out the pain. I heard and sensed the door opening and Craig entered the room. I was too tired to ask him to leave but I did try and curl tighter to hide myself.

I felt his hands on me and he forced me uncurl so he could see my face. My mind was already starting to shut down, it was the only way I could deal with the pain I was feeling and heal myself mentally.

As he finally got me up and into his room, I was already too far gone to protest.

I felt him helping me to strip down to my boxers but I couldn’t respond to him at all. I took the pills he put into my hand and let him tuck me into bed under a warm blanket.

The last thing I remember before sleep took me was being pulled into a warm embrace that made me feel safe and loved. That and I think I felt a kiss on my forehead, but I must have been mistaken.

Mustn’t I???