Part 71 (2/2)

All the men except Falcone did as she asked. And she could feel them sending energy her way, feel them pulling for her to get them out of this place. The contribution from the soldiers was minimal, since most of them had little psychic ability. But the two adepts added considerably to her power. Still, it wasn't enough because Falcone only stood back, watching.

She took what power she had and directed it toward the wall, imagining the plates between the worlds, imagining that she could focus a beam on them and carve out a hole in the barrier-opening a doorway between this world and another one.

As she directed the energy she had gathered, her head began to throb. And she knew that she couldn't keep up the attempt for long. She was too spent from the effort she had put out defeating the adepts when they had tried to zap her brain.

If she didn't break through the plates quickly, she wouldn't be able to do it at all.

Sweat dripped down her neck, and her body went rigid as she threw everything she had at the barrier, straining to open a door in the wall.

It didn't work.

”What's going on?” Falcone growled.

She shook her head, unwilling to spare any part of her resources for an answer.

”She's lying to us. She's stalling so the police can come in,” Falcone muttered.

”No,” Avery answered. ”She's trying to open a doorway. I can feel her trying. But it's not going to work unless you help.”

”For G.o.ds' sake, do it!” Brusco shouted.

Falcone gave him a murderous look.

”Do it,” Rinna whispered. ”Please,” she added, hardly able to choke out the word.

She waited, feeling her fate hanging in the balance. Finally, Falcone gave her a threatening look, then joined the others, sending a mental boost to her efforts. But she knew he was holding something back.

Still, she accepted his help with a tip of her head as she focused on the wall, willing the plates to slip and the portal to open, but still nothing happened.

Falcone turned to her, anger contorting his features. ”This is a trick.”

”No,” she gasped out, then struggled to make her voice more normal. ”Give me all of your energy. If you do, you'll see the doorway opening.”

”You'll make me weak,” he bellowed.

”Do it!” Avery commanded.

Through her own pain, she sensed more power coming from Falcone. ”Give me all of it,” she demanded.

He grimaced, and she felt a barrier tumble down. As he lent her the psychic energy she needed, the bookshelves across from her began to blur.

Some of the soldiers shouted their approval, breaking her concentration, and the image wavered.

”Quiet,” she whispered, redoubling her focus, desperate to open the doorway before she lost her ability to function on any meaningful level.

Putting everything she had into the effort, she focused one last monumental blast. The bookcases seemed to dissolve before her, And then she could see a forest on the other side.

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