“The force still has standing instructions to inform youwhen an incident could be empathy-related.” Parson couldn’t have been particularly happy about that, but he was a man who did what he was ordered. “There’s a situation at Lumen Field.”
Liam was tumbling of the bedroom, his wide eyes locked on his own phone.“Jamey.”
“Okay,” Jamey said slowly into the phone. “What doessituationmean?”
“It means there’s a stampeding crowd of panicked football fans fleeing the stadium,” Parson said just as Liam held up his phone a few inches from Jamey’s face. “And we’re hearing reports of assault inside the stands.”
CHAOS ERUPTING AT LUMEN FIELD, the headlines screamed, with a time stamp of six minutes prior.
Oh shit. “Why do you think empaths are involved?” Jamey said sharply, her eyes going to Liam’s.
“Meet me at the car.” Liam was already hurrying past her toward the coat rack. The spare room’s door had opened, and Aisha was coming out. Jamey could see Diesel just beyond her, sitting on one of the two camping cots and yanking a fleece over his head.
“Because the rumor is that there are several empaths in the Stone Solutions luxury box,” Parson said tightly in her ear. “And the panic is being blamed on them.”
“What?” Jamey barked.
“Where’s Gretel?” Diesel said as he passed by the dining room.
Jamey shoved the note at him. “Why would empaths be at a football game?” she said sharply to Parson, the worry flaring in her stomach again. “They can’t even bear to watch it.”
“I’m telling you what we’ve been told,” Parson said, just as sharp.
Aisha joined her, nodding at the phone questioningly.Parson, Jamey mouthed, then covered the phone so the lieutenantwouldn’t hear her whisper. “I think our missing pacifist empaths might be trapped at Lumen Field,” she said to Aisha, whose eyebrows went up.
Diesel’s voice came from the front door. “Aisha! St. James!”
Aisha tugged her sleeve. “We’re goingnow.”
Jamey pressed the phone to her ear as she scrambled toward the front door. “You mentioned assault in the stands,” she said to Parson as she jammed her feet into boots. “That’snot the empaths.”
“Not everyone is as certain of that as you,” Parson said with an edge. “The violence is escalating, and the stadium is huge; we’re having a hard time getting things under control. If you want to go to Lumen Field for your empaths, at least make sure you’re armed.”
Jesus. Jamey grabbed her coat off the rack. “I’m on my way to Lumen Field,” she said, stepping out the front door to her porch. “I promise when I get to the bottom of whatever is happening, the empaths aren’t going to be the real villains.”
Jamey hung up, zipping her coat as she scrambled down the stairs. As she reached the car, she paused. Liam was in the driver’s seat of his Corolla, with Aisha up front and Diesel in the back.
Liam leaned out the window. “Get in, babe. We’re going to Lumen Field.”
Jamey threw up her hands. “You three arenotcoming with me to a stadium of empaths and chaos!”
“I was amarine,” Diesel said.
“I’m a doctor who knows more about empaths thanyou,” Aisha added.
“And this ismycar,” said Liam. “So come on. Let’s go.”
Jamey sighed but got in.
“This is your porter. We’ve gotten reports of a disturbance near downtown. There will be a delay as we ask everyone toremain on board the ferry until we’re advised that it’s safe for passengers to disembark.”
The second announcement on the ferry had Grayson raising an eyebrow. He’d quickly darted down the stairs to the lounge, but Reece was nowhere in sight. He pulled one of the ferry staff aside. “I need to know what’s going on,” he said quietly, eyes on the tense and anxious passengers.
“You haven’t seen the news?” the staff member said in surprise, holding out her phone.
CHAOS ERUPTING AT LUMEN FIELD
Oh boy.
