Snap, Crackle ... Read online

  Snap, Crackle…

  A Psychic Visions Novel

  Book #19

  Dale Mayer

  Books in This Series:

  Tuesday’s Child – FREE

  Hide ’n Go Seek

  Maddy’s Floor

  Garden of Sorrow

  Knock Knock…

  Rare Find

  Eyes to the Soul

  Now You See Her

  Shattered

  Into the Abyss

  Seeds of Malice

  Eye of the Falcon

  Itsy-Bitsy Spider

  Unmasked

  Deep Beneath

  From the Ashes

  Stroke of Death

  Ice Maiden

  Snap, Crackle…

  What If…

  Psychic Visions Books 1–3

  Psychic Visions Books 4–6

  Psychic Visions Books 7–9

  About This Book

  Remember …

  The haunting refrain torments Bethany, almost as much as the horrors of what she’s forgotten. Chased, terrified, and injured, she races away from a gunman into the woods, determined to once again escape those after her.

  Hunter’s first meeting with Bethany reveals an injured, exhausted, and possibly dangerous psychic. Plus she uncooperative, barely civil, keeping everyone at arm’s length. Only she needs help, … and he is the one available. Time for the hunted to turn hunter, and that is his domain. Especially if he gets to champion the underdog, which, in this case, is a prickly and way-to-beautiful woman, who he doesn’t want to let out of his sight.

  Not only is she being tracked but they want her back as a captive. A captive to do their bidding. And they’ve enlisted another of their group, her ex-best friend Lizzy, to hunt down Bethany.

  They want, no need, her to remember who she really is …

  With Hunter at her side, Bethany fights for survival, racing toward an explosive reveal that leaves them all gasping, as their world turns upside down.

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  KILL OR BE KILLED

  Part of an elite SEAL team, Mason takes on the dangerous jobs no one else wants to do – or can do. When he’s on a mission, he’s focused and dedicated. When he’s not, he plays as hard as he fights.

  Until he meets a woman he can’t have but can’t forget. Software developer, Tesla lost her brother in combat and has no intention of getting close to someone else in the military. Determined to save other US soldiers from a similar fate, she’s created a program that could save lives. But other countries know about the program, and they won’t stop until they get it – and get her.

  Time is running out … For her … For him … For them …

  DOWNLOAD free military romance? Just tell me where to send it!

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  About This Book

  Complimentary Download

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue

  About What If…

  About Simon Says…

  Author’s Note

  Complimentary Download

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Beth Metlomar was dying, and the window to reverse that was quickly closing.

  “They were close, too close.” She shook her head, the rain and wind pelting her from every angle. “No, she was too close,” Beth murmured, meaning Lizzy, her ex-best friend, now her nemesis. Fear and panic snuck through Beth’s body, exasperating her already fragmented energy problem. She tried hard to pull herself together, but slices of her were dissecting, disappearing into the ethers. It was all she could do to keep herself together.

  “No,” she cried out to the vanishing energy bite, “get back here.”

  The pieces refused to obey, were harder to control these last few days, directly related to her waning energy. Finding out she was being hunted did that to her. Being on the run wiped out the rest.

  She shifted her weight off her sore, wet feet, as she huddled underneath a tree. Hell, there was no reason for them to follow her at all, but they had.

  How had they known where she was?

  Her survival instincts had pushed her here. One step in front of the other—her only possible direction. Following the one thread that she’d kept close all these years. He was the only one who could help. But would he?

  She had traced his energy to this location. He was home. But he wasn’t alone. That was a consideration. Would he remember her? He’d helped her a long time ago, and she’d never forgotten his compassion or his truth. Few were like him. Had he changed? She had. So why not him?

  Everything was at stake. But she had no choice. Not if she wanted to survive. She’d been running for weeks—or months maybe—after hiding in plain sight for years, while appearing to be normal.

  Cold from her wet clothes, her wet hair dripping down her back, Beth shuddered, her slight frame trembling harder than before, as she fought to pull herself together again. She needed a source of warmth and soon. The blood seeped down her side, a steady drip from a bullet wound two days ago, right out of the blue. A shot fired from behind, while she had been enjoying the morning sun. She’d managed to escape capture, but it had been a hard-won effort. Even now she looked down gratefully at the cat at her feet. The huge jet-black Maine coon mix wouldn’t leave her side, even though she’d tried to get him safely away. He refused.

  He was stubborn like that. Nocturne would survive, if Beth didn’t make it. She wasn’t sure she would do the same though, should their roles be reversed.

  The rain and wind continued to whisper around her, even under cover of the huge tree, and she searched the darkness enveloping her world. Other energies were out there, hunting for her, reaching through the darkness, searching the ethers to find her scent. Even a faint remnant of Beth left behind was enough for them to grab on to.

  She focused on her goal, on the house she sought. Besides the man who had helped her long ago, there was him. Someone she saw—or rather felt. Someone she thought should have seen her. Should have felt her, yet he didn’t.

  Was he an innocent? Someone who had no idea of this insane shadow world? Or maybe she was sending signals that weren’t strong enough to be picked up. She was certainly fading quickly. She slumped against the tree trunk, wishing she didn’t need yet another rest. The night wouldn’t last forever, and she needed to make headway while she could.

  Just the thought of getting back on her feet defeated her. Still, she was so damn close.

  Just not close enough.

  A few vehicles were on the road below, with traffic moving smoothly, zipping along in the darkness. Normal sounds of civilization. Except everything felt and sounded off.

  Her senses strained for signs of the danger she knew surrounded her, but her ears couldn’t be trusted right n
ow. None of her senses could. Everything was too fragmented for that, impossible to pull them back. She could handle one sense—maybe—but she couldn’t use up her dwindling energy reserves, or she wouldn’t make it to the house.

  She struggled to her feet, wincing as her spiritual energy plus her life force drained from her into the puddle of blood at her feet. She’d been forced to use so much energy to keep her spirit from completely fragmenting outward that her body would just have to wait, eventually no longer having any protection for it.

  With another bitter laugh, she pulled her hand free from the oozing bloody wound on her side, desperate to keep her soul conscious but also she didn’t want to lose this physical existence, if she didn’t have to. Forcing herself to move, she trudged forward one more step and then another, leaving a heavy blood trail behind.

  At her side, Nocturne moved quietly, his ears up, his tail twitching, as he searched the surrounding area. Nobody would see him. Nocturne was the darkness of night, but then so was she.

  She tossed her jet-black waist-length hair over her shoulder, wishing she had a moment to braid it. But lacking food, water, and even a bandage to hold in her blood’s life force, a braid was the least of her worries.

  “Nocturne,” she murmured. “You go to him if I don’t make it.”

  A tiny meow came from beside her. She felt it more than heard it. They’d always communicated like they were soul mates. So here they were, a broken-down fugitive and this precious soul that stayed at her side, no matter what.

  *

  Sitting comfortably in Stefan’s living room, a surge of electricity shot through the room, shocking Hunter Brill. “Whoa,” he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

  Another electric influx had the power surging inside the home, then sparking. Hunter turned to Stefan and Celina. “Will that storm cause a power outage?” He’d only stopped by for a quick visit, not even sure of the impulse that brought him here, but he had been long used to listening to it. Yet the power surges going off and on over the last hour were something different. Something he’d never seen before.

  Celina shook her head. “What is going on?”

  Stefan walked to the massive wall of windows at the back of the living room and whispered, “It’s not an electricity issue. Something, someone, is out there.”

  Another spark lit up the room.

  “Did you see that?” Hunter walked closer to the wall of windows, certain he saw an image out there. He narrowed his gaze, studying the energy, but it acted like live electricity, still sparking in place. Bizarre. And that said a lot, coming from him, a man who lived bizarre.

  “I did,” Stefan murmured thoughtfully, “but I’m not sure what.”

  Another flash lit the room.

  In the fading light, Hunter caught sight of a woman.

  “Is she … a ghost?” Celina asked, stepping closer to Stefan. “If she is, she’s not like any I’ve seen before.”

  “No.”

  Stefan’s words synced with Hunter’s. “It’s like a holographic image.”

  “She’s young.”

  “Midtwenties, hungry, afraid, … and injured.” Hunter wished the image had stayed long enough to learn something else. Something helpful, outside of the massive dark pain in her gaze from her white face. He turned to look at Stefan. “I have no idea what’s going on. I’ve never seen anything like this. Have you?”

  “Yes, and no.”

  “A little more detail would help,” Hunter said, with a note of humor, even as the light flashed again at a different location, showing the same woman, only slightly different. “Can we tell if this is in real time? Are these slices of her past? Is she close? Is she headed here? Lord, she’s not teleporting, is she?”

  Hunter seriously hoped not. It looked like something out of a horror show, and the end result couldn’t be good. The next flash came faster, then another and another, completely surrounding them in the living room, as the three stood in wonder and, yeah, on Hunter’s part at least, … in horror.

  The images and flashes were constant now.

  “Is she in danger?” Celina murmured. “Or dangerous?”

  Stefan wrapped an arm around her and held her close. “We are all dangerous in different circumstances,” he said, but his voice was barely audible over the crackling electricity.

  Then suddenly it all stopped.

  And silence reigned.

  Until a knock sounded on the door.

  *

  Beth leaned against the wall adjacent to the doorway—well, more like sagged against it. But she was vertical. The trip had been horrific, yet she’d done it. But what waited for her? Other energies were here. She hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t allowed herself to consider it. She’d been solely focused on her friend of old.

  Nocturne meowed at her feet.

  “Sorry, buddy. I just need a moment.”

  What if she was wrong? What if this person wasn’t who she thought he was? What if he didn’t care? What if he didn’t remember her? She leaned heavily against the wall, loath to reach for the door. She felt another piece of her soul splinter outward. Only this one moved into the house. She smiled upon seeing the beautiful open, airy space with the huge wall of windows. A beacon in the darkness—the ever-encroaching darkness—as her own vision narrowed down to a small pinpoint of light, then to almost nothing. And now the effort to stay upright was too much, and she did a slow slide to the ground outside the door.

  Of course, outside. She was always outside.

  In the far recesses of her consciousness, she heard a hard knock on the door. She wanted to run, to cry out a warning, but too late.

  The darkness choked her before she could say a word.

  Splintered as she was, multiple sensations poured through her soul, overwhelming her in sights, sounds, emotions.

  A slurry of light shone down on her. Strong arms reached for her. She was lifted, carried inside. Light warred with the darkness. Softness warred with the extreme hardness of her world. Compassion and caring opened up old wounds that leaked with pain and sorrow.

  She wanted to cry out a warning, but somehow they already knew.

  She wanted to let them know why she was here, but somehow it didn’t matter.

  She wanted to tell them who she was, but somehow they didn’t seem to care.

  With the last of her strength, she opened her eyes, checking if she were safe or if she’d bet on the wrong door.

  Fear struck her heart as she struggled to free herself from the stranger who carried her. “No,” she cried out. “No, it can’t be.”

  “Shhh, you’re hurt,” he said gently. “Let me help.”

  “No, it’s you. You’re a hunter.” There. She’d said it. The reality of losing it all crashed into her, tears leaking from her eyes. Over. The war was won. She’d lost.

  “I am Hunter, yes,” he said, staring down at her in his arms. “That’s my name. I’m not, however, hunting you.”

  “No,” she whispered. “Not yet.”

  With the last of her energy, she whispered, “But you will.”

  Chapter 2

  Beth opened her eyes, her sight blurry, her heart slamming against her chest, as fear immediately gripped her soul. A voice whispered close to her, “You’re fine. Just relax.”

  But relaxing was something he could suggest but she could not do. She’d been on edge, too alert and wily for too long. She didn’t say another word, letting her eyes drift closed, hoping that whoever was beside her would see her as sleeping.

  “Good,” he said calmly. “You need rest.”

  She shifted in the bed, loving the absolute softness against her skin. And then remembered Nocturne. Her eyes opened wide, she bolted upright. Immediately hands grabbed her shoulders and gently pressed her back down. She stared up with a wild gaze. “Where’s Nocturne?” she demanded.

  Stefan—and there was no way not to recognize him—stared down at her in surprise. “You arrived at my door alone,” he said.

  She
shook her head frantically, only to wince, as the inside of her brains pounded against the bone. “No,” she whispered, “I was not.”

  At his startled exclamation, he said, “I will check,” and he disappeared.

  She sagged back onto the bed and sent out a message. Where are you? Where are you?

  Nocturne’s calming voice whispered right back, I’m here.

  She sighed with relief. Don’t do that to me, she said.

  I’m here. Just rest.

  And she drifted back under again. When she woke the next time, Stefan and the hunter stared at her. She frowned. “It’s very odd to be stared at like that. You make me nervous.”

  “Good,” said the man who had carried her in.

  She knew him. Or knew his type. She couldn’t be sure which. She felt his energy wafting her way, the anger and the worry. She studied him closely, but she didn’t recognize him. “Why do you want me to be afraid?”

  He shook his head. “You are already afraid. I just want to know why.”

  “You want to know many things,” she murmured. “That doesn’t mean you get the answers.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “You came here for help.”

  “You are not the one to help me.” She shifted her gaze to a woman, leaning against the doorjamb. Beth studied her carefully, as she didn’t know who this person was, whether friend or foe. She looked around for Stefan, but he wasn’t here. “Where is Stefan?”

  The woman answered, “In the kitchen, making you tea.”

  “Tea?” she asked hazily.

  “Yes, tea.”

  “What if I don’t want tea?” she asked in confusion.

  “It’s medicinal, for your head, and he is very good at what he does.”

  Beth already knew he was very good at what he did, but nobody ever understood just what that was. She didn’t know either.

  Just then Stefan’s voice called out and said, “I’m here. I’m here.”

  She looked at him, feeling the same sense of relief as when she had first laid eyes on him. “It really is you, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” he said, looking at her. “But I’m afraid I don’t know who you are.”