Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

31 ∞ distraction

Day Eight ∞ Friday morning

THE NIGHT DIDN'T OFFER MUCH REST. Every time Danny started sinking into sleep, there came the images—flooding his mind.

The black Dodge Aspen rolling by.

Faces in the dark watching him through the window.

A man looking at the microwave while sliding his fingers behind a counter ledge to deposit a bug.

Those and other disturbing images kept jarring him awake and so he spent most of the night staring at the palely illuminated ceiling above Mickmi's bed, replaying what happened on the balcony instead.

"What did you do?"

"Disabled all listening devices inside... except in the kitchen."

"You can do that?" She just smiled at him. "But why not all of them? You know I want all of them out of my house!"

"I know—but nay. It is best to leave something behind, or they will try something more drastic."

He was still holding her hands at the time. When he'd asked her if she'd recovered access to her collar, she focused inward for a while, then shook her head in her characteristic way, a troubled crease appearing between her brows. "I can not connect."

"You just did, though. You got it to activate. Why not now?"

"I must direct myself. But the sinnesband recognizes not my brain wave signature..."

"I guess it's because you're trying too hard. But when I talk you through it, you can just act."

"Aye. And you were correct that my mind is the key for me to access my sinnesband... But the amnesia has made my key defective."

"No, not defective—incomplete, maybe, but you're in no way defective..." He'd chuckled at that. "You said 'sinnesband'... That's something you remember. A.I. sinnesband... What's that? Artificial intelligence?"

"I.A.—not 'A.I.'—sinnesband." She'd smiled as she corrected him. "Intelligent augmentation."

"Of your mind."

"Aye."

"That means that you could do a lot with it."

He could see in his mind's eye how her gaze became distant with an intense focus. "Aye. More than can be listed."

More than can be listed. That promised an intriguing amount of possibilities and he'd already witnessed a few. As he lay on the floor trying to imagine what else the 'sinnesband' could help her do, he drifted off to sleep again. The moments of rest didn't last long, however, and the cycle of disturbed slumber started again.

It was after two in the morning when he decided he couldn't take it anymore. With an envious glance at Mickmi's peaceful form, he left the room and headed for the refrigerator. Then he changed his mind and located his track shoes in the hallway, stepped outside into the floodlight and pleasantly cool night air. He passed the rosebush, heading for the darkness at the edge of the lawn, stopped next to a pine tree and looked back at the house.

He could see part of the table through the kitchen window, the light on the wall casting some rays inside. If the light were turned on inside, the view would've been clear as day. Just like when they were watching us that night; and probably with binoculars.