told her all she needed to know. Carlos wasn't ready.
"All right. I hear you. We do Spain as soon as the team gets a good night's sleep." She sighed and put the stones back in her pocket, the whole time just shaking her head-not at him, but at herself, and over Marlene missing her point. "You don't have to say another mumblin' word."
A SEARING pain stabbed into Carlos's chest. His eyes opened wide and he yelled out as the sharp projectile tore away cartilage and bone and then lodged into the soft organ beneath it. He gasped for air in vain and scrabbled at the unseen object that had split his breastbone and pierced his heart while he was lying flat on his back in his sleep. The team was on their feet, Damali and Marlene on their knees beside him, while his body convulsed, a cold sweat covered him, and total chaos broke out in the room.
He could taste his own blood in his mouth as commands were shouted all around him. Then just as suddenly as the horrible attack had begun, the pain snapped away from his body. Carlos was on his feet in seconds, clutching his chest. When the team rushed toward him he clapped his hands, opened them wide, and surrounded himself with an impenetrable barrier of Light.
Big Mike hit the shield first and dropped as though he'd run into a brick wall.
"Back off!" Carlos shouted, his chest heaving as it took a moment to orient himself.
"It's us, man," Shabazz yelled, helping Big Mike up.
Slowly Carlos brought his hands together and made the shield recede. His body flashed hot then cold and shivers made his teeth chatter as he tried to speak through pants. "She staked me," he croaked. "Put it right through my chest!"
"Who?" Damali yelled. "Was it a flashback, or-"
"I dunno," Carlos gasped. "I couldn't see the face."
"It'll be all right," Damali said, "Go over what you saw slowly. You're a seer. It coulda been a flashback, baby, or a vision. We just have to make sure it doesn't happen. You cool?"
Carlos nodded and rubbed his chest.
Berkfield looked around the room. "After what he's been through, it mighta been a PTSD flashback. I used to get 'em after 'Nam."
Big Mike nodded as he got up from the floor slowly and went to Carlos. "Man, been there. We gotchure back." He extended his hand and waited for Carlos to accept the handshake. "You feel anything messing with you, you call Big Mike. You my boy, healed me, helped the team." Mike glanced around as all heads nodded. "Until you feel comfortable, I'll sleep with one eye open and guard you while you rest. Then when you get up, I'll go off shift. Cool?"
"Yeah, man. Thanks. But that won't be necessary," Carlos said, straightening his back. "I'm cool."
Everybody looked at each other. Damali ran her palms down her face. Her man was anything but cool. It was settled. She was going to Hell alone to squash this bullshit once and for all.
Marlene glanced at Father Patrick. "Psychic attack?"
"Or premonition, like Damali said," the priest said, studying Carlos as he approached him slowly.
"Whatever it was, we're out. Party's over, gentlemen," Damali said, snatching Dan's backpack and tossing it to him. "We're on the next flight to Spain."
Carlos shook his head and took in several huge gulps of air. "Hold up." Carlos glanced around at the shaken team. "I ain't feeling Spain. One stop, London, to get us a flight to the States. Period. I'm going home." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Whatever this bullshit was, one of my squad just bought it."
Damali and Marlene glanced at each other.
"You're still linked to Tara and the guy you elevated like that?" Rider said, moving in front of Carlos and holding him by both arms.
"Yeah," Carlos said, looking at Rider without blinking. "One of mine just went down. Problem is, I don't know which one."
Rider dropped his hands away from Carlos's biceps and walked away, picking up his overnight bag without a word and facing the door. "It's about a fifteen-hour flight to London. What difference does it make if it's day or night when we fly? This went down in broad daylight. Other problem is, and not trying to mess around here, is this-the way you woke up and freaked out, man, if you had a weapon in your hand, you coulda taken out one of the team." He looked at Damali and then his gaze went