DREAM RIDERS

CHAPTER ONE Philadelphia, PA The room was quiet, except for the child’s ragged breathing. “Are you sure you want to do this, Sabrina?” Sabrina Gray glanced up from snapping her wrist pads in place. “Why wouldn’t I?” Zack Winters gave an airy wave. “Two reasons. First, the girl is ten years old, and her dream cycle is short. If you enter the energy stream too early, or too late, the mistake could generate a secondary inflammation. And second, the girl is Ambassador Stanford’s daughter, for Christ’s sake. If you make a mistake, the fall out will be your ass, along with the country’s ass.” Sabrina’s lips twitched. She brushed a stray red curl from her face. “How long have you known me, Zack?” “What does that have to do with anything?” “How long?” “Since you were ten.” “And how long have I been dream-riding?” “Since you were twelve.” “And how old am I now?” Zack snorted loudly. “Thirty.” “And with the hundreds of dream-rides I’ve done, how many have I bungled?” “Nary a one. You’re the best damn dream rider the Bureau’s got. You don’t make mistakes.” “Exactly.” Sabrina lifted the electrode wires from the bed. She began hooking them on her temples. “Monitor the ride for me, Zack. I don’t know these med-techs. Remind them I won’t be long. I’m only going to do a quick diagnostic.” Sabrina dropped onto a cot alongside the one containing a petite figure sleeping. “I’ll be in and out before you know it.” “You better be.” Zack said, whirling to the door. “I’d hate like hell to have to call the paramedics for both of you.” Sabrina hissed her displeasure. She could always count on Zack to add more doubt to an already doubtful situation. Lying back, she tossed on a pair of headsets. She waited for the signal from beyond the door to reach her ears. As she waited, she reminded herself to pay attention to every second of the dream ride. A young girl’s life depends on it. Static pricked her ears suddenly, and then a deep male voice filtered through the headset. “Starting EEG…in five…four… three…two…one…. ……………………………. The Dream Ride fractured as soon as Sabrina entered the dream. The ground shook beneath her feet, and she steeled herself to be bounced from the energy stream. When it didn’t happen, she glanced at the desert landscape. Her arrival must’ve triggered a slight hiccup within the dream cycle. Why else was she still here? Had the doctors given Zack wrong information about the young girl’s health? If so, she was in deep trouble, because pulling out and coming back in would take minutes—minutes that might send the girl into an unexpected coma. Overhead, colorful prisms flared, flashing red and gold. Simultaneously, the desert floor in front of Sabrina split in two—a clear sign she should abort the ride. She hesitated, though, knowing sometimes rides righted themselves on their own. She’d give it a few more seconds and then decide. Sabrina’s inner voice suddenly kicked in. Another dream rider is in here. They’re manipulating the energy stream. Alarmed by the thought, Sabrina scanned the cracking landscape. There should be an energy flux hovering along the edges of the dream cycle. If she could find it, she could bounce the rider from the dream before he or she had a chance to finish poisoning the landscape. A tortured howl shattered the air, and Sabrina took a quick look over her shoulder. Was she facing a shape shifter, or was the sound just an energy echo? Too close to call, her inner voice advised, Summon the Cailleach. Let her settle the matter. Not quite yet, she calmed the voice. Calling the Cailleach had consequences—the unpleasant kind. Let’s see where we’re taken, then decide. Swiveling, Sabrina assessed the four quadrants of the energy stream. The bastard was good, she’d give him that; but his skills couldn’t compare to hers. She had been dream riding more than half her life, and it would take a lot more hidden energy fluxes to oust her from the energy stream. The cracks ahead intensified, splitting into fours, and spewing fire and black ash from their core. Sabrina jumped out of the way of the barrage. Though she couldn’t see the starting point of the danger, she could feel it lurking. A permanent tanking of the dream cycle would be next, and that meant the Ambassador’s daughter would die from the overload. Could she delay the fracture long enough to knock the intruder off his game? The energy stream rippled again, but with a new energy flux—one that seemed familiar. A dark vortex appeared in the sky above her, and the landscape shimmered in response. Hands quickly gripped her shoulders and pulled her back against a broad chest. In seconds, a voice she never expected to hear again whispered in her ear. “Wake up!” Sabrina’s mind shot into the vortex like a runaway train. She slammed back into consciousness with a seismic jolt, clutching her head as she bolted up. Damn Lucas Rivers! He had bounced her from the dream before she could center on the intruder. She would strangle the bastard the next time she saw him. IF we ever see him, her inner voice advised. He’s been missing for years.