Chibi-Kari: Another chapter for wonderful reviewers! I hope everyone is having a better year than last! I don't own anything, except all the praise that you give me!

Gone

Chapter 10 – Where the Lines Overlap

Naru couldn't make out half of what was shouted after Lin's comment. His brain had ceased to function for several minutes and he couldn't even understand the possibility of her death. It just didn't compute. Mai would be okay. Mai was always okay. That was all that ran through his mind the first time he realized that his assistant was in serious danger.

The room had settled down after a few minutes and Naru vaguely registered that Lin had pulled up a video conference screen.

"If she is trained in the area of ch'i there is no way that I can help you. She has to be destroyed." The man on the screen moved slightly to the side before fading momentarily. "You know the process, Koujo?"

The younger Chinese man nodded in response, "Yes, father. Are you sure there is no other way."

The elder man paused and looked serious for a moment, "You told me once you suspected she had some sort of ability. Did she?"

Naru couldn't remember ever discussing Mai's abilities with Lin before they ran the test. He had simply asked for the equipment so Lin should have never had time to speak with his father without knowing results. He shook his head firmly. It seemed as if his assistant was keeping several things secret about Mai.

Lin nodded once, "She has been speaking with Gene and she does dream pre-cognitive and clairvoyant dreams while on cases."

"So she's a medium. That's worse. And visions that come to her in dreams. There is no other option."

Naru stepped forward, "There has to be another option. You are the leader in this field, Lin-san. Don't let prejudices stand in the way of saving lives."

The elder's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Noll, I would appreciate if you spoke to me with the proper amount of respect. I am the leader in this field. I am not a miracle worker or magician. You may want to keep your tie to your brother here among you, but that doesn't give you the right to harm innocent people. And it's impossible. The vile creature that has her will only rip away at her soul piece by piece and she will be destroyed in a way that is indescribable. She will become a faceless one. They all will. If Koujo destroys her it will be quick and painless. Then you can vanquish the demon and the other children will be freed. Are you willing to kill hundreds just to lose the life of the one you are trying to save? She is just a clairvoyant medium. Although rare nothing that you cannot replace on your team."

"Father, she is valued we wouldn't be replacing her." Lin looked mildly disgusted.

"I didn't mean it in those terms. I just don't want that spoiled child to risk the lives of hundreds so that he can hold on to his dear dead brother in another way. So I take it you found out that it was a mó from Gene. He is contacting Noll somehow. He always was a powerful child."

"Mai told us what Gene told her." Masako's voice rang through the air as she moved to the screen. Her face was contemplative.

"She was taken after she told you? I thought she was a member of the school and taken with the rest of the children. The demon shouldn't have enough power to take her after and continue to hold all the children." Lin's father looked slightly confused.

Masako smiled slightly. Lin had obviously forgotten to mention her other ability and Masako was banking on the fact that it might help them, "She was already taken when she told us."

"Wai-"

"Mai can astral project."

Lin's father was silent for a moment, "So you saw her and then relayed the message? Projection on to the spiritual plane." He looked contemplative.

"No. She projected onto the physical plane and informed us." Masako looked over at Naru with a smug look on her face.

"Projection on to the physical plane? We might be able to help her. We might be able to help them all. But if this was her first time it would be near impossible for her to do it when we need her to. This is risky, just too risky still." He shook his head slightly as he turned to look at the books on the shelf.

"This isn't her first time. And it isn't just a projection, Lin-san. She handed me a physical object once. It wasn't a duplicate it was the actual physical object." Masako leaned forward as she got closer to the webcam that Lin had setup.

The elder had stopped his movements and turned back to the camera, "No one is as lucky as us."

"What do you mean?" Naru demanded.

The elder man shook his head, "It is near impossible for her to be there. The chances. She can apport. Project herself. A medium. A clairvoyant. She has everything. The chances of this happening." He turned quickly back to the bookshelf and quickly pulled through the titles, "An author, ages ago, wrote a book on vanquishing this type of demon once they had taken others with a psychic. The only way he could find to save them all was if there was someone with the right set of abilities. He claimed that only once had this happened. It was years ago at a hospital and he claimed that when the rest of the hospital came back, that they were unable to remember anything that happened. They claimed that he was going crazy and he was asked to leave. He and his wife moved to the outskirts of the city and he wrote this book. There aren't many copies as it couldn't be verified that his was speaking truth. This seems impossible that she was one of the ones taken. Near impossible." He continued to search his shelf until hesitating over a book before pulling it out, "Here it is: Mó and Kamikakushi by Taniyama Daisuke."

"Damn it." Yasuhara cursed as he dove her Mai's file again. Everyone turned to look at him and Naru immediately understood.

"What?" The voice from the computer rang through the room.

Naru turned back to Lin's father as the rest looked on the young Japanese man now sprawled on the floor file opened in front of him, "Does the book tell exactly how to get everyone back?"

The man shook his head slightly, "It doesn't give exact details. What's going on, Noll?"

"Mai's family name is Taniyama, Lin-san."

TBC

Chibi-Kari: Anyone see that coming? Read and review please!