I'm a Psychic, but Even $500 Million Can't Make Me Find His Son

I had a psychic gift, so I joined the Missing Persons Recovery Network. For ten years, all I needed was a single lead to track someone down. With my gift, I'd helped bring more than a thousand missing children home. Then one day, Grant Halston, the richest man in Alderidge, flew in on his private jet to see me. He held out a photo of his eight-year-old son, a lively little boy with two dimples when he smiled. "Ms. Ellison, the kidnappers want a hundred million dollars in ransom, but I don't want to pay it. "Just find out where my son is. I'll get him back myself. And I'll give you half my fortune. Five hundred million dollars." My coworkers all gasped and started chiming in. "Mara, say yes! That's more money than you could ever spend!" "Didn't you say you wanted to expand the Network's search resources? Think about all the kids who still haven't come home!" "Come on, Mara. Take the job!" The offer was incredibly tempting. And with a solid lead, tracking someone down was usually easy for me. I was about to say yes when I took one more look at the photo. A chill crawled down my spine. Everyone looked at me expectantly. After a moment, I finally spoke. "I can't take this job." Chapter 1 As soon as I said I couldn't take the job, Nolan Pierce shot to his feet. "Mara, have you lost your mind?" "That's five hundred million dollars! Five hundred million!" "The entire Network could work for a lifetime and still never come close to making that much." "All you have to do is say a few words, and the money's yours. And you're actually turning it down?" I ignored his shouting and kept my eyes fixed on the photo in Grant Halston's hand. I really couldn't take this job. Grant's expression darkened at my refusal. As the richest man in Alderidge, he was used to being in control. "Ms. Ellison, is five hundred million not enough?" His voice was low, carrying the quiet authority of a man used to being obeyed. "I'll add another hundred million. "Six hundred million. Bring my son back to me." I could hear my coworkers breathing harder around me. Six hundred million dollars. It was more money than most people could even imagine. Valerie Keene suddenly grabbed my wrist with surprising force. "Mara, stop being stubborn and just say yes to Mr. Halston!" "Why would you turn down a job this big?" "Don't you want to get the best equipment for the Network and help more people?" I pulled my wrist free, my voice turning cold. "I can't take this job for any amount of money." "Mr. Halston, you'll have to find someone else." Grant slammed his palm down on the table. "Don't push your luck, Mara Ellison!" "There's no one in Alderidge I can't hire." "You're taking this job whether you like it or not!" Valerie flinched and quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Mr. Halston, please calm down. Mara's been working nonstop. She's exhausted and not thinking straight." "The Network will take the case." "We'll put people on it and start checking the leads right away." I turned to Valerie, my expression icy. "I'm the only psychic medium in the Network." "If I don't help, how exactly are you planning to find him?" "And let me make one thing clear. If any of you take this case, you're on your own. I won't be involved." Nolan spat to the side. "Cut the spooky act. You're not scaring anyone." "You just want to cut us out and squeeze more money out of Mr. Halston behind our backs, don't you?" "You love acting like some kind of saint, but deep down, you're greedier than anyone here." Grant slowly rose to his feet. He tucked the photo away and looked down at me. "You've got some nerve, Mara." "But I promise you, it won't be long before you come crawling back, begging me to let you take the deal." He motioned to his bodyguards, and they filed out after him. The glass door slammed shut hard enough to rattle in its frame. Valerie spun around, pointed a finger at me, and yelled. "Mara, you're fired!" "As of right now, you're no longer part of the Missing Persons Recovery Network." "Pack your things and get out!" I didn't argue. I quietly gathered my belongings from my desk. Nolan stood nearby with his arms crossed, sneering. "Go ahead. Keep acting like you're better than everyone else. Without the Network, you're nobody." "And when you end up broke and starving on the streets, don't say we never gave you a chance to get rich!" I had barely stepped out of the office building with a box in my arms when my phone started buzzing nonstop. Unknown numbers flooded the screen one after another. The second I answered, a barrage of vicious insults came through the phone. "Mara Ellison, you heartless bitch!" "Five hundred million still isn't enough for you? Is money all you care about?" "He's eight years old! What kind of monster refuses to help a child?" I hung up. Another call came in almost immediately. Instead of answering, I opened social media. The trending page had already blown up: #GrantHalstonTurnedAway #MaraEllisonRefusesToSaveChild #RecoveryNetworkStatement The top video had been posted by Grant himself. His eyes were red, and he looked utterly exhausted. "I've devoted my whole life to charity and made more donations than I can count." "But today, I went to Mara Ellison with a photo of my eight-year-old son and begged her for help." "She demanded half my fortune, then coldly refused to help at the last second." "I'm a father. I'd give anything to save my son. I just can't understand how anyone could be so heartless." The video already had more than a hundred thousand comments. [Dox her! Track down that vile woman!] [So much for the saint who claims she finds missing kids for free. She's just a scammer holding out for more money!] [I hope she gets hit by a car the second she steps outside today!] The Network posted an official statement soon after. Missing Persons Recovery Network: [Mara Ellison has been formally dismissed from the Missing Persons Recovery Network. Her personal actions do not represent this organization. We have accepted Mr. Halston's request and will do everything in our power to find Eli Halston, free of charge.] I couldn't help but laugh, but I didn't turn back. I silenced my phone and headed back to my run-down rental apartment. The moment I reached the entrance, I knew something was wrong. Several influencers with phones and selfie sticks were lurking around the entrance, looking around for me. "Guys, this is where that heartless psychic lives!" "Send ten premium gifts, and I'll go straight to her door!" I pulled my cap lower and slipped into the alley beside the building. So much for going home. I found a run-down motel on the outskirts of the city that didn't ask for ID. I stayed there for the time being. Chapter 2 Around noon the next day, the door to my motel room was suddenly kicked open. Nolan barged in with several burly men behind him, holding up his phone as he livestreamed the whole thing. "Found her! Guys, I found this heartless monster!" Nolan shouted excitedly into the camera. "Look at her! She's hiding out in this filthy dump, taking it easy!" "Mr. Halston's son is being tormented by his kidnappers right now, and she's hiding here like a coward!" The live chat went wild. Comments poured in as animated gifts flashed across the screen. [Beat her up!] [Drop a huge gift and tell the streamer to slap her twice!] Valerie stepped out from behind Nolan with a smug smile. "Mara, look at you. You're hiding from everyone like you're public enemy number one." "Mr. Halston says the offer still stands. Five hundred million dollars if you cooperate." "Just tell us where the boy is. We'll handle the rest." I gave her a mocking smile. "Valerie, if you want that money so badly, why don't you find him yourself?" Her smile froze. "You know we don't have your gift! You're the only one who can sense where he is!" I stood and brushed the dust from my pants. "Then let me say this one more time." "Anyone who takes this job is as good as dead." "If you don't believe me, go ahead and try." Nolan spat to the side. "Quit trying to scare us with that psychic crap!" "You're just holding out for more money!" "You really think no one can see through your dirty little scheme?" Still shouting, he turned his phone around and shoved the screen toward me. A group video call filled the screen. Grant sat in the back of a stretch Rolls-Royce. His face was tense, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Ms. Ellison, you've pushed this far enough." Grant's voice was low and commanding, leaving no room for argument. "Five hundred million dollars is already an astronomical amount. That kind of money will set your family up for generations." Nolan waved the phone excitedly. "You hear that, Mara? Five hundred million!" "You couldn't make that kind of money in this lifetime, the next, or the one after that!" Valerie sighed too. "Mara, listen to me. Just tell us where the boy is." "Whatever you do, don't turn down that kind of money." I scoffed and said nothing. Just then, a woman suddenly appeared beside Grant on the screen. It was Grant's wife, Cynthia Halston. She was normally polished and glamorous. Now her hair was disheveled, and she looked completely distraught. She dropped to her knees in the back of the car. The camera shook violently. Cynthia clasped her hands together and begged into the camera. "Ms. Ellison, please! Please save my son!" "Eli is only eight years old. He can't die!" "Just tell me where he is. I'll pray for you every day for the rest of my life!" She was sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. Watching the desperate mother on the screen, I felt a flicker of sympathy. A mother's love was a powerful thing. Then I remembered what I'd seen through my psychic gift the night before. I closed my eyes and steeled myself. "I can't tell you where the boy is." "No matter how much money you offer me, I won't tell you." Cynthia's sobs died in her throat. All the color drained from her face, and she slumped onto the floor. Grant's gaze darkened. "Mara Ellison, do you really want to do this the hard way?" Nolan was practically beside himself. He shoved the phone right into my face. "Everyone, look! This is the hero you all praised for bringing missing kids home!" "Mrs. Halston is on her knees begging her, and Mara doesn't even blink!" "Someone this heartless doesn't deserve to live!" The livestream chat exploded. [Mara Ellison is disgusting. I swear, I want to slap her myself!] [Five hundred million and she still won't help? Who does she think she is, God?] [Dox her! Find her family's address and make every last one of them answer for this!] Chapter 3 I stared at the vicious comments flooding the screen, my face expressionless. Just then, the old phone in my pocket started buzzing furiously. The caller ID said Dad. My stomach dropped as a terrible feeling came over me. Nolan spotted it immediately and aimed the livestream camera at my phone. "Guys, look! Her family's calling!" "We're getting an answer out of her today!" I took a deep breath and answered. The second the call connected, I heard my sister wailing on the other end. "Mara! What the hell have you done?" "There are people crowding outside our house! They've splashed paint all over the front door, and they're smashing our windows!" "Dad's blood pressure shot up. He's lying on the floor, and the ambulance can't even get through!" Her voice trembled with fear and desperation. Then Dad's weak but furious voice came over the line. "Mara Ellison! You've really outdone yourself, haven't you?" "Someone just called and said you refused to save a child. They said they'd make us pay with our lives for Mr. Halston's son!" "They even posted your sister's school address online!" I gripped the phone tightly and snapped my gaze toward Valerie. She stood off to the side with a smug sneer. No one outside the Network knew where my family lived. No one knew where my sister went to school either. It was Valerie. She'd completely lost her mind over that five hundred million dollars. Dad coughed hard into the phone, his voice choked with emotion. "Mara, I'm begging you. Why can't you just tell them?" "That's five hundred million dollars! Just tell them, and we'll all be free of this!" "Why do you have to make yourself the bad guy? Are you trying to get your sister and me killed?" My eyes burned as I listened to my family accuse me. Of course I wanted them to have a better life. I wanted that five hundred million too. I wanted to take them away from that run-down neighborhood. But I knew the truth: I might live long enough to take the money, but I wouldn't live long enough to spend it. It took everything I had, but I clenched my jaw and shook my head again. "Dad, Sis, I really can't tell them." "Trust me. I'm doing this to keep you both alive." "If I say anything today, none of us will live to see tomorrow." Dad exploded. "You're insane! You've completely lost your mind!" "From this day on, you're no daughter of mine!" The call ended with a sharp click. Nolan laughed so hard his eyes watered. "You hear that? Even your own family doesn't want you anymore!" "Mara, everyone hates you now. How much longer do you think you can hold out?" On the screen, Grant slowly lit a cigar. The fake sincerity was gone from his face. All that remained was a naked threat. "Ms. Ellison, my patience has limits." "If you don't want the five hundred million, I'll use it to put a price on your family's heads." "For that kind of money, plenty of people would be willing to do the job." Valerie quickly joined in. "Mara, don't say I didn't warn you. You have no idea what Mr. Halston is capable of." "Tell him now, while you still can." I looked at the screen, where twenty million people were watching the livestream. Then I looked at Grant, who clearly thought he had everything under control. Finally, I turned to Nolan and Valerie, both smug with triumph. "Fine. I'll tell you. But I won't say anything until the head of the Alderidge State Police gets involved." "The head of the Alderidge State Police?" Nolan roared with laughter into the livestream camera as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Mara, you're just some lousy psychic. You really think you're that important?" Valerie's face hardened. "Mara, quit pushing your luck. Mr. Halston can get someone from the Alderidge State Police here if that's what you want. But if they show up and you still can't lead them to the boy, you'll be in serious trouble for lying to the police!" On the screen, Grant's gaze turned cold and menacing. "Fine. I'll give you what you want." "Commissioner Shaw happens to be nearby on official business. One phone call, and I can have him there." "But Mara, if you try to play games with me after he arrives, you and your whole family will disappear before the day's over." Chapter 4 But Grant's words suddenly made the twenty million viewers realize that something didn't add up. The tone of the live chat began to shift. [Holy crap. The more you think about it, the weirder it gets. The richest man's son goes missing, and his first instinct isn't to call the police?] [Exactly! He'd rather spend five hundred million dollars on a psychic than trust the police?] [Is something shady going on here?] Grant's eye twitched as he read the comments. He hurried to explain himself to the camera. "Don't get the wrong idea. I love my son too much to sit around waiting for the police process to play out!" "I'll do whatever it takes to save him!" His explanation sounded reasonable enough, and the viewers were once again moved by his devotion to his son. Half an hour later, heavy, synchronized footsteps suddenly echoed down the hallway of the run-down motel. Dozens of heavily armed SWAT officers quickly sealed off the area. A square-jawed middle-aged man with piercing eyes strode in. The insignia on his uniform gleamed in the dim hallway light. Everett Shaw, Commissioner of the Alderidge State Police. Nolan and Valerie had never seen a show of force like this before. Terrified, they dropped to their knees. Grant's video call was still connected. He greeted Commissioner Shaw politely through the screen. "Commissioner Shaw, sorry to trouble you. She's the one who says she knows where my son is." Commissioner Shaw gave Grant a nod, then walked over to me with a grave expression. "Ms. Ellison, I'm Everett Shaw." "The whole state is worried about Mr. Halston's son. I need you to cooperate and tell us where the boy is right now." I looked at Commissioner Shaw and took a deep breath. More than twenty million people were watching. I didn't look at Nolan or Valerie. I didn't even look at Grant's smug face on my phone screen. I walked straight over to Commissioner Shaw, leaned close to his ear, and whispered a single sentence that only he could hear. Commissioner Shaw went rigid. He'd spent thirty years in law enforcement and handled countless major cases. He immediately understood what my words meant. The next second, he drew his sidearm. "All teams, listen up!" "Team One, surround Grant Halston's mansion immediately!" "Team Two, take Grant Halston into custody. Cuff Nolan Pierce and Valerie Keene here, now!" The hallway went dead silent. On the other end of the video call, Grant's cigar slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor. His face went deathly pale. Nolan and Valerie went limp with shock. The livestream exploded as twenty million viewers flooded the chat. [What the hell just happened?]