Final Target

  “You’re the only candidate Cassie will accept. He’d agree to anything to help his daughter.”

  “Then if you want to use me again, you’d better get on the horn and tell him so. I’d make a bet the Secret Service guys will be reporting in.”

  “What?”

  “Call him and tell him you need me. He can’t be any more stubborn than that Secret Service man you were ready to take on to get me into Cassie’s room.”

  She had been so tired and numb, she hadn’t thought past this one episode. But evidently Michael Travis had already been considering the next step. “I might not need you.”

  “Do you want to take that chance?”

  No, she didn’t. “It might not work a second time.”

  “And then again, it might.”

  Her gaze narrowed on his face. “Why are you so willing to help me?”

  “Why do you think? My kind, generous spirit?”

  “I don’t know anything about you except what Andreas told me.”

  “That should be enough. Though it may be a little unfair, since I’ve made a study of you since I arrived at Juniper.”

  “What?”

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m no Peeping Tom. I read your book. It was very revealing.”

  “Oh.”

  “I didn’t have anything else to do. It’s been a very boring week. This is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me since I left Amsterdam.”

  “You sound exhilarated. I’m glad what happened to Cassie furnished you with amusement.”

  “Amusement? No, but I have to admit that helping the kid did bring me a certain rush. I’m sorry if that offends you, but it’s the nature of this particular beast. I can see you believe I should be as profound and selfless as you obviously are, but you won’t find that in me. I don’t get involved.”

  “Then why are you offering to help me?”

  “I have a passion for disrupting the status quo. It interests me to change what most people think of as set in stone.”

  “How very . . . cool.”

  “You mean cold.” He smiled. “I’m not cold, Dr. Riley. And changing the status quo isn’t always bad. You had no objection to my doing that with Cassie.”

  And he hadn’t been cold when he’d been talking to Cassie. His passion and forcefulness had jerked Cassie out of that deadly nightmare.

  “Many things aren’t black or white.” He was reading her expression. “I promise I won’t hurt your Cassie.”

  “She’s not mine.”

  “Isn’t she?”

  He saw too much. “I want her well.”

  “And, unlike me, you do get involved.”

  “Most people do.” Jessica studied him. Strength. Intelligence. A hint of recklessness. What else lay behind that face? “Why do you want to help Cassie? It isn’t only boredom.”

  He chuckled. “You drew me into the situation as a pawn. I forgot to tell you that I also have a passion for control.”

  She stiffened. “I’m the one in control of Cassie. No one else.”

  “Cassie’s in control of Cassie.” His smile faded. “You need me, but you’re not going to get me as a pawn.”

  “You couldn’t stand aside and let that little girl die.”

  “You don’t know that. I’m a wild card to you. I could be anything. Do you want to take a chance?”

  He knew she couldn’t, damn him.

  Travis shook his head. “I’m not going to move quickly. We’ll start out with me being humbly at your beck and call. I just want an understanding.”

  She thought about it and then nodded jerkily.

  “Good.” He finished his coffee and stood up. “Now I’ll get back to the gatehouse and you get on the phone to Andreas. Okay?”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Up to you. It will be harder if he calls you after hearing from the guards here.” He waved and moved toward the door. “See you.”

  She sat there for a long time. She wasn’t accustomed to taking orders, and Travis’s suggestion had been dangerously close to an order. It seemed he had spoken truthfully when he said he liked control.

  He wouldn’t get it. She had no intention of yielding one iota of supervision over Cassie’s treatment. From the moment he had sat down on Cassie’s bed, she had seen a change in him. The challenge had seemed to electrify him, every cell in his body had taken on a force. She might need his determination but not his domination.

  But, annoyingly, Travis had been right about calling Andreas. She’d been tempted to ignore his suggestion just because he’d made it, but that would be counterproductive. Call Andreas, get it over with, then sit down and consider how she could use Michael Travis.

  It was still raining, but Travis hardly felt the drops as he ran back to the gatehouse. He was still charged with the explosive energy of the battle with Cassie . . . and Jessica Riley.

  Fascinating.

  The struggle with Cassie and then the interesting interchange he’d witnessed between Jessica and her sister, Melissa. Pieces of a puzzle were coming to light that he found very interesting.

  And dangerous.

  Maybe he hadn’t gotten his fill of walking on a tightrope after all.

  6

  Andreas was silent when Jessica finished.

  When he did speak, his voice was thick. “You think she could have died?”

  “I wouldn’t have brought Travis to the house if I hadn’t thought there was a strong possibility.”

  “Christ.” Another silence. “What the hell is happening to her?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

  “I want to be with her. I hate being thousands of miles away.”

  “You couldn’t help her, sir.”

  “But Travis did.”

  “I don’t believe there’s any doubt he saved her life.” She paused. “I may need to use him again.”

  “I didn’t want him around her. I thought it would make the nightmares worse.”

  “They couldn’t be worse.”

  Another silence. “Then use him. Use anyone or anything you have to. I’ll send word he’s to put himself at your disposal.”

  Travis would love that. “Thank you, sir. I’m sure that will help.”

  “She’s getting worse.” His voice was uneven. “Why can’t we do something? Why are we just spinning our wheels while she—”

  She couldn’t bear the pain in his words. “I know how you feel. I wonder . . . if you’d consider taking her back to Vasaro.”

  “No! Absolutely not. I may be desperate, but I’m not crazy.”

  “I think it might—”

  “No.”

  She heaved a sigh. She hadn’t thought he’d accept the idea, but she’d had to try. It was radical, even dangerous, but she was as desperate as Andreas. “I wish you’d consider it.”

  “I’d consider getting a new doctor for my daughter first.” He said something to someone in the background and then came back on the line. “I have to go. There’s a damn reception at the royal palace. I want to hear better news from you the next time you call or I’ll fly home and find someone who can help Cassie.” He hung up.

  The threat didn’t bother Jessica. She knew he was just in agony over a seemingly hopeless situation. If she’d believed someone else could do a better job with Cassie, she’d go and hire him herself.

  But he was right—lately they’d just been spinning their wheels, trying to maintain the status quo.

  I have a passion for disrupting the status quo.

  Maybe bringing Travis more fully into the equation might be a good step.

  And maybe not. At any rate, something had to change. Cassie couldn’t go on like this. Jessica had to explore every possibility to bring Cassie back.

  She wearily started up the stairs. Time to check on Cassie and then get some sleep.

  She stopped at the door of the blue room.

  Every possibility.

  Melissa.

  Melissa was as exha
usted as Cassie. Because the two had been joined?

  The idea was wild, outrageous, frightening, a complete violation of logic.

  Every possibility.

  Not now. She had to give herself time to adjust to the idea.

  Tomorrow . . .

  “What’s that wonderful smell?” Melissa asked as she came into the kitchen. “Lord, I’m hungry.”

  “Huevos rancheros.” Jessica glanced over her shoulder. “But you’ve blown it. I was going to give you breakfast in bed.”

  “You know I can’t stand lolling in bed.” She went to the refrigerator and took out the orange juice carton. “How’s Cassie?”

  Jessica put two sausages on the plate with the eggs. “You tell me.”

  Melissa’s smile faded. “I have no idea. And if I made a guess, you wouldn’t believe me.”

  “I don’t know what to believe.” She poured the juice and sat down at the table. “Eat.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Melissa sat down and started to eat. “Wonderful. Tomorrow I’ll make breakfast.”

  “You don’t cook.”

  “Sure I do. I’ve learned to do a lot of things since I went away to school. Living on your own is very empowering.” She took a drink of juice. “I would have learned sooner, but you seemed to enjoy being in charge and doing things for me.”

  “It was just that I’m accustomed to—”

  “I know.” Melissa grinned. “And I’ll always be baby sister who got lost in the briar patch. It’s fine with me. Whatever makes you happy.”

  Jessica felt a ripple of shock. Melissa’s tone was almost indulgent. “I never meant to treat you—”

  “You treat me just great.” She took another bite. “And you make a fab breakfast. Now, how is Cassie?”

  “Good. Not as good as you, but as normal as she gets these days.” She leaned back in her chair and looked at Melissa. “I thought you both might die last night.”

  “I know you did.” She reached for her juice. “I knew you were scared when you came into my room that first time, but I couldn’t do anything to help you. I was pretty wasted.”

  “Help me? You were the one who—” She drew a deep breath. “What happened to you last night?”

  Melissa looked down into her glass. “What do you want me to say? If you need lies, I’ll tell you lies. I’m not sure you’re ready for the truth.”

  “I have to be ready for whatever you tell me. I don’t know if you remember, but I came to you asking for help.”

  “I only remember you being scared. I was somewhat involved at the time.” She shifted her glance to Jessica’s face. “Since you came to me, then you must have believed me on some level.”

  “I don’t know what to believe. But Andreas told me once he’d beg help from a whirling dervish if it would get his daughter well. I’d do the same just to keep her alive.”

  “I’m not a whirling dervish, and I don’t even know what I can do. I hoped I’d have more control, but it was like being sucked into a tornado. She just carried me along with her.” She shuddered. “If Travis hadn’t come . . .”

  “You knew he was here?”

  “How could I help it? He was as strong as Cassie. He put himself between her and the monsters.”

  “Monsters?”

  “She sees them as monsters. They have eyes but no faces.”

  “The attackers at Vasaro wore ski masks.”

  Melissa nodded. “That would account for it.”

  “Tell me what it’s like.”

  “Terror. Sorrow. We’re in a long, dark tunnel and we were happy there, but the monsters have found a way to get in. They’re chasing us and we know they’ll catch us if we don’t find . . .”

  “Find what?”

  “I don’t know. Her thinking is all garbled by the fear. Whatever it is she’s looking for, she can’t find it. And there’s only one other way to escape them.”

  “The hell there is. She can come back to us.”

  “We don’t see that as an option.”

  “Half the time you say her and half the time you say we. You’re not joined to her any longer, are you?”

  Melissa shook her head. “But the link was very strong and so is the memory. I’ll try not to— You’re looking at me as if I’m crazy.”

  “Why should I accuse you of being nuts? I’m the doctor and I’m the one who’s accepting all this as if it were perfectly normal.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re taking everything with a grain of salt and trying to find a reasonable explanation for it. It’s not your nature to do anything else.” She smiled. “Right?”

  “I care about you.” Jessica reached over and covered Mellie’s hand with her own. “It scares me that you might—”

  “The only thing you should be scared about is if we can’t stop what’s happening to Cassie . . . and me. I’m not nuts. I’m just riding that tornado and hoping something will make it go away.” She squeezed Jessica’s hand. “Toward the end, after Travis came, I was feeling stronger and I began to think instead of feel. Maybe if I can gain some control, I’ll be able to stop the tornado.”

  “God, I hope so.”

  “But I have to have Michael Travis, Jessica. I’m not strong enough to fight for Cassie by myself. He has to stand between.”

  “You’re talking as if he’s some kind of medium.”

  “I don’t know why he’s able to help Cassie. You brought him to Cassie because I told you to find something to break the flow. It worked. He worked. We may be able to do without him later but not now. Get him, Jessica.”

  “Oh, I got him. It wasn’t difficult. He finds the situation very interesting and he’s bored at the moment.” She made a face. “But he’s not going to be easy to handle.”

  “I could tell.” She got to her feet. “Now I need to go for a run before I hit the books.” She brushed a kiss across Jessica’s forehead. “Poor Jessica. I know it’s hard for you. But everything will be okay.”

  Melissa was treating her as if she were a child. Well, she felt as confused as a child. Everything Melissa had said was out of her realm of belief, yet she had no option but to go along with her. “Just one more question. What would have happened to you if I hadn’t brought Travis last night?”

  She didn’t speak for a moment. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how it works. But I don’t think I could have broken free at the end.”

  “The end?”

  She moved quickly toward the door. “If Cassie had died, she would have taken me with her.”

  Melissa knocked on the door of the gatehouse. “The sun is shining and all’s right with the world. Come out and play, Michael Travis.”

  Travis threw open the door. “I beg your pardon?”

  “In case you don’t recognize me as the rag of a woman you saw in my bedroom last night, I’m Melissa Riley.”

  “Oh, I recognize you.”

  “Then go change and come out and run with me. You usually run about this time, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll wait.” She came into the house and dropped onto the sofa. “This is a nice place. Jessica and I used to play here when we were kids. Hurry, will you? I have to get back and study.”

  He smiled. “I’ll try not to keep you waiting.” He disappeared into the bedroom.

  Mellie glanced around. Open laptop on the dining table, books piled on the coffee table. But other than that, he was very neat. It was what she’d expected. Everything organized.

  She leaned forward and checked out the book titles. She smiled. Smart. Very smart.

  She moved to the window and looked up at the manor. How many times had he stood here and stared at the lights in Cassie’s window?

  “Ready.” He came out of the bedroom wearing shorts and an Oxford University T-shirt. “Unless you’ve changed your mind, Ms. Riley?”

  He didn’t know what to think of her. That was okay. It put her one step ahead. “No way. And call me Melissa or Mellie like Jessica does.” She jump
ed to her feet and trotted outside. The sun struck her face like a blessing, and she stopped and closed her eyes. “Isn’t it beautiful today? And smell that grass. I love mornings after a rain. It just sort of . . . fills me until I overflow.”

  “Your cup runneth over?”

  “Yep.” Her eyes flicked open and she jumped down the steps. “Race you to the pond in back of the house.”

  She beat him by four yards. She leaned against the willow tree and tried to get her breath. “Did you let me win?”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “You’re in good shape and I’ve seen you run.”

  “You’re in pretty good shape yourself.”

  She chuckled. “From another man I’d take that as a pass.”

  “Why not from me?”

  “Because you’re not interested in sex at the moment. You’re wondering what the hell I’m up to.”

  “Am I going to find out?”

  She nodded. “When I get my breath.” She sank down on the ground. “What do you think I’m up to?”

  “I’m supposed to talk until you get your breath?”

  “Good guess.”

  “Let’s see.” He dropped down a few feet away. “It’s difficult to assess motivations, since I’ve never met you before. From what I’ve observed at a distance, you and your sister seem very close. Did she send you with a message?”

  “Jessica delivers her own messages. I deliver mine.”

  “And what is your message?”

  She stared him directly in the eyes. “Don’t you dare do anything to hurt my sister.”

  His brows lifted. “I have no intention of harming her.”

  “I believe you. However, action doesn’t always follow intent. It gets sidetracked when personal gain becomes involved. You don’t care anything about Jessica. I doubt if you care about Cassie. It’s hard to tell.”

  “Is it? But you must know I helped her last night.”

  “No one knows better.” She paused. “As I think you’re aware.”

  He looked at her inquiringly.

  “You had three books on parapsychology on the coffee table. One I left when I came down for a visit. I read it in the gatehouse because I didn’t want Jessica to see it around the manor. I’ve never read the other two. Where did you get them in the middle of the night?”