Iris Johansen - Pandora's Daughter

"She had a chance and she didn't find him today," he said grimly.

"She said she'd have trouble making adjustments."

"And you're going to rely on her overcoming her 'trouble'? I know how hard it is for a Finder to focus. You could be dead by the time Renata comes through with a location."

"Then come up with another solution. I'm making sure that Phillip and Davy stay alive. That's my job. All the rest is in your court."

"And my job is to keep you alive."

"That's not how this started. You wanted the Ledger, you wanted Molino dead."

"My priorities have shifted."

"And I have only two now. Phillip and Davy. The rest is-"

"Why are you rubbing your hand?" he interrupted.

She hadn't realized she had been. It had been a purely automatic reflex. "It's a little bruised. Actually, it feels as if it's been crunched in a vise. Molino wanted Sienna to play guinea pig. I think he likes the idea of Sienna turning into a gibbering idiot. He was very disappointed that I turned out not to be a Pandora."

"And you were relieved."

"I never really thought there was a possibility that-yes, I was relieved." Her lips tightened. "Even though I would have liked to hurt Sienna in any way I could. What a piece of crap. Molino and he deserve each other. No, Molino's still number one on the horror chart." She headed toward the trees where they'd parked the car. "Arrange with Venable for that helicopter. I'm going to be in that field tomorrow."

RENATA STEPPED FORWARD OUT of the trees to meet Megan and Grady as they reached the bottom of the hill. "What happened up there with Molino?"

Megan's pace didn't slow. "You're not supposed to be here, Renata."

"I had to make sure that you were-"

"Just find Molino's hideaway." Megan passed her and moved toward the car.

Renata could sense the storm of tension and turbulence that was gripping Megan as she gazed after her. "I've never seen her like this. What did he do to her, Grady? What happened?"

"Molino pulled a surprise ambush on her. It wasn't enough that he had Phillip. He kidnapped little Davy Rogan. It's her worst nightmare."

"A little boy…" She had a sudden memory of that little pink dress that she had been living with for the last hours. "I can see how it would be. She told me about Davy that first night I met her. She loves him, Grady."

"Yes. And Molino left it to her to break it to the kid's parents."

"Monster. What is she going to do?"

"She made a deal to go to Molino if he released Phillip and Davy."

It didn't surprise her. "When?"

"Tomorrow afternoon in a field north of here."

"Can't you talk her out of it?"

"What do you think?" Grady asked curtly. "You know her by now. It's her nature. She couldn't do anything else. She doesn't care if the odds are against her. She's not going to let Molino hurt them."

Yes, she knew Megan, Renata thought. She had even used that knowledge to nudge her in the direction she'd needed her to go. From the moment she had met her she had been drawn to the warmth that surrounded Megan. She had tried to fight it because she knew that affection could make you vulnerable. Hadn't she learned that when Edmund had been killed? Yet here she was again, feeling once again all the worry and emotion that interfered with clear thinking and efficient action. Ignore it. Think what's best to do, what Mark would do. "Would you like me to give her a shot of methohexital? That would take her out of the picture and buy us time until we could-" She saw him shaking his head. "No?"

"A very cool and efficient solution. Just what I'd expect of you. But that would still leave Phillip in jeopardy and when she woke up, she'd be coming after both of us. She doesn't understand cool and efficient."

"Then she's right. I'll just have to find Molino. And I'd better get back to it. I covered the south hill country today and I got a few vibes when I headed toward Murfreesboro. Then they disappeared. I wasn't sure if it was my loss of focus or if I was on a wrong track. But then it was time to get back to Redwing in case she needed me."

"The only thing she needs from you right now is to find Molino's headquarters. She had me. She had Harley. You should have realized that we'd take care of her."

"I didn't know if I could trust you. I do know I can trust me." She moved toward her car. "I'll call you when I zero in on Molino. You and your CIA friends had better be ready to move."

A moment later she was in the driver's seat and staring blindly into the darkness. She had used the word when, not if she found Molino. Yet she had not been able to focus enough to get a strong lead earlier today.

Because she'd been afraid of the pain.

Whenever she touched the dress, she was swamped with sorrow and pain that tore her apart. She'd told Megan she could overcome it, dammit. She looked down at the briefcase on the seat beside her. Okay, she couldn't fight the memories of that little girl, she would have to absorb herself in them, become one with them.

She drew a deep breath and opened the briefcase. A shudder went through her as she touched the dress.

She couldn't do it.

The hell she couldn't.

Her hand clenched on the material and was immediately bombarded by emotions. Fear, bewilderment, and pain from the little girl. Ugliness, exultation, sick pleasure from Molino. It was too much, too much.

"Such a pretty little girl. "Molino was sitting on a camp stool staring at Adia. "In a pretty pink dress. Take it off her, Kofi. I want to see what the client will see."

No! Fight them. Hands on her. Shame.

"Now hold her. How they cringe when they're frightened. Isn't it interesting, Kofi?"

Terror.

Dammit, Renata wanted to kill that bastard. She had to separate them in her mind. She couldn't deal with Adia's panic and despair and the total ugliness of Molino too.

"Help me, Adia," she whispered. "I'm no good at this. He has another child now and I have to find him right away. I'll come after you later, but I have to let you go now."

But she couldn't leave her while the image of her was this tragic. Think of the little girl before this happened. Happy, loved by her parents, playing in her village. But even that scenario brought anger that a child's happiness could be destroyed by that son of a bitch.

Try again.

She drew the dress close to her chest and held it close.

Oh, dear God. Don't throw up. Get through it.

Help me, Adia.

6:30 A.M.

A CLIFF.

Straight and almost sheer plunging to the valley below.

Yes.

Renata's hands clenched on the pink dress. After all these hours she'd managed to make the connection with Molino. Not only the connection, but she was also receiving a picture, a view. Renata's hand tightened on the dress as her foot hit the accelerator.

Northwest.

More, she prayed. Give me more.

A house on a cliff. Two-story brown cedar with lots of glass. She could see Molino walking on a path by the edge of the incline, looking out over the valley several hundred feet below. Toward the back of the property a helicopter pad was occupied by a blue-and-white helicopter. A utility shed several yards from the pad. What was the registration number on the helicopter? Dammit, the image was too blurry. But in the distance Molino was able to see a glimmer of steel, a bridge over a wide expanse of water.

Then the vision was gone.

But the tether was still present. Follow it.

Northwest.

She put down Adia's dress to dial Grady. "Molino has a house on a cliff. It's somewhere in the northwest of the state."

"How certain are you? We don't have much time before Megan meets with Molino?"

"I'm sure. Molino can see a bridge from the path by the cliff."