Iris Johansen - Final Target

And poor Jessica Riley. If he could read between the lines of her book, she was probably suffering almost as much as her patient.

None of his business. How many times had he told himself that since he'd arrived at Juniper? From sheer boredom he was being drawn into speculation, and speculation was seldom enough for him. He liked to be in control. If he wasn't careful, he'd be abandoning his nice, safe position as observer and diving in and trying to sort out the situation. It was clear he needed to get back to his own life and forget about Cassie Andreas and the people around her.

Cassie screamed again.

"Baby, no." Jessica rocked her back and forth. "Please. Wake up. You can't go on like-"

Cassie's mouth stretched wide and she screamed. Over and over.

Pulse rapid. Skin clammy.

"Hypodermic?" Teresa asked.

"I gave her a shot during the last episode, and it hardly fazed her. If I give her too much now, it could kill her."

But what would work? she wondered frantically. This fit had been going on for over twenty minutes. It was Cassie's worst attack yet, and she couldn't let the child-

"Take care of her," she told Teresa. She jumped to her feet and ran out of the room, past Cassie's guard and down the hall. She threw open Melissa's door. "Cassie's bad. I don't know what you can do, but if there's a chance to-"

Melissa didn't answer.

Jessica turned on the lamp.

Melissa was lying with her eyes open.

"Mellie?"

Rapid pulse. Clammy skin.

"Shit."

Tears were running down Jessica's cheeks as she ran out of the room. What the hell could she do? Everything was crazy. Nothing made sense. There was no reason for that lovely child to die.

And Melissa. Oh, God, Melissa.

Sweet Jesus, what could she do? There was nothing-

You have to find a way to break the stream. Find a way to enter something new into the mix.

She was running down the stairs and out in the rain.

Break the stream.

Find something new.

She knew where to find a new element. She had known since the night Andreas had forbidden her to have anything to do with Michael Travis.

Screw it. She couldn't stand by and let this horror happen.

She pounded on the door of the gatehouse. "Open the door, dammit."

Travis opened it. "What the hell-"

"Come on." She grabbed his arm. "I need you. Now."

"What's happened?"

"Don't ask questions. Just come." She pulled him out. "I'm Jessica Riley and-"

"I know who you are. What I don't know is what you're doing here."

"I'll explain later. Just come with me."

"I'm coming." He ran beside her up the driveway. "The kid?"

"Yes. I think she could die." Jessica tried to steady her voice. "She's having a nightmare and I can't wake her." They reached the manor and she pulled him inside the foyer. "You've got to help."

"I'm no doctor."

"Don't argue. Just do what I say." She heard the screams as she ran up the staircase. Relief poured through her. If Cassie was screaming, she was still alive.

Larry Fike met her at the top of the steps, his gaze on Travis. "He can't come in, Dr. Riley. I have my orders."

"He is coming in," she said fiercely. "You can search him. You can come into the bedroom and stand beside him. But he's coming in. I need him."

"I have my orders."

"And are you going to explain to the President why you kept me from having the means to save his daughter's life?"

"I have my-" He stopped, his gaze on Cassie's door. "Spread-eagle and put your hands on the wall, Travis."

She watched impatiently as Fike frisked Travis. "Hurry. Please, she's-"

Fike motioned for Travis to go into the bedroom but followed him immediately.

Jessica flew over to the bed. "How is she, Teresa?"

"Maybe a little worse." She looked at Travis. "What's he doing here?"

"I'm asking the same question," Travis said. "What am I doing here?"

"I don't know. I had to do something-"

Another scream.

Travis jumped and then took a step forward. "Can't you stop that? It's got to be bad for her to-"

"If I could stop it, I wouldn't need you." She took a deep breath and tried to think. "She's having a nightmare and I can't jar her out of it. I think it's about Vasaro and she's trying to get away from something. But she can't escape it so the nightmare keeps going on and on. We have to have something to break the pattern."

"Me?"

"You saved her life at Vasaro. You may have to do it again tonight."

"She's that bad?"

"I don't know. The nightmare has to stop."

"You're damn right it does." Travis sat down on the bed. He gathered Cassie's hands in his. He was silent for an instant and then said, "You're safe, Cassie. I'm here. It's over. Remember, we're going to go into the kitchen and wait for your mom and dad."

Cassie screamed.

"You're safe. I'm here. He's gone. They're all gone."

She screamed.

"Listen to me, Cassie." His voice was low, urgent. His gaze fastened on her face. Jessica could almost feel his will grappling with the child's terror. "It's over. You're safe. He's gone."

Cassie's scream broke off.

"No one can hurt you. He can't hurt anyone. You're safe."

Cassie was staring at him.

"He's gone. They're all gone. You're safe."

She drew a deep breath.

Minutes passed. Finally she closed her eyes.

Thank you, God. Jessica stepped forward and took Cassie's pulse. It was steadying.

"Is she okay?"Travis asked.

"For now. She's in a deep sleep."

"Will she have another nightmare?"

"Not likely. She's never had two in one night." She turned to Teresa. "Please keep an eye on her."

"I will." Teresa stared at Travis. "I'd keep him around."

Jessica nodded tiredly. "I'll be back soon." Mellie. She had to check on Mellie. She left the room, hurried down the hall to the blue room.

"Mellie?"

No answer.

She crossed to the bed. Melissa also appeared to be in a deep sleep. She took her pulse. Almost normal.

Melissa's lids slowly opened. "Bad…time. You almost…lost us."

"How do you feel?"

"Like we've been hit…by a truck." She was looking over Jessica's shoulder. "Thank…you."

Jessica turned her head to see Michael Travis standing a few feet away.

"For what?" he said.

"Later…sleepy…" Her lids fluttered closed again. "Thank…"

"Good idea. Go to sleep." Jessica pulled the sheet up around her sister's shoulders. "I'll check on you in a few hours."

"Don't…have…to. We're…fine."

"I'll do it anyway." Jessica motioned for Travis to follow her. "Good night, Mellie."

Melissa didn't answer. She was asleep.

In the hallway Jessica turned to Travis. "Why did you follow me?"

"What else was I to do? Evidently, you had no more use for me with the little girl, and that Secret Service man was staring a hole in me."

"You had no right to barge into my sister's bedroom."

He shrugged. "You left the door open, and when I saw you were taking her pulse, I thought you might need me."

"I didn't need you. Mellie…was just…tired."

"Oh?"

"Thank you, everything's fine now. You can go."

He shook his head. "I'm wet to the skin and I'm not going out in that storm until I dry off and have a cup of hot coffee." He started down the staircase. "If you'll point me to the kitchen? You needn't come with me. I'm used to fending for myself."

She could see that he was. His manner was as casual as if this were his home. But that he was also very wet was true. She'd been so upset, she'd not even noticed. "I'm sorry." She hurried down the stairs. "Are you cold? I guess I should have let you get an umbrella at the gatehouse, but my mind was on other things."

"I don't think you even realized it was raining." He followed her into the kitchen. "And you're as wet as I am. Or didn't you realize that either?"