Iris Johansen - Final Target

"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 exhausted 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?"