Iris Johansen - Final Target

"I have to get back to Cassie. I'm only taking my dinner break."

"I'll try not to be long."

She hesitated. "Fifteen minutes." She followed him down the front steps. "I wanted to speak to you too. I had a talk with Mellie last night. She told me the Wind Dancer was what Cassie was searching for in the tunnel. She seems to have an idea pursuing that lead will be bad for Cassie."

"And what do you think?"

"I think we have to grab any straw we can to help her. I made Mellie promise not to try to steer Cassie away from the statue."

"Iimagine she had a few problems with that," he murmured.

"She agreed." She glanced at him. "You don't seem surprised."

"I think we both knew your sister's reaction was a little extreme."

"Then why didn't you follow up?"

"Why should I? I knew you'd do it and you would have only resented my accusing her of anything."

"Yes, I would have." She stopped as they reached the pond. "She didn't mean any harm. She was only concerned for Cassie."

"And that's your concern too."

"Of course."

"You love your sister very much, don't you?"

"That's no secret."

"And you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her."

She went still. "My God, are you threatening Mellie?"

"Yes, I suppose I am." He turned to look at her. "I have to leave here soon. I've got to get back to Amsterdam. I'd like to take you, Melissa, and Cassie with me. It's the only way I can think of to salve my conscience at leaving." His lips twisted. "And I admit the package deal will make getting out of here easier."

Panic shot through her. "You can't leave."

"I can't do anything else."

"The hell you can't. Andreas won't let you."

"I'm going, Jessica."

"Cassie will die."

"Not if you come with me."

"And Mellie."

"She's been getting stronger. She might survive even if Cassie doesn't."

"You son of a bitch." She brought her trembling hand to her lips." It's crazy. For God's sake, you're talking about kidnapping Cassie. They'll find you, lock you up, and throw away the key."

"Not if we find a way to heal her."

"We? You think I'll become involved in this criminal madness?"

"Do you have a choice? You're crazy about Cassie and Melissa. You wouldn't want anything to happen to them."

"Nothing will happen to them." She glared at him. "You're staying and we're going to go on just the way we have been."

"Not quite."

"What do you mean?"

"If Cassie has a nightmare, I won't come to help her."

"What?" She stared at him in disbelief. "You have to come."

He shook his head.

"You may be a bastard, but you couldn't refuse to help Cassie when she suffers."

"It's your call and your responsibility. I've told you I'm willing to help her…on my terms."

"You're bluffing. You're not that cold."

"When I have to be, I'm colder than you could ever imagine." He stared directly into her eyes. "Am I bluffing, Jessica?"

Oh, God, she was afraid he wasn't. His face was without expression, but his eyes…She had gotten to know him over the past weeks; he wasn't capable of letting Cassie go through a nightmare without helping. "You're bluffing."

"I'm sorry. I hoped to make it easy for all of us. I wouldn't mention this to Melissa. It will only worry her. After all, you're rolling the dice for her well-being too."

"I'll do what I like."

"No, you'll do what's best for the people you care about. That's what I'm banking on."

Her hands clenched as she watched him walk away. Damn him. Damn him.

He was bluffing. He had to be bluffing.

The next night the lights came on in Cassie's room.

The phone in the gatehouse rang.

"Get over here," Jessica said. "Now."

"Nightmare?"

"Yes."

He hung up the phone.

Don't call back.

Don't go to the manor.

Don't think of that little girl.

He went back to the window.

And waited.

Thirty minutes later he saw Jessica running down the driveway. He opened the door and waited for her.

"You son of a bitch." Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "You bastard." She grabbed his arm. "You come with me."

"No."

"You've got to come-"

"I don't have to do anything. I do what I choose to do."

"I'll have Fike come down and drag you up there."

"And I'll sit in the chair by her bed and not say a word."

"You couldn't-" She stared at him in disbelief. "You could. My God, you're going to let Mellie and Cassie…" She turned and ran back up the driveway to the house.

Jesus, he felt sick.

Don't give in. You've gone this far. If you give in tonight, you'll have to do it again tomorrow or the night after.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

The phone rang.

"All right, you bastard." Jessica's voice was shaking. "I'll do anything you want. Just get up here."

"I'll be right there." He started up the driveway at a dead run.

Christ, it had been even more ugly than he'd imagined it could be.

"What happened, Jessica?" Melissa's voice was weak. "It went on for so long…"

Jessica didn't answer as she took her pulse. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell. He didn't come…It took so long--"

"Your heartbeat's still a little erratic, but it's coming back to normal now." She drew Melissa's coverlet up around her shoulders. "And Cassie's fine too."

"She wasn't fine. She's grown to depend on him. I tried to break away and talk to her, but she wouldn't…accept me. When I'm part of her, I'm part of the terror…not the salvation." She moistened her lips. "He's…the one she identifies as the savior."

"Some savior." She brushed the hair back from Melissa's forehead. "Are you going to be okay if I leave you and go back to Cassie?"

"Sure. Where was he, Jessica?"

"He got here a little late."

" Bad…" Her eyes closed. "So bad. We were so scared. He should have come sooner."

"It was bad." Jessica moved toward the door. "But it won't happen again. He'll be here right away next time."

"Good. We…couldn't breathe and our heart hurt…"

"It won't happen again," Jessica repeated, and closed the door behind her.

Son of a bitch. She blinked her stinging eyes and started down the hall toward Cassie's room.

Fike straightened away from the wall. "Gee, I hoped the little girl was getting better. This was the worst I've ever heard her."

"She's better now."

"Mr. Travis is still in there with her. He usually helps, doesn't he?"

"Usually."

"He told me you almost lost her this time. I'm crossing my fingers that she comes around."

"Thank you, Larry. I'm sure she will." She opened the door and went into the bedroom.

Travis was sitting on Cassie's bed and glanced up at her. "How's Melissa?"

"How do you think she is?"

He squeezed Cassie's hands. "Good night, sweetheart. I'll see you soon." He got up and moved out of Cassie's hearing. "Melissa's probably tired and very weak. Right?"

"You couldn't expect her to be anything else." Her hands clenched into fists. "You could have killed them."

"You wouldn't let that happen."

"That's what you counted on. You gambled on me giving in to keep them from suffering and maybe dying. How could you do that?"

"It was necessary."

"The hell it was."

"Think what you like. We all have our own agendas."

"Then why did you muscle into ours?"

"You invited me in. And can you honestly say that you weren't glad to have my help? When I didn't come tonight, I just returned the situation to the way it was."

"To get your own way."

"To get my own way." He gazed directly into her eyes. "I hope you won't force me to do it again. Because I will do it, Jessica."

"I know you will." She folded her arms across her chest to stop them from shaking. "And as soon as I can find a way to do without your help, I'm going to hang you out to dry. I hope they send you to prison for the next hundred years."