Iris Johansen - Final Target

Even as he spoke, the ambulance took on more speed. Jessica fell sideways as the vehicle screeched around the curve in the road.

Bluff on one side. Steep slope on the other.

Travis glanced out the back window. At least two hundred yards separated them from the car now. The ambulance tore up the hill. A gentler slope ahead led to a stand of trees.

"Come on. Come on," he murmured. "Now."

The highway behind them exploded. Fifty yards of concrete jettisoned into the sky. The escort car swerved to avoid the yawning hole torn in the tarmac, then whipped off the road and down the steep incline.

The ambulance careened down the gentler slope and into the trees.

"Hold on to your sister." Travis had Cassie in a secure grip as the ambulance bumped over the rough ground.

Jessica grabbed Melissa.

The ambulance screeched to a halt and the back door flew open.

"I was getting worried" Travis said as he straightened away from Cassie. "You ran it too close, Galen."

"I'm hurt. It wasn't easy setting up those charges and diverting the traffic. I'm not used to having to worry about innocent bystanders." A man in jeans and T-shirt began to roll the gurney out of the ambulance. " Is this the little girl who may cause me to lose my head?"

"You can bet on it if you don't lift off in two minutes." He jumped out of the vehicle and helped Melissa to the ground. "Those Secret Service agents are no slouches. I figure we have a four-minute lead."

Galen's eyes were on Melissa. "What's wrong with her?"

"It's a long story. Bring Cassie." He picked Melissa up and carried her to the helicopter. "Come on, Jessica."

Jessica jumped out of the ambulance and ran toward the helicopter. The ambulance driver and EMT were already climbing into the aircraft. The man Travis had called Galen placed Cassie gently in the helicopter and then boosted Jessica inside. He waved his arm at the pilot. "Go."

The helicopter lifted off and soared over the trees just as the Secret Service car tore into the clearing. Jessica tensed as she saw Fike jump out and pull his gun.

"Don't worry "Travis said. "No one's going to get trigger-happy when they know the President's daughter is on board."

He was right. No shots were fired, and in seconds they were out of range.

Cassie screamed.

Galen jumped. "Holy shit."

"She's back in the nightmare. I didn't have time to get her entirely out of it." Travis crawled over to Cassie. "How much time do we have?"

"Ten minutes until we land at the airport and transfer planes." Galen grimaced as Cassie screamed again. "Do something, will you? The kid sounds terrible."

"I'm doing it. I hope ten minutes are enough." He began to talk to Cassie.

Jessica cradled Mellie in her arms and watched him. Gentleness. Strength. Determination. How could he change from moment to moment? She had wanted to kill him in Cassie's bedroom tonight. She still wanted to kill him. He was doing only what he had to do, and he'd done it at his convenience.

"Wonders never cease, do they?" Galen was also watching Travis. "He's actually reaching her. What's his secret?"

"He got a head start at Vasaro."

Galen nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I remember when he came out of that study with her. I told him we should go, but he wouldn't leave the kid. I had the devil of a time getting him out later."

"You were at Vasaro that night?"

"Sure." He grinned. "You may have heard Travis was the hero, but it was really me. I was just too modest to stay around and take the bows." His smile faded. "Don't worry, we'll get you away safely. I've got it all set up."

"Why shouldn't I worry? I don't even know what happened tonight. How did you know we'd sent for an ambulance?"

"When Travis knew Andreas was going to stash him somewhere, he called me and told me to be ready to set up a technical van."

She frowned in confusion. "To intercept the call to the hospital?"

"Oh, that came later. He wanted me to trace his location at Juniper from his phone signal. And he wasn't sure the Secret Service boys would obey the President's orders not to listen to his calls. He wanted my guys to occasionally interrupt their satellite signal monitor when he said a code word to van der Beck. Of course, not all the time, or it would have tipped them off."

"Van der Beck?"

"Never mind, I'm probably throwing too much at you."

"Yes, you are. And all this technical mumbo jumbo will be for nothing." She shook her head. "Andreas will set every law enforcement agency in the country after us."

"I admit it's quite a challenge."

She looked at him in astonishment.

"Okay, maybe a little bit more than I'd usually take on." He shrugged. "But Travis promised me he'd make it right."

"He's going to make kidnapping the daughter of the President right?"

He made a face. "Don't remind me. As long as I take one step at a time, I'm okay. When he first told me about his plan, I wanted to break his neck. I told Travis the last time I saw him that I didn't like living on the edge anymore."

"But you're doing this for him. Why?"

"I owe him." He shrugged. "Even so, if it was an ordinary job, I'd have told him to find someone else. This one means something to him."

"Money?"

"Sure, but there's something else thrown into the pot." Then he added, "Besides, I like him. God knows why. He's not an easy man to like. You have to beat down too many walls to get to him."

"Then I wouldn't bother." She glanced away from Travis. "What airport are we going to?"

"A private field north of Baltimore. We'll transfer to the jet there and by morning we should be in Antwerp. We drive from there to Amsterdam." He grimaced. "I told him that's the first place they'll look for him. He said it was necessary."

She shook her head in wonder. "You talk as if flitting around the world is going to be so easy. I don't even have my passport with me."

"That's okay. I have all kinds of documents for you. Part of the service. Of course, you'll have to get used to a new name. I think it's Mary or Marilyn or something like that. You won't have to use it very often. We sort of skirt around immigration. Piece of cake."

False documents. Illegal entry. Piece of cake? The casualness with which he spoke made her think that for him criminal activity was a simple fact of life. To her it was a new and frightening world. "That's hard for me to believe."

"You'll see." His gaze went to Melissa. "She's looking better. Her color's coming back. Is she on drugs?"

"No."

"Sick?"

"No." Her grasp tightened around Melissa's shoulders. "She's going to be fine."

Melissa woke up as they were getting her out of the helicopter.

"Jessica…" She looked around dazedly. "What the devil … ?"

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. Nothing's been right all night. Broken. All broken…"

"Can you walk?"

"I'll try…but slow. I'm groggy…and my knees are like rubber."

"Slow isn't possible." Galen picked her up and started at a run for the small private jet. "Just hold on and we'll get there."

Melissa frowned up at him. "Who are you?"

"Sean Galen."

"It's okay, Mellie." Jessica was running beside him. "I'll explain later."

"You'll have to." Her eyes closed. "I'm too tired to think now. Where's Travis?"

"With Cassie."

"Good."

Her eyes suddenly flicked open and she stared up at Galen. "No. Don't do it."

He looked down at her.

"Don't…" Her eyes closed again. "Don't let him, Jessica…"

She was asleep.

Galen ran up the stairs to the jet and deposited Melissa on a leather couch. He nodded at the privacy curtain that divided the plane into two compartments. "Travis is up front with the kid. Sit down and fasten your seat belts." He headed for the cockpit. "We're out of here."