Iris Johansen - Final Target

"Your friend the Wind Dancer won't let you go deeper. You were searching for him in the wrong place. Did it ever occur to you that he always wanted you to leave the tunnel and come back? He knows it's time for you to come out even if you don't."

"You lie."

"There are no monsters in the tunnel. You'll just stay there until you're ready to come out and fight the bad guys with the rest of us. Your mom and dad and Travis and me. We're all waiting for you. We need you."

"No."

"I'm telling the truth. We do need you. I'm going away now, but I'll be back."

"I don't want you."

Poor kid. Melissa couldn't blame her for her anger or panic. She'd yanked away the security blanket Jessica had folded around her and told her she had to be a warrior and not a victim. Pretty tough fare for a seven-year-old.

And what if Melissa was wrong? What if she was inflicting serious damage on Cassie?

"I hate you."

"Right now. But you hate the monsters and the way they make you afraid more."

"You're the one who's making me afraid."

"Because I'm telling you that it's your duty to come out? Didn't you ever want those stories you made up to be true? If you see wrong, you have to fight it. Doing your duty isn't as easy in real life."

"Go away."

" I'm going. But I'll see you soon, Cassie …"

"Wake up, Melissa."

She opened her eyes to see Travis's face above her.

"Time to eat. It's almost dark. You've been sleeping for hours."

She had no doubt. She'd been exhausted after that latest bout with Cassie. She glanced at the child. She was sleeping too. Melissa could feed her later. "Ten minutes. I have to wash my face and brush my teeth."

"No hurry. Galen fixed a couple of casseroles before he left. I've just put one in the oven to heat."

She swung her feet to the floor. "Left?"

"He had an errand to do for me." He walked out of the room.

The answer was evasive. She hurried through her washing and was patting her face dry with the towel as she came into the kitchen. "Where did he go?"

"He's searching for word on Danielle Claron."

"Danielle Claron? Who is she?"

"Sit down." He took the casserole out of the oven. "I'll tell you about her over dinner." He spooned two servings onto plates and set them on the table. "Galen would never forgive me if I let it get cold before you could fully appreciate his expertise."

"I want to know-" He was shaking his head, and she sat down at the table and picked up her fork. "I'm eating. Tell me about Danielle Claron."

She was halfway through the meal when Travis finished. She frowned, thinking. "You believe she may know something that will help us find Deschamps?"

"Maybe. It's the only lead we have. Even if she can't locate him for us, she's a witness to her husband's murder, and Deschamps doesn't like witnesses. Chances are he'll want to find her." He got up and poured coffee into their c ups. "So we may not need the Wind Dancer to draw him into a trap."

"Danielle Claron is obviously not willing to bear witness if she's been hiding out for the last few weeks."

"If we offer her protection, she might change her mind." He shrugged. "And the worst that can happen is that I'll turn her over to Andreas and let the CIA try to persuade her. If I hand him a witness gift-wrapped, he might be a little more inclined to think twice about throwing me in the clink."

"Why do you have the money to find this woman if you don't have enough to locate Deschamps?"

" If Galen can tap into the right contacts, he may be able to find the woman without spending a dime."

"And I'm sure he has the right contacts" she said dryly. "He seems to be able to manage almost anything…criminal. But then, you have the same contacts, don't you? You've been known to sell information too."

"Yes. But we don't have the same sources. Which comes in handy on occasion."

"I thought you had to contact Karlstadt. Why are you still here?"

" I have a telephone. If I need to see him, I can wait until Galen gets back."

"Because you think you have to protect us?"

"Not you," he said lightly. "You could take on Andreas and Deschamps single-handed. But there's the kid to think about." He glanced at her plate. "Do you want any more? Galen cooked more than enough for a couple of meals."

She shook her head. " I'm not hungry. It was very good though. He's multifaceted, isn't he?"

"More than you know. Or maybe not. He said you'd read him very well. Something about brother and sister?"

She smiled. "It was easy to see that we're a lot alike."

"In what way?"

"Well, we both believe in making the most of every minute."

"And you're both tough and very perceptive. Maybe too perceptive?"

" You think this was in the psychic grab bag I got handed to me? Maybe. Or maybe I'm just a good judge of character." She lifted the coffee to her lips. "Like you are."

"I haven't demonstrated much of that ability lately." His gaze went to the bedroom door. "How's the kid?"

"She's sleeping."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure." She hesitated. "I can reach her whether she's asleep or awake now. And I can do it when I'm awake."

"What?"

" I tried it on the plane and it worked."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He shook his head. "Never mind. We weren't on the best of terms."

"No, and I couldn't tell you without telling Jessica. She wouldn't have believed me, and if she had, she would have been afraid." She looked down into her cup. "And I didn't know how I was going to use it. I wasn't sure Jessica was handling Cassie right. We were all being so soft and gentle…"

He stared at her thoughtfully, but he didn't speak.

"Cassie's not a gentle child. She's lively and strong and very intelligent, and she was never a shrinking violet until Vasaro. The withdrawal was completely out of character."

"Shock."

"Yes, but I have a hunch that later her nurse's betrayal made her more angry than hurt."

"You sound as if you know her very well."

"Only what Jessica found out from her parents and what I've observed myself."

He smiled faintly. "And maybe you're a good deal like Cassie too. I hope not. It took six years to heal your trauma."

"But I have an advantage Jessica didn't have with me. I know where Cassie's at right now."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that after the first trauma heals, it takes a really strong push to destroy that world you built for yourself. Jessica never gave me that push. She gave me love and gentleness instead. It might have worked for some kids, but it took a long time for her to get through to a stubborn brat like me." She added, "And it means I understand that Cassie's not really a victim. She was in the beginning, but now she's in that tunnel because she wants to be. She willed herself there, and it's easier to stay."

"Easier? What about the nightmares?"

"She needs them to validate staying in the tunnel." She moistened her lips. "So I'm going to take them away from her."

"How?"

"I've already told her she doesn't have them anymore because the monsters are waiting outside the tunnel for her to come and fight them."

He frowned.

"I know what you're thinking. Yes, it was a risk and yes, it could backfire and keep her in that tunnel for the rest of her life." Her hand was shaking and she steadied it as she brought her cup to her lips. "That's my nightmare."

"I don't know if I would have taken the chance."

"She's a fighter. It's her nature. She just has to be forced back into the battle."

"How can you be sure she won't have the nightmares?"

" I'm not sure. She could still will herself to have them. But I'm hoping that the suggestion I planted will take root. I'll reinforce it every time I'm with her. After that, we can only wait and see." She put her cup down. "She'll probably try her damnedest to do anything I tell her not to do. She's not very fond of me right now."