Iris Johansen - Final Target

He smiled at it. "Sharpen your teeth, my friend. We're going hunting."

Cassie!

Melissa slowly raised her head from the desk. She had no idea which building Travis was going to be in, but Cassie might know. Cassie spent her summers here. She'd helped pick the flowers. She'd probably run wild all over the farm. It was possible…

Let it be possible. Please let it be possible.

She closed her eyes.

Cassie.

The child wouldn't let her in. It took several precious minutes to break down her defenses.

"Cassie, I need you."

"I should be mad at you. Where have you been? You haven't been here all day."

"Your father was here."

"He just came back. Before there was only this…nurse."

" She's very nice ." She had no time for this. " Cassie, I need you to help me. I need you to find a place ."

"You shouldn't have left me. I've been lonely."

"Cassie."

Silence. "You're scared. You're scared of the monsters."

"Yes." Oh, yes.

Fear. "Coming here?"

"No, I have to go there."

"Because of Michael."

"He's in a house or shed. I don't know where it is. I have to find it. There's a lantern with a copper hood and on a table there are bins."

"What kind of bins?"

"Funny-shaped."

"Show me."

Concentrate on the table. Don't show her Travis dying.

"It's the picking shed in the south field."

Her heart leapt. " You're sure, baby ?"

"Of course I'm sure. There's only one like that. Caitlin told me it's been there since the beginning of Vasaro. There was a fire, but it wasn't burned and she-"

" Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Cassie ." She grabbed the map and located an outbuilding in the south field. Damn, at least four miles.

"There's a shortcut. You go through the bunch of trees down the road and over the hill."

"How much time does that take?"

"I don't know. Some."

She couldn't expect the child to be precise. She just hoped her memory was fairly accurate.

Indignation. "There is too a shortcut."

" Sorry ." She jumped to her feet. " I have to go. Good-bye, Cassie ."

Sudden panic. "Don't want you to go. Stay here. The monsters will get you."

She had to smother her terror. Cassie was seeing too much these days, and she mustn't scare the child. " I'll be fine. We'll all be fine ."

"Come back…"

But Melissa was already in the hall. Then she was running out the front door. The men on guard didn't stop her, ignoring her as if she weren't there.

Lord, it was almost dark.

She ran down the road toward the stand of trees.

Danley knocked on Cassie's door and opened it. "The woman's gone, Mr. President. A few minutes ago."

Andreas got to his feet and came into the hall. "What direction?"

"Toward the trees."

"No one interfered with her?"

"You gave us our orders." His lips tightened.

"Though I have to tell you, I disapprove of the entire situation."

"I know you do. You like everything neat, and this is much too uncontrolled for you. Don't worry, Melissa Riley's chance of finding the shed is extremely slim. Even if she does, it should all be over by that time."

"It's not efficient. You should have let us go in and get the bastards."

"Stay out of it. Your job is to make sure my daughter is safe. Period."

"And the woman?"

"I warned her. She's on her own." Andreas turned and opened the door." Let me know when you hear something."

He sat down in the chair beside Cassie's bed again and took her hand. Damn Melissa Riley. She'd be lucky if she didn't get herself killed. Why couldn't she have resigned herself to looking out for her own neck instead of worrying about Michael Travis? She was emotional and unreasonable and thought you could spin the earth on its axis if you cared enough.

And very much like his Chelsea. The thought popped out of nowhere into his head. He could see his wife doing exactly what Melissa was doing under the same circumstances. He'd been having the devil of a time keeping Chelsea from flying out here since he'd told her they had a good chance of getting Cassie back. She would have-

Cassie was squeezing his hand.

He went rigid. His gaze flew to her face. "Cassie?" Her eyes were closed and her body was stiff, arched as if she were in pain. Her grasp was tightening until it was like a vise.

"Cassie, talk to me," he said unevenly. "Let me help you. Please."

Melissa tore through the stand of trees and up the hill.

Go faster.

She slipped and caught herself before she fell.

She heard something. The throb of an engine. A helicopter? Travis?

Jesus, she hoped not.

She was going down the hill on the other side. Lord, she hoped she was headed in the right direction. What if Cassie hadn't remembered correctly? She was only a little girl.

And maybe there was more than one picking shed that had survived the years.

No second thoughts. It was too late now.

The sound of the helicopter had stopped.

Another hill. Was the shed on the other side?

Her lungs hurt and her breath was coming in gasps.

Keep going.

She stumbled. It was fully dark now and hard to see the ground in front of her. She reached the top of the hill.

Nothing. Only another valley and the next hill.

Go on. Don't give up.

But hurry. She had to hurry.

Travis falling, dying …

Cassie screamed..

Andreas jumped. Another nightmare?

She bolted upright. " Michael !"

For the first time, Andreas noticed her eyes were open. "Oh, my God." He snatched her into his arms, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Sweetheart, you've come back to us. I'm so-"

"Michael." Her arms tightened around Andreas. "Daddy, the monsters. Blood. They're killing Michael."

"Shh." Andreas pressed a kiss to her forehead and rocked her. "Everything's going to be okay. Everything's okay now."

"No." She was sobbing. "It's like before. The monsters-and you weren't here."

" I'm here now."

" It's happening again."

"No, you're safe. We're all safe."

"No, it's not true." Her eyes widened in terror. " Michael !"

Travis had landed.

Deschamps faded closer to the bushes beside the shed, his gaze on the helicopter several yards away.

The anticipation was a twisting hunger within him. It had been too long. Come out. Let me see it. Let me see what's mine.

There was no moon tonight, and in the darkness he could barely discern the shadowy figure of Travis at the controls. Why wouldn't he get out? Then he realized Travis was just being cautious. He'd be vulnerable as he got out of the helicopter; that was why Deschamps was waiting for the pilot's door to open.

Maybe Travis was sensing something wrong.

So he'd have to be very still until Travis felt safe.

Minutes passed.

Why wasn't the bastard moving?

He edged closer and then closer still.

He was almost at the aircraft when he stopped short. The figure wasn't Travis. It was a jacket wrapped around a dummy. The passenger door stood open.

Travis was out!

"Shit." Deschamps dove for the ground. Travis could be anywhere.

A flickering light suddenly beamed from the shed. The door was open…

Melissa saw the light in the shed as she crested the hill. The silhouette of a helicopter was visible nearby.

It was already happening.

She was sobbing as she tore down the hill. Wait for me. Don't let me get this far and not be able to help.

The door was open. Deschamps might be just inside.