Dark Summer

were going to have to make your own decisions, but it has to be soon.'

'Don't try to pressure me, Bridget,' Devon said.

'Why not? I'm under pressure. Marrok is under pressure. Everything is going to move fast now. I don't care what you decide to do, but I don't want to have to drop you off without being sure you'll be safe. Do you want to be done with us? Shall I take you to an airport so that you can go back to Denver?' She paused. 'Or do I call Walt and tell him to take you to Marrok in Arizona.'

Devon stared at her. 'Arizona?'

'Paco's canyon. Marrok decided to go to his old stomping grounds to lure Danner.'

Devon's lips tightened. 'He didn't tell me.'

'And that makes you angrier.'

'Hell yes.'

'Then make a decision.'

Devon gazed out the window at the rolling hills. 'You want me to go back to Denver.'

'I think it's safer for you. I'm done with trying to convince you. Make up your own mind.'

Easy to say, Devon thought. She was brimming with resentment at Marrok for treating her like a child who had no will of her own. Yet resentment toward him was only the tip of the iceberg. Devon was silent, letting the memory of what had happened in that hacienda today flow back to her. 'I'm mad as hell. Danner sent Lester to torture me just because it amused him. He liked the idea. Lincoln said he and Danner were alike, and I believe it. He's a terrible, terrible man.' She shook her head in disbelief. 'He doesn't even know me, and he did that. I can imagine what he'd do to Marrok and the dogs. I'm not going to let that son of a bitch get near them.' Her hands clenched into fists. 'I had all kinds of bullshit noble reasons to stay here before. I was going to help save the dogs, help the human race. But I don't feel noble now. I just want to take Danner down and keep him from hurting anyone else. No matter what Marrok did, it's not going to change how I feel about that.'

'You're going to go to Marrok.'

'He's got the dogs. I'm going to be there when Danner goes after them.'

'Then there's something you should know.' Bridget looked straight in front of her. 'Do you remember I told you that I'd had no vision of your death?'

Devon stiffened. 'Yes.'

'Well, it happened. A clear picture. You'll be shot in the chest. Blood. I saw you falling to the ground.' She paused. 'It was night, but I could tell it was desert country, and there were huge red boulders behind you.'

Devon felt her stomach twist. 'Paco's canyon…'

'But if you don't go there, it might not happen.'

'And it might happen somewhere else.'

Bridget whispered, 'You don't believe me.'

'I believe you believe that what you thought was a vision will take place.'

'But you're still going?'

'I can't hide. There's too much at stake. Lord knows, I don't want to go.' She shivered. 'You've scared me.'

'You're scared? I saw it. And I don't know how to stop it. But there has to be a way. I can't go on if there isn't.'

Devon had never heard such a depth of despair as in those last words. 'It must be terrible for you. You say you've tried to stop it before?'

'Of course I have,' she said fiercely. 'I've never been able to do it. If I warn someone, they laugh or ignore me. I'm like that Cassandra in mythology, the one whose curse was to have no one believe her prophecies. And if I try to step in myself, it doesn't work. I never know enough. Or there's some element that pops up that keeps me from interceding. Dammit, what good is knowing if I can't prevent it?'

'It's been like that all your life?'

'Since I was seven.'

'And your parents knew you had this talent?'

She nodded. 'Psychic abilities sometimes run in families, and it certainly did in mine. So they weren't surprised. But I was just a kid, and they didn't pay any real attention when I told them not to go to Dublin that day. I didn't know why I didn't want them to go. I was just afraid.' She looked out the window. 'A bridge collapsed, and their car went into the river.'

'My God.'

Bridget was silent a moment. 'So you can see why I have no trouble believing in healing powers or the dogs of summer. I want to believe in them. It's the other side of the coin. It's not death, it's life. That's why I came to Marrok when he asked me. I can do something. I'm not helpless.'

Devon felt a surge of pity mixed with horror. It was no wonder Bridget was sometimes difficult and always complicated. Devon couldn't imagine what she would have been like if she'd been forced to bear that burden. 'And you're wonderful with animals. That must be some solace to you.' She shook her head. 'Sorry. That sounds very Pollyanna.'

'Yes, it does.' Bridget's gaze shifted back to her, and she smiled faintly. 'But you're right. That's yet another side to the coin.' She started the car. 'I'll take you to the local airport and call Walt.'

'Are you going with me?'

'No, Marrok won't want to see me. It's going to take a while for him to forgive me. I'll have to work at Danner from another angle.'

'What angle?'

'Enright is dead, and Danner doesn't have a partner now that I got rid of Lincoln. What a pity. Danner's all alone. Maybe I should apply for the job.'

'Good God, if you slip up, he'll kill you.'

She shrugged. 'I used you as bait. Maybe it's time I stepped up to the plate. You should be glad that I'm risking my neck instead of yours.'

'You're darned right I'm glad. Maybe I wouldn't have objected to being used as bait if I'd been consulted.'

Bridget lips twisted. 'Don't say that. I'm not above letting you volunteer if it suits my con ve nience.'

'You don't 'let' me do anything. As you said, my choice.'

'I'm sure you'll tell that to Marrok.'

'Oh, yes.' Devon was beginning to look forward to that confrontation with Marrok. 'I have quite a few things I intend to tell Marrok.'

BRIDGET STOOD WATCHING AS WALT lifted off and turned east. It was almost sundown and would be fully dark by the time Devon reached Paco's canyon. She turned away and strode toward Lincoln's car. She couldn't stand here and think about Devon or Marrok. She had to get a plan together to pull Danner into the trap Marrok was setting.

Her cell phone rang as she got into the car. Jordan. Lord, she didn't want to talk to him now. She would be tempted to lean and, if she did, he'd want to know details so that he could step in. But she couldn't ignore Jordan. One way or another he would get through to her.

'Everything is coming to a head. I killed Lincoln,' she said when she picked up the phone. 'I'm working on a way to go after Danner.'

'That sounds tentative,' Jordan said dryly. 'I don't like tentative, Bridget.'

'Too bad. I'm not Superwoman.'

'Almost.' His tone had a hint of amusement. 'I'd never have sent you there if I hadn't made sure I'd made you into something very special.'

'You sound like Dr. Frankenstein. You taught me, you didn't make me into anything.'

'I stand corrected. Can you blame me for wanting to take some credit for you? It's not often that someone as interesting as you comes along.' He paused. 'And I'm detecting a note of edginess. Did killing Lincoln disturb you?'

'No. Well, maybe a little. I don't like killing. Even bastards like him.' He was getting too probing. She had to get away. 'I don't have time to talk. Why did you call me?'

'Something disturbed you. It jolted me out of a sound sleep. If it wasn't Lincoln, it was something else.'