Pandora's Daughter

the sunset.' He paused. 'We have to find it, Phillip. You know we do. Risking one life is a small price to pay.'

'It's not a risk I'm willing to take. Not if it's Megan's life.'

'I told you that it might come to this when you agreed to take her on.'

'I didn't think-it was all abstract. She's my family now.'

'Then I'm sorry for you,' Grady said wearily as he sat down at the table. 'But there are other people out there who are going to die if we don't risk Megan.'

'It's not fair. Molino's a crazy son of a bitch. She's probably only a Listener. Not a Pandora.'

'I hope she's not. But if she's a Listener, then she's one of the strongest talents I've ever run across. She can still help us if I can channel it. All I need is a clue, a path to take. I'm running into blank walls and out of time.'

'She has her own life.'

'And she can go back to living it after she gives me what I want.'

Phillip shook his head. 'I can't believe you're that hard.'

'Not hard enough. If I was, I'd have let your Megan kill herself or go crazy in that cave instead of carrying her on my back for twelve years.' He looked down in his cup. 'And I believe you're wrong. I think she's a Pandora.'

'That doesn't mean she should be shot like a rabid dog.'

'Tell that to Molino.'

'She deserves a chance.'

'She's had her chance. I gave it to her. It wasn't easy.' He raised his cup to his lips. 'Now it's time for her to pay the piper.'

'Like her mother,' Phillip said bitterly.

'Possibly. No promises.' He finished his coffee and stood up. 'I'm going in to see Megan now. If you're going to stop me, you'd better go get that gun you keep in the top left drawer of your desk. You've been thinking wistfully about it for the last ten minutes.'

Shit.

'Sorry. I didn't eavesdrop purposely. I respect you and I can understand your concern,' Grady said. 'Actually, I'm no Mind Reader. Sometimes it just seeps around the edges.'

'I hate all this psychic crap,' he said through his teeth.

'Yet you took it when you needed it.' He waved his hand as Phillip started to speak. 'I didn't mean to try to give you a guilt trip. I never wanted your gratitude. And you're not alone. Most of the world is uneasy with the thought of psychics. So is Molino. It's not only hatred and revenge that goads him on. He's afraid of us and he's jealous. He sees talent as a weapon of power and he doesn't want anyone to possess it if he can't.' His lips twisted. 'Molino is definitely into power.'

'We're not certain that man in the truck was really one of Molino's men. I checked with the police and they haven't located him yet.'

'If they haven't caught him, there's a good chance he wasn't just a stupid drunk playing demolition derby. I've had Jed Harley in town keeping an eye on Megan and trying to scout around and see if he can come up with any information. But so far he's come up with zilch.' He added, 'Therefore, I'd suggest you keep that gun more readily at hand for the foreseeable future.' He headed for Megan's bedroom. 'I'm going to need at least an hour alone with her. It will be better for her if you don't interfere. She's going to have enough to deal with.'

Phillip was afraid that was true and the knowledge filled him with frustration. Dealing with Grady was going to be a nightmare for Megan. He wouldn't pull his punches and she was terribly vulnerable right now. 'Dammit, don't hurt her.'

Grady didn't look back and his reply was absent, his mind already on Megan. 'Not if I can help it.'

GAVE.

Quarry.

Voices. Voices. Voices.

Hands holding her down. Dark eyes looking into her own, shutting out the voices.

Mama!

'Easy, Megan. That's all gone. It's in the past.'

No, the voices were there. They were always there.

'Open your eyes. Look at me and they'll go away.'

Yes, make them go away.

'No, you have to help. Open your eyes.'

She slowly opened her eyes to see Neal Grady sitting beside the bed.

He reminds me of a Renaissance prince…

Prince? Grady? She must still be half-asleep. She didn't know any Grady. No, this was a stranger lounging in her chair, in her room. She scrambled upright in bed. 'Who the hell are you?'

'No threat to you.'

'Don't tell me that. Get out of my room.'

'Presently.' He got to his feet. 'Why don't I get you a glass of water?'

'I don't want a glass of water. I want you out of here. Where's Phillip?'

'He's waiting outside until I tell him that it's all right for him to come in.'

'He knows you're here?' She had a sudden memory of Phillip's concerned expression before she'd gone to her room. 'Are you a doctor? For God's sake, I'm fine. I don't need a doctor.'

'You're not fine.' He leaned back in the chair. 'And unfortunately you'll be a lot worse before you're better. And, no, I'm not a doctor. My name is Neal Grady.' He nodded as he caught her change of expression. 'Oh, yes, we've met before. You're beginning to remember on your own. That's very promising… and a little scary. You shouldn't be able to break through like this.'

'What on earth are you talking about?' She threw the cover aside. 'I'm going to go and see Phillip.'

'I'm sorry. You can't do that. You have to listen first.'

'I can do anything that I-'

Voices. Screaming. Voices. Pain.

'No!' She buried her head in the pillow, but she couldn't shut them out.

Voices. Agony. Screams.

Mama, help. Mama, help.

'She can't help you. You know that. But I'm taking them away,' Grady said roughly. 'Do you think I like doing this to you? But you have to let me talk to you. Will you stay and listen?'

'Take… them… away.'

'They'll be gone in a few seconds. Relax. You're too tense.'

Relax? He had to be crazy. How could she relax when the pain-

The voices were gone.

Relief so intense it made her limp poured through her. She drew a deep breath. She had to stop shaking. 'Get out of here,' she said unsteadily. 'I don't know what you did to me, but I want you-'

'You know what I did to you,' Grady said. 'You just don't want to admit it to yourself.' He grimaced. 'Or maybe it's my fault. It's hard to only partially lift control when you've been with me for so long. It's usually all or nothing.'

'I don't know what you're talking about.' She glared at him. 'And I don't want to know. I just want you to leave.'

'But you're not risking running to Phillip. Because you know that the voices will come back.' He sat back down. 'Suppose I just get it over quickly and let you absorb it. Let's start with bringing back your memories of me. You were fifteen. You lived with your mother in a cottage on the North Carolina coast. The two of you were very close. I rented a cottage down the beach from you that summer and you and your mother were very kind to me. We became good friends. We went horseback riding on the beach. We played cards in the evening.'

Neal laughing at Megan as she tried to bluff at poker.

Her mother shaking her head with amusement as she went past them on the way to the kitchen.