with Venable for that helicopter. I'm going to be in that field tomorrow.'
CHAPTER NINETEEN
RENATA STEPPED FORWARD OUT of the trees to meet Megan and Grady as they reached the bottom of the hill. 'What happened up there with Molino?'
Megan's pace didn't slow. 'You're not supposed to be here, Renata.'
'I had to make sure that you were-'
'Just find Molino's hideaway.' Megan passed her and moved toward the car.
Renata could sense the storm of tension and turbulence that was gripping Megan as she gazed after her. 'I've never seen her like this. What did he do to her, Grady? What happened?'
'Molino pulled a surprise ambush on her. It wasn't enough that he had Phillip. He kidnapped little Davy Rogan. It's her worst nightmare.'
'A little boy…' She had a sudden memory of that little pink dress that she had been living with for the last hours. 'I can see how it would be. She told me about Davy that first night I met her. She loves him, Grady.'
'Yes. And Molino left it to her to break it to the kid's parents.'
'Monster. What is she going to do?'
'She made a deal to go to Molino if he released Phillip and Davy.'
It didn't surprise her. 'When?'
'Tomorrow afternoon in a field north of here.'
'Can't you talk her out of it?'
'What do you think?' Grady asked curtly. 'You know her by now. It's her nature. She couldn't do anything else. She doesn't care if the odds are against her. She's not going to let Molino hurt them.'
Yes, she knew Megan, Renata thought. She had even used that knowledge to nudge her in the direction she'd needed her to go. From the moment she had met her she had been drawn to the warmth that surrounded Megan. She had tried to fight it because she knew that affection could make you vulnerable. Hadn't she learned that when Edmund had been killed? Yet here she was again, feeling once again all the worry and emotion that interfered with clear thinking and efficient action. Ignore it. Think what's best to do, what Mark would do. 'Would you like me to give her a shot of methohexital? That would take her out of the picture and buy us time until we could-' She saw him shaking his head. 'No?'
'A very cool and efficient solution. Just what I'd expect of you. But that would still leave Phillip in jeopardy and when she woke up, she'd be coming after both of us. She doesn't understand cool and efficient.'
'Then she's right. I'll just have to find Molino. And I'd better get back to it. I covered the south hill country today and I got a few vibes when I headed toward Murfreesboro. Then they disappeared. I wasn't sure if it was my loss of focus or if I was on a wrong track. But then it was time to get back to Redwing in case she needed me.'
'The only thing she needs from you right now is to find Molino's headquarters. She had me. She had Harley. You should have realized that we'd take care of her.'
'I didn't know if I could trust you. I do know I can trust me.' She moved toward her car. 'I'll call you when I zero in on Molino. You and your CIA friends had better be ready to move.'
A moment later she was in the driver's seat and staring blindly into the darkness. She had used the word when, not if she found Molino. Yet she had not been able to focus enough to get a strong lead earlier today.
Because she'd been afraid of the pain.
Whenever she touched the dress, she was swamped with sorrow and pain that tore her apart. She'd told Megan she could overcome it, dammit. She looked down at the briefcase on the seat beside her. Okay, she couldn't fight the memories of that little girl, she would have to absorb herself in them, become one with them.
She drew a deep breath and opened the briefcase. A shudder went through her as she touched the dress.
She couldn't do it.
The hell she couldn't.
Her hand clenched on the material and was immediately bombarded by emotions. Fear, bewilderment, and pain from the little girl. Ugliness, exultation, sick pleasure from Molino. It was too much, too much.
Dammit, Renata wanted to
'Help me, Adia,' she whispered. 'I'm no good at this. He has another child now and I have to find him right away. I'll come after you later, but I have to let you go now.'
But she couldn't leave her while the image of her was this tragic. Think of the little girl before this happened. Happy, loved by her parents, playing in her village. But even that scenario brought anger that a child's happiness could be destroyed by that son of a bitch.
Try again.
She drew the dress close to her chest and held it close.
Oh, dear God. Don't throw up. Get through it.
Help me, Adia.
6:30 A.M.
A CLIFF.
Straight and almost sheer plunging to the valley below.
Renata's hands clenched on the pink dress. After all these hours she'd managed to make the connection with Molino. Not only the connection, but she was also receiving a picture, a view. Renata's hand tightened on the dress as her foot hit the accelerator.
Northwest.
More, she prayed. Give me more.
A house on a cliff. Two-story brown cedar with lots of glass. She could see Molino walking on a path by the edge of the incline, looking out over the valley several hundred feet below. Toward the back of the property a helicopter pad was occupied by a blue-and-white helicopter. A utility shed several yards from the pad. What was the registration number on the helicopter? Dammit, the image was too blurry. But in the distance Molino was able to see a glimmer of steel, a bridge over a wide expanse of water.
Then the vision was gone.
But the tether was still present. Follow it.
Northwest.
She put down Adia's dress to dial Grady. 'Molino has a house on a cliff. It's somewhere in the northwest of the state.'
'How certain are you? We don't have much time before Megan meets with Molino?'
'I'm sure. Molino can see a bridge from the path by the cliff.'
'What bridge?'
'I don't know. It's all blurry. Steel. It's no Golden Gate but it's big enough to see from a distance.'
'Anything else?'
'No, I lost the view. But the tether is still strong. I'm heading toward it now.'
'Where are you?'
'The last town I passed was Bristol.'
'I'm sending Harley in a helicopter to meet you.'
