Final Target

Chapter Twenty-One

St. Ives

The ancient church on the hill had to have been built centuries ago, and the graveyard stretching behind it looked like the resting place of generations of villagers. The building itself had no windows, and the stone steps leading up to the massive oak doors were splintered.

Melissa was not about to go up those steps. She would be a clear target in the bright moonlight. Her hand closed on the gun in her jacket pocket as she stepped deeper into the shadows beneath the oak tree.

She couldn't just stand there all night. She moistened her lips and called, "Danielle. Danielle Claron."

No answer.

"I'm Melissa Riley. Michael Travis sent me."

No answer.

"He wasn't sure he could make it in time. But I can authorize any money you might need."

No answer.

"For God's sake, would he have sent a woman if he'd wanted to harm you?"

"If he was clever."

Melissa whirled to face the woman coming around the church from the direction of the graveyard. She was petite, dark-haired, and in her middle thirties, wearing a purple sweater and long print skirt. "My husband was never that clever. He never listened. He always underestimated me."

She was pointing a gun at Melissa.

"That's how that bastard managed to kill him. I don't underestimate anyone. I'm not going to die. Put up your hands."

Melissa slowly raised her hands. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to give you what you want."

"Can you give me my husband back?"

"No, but I can give you the money to keep you safe."

"And what do you want in return?"

"Edward Deschamps. Do you know where he is?"

Silence. "Maybe."

Melissa's heart leapt. "Either you do or you don't."

"Maybe," she repeated. "We'll talk again when I see some money. And it better be soon. Do you think I've liked hiding out here all these weeks?"

"Will you put away that gun? You can see I'm no threat."

Danielle stare d at her appraisingly before saying finally, "No, you're too soft." She lowered the gun. "I wasn't sure you weren't hired by Deschamps to trick me into coming out in the open." Her lips twisted. "The bastard has a history of using women. Like that bitch Jeanne Beaujolis. That's how I got into this mess."

Melissa put her hands down. "She told you about what was going to happen at Vasaro?"

"No, only that Deschamps was going to help her strike it rich. I put the rest together when I heard what happened there." Her face hardened. "She was crazy about him at first, and then she was crazy only about the money she was going to get."

"Did you meet him before Vasaro?"

"Once or twice."

"Where?"

She shook her head. "The money."

"How much?"

"Travis offered my husband five hundred thousand dollars. I want seven."

"It may take us some time to get that amount."

"I don't have a lot of time. I have to get out of here. I'll give you until tomorrow night to-What's that?" She lifted her head to gaze at the woods behind Melissa. "Did you hear it?"

Melissa whirled around. "Hear what?"

"Rustling. There's someone in the woods." She looked back at Melissa, her eyes blazing. "You lied to me. Deschamps did send you."

"No, it might be Travis. He said he'd-"

"Liar." She jumped toward Melissa. "It's not Travis. It's Deschamps." The butt of her gun was coming down toward Melissa's head.

Melissa ducked, grabbed the woman's arm, and twisted it behind her back.

"Let me go, you bitch."

Melissa released her but pulled the Smith amp; Wesson out of her jacket pocket at the same time. "When you listen to reason." She pressed the gun to Danielle's back. "One, I didn't hear any rustling, and two, I'm the last person who'd be in league with Deschamps. He killed my sister. I want him as much as you do."

"More," a man's voice said from behind her. "Much more, Ms. Riley."

Pain burst through her head.

She slumped to the ground.

"Is she dead, Edward?"

Danielle Claron's voice, Melissa realized dimly.

"I hope not." He bent down and picked up her gun, which had fallen from her hand. "I have other plans for her. No, I think she's just out."

"You took long enough. I did like you said. I tried to distract her."

"And you did very well, Monique. If I hadn't known Danielle was dead, you would have fooled me. Sorry to make your job harder. I was scouting around for Travis."

"He's not here?"

"Not yet."

"But you're through with me? It's not my fault she came instead of Travis. I can have my money?"

"Of course. I promised you, didn't I? Come along into the church, where I can turn on my flashlight and count it out for you."

"What about her?"

"This will take only a minute."

They were walking away. Something wasn't right--

It didn't matter. Think about it later. Get up. Get away before he comes back.

She struggled to her knees.

Jesus, her head hurt.

Move anyway. Get to your feet.

On the second try she made it.

She staggered to the road. Get to the car.

God, she felt sick.

Find a place to rest for a few minutes.

She had to throw up. She staggered to a tree and leaned against it while she heaved.

A hand fell on her shoulder.

Deschampsl

She whirled and crashed her fist into his face.

"Jesus, what the hell-"

It was Travis.

She collapsed against him. "He's here. We have to go back-"

He stiffened. "Deschamps?"

"He's in the church. There's a woman…but it's not Danielle Claron. He called her Monique.

I think Danielle Claron's dead. He's paying the woman now." She pushed him away. "We have to go back."

"You don't have to do anything at the moment but sit down before you fall." He frowned. "Are you bleeding?"

"I don't know. He hit me." She looked up the hill. "We have to go to the church. He and that woman are-" She stopped. "No, there's something wrong. He didn't even check to see if I was unconscious. He would know how hard to hit someone, wouldn't he? He didn't check____________________" She rubbed her temple and her fingers came away wet. She was bleeding. "He wanted me to get away and find you. He wanted you to rush back to the church. It's a trap."

He said slowly, "But if we know it's a trap, then we have the advantage."

Panic soared through her. "No, he'll be waiting for you. He'll kill you."

Travis was ignoring her. "Can you make it back up the hill? I'll go into the church alone, but I don't want to leave you here by yourself."

"Dammit, he's waiting."

His expression was grim. "It's my shot at him. I'm going to take it." He repeated, "Can you make it up the hill?"

"I'll make it." She fell into step with him. Damn right she'd make it. She wasn't about to stay here. "But he may have-What's that smell?"

"Shit!."

At the top of the hill the old church was blazing. Fire was licking out of every window and the door.

"He torched it?"

Travis nodded, his gaze on the church, which was now an inferno.

That smell…

Jesus, she felt sick.

Because she realized what that familiar smell was.

Horrible smell, nightmare smell.

It was the smell of burning flesh.

"Come on." Travis's hand cupped her elbow. "Let's get out of here."

She couldn't stop staring at the flames. "Deschamps."

"He'd be stupid to still be here. There are already villagers running toward the church."

Yes, she saw them now. One old man wearing only pants and shoes and a woman carrying a bucket. What could one bucket of water do to this inferno?

"There's someone inside. I smell-"

"I know. But it's too late to save her. She was probably dead before he started the fire."

He was talking about the woman who had pretended to be Danielle Claron. "He killed her?"

"No big surprise. He doesn't like witnesses." He was turning her, pushing her down the hill. "He torched the Claron house too, to destroy evidence."

"But he could have waited. It doesn't make sense. I know he wanted to trap you, Travis."

"Maybe." He stopped at the van. "Can you drive? We have to get both vehicles away. There will be an investigation and we don't want to be connected."

"I can drive." She opened the door.

"Wait." He got in and checked the back. "Okay. You can get in now."

A chill went through her as she realized he had thought Deschamps might be in the van, waiting for her. "He already had his chance at me, and he didn't take it."

He was peering underneath the van. "Circumstances change."

"Where's your car?"

"Around the curve in the road."

She settled in the driver's seat. "Get in. I'll take you there and wait until we're sure he's nowhere around."

"Are you protecting me, Melissa?"

"Shut up and get in the van."

"Right."

No one appeared to be in the Peugeot or anywhere near. Maybe. She'd learned a hard lesson about appearances tonight.

She pulled up next to the car. "Hurry up, get in."

His gaze circled the woods on the side of the hill. "In a minute. I don't think he had time, but there's a possibility…" He opened the hood of the car, examined it, and then went around to the back, knelt down, and peered beneath it. "He knows about explosives, and it doesn't take much time to rig a simple bomb." He straightened up and seconds later he was in the driver's seat. "Get going. I'll follow you. If you get dizzy, pull over and we'll leave the van by the road. Galen can arrange a pickup later."

She was dizzy now. Dizzy and sick and confused. Bombs and deception and murder…

And that awful smell of burning flesh.

Galen met them as they drove up to the cottage.

"You're lucky I'm a forgiving man. It wasn't a nice thing to-You're bleeding." He lifted her down from the van and called to Travis, who was getting out of the Peugeot. "Deschamps?"

"Yes." He stopped beside Melissa. "Okay?"

"Yes."

"You don't deserve to be." He walked away, leaving her behind.

Galen gave a low whistle. "I'd better take care of that wound," he told Melissa. "In his present humor Travis would probably let you bleed to death."

She hadn't been aware of the anger seething beneath the surface. She hadn't been aware of anything but disappointment and horror…and that smell of burning flesh.

Mama. Daddy.

The forest, safe from horror and the smell of death and burning.

Jessica.

But there was no Jessica to coax her out of the forest now.

"Melissa?"

"I'm all right. But he's right, I don't deserve to be. She fooled me."

"That's no crime, only a mistake. And it didn't hurt anyone but you." They were in the living room by then. "Sit down. I'll put some antibacterial cream on that cut."

"I can do it."

"But I can do it quicker. You don't look so steady." He pushed her down into one of the chairs. "Travis called me from his car and filled me in. Do you want to talk about it?"

Flesh burning…

She moistened her lips. "It was a trap. It wasn't Danielle Claron. She was so…believable. I don't know how she knew where to call you or the other details."

"It could have been a bug at the Dumairs' home. Deschamps knew we'd be looking for Danielle Claron." He dabbed at the cut. "Travis said he bugged Jan's place and that Jan said he was a bloody expert." He spread a little ointment. "This cut isn't bad at all."

Because Deschamps hadn't really wanted to hurt her. A trap. A trap that had not been sprung. "I was a little dizzy, but I'm fine now. How's Cassie?"

"Fine." Travis came out of Cassie's bedroom. "No credit to you."

"Don't you give me a guilt trip. I knew Galen would take care of her. I didn't think I'd be gone more than a few hours."

"And you almost didn't come back at all," he said fiercely. "I told you that you shouldn't go after him."

"Then you should have let me go with you. The only reason I went alone is that I knew you were closing me out."

"So it's my fault you almost got yourself killed? You were lucky you didn't end up roasting in that church with that woman."

Scorched flesh.

Mama, wake up. Please, wake up.

She was smothering. She had to get out. "I guess I was lucky." She jumped to her feet and headed for the door. "I'm going out on the porch. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"You were pretty rough on her, weren't you?" Galen asked. "She's rough enough on herself."

"She could have gotten herself killed." Travis headed for the door. "She's like a torpedo heading straight for a target and not realizing she'll be blown up too."

"Why don't you leave her alone for a while? She may need some space."

"I can't leave her alone, dammit."

"No?" Galen studied him a moment and then nodded slowly. "You're that sure he's out there?"

" Like I told you when I called you from the car, Melissa was sure it was a trap, and her instincts are good. She just didn't think far enough. Deschamps wants me, but he also wants the Wind Dancer. He set up the meeting at the church so that he could follow us back here. Did you alert your men guarding the place?"

Galen nodded. "When do you think he'll go for it?"

"When he's sure the Wind Dancer is here. So we have to make him think the Wind Dancer is someplace else and we're planning on picking it up soon. We'll make a couple of dummy calls to one of your guys and lead Deschamps down a false trail. Who's sharpest?"

"Joseph."

"Then fill him in. Deschamps can't use bugs, so he'll probably use long-range amplifiers. I figure he'll have them in place in eight or twelve hours. Have your guys try to locate him. He could set up either onshore or in a boat."

"How do we communicate, then?"

He grimaced. "Very carefully. We'll use the laptop when we don't want him to hear. Does Joseph have one?"

"Get real. This is the twenty-first century."

"Then tell your guys to monitor their E-mail for instructions."

"And what if you're wrong about Deschamps?"

Travis didn't want to speculate about that. "I don't think I'm wrong. He's smart and he's waited this long. You just see that Cassie and Melissa are protected."

Galen's gaze went to Melissa. "And she's not to know?"

"No."

"You're risking her neck."

"I'm risking all our necks. I can't help it." His lips thinned. "I'm going to find a way to trap him, Galen. I'm going to get him."

"How?"

"I'll work on it." He suddenly realized that was Melissa's phrase, the one that denned the bedrock of her character. "You take the first watch, okay?"

Galen nodded. "You'd better make sure she doesn't decide to start wandering around. Just in case. And you might try being nice to her. She's feeling pretty bad."

"I don't want to be nice to her. I want her to stop-" He drew a deep breath. "Call your guys and get them busy trying to spot Deschamps."

"Come on inside, Melissa."

Travis was standing behind her.

"Pretty soon." She wrapped her arms around herself. Lord, she wished she could stop shaking. Get control. Don't let him see…

"Now."

She shook her head.

"I know I was sharp with you, but you can't stay out here."

"You think I'm pouting?"

"That's not a word I'd use in connection with you. I know you're upset." He paused. "Okay, I didn't make it any easier."

"You made it easier."

"How?"

"You stayed alive." She closed her eyes. "I made a terrible mistake. I could have killed you."

"And would you have shed a few tears for me?"

"Oh, yes."

He took a step forward. "Melissa…"

"Don't you touch me." Her eyes flicked open and she backed away from him. "I can't let anyone-"

"Christ, you're shaking so hard, your teeth are rattling."

"It will go away."

"Shit." He stepped closer and took her in his arms. "Am I responsible for this?"

"Don't flatter yourself." But her arms closed around him. Warm. Safe. Here. Now. Alive.

"Deschamps?"

"Not Deschamps."

"Then why the hell won't you quit shaking?"

She buried her face in his shoulder. "The smell." Her voice was muffled. "That woman in the church…That smell…"

He went still. "Christ, I didn't make the connection. Your parents…"

"It's the first time since I came out that I felt any pull to go back into my nice little forest. I was so scared…I wanted to go there. I felt so safe there."

"The hell you did." His arms tightened around her. "You were half dead. Now stop it. You're not going anywhere."

"Of course I'm not. It's just…I had to work my way through it. I'm glad Jessica didn't see me. It would have scared her silly."

"It scared me."

"Did it?"The shaking was easing. "You can let me go now."

"Can I?" He didn't move.

"No, maybe not. This feels…good."

"Yes, it does."

"You feel good." Good and right. Completely right. All the tension was leaving her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome…I think."

A few minutes passed and then Travis pushed her away. "You'd better go in."

Yes, she'd better leave him. This was too good. "You can't close me out again. We have to talk about Deschamps."

She could feel the tension in his body. "Not now, Melissa."

No, not now, she thought wearily. Too much to think about. Too many emotions to sort out. She backed away. "In the morning."

He glanced at the sky. "That won't be too long."

She looked at the streaks of pearl gray lighting the night sky. "Jessica loved this time of day. She said when she was an intern she'd walk through the park when she finished her duty. Everything was so clear and bright and new, it made her able to face the next night."

"Jessica would want you to be safe."

She shook her head. "Don't try to manipulate me by using Jessica. Good night, Travis. I'm sorry I put you at risk."

"You could have saved my neck. You're not all that gullible, so that woman must have been good. I might have fallen for her story too."

She thought about it and then smiled. "You're absolutely right. You should be damn grateful to me."

She went to her bedroom, where Galen was sitting beside Cassie. She put her finger to her lips and motioned for him to go. He nodded and silently left. She lay down next to Cassie and closed her eyes.

"You left me" Cassie said.

"Not for long."

"I was lonely."

"Then come out and you'll never be lonely again."

Silence. "You were scared. You wanted to run back to your forest."

How had Cassie picked up on that? "But I didn't do it. I'll never go back there again."

"You could come into my tunnel."

"But you won't be there for long."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's true. Isn't it?"

Silence. "You truly don't want to go back?"

"Why should I? Look at me. What do you see?"

Silence. "I'm going to go to sleep now."

"Stubborn."

"But you were scared. I saw it."

"And what else did you see?" "Michael. I saw Michael…" Melissa lay awake a long time after Cassie drifted off to sleep.

Would you have shed a few tears for me? I saw Michael…