The next morning, General Thomas Flynn watched the endless rush of cornfields whip past the car window. He clamped his back teeth together and glanced down at his hands resting on his thighs. They were clenched so tight his knuckles shown white.
He forced himself to relax, sliding his finger along the crisp crease in his trousers. How did people actually live here? It was so far from civilization that their nearest neighbor could only be reached by getting into some kind of junky, beat-up truck and driving miles over teeth-rattling roads.
He shifted on the smooth leather seat, shooting his wrist out the end of his jacket to check his watch. Six-forty. The trip from the airport seemed to be longer than he remembered. Perhaps he should have allowed Bloom to send the helicopter, but Flynn knew keeping a low profile was critical right now.
He’d only visited once before, right after the center opened four years ago, and the less contact he had with the place the less chance there was that he’d be tied to the center if something went wrong.
If something went wrong. He snorted in disgust. Something like their prime test subject rabbiting on them and Bloom’s bumbled rescue attempt. He leaned forward and hit the button lowering the window separating him from the driver. The young man behind the wheel glanced into the rearview mirror and cocked a respectful eyebrow. “Sir?”
“How much farther to the Half Moon?”
“About ten minutes, sir.”
“Take me directly to the police station.”
The driver nodded. “Yes, sir. Dr. Bloom made it very clear that you wanted to be taken there first. He said that he’d meet you there. Perhaps you’d-”
Flynn cut off the young man’s comment by raising the privacy window again. He focused his attention back on the view outside his window. He wasn’t in the least interested in what the young man thought he might like to do while he waited.
At the moment, he was more concerned about how the local chief of police was going to take the story he and Bloom had cooked up regarding Tess.
It was imperative that they get Tess back within the walls of the center’s lab. The sooner she was under their control again, the sooner they could proceed with their plans.
TESS ROLLED UP on her side and groggily tried to see the clock sitting on the oak bedside table.
She watched as the green digital numbers flipped over to read 7:45 a.m. She rubbed her eyes and flopped over onto her back again. Her gaze fell on Ryan, sound asleep in the chair by the window.
She smiled. How sweet. He’d agreed to sit with her last night until she fell asleep. But he must have been so tired, he’d fallen asleep sitting upright in the chair. His head was stretched back at an uncomfortable angle, and dark, unruly strands of his thick hair fell onto his forehead, giving him a slightly rumpled look.
Once the cops and paramedics were done asking their questions and checking them both over, the police had done a complete walk-through of the house and yard. They had left, promising to return in the morning with material to check for fingerprints. Not that anyone thought they’d find anything, especially when Ryan told them both men had been wearing gloves. But she knew they would be back and this time their boss, Chief Cole, would be with him. She’d been relieved last night when they showed up without the police chief.
She sat up and swung her feet over the side of the bed. A shooting pain between her shoulder blades and in her lower back reminded her of last night’s tussle. She eased herself to her feet, stretching a bit to loosen her tight muscles.
Jung stood in the doorway, watching her with alert brown eyes, his bony tail thumping eagerly against the door panel.
He wanted out and his master was dead to the world. Tess figured she could do the honors and then spend a few minutes whipping up a hearty breakfast for Ryan. It was the least she could do considering how good he’d been to her.
She tiptoed downstairs and walked out through to the kitchen. Jung followed close on her heels, nearly tripping her more than once. As she unlatched the patio door and slid the screen door open, he made urgent little noises in the back of his throat. When the door was open, he bounded out, taking off for the far end of the yard.
Tess opened the refrigerator door and studied the eggs-and-bacon situation. She yawned. Maybe a quick shower would wake her up enough to do the job right. Shuffling back down the hall, she headed for the upstairs bathroom.
But as she neared the front of the house, someone knocked on the door.
She froze. Another knock, more insistent this time, hit the door. Tess took a steadying breath and stepped closer to the door. Her hand hovered over the knob. Should she open it?
She rested her hand on the knob and it twisted beneath her fingers. She snatched her hand back as if burned. Someone was trying to get in.
Through the frosted glass bracketing the front door, she could see shadowy figures shift and move. There was more than one person standing on the front stoop.
She chewed her bottom lip. What now?
Another knock.
A hand and then a face pressed against the window. Someone was trying to peer inside. Tess flattened herself against the wall, holding her breath.
The shadow disappeared.
“They’ve got to be here,” a deep voice said, filtering through the front door. “The doctor’s car is in the driveway.”
“Maybe they’re out back and can’t hear the bell,” someone else said, this voice sounding vaguely familiar. Tess was sure that it was Chief Cole’s voice.
Crouching down, she crept to the front window. She opened the drapes a slit. Two men stepped off the front stoop. A third man stood on the walkway.
As she’d thought, one was Chief Cole. The second man, totally bald and wearing an expensive suit, was the one closest to the door. But it was the third man who attracted Tess’s closest scrutiny. He wore a military uniform and stood back from the other two. Every button and star gleamed in the sunlight, and he held his body at rigid attention, his cool gaze narrow and intense.
A whisper of fear brushed the back of Tess’s neck and goose bumps pebbled both her arms. She had no idea who he was, but something told her he was a threat. Her fingers tightened on the edge of the drape, and she fought back a black wave of dizziness.
As she watched, the three men started across the lawn, headed for the back of the house. Two other men stepped into view, following close behind. They were younger and bigger than the other three. They wore white T-shirts with a logo over the front pocket and white pants belted at their thick waistlines. Tess knew they were the trained gorillas-the ones along to make sure she cooperated.
Before rounding the corner of the house, the military man paused and said something to the two trained gorillas. They nodded and headed back for the car.
Good. That meant they weren’t coming around to the back with the other three. Fewer people for her to deal with. Tess turned and raced for the back door. She’d left it open. She needed to lock it.
Her stocking feet skidded on the linoleum floor, and as she scrambled for balance, saw the side gate start to open. Too late! She ducked behind the counter. Reaching up, she cracked open the pantry door and slipped inside, closing the door after her. It was dark inside. Dark and crowded. She pushed her way to the back, holding her breath.
Two seconds later, someone pounded on the patio door.
“Hello in there!” Chief Cole shouted.
Tess sank into the farthest corner of the closet, clutching her arms around her legs and struggling to quiet her breathing. How long before they gave up and left? How long before she was safe?
RYAN SAT UP with a start. He glanced around, slightly disorientated. What the hell was he doing sitting in the spare bedroom?
The taste in his mouth and the stiffness in his joints told him that he’d fallen asleep in the chair. A quick glance at the bed confirmed his worst fears. It was empty, meaning he’d either slept through a second abduction attempt or Tess had taken off.
He doubted it was the first scenario. From what he’d witnessed last night, Tess wasn’t about to go anywhere with anyone peacefully. More likely she got it in her head to take off on her own.
She’d been amazingly calm and coolheaded during the abduction attempt. But when the cops and the paramedics came, she’d been spooked and angry, almost sullen when answering their questions.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Someone was pounding on the back door.
Jumping up, Ryan ran down the stairs. He could hear Jung adding to the racket by barking and howling interchangeably. Maybe Tess had locked herself out.
Entering the kitchen, he saw three men standing under the shade of the awning at his back door. Two he recognized-Sidney Bloom and Chief Cole. The other man was dressed in an immaculately creased army uniform with three silver stars gleaming on the perfectly braced epaulets on his shoulders.
Ryan slid open the door, not missing the fact that it was already unlocked. Had Tess really walked out?
“Sorry to bother you, Ryan,” Bloom said. “But I needed to talk to you and I saw the car parked out front. I knew you were here.”
Ryan got the impression that Bloom was nervous, on edge.
“We had a little excitement here last night, and I ended up falling asleep in the chair.” Ryan glanced around the kitchen. No sign of Tess. It didn’t even look as though she’d eaten. No coffee in the pot or dishes in the sink. A knot of concern settled into the pit of his stomach.
“We were wondering if we could speak to your guest,” Bloom said. “The young woman, Tess. She’s still here, isn’t she?”
“Guess you’ve kept abreast of who comes and goes at the house, huh, Sidney?” Ryan opened the door wider and stepped aside. “Why not come inside, it’s cooler.”
Jung scooted around all three men and ran right for the pantry door. His butt hit the floor and he lifted a paw to scratch the wood panel. He whined pitifully.
Ryan ignored him and waved the three men into his kitchen. They entered, looking tense. Ill at ease.
“I don’t have all day,” the general said, his impatience obvious.
“Of course not.” Bloom’s gaze darted to Ryan. “Ryan, this is General Flynn.” He waved a hand in Ryan’s direction. “Dr. Donovan joined our staff a few weeks ago.”
They exchanged brief handshakes, the general’s flint-colored eyes seeming to sear into Ryan, a blatant attempt to intimidate. Ryan didn’t bite, and he put a little extra squeeze into his handshake.
“It’s a pleasure, Doctor.”
“Likewise.” But Ryan knew that whatever pleasure the general was referring to had nothing to do with meeting him. The man seethed with impatience. “What exactly did you want to talk with Tess about?”
“Private business,” Flynn snapped. “But if you must know, I’m here to take her home.”
“Take her home?”
“General Flynn is Tess’s father. He’s been worried about her since she disappeared several days ago.” There was no missing the slight tinge of nervousness in Bloom’s voice.
“Tess mentioned that her father was dead,” Ryan said slowly. “She still has huge gaps in her memory, but she was pretty clear that her father was dead.”
Bloom and Flynn exchanged glances.
“That’s part of her delusions,” Flynn said. “Where is she, Doctor? I need to know she’s safe.”
“I’m sorry, she’s not here. When I got up this morning, she was gone.”
From the other side of the kitchen, Jung’s whine got louder.
“What’s wrong with the damn dog?” Chief Cole asked.
Ryan moved over to the pantry. “His treats are in there. He’s just reminding me that I haven’t given him one of his treats.”
Chief Cole grunted, making it obvious what he thought of dog owners who spoiled their pets with doggie biscuits.
Ryan opened the pantry door and grabbed the box of treats sitting on the middle shelf. As he stepped back, something red caught his eye. He frowned and peered deeper into the closet. What the hell?
Crouched down in the farthest corner of the closet, between a twenty-pound bag of potatoes and a canister of dog chow, sat Tess. He opened his mouth, but she quickly put a finger to her lips and shook her head. Her message was clear.
Perplexed, Ryan slipped the box under one arm and closed the door. Jung didn’t move from his position in front of the pantry door. Doggie treats had definitely lost their appeal. He whined again, drawing the final note out like a true hound in distress.
“Come, Jung,” Ryan ordered, shaking the box.
Jung glanced over at him, his brown eyes seeming to say Back off, buddy. I’ve got a wicked game of hide-and-seek going here and you’re ruining it.
Ryan reached over and grabbed the Lab’s collar. He had to practically drag Jung across the kitchen floor to the back door. The Lab’s toenails skidded across the floor as Ryan pushed him out the door. He threw two biscuits out onto the patio and then slid the door closed.
“Have a seat, gentlemen.”
Normally he would have invited them all into the living room, but something told him that Tess wanted to hear what they had to say. Hell, he was curious, as well. He had no idea why Tess was cowering in the back of his pantry, frightened of the men who had entered his house. But he was smart enough to know that there had to be a good reason for her fear.
He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a pitcher of iced tea, setting on the table. “What’s this all about?”
“The general’s daughter disappeared. He’s been concerned about her whereabouts and when he heard she was here in Half Moon, he came to pick her up.”
“How did he know she was here?” Ryan leveled a glance in the general’s direction. The man stared coolly back, a thin line of anger bracketing his lips. An uncomfortable chill slid up the middle of Ryan’s back. This was a man who was used to getting his way, and he was positioning himself to get that now.
“I saw the news clip on the accident and heard about the appearance of a young women who didn’t know her name.”
Ryan frowned. “But there was no picture of Tess on the TV.”
“The description they provided fit the description of my daughter.”
“So, you’re not positive she is your daughter?”
Ryan forced himself not to glance in the direction of the pantry. Something in the general’s face told him that the man was waiting for exactly that kind of reaction.
“I’m not positive,” Flynn said begrudgingly, “but my daughter’s name is Tess.”
“It’s critical the general locate his daughter,” Bloom said. “She has a lot of serious problems.”
“What kind of problems?”
Bloom pulled a thick file out of his briefcase and dropped it onto the table. “General Flynn was kind enough to bring a copy of his daughter’s psychiatric file. I’ve looked it over. This is a young woman with a long history of very severe psychiatric problems.”
“Which might explain the dead man in the cornfield,” Cole added, setting his glass down.
Ryan shook his head. “I’m sorry, but there’s no way Tess is responsible for the death of that man.” He tapped the file in front of him. “I don’t care what kind of crap is in this file.”
“The Ryan Donovan I know doesn’t jump to conclusions without reading all the evidence,” Bloom said. “Read the file. She’s a paranoid schizophrenic, suffering from auditory and visual hallucinations. She’s attempted suicide five times, and she has physically assaulted her father, two boyfriends and a whole line of different hospital staff over the past five years. She even tried to stab an orderly while escaping from the last facility she was in. She was there on a seventy-two-hour court-ordered evaluation. You know what that means.”
Ryan stood up. This was just getting worse. He knew only too well what a court-ordered evaluation meant. A person didn’t get committed unless he or she was totally out of control. Unless he or she was suicidal or homicidal.
He raked a hand through his hair. “We can’t be talking about the same person.” He paused, his eyes connecting with the general’s. “I’m a good clinician. I’ve spent time with this woman-not just a session or two in my office. It’s ridiculous for me to even consider the possibility that she’s psychotic or capable of the level of violence you’re talking about.”
Flynn smiled coldly. “Believe me when I say that I know my daughter, too, Doctor. Perhaps better than you.” He reached over and tapped the psychiatric file. “Do as Dr. Bloom suggests-read the file. My daughter is capable of the things Dr. Bloom describes.”
Ryan shook his head again, refusing to buy any of what they were saying. “I’m sorry, but again we have to be talking about two different women.”
Flashing a look of disdain, Flynn flipped open the file and pointed to a photo stapled to the inside front cover. “Is this the woman currently staying at your house?”
Dread tightened around Ryan’s throat. There was no mistaking the stunning cloud of white-blond hair. He leaned closer, studying the photo. Tess’s face stared out at him from the photo. She had a more sophisticated, polished look. Her trademark hair was twisted up off her smooth porcelain shoulders, and soft, wispy tendrils escaped to frame a classically oval face and wide expressive green eyes.
“Is this the woman?” the general demanded.
Ryan dragged his eyes away from the picture. “Yes, that’s her.”
“I thought so.” Flynn sat back. “You need to understand something, Doctor. Tess was a difficult child. A violent teenager prone to both verbally and physically aggressive behavior.”
“Most teenagers go through a rebellious stage, General,” Ryan protested. “In our society it’s almost a rite of passage.”
Flynn smiled indulgently. “Tess rebelled at age eight. She was plagued with horrible nightmares from birth on. But she was always bright and articulate. Perhaps tragically bright. She was admitted to Rochester Institute of Technology when she was only seventeen. It was there that she experienced her first psychotic break.”
“How?” Ryan asked.
“Her first semester, campus security found Tess on the roof of the high-rise dorm, stark naked and covered in paint. She insisted that she was involved in an ancient tribal ritual that made it imperative that she jump off the high-rise and soar out over the campus. She had to be restrained by three security men.”
Ryan swallowed hard. Surprisingly, the scenario didn’t seem that far-fetched. He’d heard and seen enough similar incidents in his own practice. Had her earlier appearance at the Carson’s farm, naked and confused, been the first indication of a new break? The thought threw him. How could he have been so wrong about her? How could he have missed the clinical signs?
“Tess is quite good at manipulating people,” Flynn said, as if picking up on Ryan’s train of thought. “I’m not at all surprised you weren’t able to pick up on her psychosis. She has moments of very rational behavior.”
“But she wasn’t so rational when she killed the driver of that car, was she?” Cole asked, sounding like a one-note recording.
Ryan turned on the police chief. “You’ve wanted to pin this on her from the moment you met her. What’s your problem?”
A part of Ryan knew he was being unreasonable. Unwilling to look at the evidence with an open mind. But he was angry. Angry that he’d missed the evidence. Angry that any of this had to be true.
“In case you’ve forgotten, Doc, the man is dead,” Cole said.
“How do you even know she was with him?”
“Because I hired him to bring Tess here to Half Moon,” Flynn said.
“You what?” Ryan whipped around to face Flynn. “Hired him? Why?”
“His name was Trevor Vaughn. He was a registered nurse I hired to transport Tess here to the center. I heard about some of the experimental work being done here, and I thought it was worth the effort to see if Dr. Bloom could help Tess.”
A wave of suspicion brushed the back of Ryan’s neck, and his clinical radar went off with a silent wail. Something was not right. Flynn’s story didn’t fit what Ryan had witnessed at the crash site.
He kept his face impassive as he studied the General. The weariness and concern on the man’s face seemed forced, as if he was playing a role.
“Vaughn was supposed to hire two other professionals to assist him with Tess’s transfer. But it seems that he decided to pocket the money rather than hire additional help. It’s a mistake that seems to have cost the man his life.”
Ryan knew there were huge inconsistencies in what the man was saying. The story didn’t ring true. “It isn’t often that a person crashes through a fence in an attempt to get into a facility.”
Steel-colored flecks of anger flashed in Flynn’s eyes, but he hid them as quickly as they appeared. “Perhaps Tess forced Vaughn to crash through the fence when she realized she was about to be incarcerated in another facility.” He shrugged. “If she overpowered him with a gun, he wouldn’t have had a chance.”
“Where would she have gotten a gun?”
The angry flecks were back in Flynn’s eyes. “How should I know, Doctor? Like you, I wasn’t there. We can only make educated guesses at this point-until we’re able to talk to Tess, that is.”
“I find it interesting that you are all ready to pin this on Tess. Nothing you’ve said proves that she’s capable of killing a man in cold blood,” Ryan said.
Flynn threw up his hands. “Obviously nothing will convince you, Doctor, and I don’t have time for this nonsense. Where is my daughter? We’re leaving now.” He pushed back his chair and stood.
Ryan got to his feet, too, not backing down from the man’s hostile stare. “Last time I looked, General, this was still the United States. That gives Tess some rights. And one of those rights is to say where she goes and who she goes with.”
Bloom cleared his throat nervously and pulled a thick document out of the front of Tess’s file. “Uh, actually that isn’t quite true, Ryan. General Flynn has full guardianship over his daughter.” He opened the document and handed it to Ryan, adding, “It’s for her own protection. The courts have determined that she’s a danger to herself and others.”
Ryan glanced over the paperwork, acutely aware that they’d played their ace in the hole. The cold satisfaction on Flynn’s face told him that the man had been waiting for just this opportunity. He knew that Ryan understood only too well what such a court order meant-essentially, that Tess had no rights. She was a person without any decision-making ability in the eyes of the law.
“She’s not going anywhere until I’ve had the opportunity to talk to her,” he said firmly. “Let me talk to her alone and then she’ll come with you. At least until we get this straightened out.”
The general’s eyes darkened and the muscle in the center of his lean cheek jumped. “I want my daughter now, Donovan.”
“Well, we’re going to have to do things my way,” Ryan said, his voice soft and deadly. “Tess deserves some degree of dignity. And that means you wait outside while I talk to her.”
“I thought you said she wasn’t here.”
“I lied.”
A cold smile crossed the general’s face. For a moment Ryan thought he’d refuse, but finally he nodded and moved to the patio door. He paused before stepping outside. “You have exactly two minutes to convince her. But don’t ever try to cross me again, Doctor.”
Ryan closed the door, already trying to figure out how to get Tess to cooperate, at least until he was able to pull some strings and find out what was going on. He didn’t want her hurt and there was no question that Flynn was going to force the issue no matter how cooperative or uncooperative she was.
Ryan knew he needed more time. Time to investigate how legal and binding the court papers were. Time to see if Tess had any other options.
But he only had two minutes and something told him that Tess was just as stubborn and impatient as the man who was here to whisk her away.