Jesus, you've been driving around in circles." Carmela gazed suspiciously at Silver. "Are you really taking me to see Rosa?"

"Yes. Didn't you talk to her last night?"

She nodded. "But that doesn't mean she couldn't have been fooled. She's just a kid." She turned to Kerry. "It's legit? You're not going to send us back to my mom?"

"It's legit," Kerry said. "We only want to keep you safe. Silver was afraid we might have been followed from the hospital."

"Were we?"

Silver shook his head. "I don't believe so."

"Don't tell me that," Carmela said fiercely. "I want you to be sure. I don't want anything happening to Rosa."

"Nothing's going to happen to Rosa," Kerry said. "You can trust Silver, Carmela."

"Can I?"

"Yes, can she?" Silver murmured. "What an astonishing statement for you to make. I'm touched."

She ignored him. "He won't let anything happen to you or Rosa." She added, "And neither will I. We just have to be very careful."

"Because of that nutcase," Carmela said. She was silent a moment. "I do trust you-most of the time. It's just . . . hard. This Trask doesn't seem real to me."

"I can understand that," Kerry said. "Sometimes I find him pretty unbelievable too. I wish he was only a figment of my-" She stopped as Silver pulled into the driveway of a small brick house. "This is it?"

Silver nodded as he turned off the car and opened the driver's door. "Stay here. I'll go in and talk to Agent Dorbin and make sure she knows you're no threat. She'll believe me." He strode toward the front door. "Even though you both appear to have your doubts about me."

"I didn't really think he was selling me down the river," Carmela said haltingly to Kerry. "It's . . . Rosa. I don't have the right to- I do trust him."

"He was joking. He understands."

"I hope so." She made a face. "You know, I feel . . . It's weird, but I don't want him to . . . I feel like I've known him all my life. No, that's not right. It's not-" She stopped, puzzled. "What the hell. I don't know how to say it."

Togetherness. Linked.

Kerry supposed she should have expected this after Silver had been joined to Carmela on that rooftop. Evidently he had left a little something behind when he'd left her. "Close to him?"

"Yeah, I guess so." She shrugged. "Something like that. You too?"

"You could say that. At any rate, I don't think you should worry about-"

"There she is!" Carmela jumped out of the car as a small, dark-haired girl appeared in the doorway. "Rosa!"

Kerry slowly got out of the car as she watched Carmela run toward the door. Carmela's expression was radiant and full of eagerness. In this moment she looked even younger than her fifteen years. This is how she should look, Kerry thought. This is how all children should look. Full of life. No suspicion. No worry.

Carmela skidded to a stop before her sister. "You okay?"

Rosa nodded. "You?"

"Fine." She took a step closer and gave her an awkward hug. "It's going to be . . . okay. I promise, Rosa."

"Then stop being mushy." Rosa stepped back. "You're making me feel funny."

Kerry smothered a smile at the typical adolescent reaction. The affection between the two sisters was clear, but she could see that neither child was overly demonstrative. Well, what teenagers were? Most of them would be mortified to admit how much they cared about their siblings.

"Nice, huh?" Silver was coming down the path toward her. "Enough to warm the cockles of your heart."

"Don't be sarcastic." She watched the door close behind Carmela and Rosa. "It does warm me."

"I wasn't being sarcastic." His smile faded. "And you know me well enough to know that. I'm glad we managed to get them together. Do you want to go in and meet Rosa? She's a neat kid."

She shook her head. "Soon. I want them to have a few minutes alone together." She met his eyes. "Providing Carmela will ever be alone again. Why didn't you tell me that you're still linked?"

"She knows it?" He frowned. "It's not that strong. Only a tendril or two. It will probably fade away."

"You didn't leave it there on purpose?"

"For God's sake, do you think I like being linked to just anyone? If there's one thing I've learned from our experience together, it's that I never want it to happen again."

Christ, she was actually feeling hurt. Not that she had a right. It was exactly what she had been telling herself all along. "Ditto." She turned away. "I'm going in to meet Rosa. Are you coming?"

"Not now. I'm going to call George and check in." He headed back toward the car. "By the way, I've set up a foster home for Carmela and Rosa when this is all over and it's safe to get them settled."

"Where?"

"Near Georgetown University. It's a nice residential area, and I know some pretty good people who will take care of them."

"Normal people?"

"Yes." He added solemnly, "I do know some normal people, Kerry. Though I admit I have a definite preference for freaks like you."

"Dammit, I'm not-" He was joking. If she hadn't been so tense, she would never have risen to the bait. "I just didn't want them to think the whole world was comprised of people like-They've had enough problems without having to question their view of reality and-"

"I know." He smiled. "Stop trying to explain. You never have to do that with me."

That was the problem, she thought in despair. Even though she was angry and resentful, there was always that comforting feeling of being totally understood and accepted. It was almost as seductive as the sex they had shared.

"Not bloody likely," he muttered as he opened the door of the car. "Don't fool yourself. Not for either one of us, Kerry."

She could feel the heat flood her cheeks as she started up the walk. She should have known that the one thought she'd wanted to keep from him would be the one he'd pick up on. "Let me know if George has learned anything."

"I don't think it will be urgent enough to break into your visit." He got out his phone. "Or he would have called us. But you can be sure I won't close you out."

She was aware of the slight emphasis on the pronoun. "Good God, after everything you've done, are you actually trying to give me a guilt trip?"

"Just stating a fact."

She gazed at him in frustration before she jabbed the doorbell. "Damn you, Silver."

Anything new?" Kerry asked as she opened the car door an hour later.

"George says everything is quiet on his front. Not a glimpse of anyone suspicious buzzing around any of the people Ledbruk has under surveillance."

"Then where is Trask?" She shook her head wearily as she settled back on the passenger seat. "And what the devil is he doing?"

Silver backed out of the driveway. "At least you know Carmela and Rosa are safe. You should feel better about that."

"I do." She nibbled at her lower lip. "You're sure we weren't followed here?"

"I don't think so, but I can't be certain. There are so many high-tech long-range devices on the market that Dickens or Trask could be out of sight and still tailing us."

"That's a comforting thought."

"It's an honest answer. You don't want comfort, you want the truth."

He was right. Facing the truth was the only way they might be able to survive. "I guess I was hoping for reassurance that maybe Trask had crossed Carmela off his hit list."

"It could happen. But you might ask who'd be his prime target if he decided to do that."

"I'm the logical-" She stopped as her phone rang and she reached into her handbag.

"How is our lovely Carmela? Fully recovered, I trust."

Trask.

She drew a deep breath. "She's fine, Trask. And fully protected. You can't touch her."

Silver muttered a curse and pulled over to the curb.

"I can touch her. Anyone can be reached. It just takes planning and the proper resources."

"Does that mean you're going to try?"

"Perhaps. She's unfinished business, and I detest untidiness. She's definitely high priority since Firestorm was unable to complete its mission. I have to decide how high."

"You're wasting my time. Why are you calling me, Trask?"

"I thought it time. I've missed personal contact with you, but I've been very patient. I've wanted to call you for days, but I had plans to make."

"What kind of plans?"

"Why, I have to show you that you didn't best either me or Firestorm when you saved our little Hispanic charmer. That was only the opening battle."

"Answer me. Are you going after her again?"

"Possibly. Mysteries are so intriguing. I believe I'll let you stay in the dark about that. That's really why I phoned you. I want to think about you worrying, on edge, perhaps even a little frantic. I find that a satisfying picture."

"I'm not frantic, and I'll leave the worrying to the authorities."

He chuckled. "I don't believe you. It's your nature to want to shape events to suit yourself. Like me."

"I'm nothing like you."

"You'll see. When you stand and watch Firestorm at work."

"I've seen it. It sickens me."

"You're lying to yourself. When you saw the warehouse burning, wasn't there a little excitement mixed with the horror you were feeling?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Never mind, you wouldn't tell me the truth. But I'll be able to see it in your face next time. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be in touch." He hung up.

Her finger was trembling as it pressed disconnect. "The son of a bitch."

"Without question. Did he leak anything?"

"No, he just wanted to touch base." Her lips twisted. "He missed me."

"He mentioned Carmela?"

"He knew she'd left the hospital. He said she was a high priority." She drew a shaky breath. "Call back and talk to Agent Dorbin and make sure she knows we've gone to code red."

He reached for his phone. "He may not know where they are. He could have just checked with the hospital to find out she was discharged today."

"And he could have followed us. You said it was possible."

"He told you that he was going after her?"

She shook her head. "The bastard likes to inflict his little torments. Hell, he likes big torment. He did say that anyone could be reached if you had the right resources." Her teeth sank into her lower lip. "Christ, we have to keep her safe, Silver."

He nodded as he dialed. "I'm not arguing. I'll call Agent Dorbin and then Ledbruk."

While he made the calls she leaned back in the seat, staring out at the small, neat homes lining the street. This pretty subdivision was like a hundred others in a hundred other cities. It seemed impossible that a monster like Trask could be operating here.

It wasn't impossible. Nothing was impossible for Trask. He was completely unpredictable.

No, he wasn't unpredictable. Not if she concentrated on what she knew about him. She just had to suppress the panic and try to get one step ahead of him.

"Done." Silver hung up. "Carmela's protection will be doubled. Though Ledbruk said he doubted if it was necessary. He was satisfied with the number of agents he'd assigned to her."

"Maybe. If Trask was working alone. He mentioned 'enough' resources."

"Dickens?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. It doesn't seem as if . . . We'll have to see."

He started the car. "That's for sure. But I'm not pleased about having to wait and-"

"Turn around."

He glanced at her. "Why?"