"Teddy?"

"Something stupid. I should've known better. Anyway, I got in my car, and woke up in that cabin." He rubbed his eyes. "Can we go now? Those trees are getting blurry."

Sara checked the screen. Still nothing. She checked the clock, bit her lip, checked the clock again. "Couple more minutes, then we'll go."

"Fine. Two minutes."

"Sh.e.l.ley?" She didn't know why, but the mention of Sh.e.l.ley's name stuck out at her. Intuition, something odd, inexplicable. Strange for her to be leaving with Teddy, like he'd said. Sh.e.l.ley despised him as much as everyone else in the office. Had confided to her behind a locked door that he'd been hitting on her. Said he was disgusting. Distinctly remembered her calling him a pig.

Pig...pig...Teddy said the voice told him he deserved it for being a pig. No...Sh.e.l.ley? Not a chance.

She repeated it again. "Sh.e.l.ley?"

"For G.o.d's sake, Sara, leave it alone."

"Teddy," she said, her voice rising. "Whoever's doing this has my kids-do you remember me telling you that? Do you? If you know something, if you have any idea about what's going on and something happens to them because you didn't tell me, I will not hesitate to bring your scrawny little a.s.s back up here and finish what they started. Got me? Now, why were you leaving with Sh.e.l.ley?"

"Okay, okay, calm down. It's embarra.s.sing, that's all."

"And?"

"She said-she came into my office after you left, said she was leaving early and wanted to know if I'd come have an early lunch with her."

"That's it? You left to go have lunch?"

"I thought she wanted-you know how I am-the way she said it...I hadn't been laid in about a week. Figured it was worth a shot."

Sara rolled her eyes. "And you didn't see anything out of the ordinary-"

Michael's cell chimed, saving Teddy from her scolding.

Sara glanced down at the screen.

Sis says: Good. Sorry for the delay. Napping.

Sis says: She chose #1? You're not driving, are you?

Sara said, "Hang on, here she is."

"Who?"

"Ssshhh, let me think." What would he do? What would he say?

Michael says: Sry. Drivn slo.

Sis says: PULL OVER RIGHT NOW.

Sara held up a finger to Teddy, counted to twenty in silence.

Michael says: #1 yes Teddy taken care of.

Sis says: No names! How many times do I have to tell you?

Sis says: Wait Sis says: How do you know his name?

Sara gasped. "s.h.i.t." Don't do anything to the kids...don't hurt them.

Teddy said, "What happened?"

"I might've screwed up." Think!

Michael says: Heard Mother Goose say it.

Sis says: Okay. Anyway, good job. You MIGHT get a reward if it goes well. =) Sara didn't know how to respond. She'd recovered from the misstep, but what would a man under the spell of his psychopathic sister say to that?

Michael says: I've been good. Please?

Sis says: IF you're good.

Michael says: Back in a sec. Mother Goose losing it.

She said to Teddy, "That was close."

"What was?"

"Hush. I need to think."

Michael says: Ok, back. Crazy woman. Backhand worked.

Michael says: What kind of reward?

Sis says: Leave some for me. That's MY job.

Sis says: Reward? Let's see...

Sis says: Should I wear red lace or black lace? ;-) The phone almost fell out of Sara's hands. What else had he kept hidden from her?

Michael says: Red!

Michael says: Please.

Sis says: MAYBE. Get Mother Goose here fast.

Sis says: Can't take much more crying.

"Time to go," she said. "Let's get you to the hospital." And me back to the kids. I'm coming guys, I'm coming. Hang on a little longer. Mommy's coming.

Sara started the car, pulled back onto the gravel road.

"What was that all about? The texting."

"Talking to her about what to do next."

"You're texting the kidnapper?"

"She thinks I'm her brother. The one at the cabin."

"Can I help?"

"You can't even stand up on your own. I'll drop you off at the first emergency room we can find."

"You don't have time for that."

"No, I don't, but-"

"Just get me into the city, drop me off at a gas station somewhere. I'll be fine."

"Teddy, no."

"Sara, yes. Conversation over-your kids are more important. That's it, no mas, end of story."

For as long as Sara could remember, it was the first sign of humanity, the first sign of caring for another human being other than himself, that she had ever seen from Teddy. It was unfortunate that it took something like the last six hours for it to emerge.

Sara choked back the lump in her throat. I asked for him to die.

She said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything."

"Those weren't your fists."

"It's more complicated than that."

"Honestly, I don't want to know. Just stop calling me Little One and we're good."

"Done." But, I can't ever tell you how one-sided that deal actually is.

Thirty minutes later, Sara pulled up in front of a well-lit Chinese restaurant on the eastern side of Portland. Lights aglow, parking lot filled with cars. She was nervous, anxious, ready to be moving, ready to get back to her children, ready to face the inevitable, but feeling torn, feeling guilty, feeling like she owed Teddy at least another few seconds. She told him to be careful, and to check in with her in a couple of days.

"Unless-" she said, "unless you see me on the news."

"Don't do that," he said. "Don't. Whoever she is, she has no idea who she's dealing with."

Sara shook her head. "I'm-I don't know."

"You want to know the difference between us?"

"The difference?"

"Self-awareness. I know people hate me, and it doesn't bother me. I get it. I can see why, and I don't care. I get a kick out of seeing how far I can push people, but you? You're clueless when it comes to understanding just how much people respect you. There's a reason for it. And I can promise you this...if I see you on the news, it'll have some headline like," he said, using his hand to swipe across an invisible marquee, "Bada.s.s Chick Thwarts Kidnapper."

"I wouldn't bet on it."

Teddy shrugged, opened the door, dragged himself out, one arm around his ribs. He took a step, said, "Sara?" and then leaned into the car. "Eight o'clock, Monday morning. Got some good ideas for Juggs 3 that I wanted to run past you."

He closed the door and limped away, shuffling toward the restaurant.

She envied his confidence in her.

The diners stared at him out the window. Confused, pointing. A man stood up and cupped his hands against the tinted gla.s.s, hoping to get a better look. Teddy waved at them and lurched toward the front entrance. Waved like he was the homecoming queen, perched atop the highest spot on a parade float. She couldn't see his face, but she imagined him smiling, loving every second of the abject attention.

She watched him go, looking after him with a little less disgust, but not exactly admiration, realizing that her arch-nemesis, the virus that had plagued her for so many years, might, on some planet, actually be likable.

Teddy made it to the doorway before he collapsed. A waiter emerged, cautious.

Go, before somebody calls the police.

Foot to gas, acceleration pushing her against the seat. She was gone, leaving Teddy behind, hurtling forward through a sea of taillights and neon signs. Knowing where she was going, but driving blindly into the coming storm.

CHAPTER 21.

DJ.

DJ approached the front door of 121 Blaylock, gun drawn and held ready at his side. The shades were closed and he kept a watchful eye for any subtle movements. When he was certain it was clear, he motioned for Barker to join him. Satisfied they were out of the line of fire, he risked a peek through the decorative, paned window above his head.

"Anything?" Barker whispered.

"Empty."

"n.o.body home?"

"No, I mean empty empty. No furniture that I can see. Nothing."

"What? You sure this is the right address?"

"On file. Should we bother knocking?"

"Try the doork.n.o.b first."