by Joyce
Steve kissed the side of her mouth and the arch of her brows above her eyes. “What else? Besides the fact that I've wanted you since the moment I saw you. And the connection between us that has nothing to do with Bryce. Can you feel that, Rae?"
Rae knew she should move. All the good intentions she had not to get involved with Steve were dissolving in the liquid heat that was throbbing through her body. When he finally kissed her, she parted her lips greedily, taking his tongue into her mouth. She welcomed the hot strokes with a murmur of abandon, letting her own tongue play with his.
She was bemused, enchanted. A part of her knew she should run. Whispered, passionate urgings made her stay. It felt so good to be with him. To meld the visions with reality. A voice she didn't recognize as her own whispered, “You always get what you want."
His fingers carefully traced the planes and angles of her face. “Is that an observation or a feeling?"
"A little of both.” A glimpse of truth hit her and she continued, “But you aren't happy with it."
His touch faltered and he looked at her closely. “What makes you say that?"
She put her hand to his cheek. “It's there in your voice when you talk about your company. I can feel it in your house."
"Is that coming from years of experience tracking down murderers and kidnappers?"
"Partially.” She knew she should stop but the words flowed from her. “You don't fit the profile you show to the world. There's another side to you that you keep away from everyone else. A darker, solitary side."
"You have some strange pillow talk, sweetheart.” He sat up, away from her.
Rae felt his withdrawal and realized that she struck a nerve in him. Her body was protesting losing his warmth and the fascinating things he was doing to her. Her mind, as always, wanted to delve deeper and understand the man beneath the mask. “You wanted to know what I saw about you."
His smile was self-deprecating. “I guess I was hoping for something less thought provoking and more erotic."
Rae searched back through her words. What was it that had upset his equilibrium? “No one likes to think that another person can see the things they want to keep hidden. But that's what I do. Or what I used to do. You brought me here to do it again. I guess old habits die hard."
"I'm exhausted. We should both get some rest. Do you need help finding your room again?"
He was closed to her. Protecting himself. Rae got up and walked quickly out of the bedroom without another word. She closed the door behind her. Tiny ripples of excitement trickled through her from the aftermath of their psychic lovemaking. She was still leaning against the broad portal when Sharin walked by.
"Do you think he got where he is by being a great guy? He's a bastard and you'd do well to keep that in mind in your dealings with him. He'll cut a little thing like you to shreds."
Rae didn't say a word. She rubbed her arms. Her body still tingled from his touch. Her mind was caught in the jumble between her visions and reality. She walked back down the hall towards her bedroom.
"He doesn't love you, you know. He doesn't love anything but his precious company."
Her voice floated down the hall to Rae as she kept walking. When she reached her bedroom, she closed the door behind her and locked it. She lay down on her bed and tried to sort through everything she saw or heard. It all sounded like gibberish in her mind. Finally, she fell asleep in her clothes and the voices in her head were quiet.
Rae ate breakfast alone in the tearoom the next morning. The day was too wet and cold to eat outside. It was a cheerful yellow and white room. Possibly the only room downstairs that wasn't oppressively modern. Some hot rolls and homemade apricot marmalade added to the room's charm. By the time she finished her peppermint tea, she felt better.
She understood what happened between her and Steve in his bedroom. It was the hocus-pocus. Not many people could handle it. Her first real boyfriend in college deserted her because of the Little case. He said it was weird and unnatural for another human being to see into someone else's secrets.
While Steve joked about it, it was different when she sensed things about his life. She didn't know what she saw that acted like a dose of cold water on him. Maybe it didn't matter. All that might matter was that she sensed something he thought was safely tucked away in his own mind.
She reminded herself again that she shouldn't be involved with Steve. She shouldn't have been sitting on his lap on the bedroom floor. Or lying in his arms. She needed to keep her feet firmly on the floor. Her mind on the goal. Finding Bryce Williams. That's why she was here. Not to seduce or be seduced by Steve.
Her heart wasn't involved yet. She was honest enough to admit that to herself. All she had right now was a bad case of the hot lusts. Summer lust, as her grandmother called it. If she were smart, she would cut it off before it grew into something else.
Rae called Lessie after breakfast. She could feel her grandmother listening intently while she described the dream she had about Bryce. She left out the part about kissing Steve. She told her about the earlier vision and confessed to feeling confused and frightened by what was happening to her.
"Sounds like you were there to me, sweet pea.” Her grandmother wasn't overly excited by what she heard. “I've had those dreams before where a person is so real you think you could reach out and touch their skin or smell their hair. If it happens again, you have to keep control."
"How? How do I keep control?"
"You have to realize that it's not a dream, Rae. Once you're aware of that, you can do what you need to do. You have the power in you. Just use it."
"Bryce could see me."
"It wouldn't be surprising if that little girl could see you, honey.” Lessie coughed and cleared her throat. “You know children can see things adults can't see."
"Are you smoking cigars again?” Rae asked her pointedly. “Are you at home?"
"Doc brought me home this morning. They said I was doing better than anyone they ever saw! A friend of mine from Miami came up and brought me some cigars from Cuba as a get well present, if you can believe it."
"They're poison no matter where they're from."
"Better worry about yourself, Rae. I don't like the way you sound. You aren't falling for that man, are you?"
"I'm not falling for anyone, Lessie. I'm here to find that little girl."
"Good thing because there's something there I don't like. Something dark. A secret that won't bring any good. You stay away from him, Rae."
Chapter Nine
"Don't worry! I'll be fine. I can stay away from one man for a few days."
Lessie didn't sound impressed by her words of denial and strength. “He's a handsome one. You know he came to see me when he was here."
"I didn't know.” Rae was surprised that he didn't tell her.
"Might be worth while finding out his secrets, eh?"
"I can tell you're feeling better!"
"You know, sweet pea, the Harris women have all been gifted with one thing or another down through the years. You came through a bad time but your gift has always been strong. If it gets a little stronger, you shouldn't be surprised. Sometimes trials of faith bring great rewards."
Rae bit her lip and felt tears well in her eyes. “How did you get to know everything?"
Lessie laughed. “When you've lived as long as I have, honey, you've seen it all at least two or three times!"
"I'm glad you're better. I love you. I'll call again later. Thanks for your help."
"Goodbye, sweet pea. I love you."
Rae put down the phone thoughtfully. As usual, her grandmother was right on the mark. She could never hide anything from her. Neither could anyone else. If Lessie was warning her away from Steve, there was a good reason.
By lunchtime, the rain stopped. A weak, pale sun floated out from behind a cloud. Rae spent the morning with the geo-tracker. She was trying to pinpoint various locations where the kidnapers could be holding Bryce. She didn't have strong feelings for
one place or another. Her mind was blank. Bryce's image from her dream kept her thoughts in chaos. After lunch, she was ready to get away from it for a while.
She told Alabaster that she was going out for a walk around the grounds. The housekeeper told her to take a two-way radio with her in case she got lost. Rae smiled as she put one into her pocket, then walked out the front door.
The afternoon was cold and damp. Rain clung to the trees and the air. Mists swirled around the ground, rising from the pine beds like vengeful wraiths.
She meant it to be a short walk but something impelled her towards the road. She planned to walk back along the lake and the rolling hills that made up the estate. Her feet had minds of their own. She found herself out on the street that fronted the estate. She could see a bus stopped a short way up the road. She ran for it, getting to the doors just as the driver was closing them to leave.
"Atlanta?” she asked the driver.
He nodded his broad face and told her that it was the shuttle that went in and came out twice a day. “A dollar sixty."
She fished around in her pockets and came up with two dollars in change. She pocketed what was left, then took a seat near the front of the bus.
There were only a few passengers at that time of day. She could imagine the bus being more crowded in the morning and afternoon. Perfume from the last occupant of her seat permeated her senses. Like her strange feelings for Bryce. It was as if she really met the little girl, like she knew her. She could feel Bryce's fear and sadness so vividly. She shuddered, remembering how she cried in her dream.
But there was nothing there to substantiate her impressions. No hard evidence. No physical proof. It was confusing and uncomfortable. The part of her that was trained by the FBI felt ridiculous. The other part was struggling to understand. Why was this case different? How had she become so emotionally involved? This felt real. Like the perfume left on the bus seat, she could smell it. It surrounded her. But she couldn't honestly say it was there.
She was connected to Bryce. It was the only thing that made any sense. She was meant to be there. She wasn't a big believer in destiny. If she were, she'd say she was destined to be there. To find Bryce. And maybe to find Steve.
There was a persistent humming in her mind. She realized that she was following some invisible path that was forged between herself and the little girl. She didn't know where she was going. But she knew she was going in the right direction.
The bus took her into the city and dropped her off at the station. There were walking maps of the city and visitor's information guides. Atlanta was bigger than Charleston. Both of them dwarfed Sullivan's Island.
Yet Rae didn't need a map or a guide. It was like a tether was being pulled back with her at the other end. All she had to do was walk. Her feet were guided to the spot. She couldn't have made a wrong move if she tried. The sensation was overpowering.
She moved through the city like a sleepwalker. Hordes of people scurried along. She didn't notice them. Traffic was impossibly snarled. Buildings towered around her as she neared the heart of the downtown area. She looked up and recognized the building directly across the street from her. It was Solutions Tower, silhouetted against the gray sky. She looked down and saw the opening to the parking deck.
Her feet came to a standstill. She was at the end of the cable that pulled her into the city. She felt like a toy that had wound down. She couldn't find the strength to move any further.
Rae glanced to her left. She was standing in front of a small coffee shop. There were pictures of cups of coffee and bagels floating on the window. On the inside, she could see bright yellow booths and stools at a long, yellow counter. Suddenly exhausted, she opened the door and walked inside.
Only a few customers were in the coffee shop. A waitress in her lemon yellow uniform was talking to a man at the counter. Rae recognized him as the head of Steve's security, Duke Barneby. He had his back to her and didn't turn around. She sat down without talking to him, not wanting to try to explain why she was there.
The waitress acknowledged Rae with a nod of her head. “Coffee?"
"Do you have tea?"
"Decaf or regular?"
"Regular is fine, thanks."
There was something very familiar about the woman. It was unlikely that she saw her before. Yet she had a vague feeling of knowing her. When she brought back the little pot of tea and the pretty yellow mug, Rae smiled at her and glanced at her nametag.
"Thanks, Mary. You're lucky to be able to wear that color yellow. I'd look sick in it."
Mary's face was devoid of emotion. “Bagel?"
"No, thanks,” Rae continued, despite the woman's snub. “I was thinking how much you remind me of someone."
Mary's eyes narrowed. “I get that all the time. You hitting on me? ‘Cause I don't go that way."
Rae laughed. “No. Not at all. You look like ... someone else I know."
Mary wrote out her ticket for the tea and slapped it down on the table. “Thanks."
Rae watched her walk away, then poured herself a cup of tea. It was hot and sweet. Not as fresh as she liked it. Selling her own tea spoiled her. She always had the freshest.
Why was she here? She looked around at the tiny coffee shop. Something or someone had brought her here for a purpose. What was it? Since the coffee shop was close to the Solutions Building, maybe Bryce and her father came there for bagels. The feeling that brought her there was stronger than a chance episode. It made her wish she had a picture of Bryce to show to the waitress and the cook. Maybe they'd seen the child.
She guessed the kidnapers were moving Bryce around the city. Lynn was wrong about her being outside the country or dead. Bryce was still alive. It was possible someone had seen her. They might not realize that she was being held against her will. Sometimes people witnessed things and didn't know it until they were questioned.
She finished her tea and sat in the booth, waiting for another impression. She was loath to leave the place until she understood what brought her there. She tried to use some of the breathing techniques she and John had worked on. Nothing seemed to help. She was at a dead end.
"More tea?"
Rae opened her eyes. “No, thanks."
The waitress stared at her. “All right. Anything else?"
"No, thanks."
Mary gave her another long look then walked away and began to ignore her. A few new patrons came into the shop. One of them was another security guard from Steve's office. He and Duke sat together drinking coffee and eating donuts. Rae glanced around the coffee shop one last time then forced herself to leave. Whatever drew her there left her flat. She felt that her initial impression of the place was right. Steve and Bryce had probably been there. That still made her a few steps behind the kidnappers.
She walked to the Solutions building to ask Steve about the coffee shop. She waited for the security guard and attendant at the front desk but they were busy. Finally, she got on an elevator and punched in the code for the top floor where the CEO's office was located. She knew where she was going.
When the elevator doors parted, she was face-to-face with a woman in a tan business suit. The look of horror on the other woman's face was almost comical. Rae felt sure it would be humorous, if it wasn't directed at her.
"Who are you? What do you want?” The woman's voice was stiff and stilted.
"I'm Rae Harris and I'd like to see Steve Williams, if it's possible."
"He's-he's not here.” The woman moved her hand just a fraction under the edge of the desk.
She was calling security. Rae held up her hands. “It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. I thought Steve was supposed to be here. Did he say where he was going?"
"No. Y-yes. I mean ... he left. Earlier."
"All right.” Rae backed towards the elevator. “I'm leaving now."
"Y-yes."
The door to the stairwell opened suddenly. Three armed guards ran into the reception area. They came with their guns drawn. They ordered
Rae against the wall and immediately pushed her to the floor.
"What's going on out here?"
The woman in the tan suit ran to Steve. “Mr. Williams! There's another one here!"
"Somehow, she managed to get past security and make her way up her to the top floor.” The security guard had his knee in Rae's back. “Don't worry, sir. We have her in custody. Stay back for your own safety."
"Thanks.” Steve moved towards them. “But I think I can take it from here."
"Sir?"
"Just let her up, Balson. She's with me."
"With you?" The word echoed from four pairs of lips.
Steve cleared his throat and helped Rae off the floor. “Rae, this is Hector and Balson with security. Sandy is off today. We have another office assistant, Eloise, filling in for her. Eloise, everyone else, this is Rae Harris. Thanks anyway, guys."
Eloise shook her head. “I'm so sorry. After everything that's happened, I didn't know. How did you manage to get up here?"
Rae smiled and brushed down her clothes. “I walked into the elevator and came up."
Eloise and the security force exchanged looks with Steve.
"Thanks, everyone. Come on, Rae.” Steve walked her into his office and shooed out the group that was meeting there. “How did you get up here? I've had the place locked down like a fortress since Bryce was kidnapped."
Rae shrugged. She was going to be black and blue from the chokehold the security guard put on her. “I walked into an elevator downstairs and pushed a button for this floor. Like you did when we were here. What's the big deal?"
Steve studied her closely. “Rae, you used a code. There's no button on those elevators that will take you to this floor."
She was beginning to get annoyed. “I don't know the code for the elevator. Is there another way?"
"I don't know."
"I can show you what I did."
"Good. I can't wait to see."
They got back in the elevator. She looked at the wall. There was no listing of floors. Only a keypad.
"This is a private elevator.” He pushed a code on the keypad that started the car heading back down the shaft. “It's not part of the main line. One of the things none of us understood when they kidnapped Bryce was how the kidnappers got up on this elevator."