It would make her feel better too. The first shock had passed, but the raw pain remained. "Okay." She cuddled closer to him. She was silent a moment letting the warmth and togetherness flow into her. "I hurt them, Grady," she whispered. "I can almost see why Renata won't let anyone come near her. I don't want to ever hurt anyone like this again."

"But you're not Renata. You can't do that." His hand gently stroked her hair. "You have to live with it. This isn't going to last forever. It's all going to straighten out. We'll see that it does."

"I wish I were with Renata. I'm afraid for her, Grady."

"Dammit, stop being afraid for everyone but yourself." He added roughly, "Renata's not the one who's going to let someone whisk her off to maim and mutilate her."

After his previous gentleness the sudden brutal frankness shocked her. She stiffened and tried to pull away but his grasp tightened. "I don't want to hear this, Grady."

"No, but it felt good to let it out." He put his cheek against her temple. "I hate it. You have no right to make me feel like this and then go off and risk your damn neck." Let me go.

"In a minute." He was holding hard and tight, but it was less than a minute when he released her and got to his feet. "I'm calling Venable and telling him to send some agents into Nashville in case we need them. If Renata is right about the general direction, then that should be a good jumping-off place." He headed for the door. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Megan. If Molino hurts one fingernail, one hair of your head, I'll find a way to send him to hell in the most painful way he could imagine. He thinks he wants to destroy freaks? Wait until he sees what this freak can do to him."

The door slammed behind him.

Megan shivered at the violence that was still electrifying the room. She had always been aware of the underlying violence that lay in Grady but she had still been unprepared for this explosion.

She had a sudden memory of what he had said when he'd said he wanted to have possession of the Ledger because he was afraid of what would happen if one of the family were cornered by Molino.

Well, Grady felt cornered now and there was nothing she could do about it. She was soon going to have her hands full dealing with Molino.

7:40 A.M.

"I'VE BROUGHT A TOPOGRAPHICAL and navigational map of the area." Harley laid the map on the car seat between him and Renata. "Turn on the top lights."

She switched them on. "We're wasting time. I need to get back on the road." She had met him at a small airport where his helicopter had landed near Kingsport, Tennessee. It had not been out of her way, but that didn't stop her from feeling the panic rising. Every minute was worth its weight in gold right now. "Can't you do this yourself?"

"Since you described the bridge as being large I'm almost sure that it has to be across the Mississippi River." He'd drawn circles around two bridges on the river. "And both these bridges have hilly terrain on the Tennessee side. You said Molino's house was on a high cliff, right?"

She nodded.

"How far was the house from the river?"

"I don't know." She tried to think. "Fifteen. Twenty miles."

"Was Molino looking north or south at the bridge?" She closed her eyes for an instant. "South."

"The bridges are about sixty miles apart. We can't make a mistake about the area. It could be a disaster for Megan. Take a look at the map. Does it trigger anything?"

She shook her head in exasperation. "For God's sake, I can't look at a map and expect it to tell me secrets like a Ouija board. It doesn't work that way."

"How was I to know? Megan explained all about your connection and tethers, but it's all Greek to me. You have to admit I'm being outstandingly tolerant and reasonable in trying to work with you on this. I trust my map more than I do your 'tether.'"

"Tolerant?" She repeated. "You're tolerating me?"

"No." He smiled. "But the thought made you angry enough to make you let go of that little dress you were clutching. I thought you needed a diversion."

"You don't know anything about what I need." But he had meant to be kind and maybe it was better if she concentrated on something else for these brief moments. She looked down at the map. "Both the bridges are located in the general area where I'm being led. But which one is the right one?"

"Since I'm not getting any mystical help from you I'll have to fly over both of the bridges and see what I can see." He started folding up his map. "So I'll let you get back on the road. I'll call you when I'm close to either of the bridges and describe the terrain to you. Or do you want to come in the helicopter with me?"

She shook her head. "Flying doesn't work as well for me with the tether as being on the ground."

"Suit yourself." He picked up the dress from the seat and held it for a moment before handing it to her. "You know, the thought of this makes me very, very angry." He closed the car door and strode back toward the helicopter.

10:50 A.M.

"ARE YOU READY?" MOLINO asked when Megan picked up the phone. "I know I am. I can't wait to meet with you."

"And you're bringing both Phillip and Davy?"

"I told you that I would."

"How are they? Did you hurt them?"

"You'll see for yourself." He added, "I know you're going to have Grady and his CIA friends hovering nearby and I'm laying out the ground rules for you. After the helicopter picks up and leaves with Phillip and the boy, you're to remain there in the field until my own helicopter picks you up. Don't be impatient; it will only be a few minutes. If there is any attempt to interfere with you coming with me, I'll give the order and your friend, Phillip and the child will be blown out of the sky by a ground-to-air missile. If anyone attempts pursuit after you board my helicopter, then they'll see you hurtling to the ground from several thousand feet. Since you haven't displayed any other of your mother's freakish talents, I doubt if you can fly."

"You didn't answer me. Did you hurt them?" But he had already hung up.

11:35 A.M.

THE TETHER WAS GONE, Renata realized in a panic.

One minute it had been strong and tight and now she couldn't feel it at all.

Please, not now. She had thought she was so close.

Her hand was shaking as she dialed Harley in the helicopter. "It's gone. The tether's gone."

"Calm down," Harley said quietly. "I know that must mean a hell of a lot to you, but I can't grasp it."

"Dammit, I felt him. It was getting stronger and stronger and then I lost him. He was gone."

"Then let's think about it." He was silent a moment. "What time is it?" He answered himself. "It's quarter to twelve, Renata. He's supposed to meet Megan at noon. If he suddenly took off and headed south to Redwing, would you lose the tether?"

"Shit." She felt like a dunce. "Yes. I was zeroed in on him at that location. It would have been like having the rug pulled out from under me. Why didn't I think of that?"

"I've heard geniuses sometimes have trouble tying their tennis shoes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Words of comfort?" He added, "See if you can get a handle on this tether and call me back. I'm over the first bridge now and I want to go lower." He hung up.