But she was looking up at him and laughing.

His hands fell away from her, and he took a hurried step back.

What was happening? This couldn’t be real.

He continued to back away, squinting at her in the cave’s dim light.

Then, she was suddenly Cara again. She was clutching her throat, coughing and gagging.

“No,” he said harshly. “You’re trying to play your tricks, but you can’t stop me. Nobody can.”

Cara looked at him, puzzled, as she scrambled back to get away from him. But even she seemed to realize he wasn’t talking to her. “Horrible and crazy. Just like Elena said.”

He moved back toward Cara. “You can’t stop me. I’m finishing this, and there’s nothing you can do to keep me from sending her straight to—”

“Stay away from her!”

Walsh spun around. Eve Duncan was now climbing on the ledge with them, holding a gun.

He grabbed Cara and lifted her in front of him as a shield. “After I’ve gone to all this trouble? Put that gun down, or I’ll break her neck.” He smiled. “I’m actually glad to see you. It’s going to save me a good deal of time and trouble.”

Eve took aim with her gun. “Let her go. Right now.”

He shifted in place, moving Cara back and forth in front of him. “Go ahead. Maybe you’ll kill us both.”

“And maybe I won’t have to do it,” Eve tilted her head. “Listen.”

Walsh was listening. It was raining harder outside the cave, but there were new sounds accompanying the thunder and crashing waves. Son of a bitch. There was a powerboat in the distance. And a helicopter.

Fury tore through him. “What have you done, you bitch?”

Eve kept the gun leveled at him. “You’re not getting out of here. Where’s that knife you used before, Walsh? Throw it out.”

“I got bored using that knife today.” He smiled savagely. “I wanted my hands on this one.”

“If you even look like you’re going to hurt her, I will shoot you.”

Laughter, again.

He went still. “No.”

Eve turned around.

“You hear it, too!” he shouted. “You can hear it?”

“Of course I can hear it. She has a lovely laugh, doesn’t she? I haven’t heard her laugh very much.”

Jenny stepped from the shadows behind Eve. Still laughing, still bleeding from the eyes, nose, and mouth. Her clothes were dirty and rotting, as if buried for years.

Still holding Cara, Walsh hurriedly stepped back. “You can see that … creature?”

Eve turned back. “I see a beautiful young girl. Hello, Jenny.”

“She’s hideous. Rotting … Bleeding from her eyes.”

“I don’t see any of that. Jenny?”

Jenny moved past Eve and continued her slow walk toward Walsh. “He sees what he made me. Or what he thinks he made me. We know better, don’t we, Eve?”

“Yes, Jenny,” Eve said gently. “We do.”

His grip tightened on Cara as he backed toward the edge of the ledge. “Stay away from me. Whatever you are.”

“Why? Are you going to hurt me?” Jenny asked. “You fool, you can’t hurt me now.”

“No, but I can hurt her.”

“No.” Jenny’s face suddenly twisted in anger, her green eyes blazing. “Never again.”

Jenny sprang forward and flew toward his face with teeth bared!

CHAPTER

15

“No!” Eve lowered her gun and leaped toward the edge, where Walsh had stumbled back away from Jenny, with Cara still in his arms.

She was too late. She barely stopped herself from going over, sliding on the damp ledge. She struck her head on the rock wall.

Stars. And blood.

Stay awake. Don’t pass out.

Eve finally crawled to the edge, afraid of what she would see below on the cave floor. She froze.

Walsh was splayed on the rocks below, impaled by two of the stalagmites. He was looking up at her, struggling to free himself. Blood was bubbling from his wounds. “You.” Rage and anger and terrible pain were all reflected in his face. “You did this to me.”

“I wish it had been me.” She shook her head. “But I only helped. It was Jenny.”

“No!” He writhed in pain for a long moment. Then he fell back, dead. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.

But Cara, where was Cara …

Eve was praying that the child hadn’t taken that same terrible fall as Walsh.

“Help … me.”

She looked down, and her heart plunged. Cara was seven or eight feet below her, holding on for dear life. She had one foot wedged in the rock wall, but Eve could see that it was slipping even as she watched.

And Cara was dangling over the same sharp rocks that had impaled Walsh.

“Cara, hang on!”

“I’m trying,” Cara yelled. “But I’m slipping. I’m going to fall!”

“No you’re not.” Eve threw her legs over the ledge, still trying to fight that dizziness. “I’m coming down to you. Hang on just another few seconds.”

“No!” It was Joe’s voice.

Eve looked at the cave’s opening. Joe waded quickly through the water, which was now thigh deep.

Joe. What was he doing here? She was torn between joy and sheer terror.

Joe ran underneath Cara and called up to her. “I’m going to catch you.”

“I’m afraid.”

“It’ll be okay. I need you to let go.”

Okay? Eve’s hands dug into the rocks of the ledge. If Joe caught Cara from that height, he could tear those stitches and bleed to death. If he didn’t, Cara might fall on those rocks and die. Either way, there was a terrible risk.

Cara was looking down at the dead man just feet from Joe.

“Don’t look at him,” Joe said. “Just look at me. I’m going to catch you. Okay? You can trust me.”

She nodded, gazing into Joe’s eyes as he smiled up at her. “Okay.”

Who wouldn’t trust Joe, Eve thought painfully. Who wouldn’t trust a man who might be giving his life for you? But Cara didn’t know that, she only saw the strength and the warmth and the safety.

“I won’t let anything bad happen to you, Cara. That’s all over. I’m going to count to three, then I’ll need you to let go. Understand?”

Again she nodded.

“Ready? One … two … three!”

She let go, and Joe leaped to meet her. He twisted his body, cradling her in his arms as they both plummeted into the water. Seconds later, they broke the surface.

Joe whispered something to Cara, and the little girl nodded. Joe looked up at Eve with a weary smile.

“Are you both all right?” Eve shouted. “Joe, tell me!”

He gave her a thumbs-up.

And the next moment, Eve collapsed, as the darkness overcame her.

*   *   *

Swirling darkness.

Pain.

Jenny.

Jenny standing there in the darkness, her eyes shining and filled with triumph.

“Cara…” Eve said or perhaps only thought. “Safe?”

“Yes.” Jenny smiled. “We did it, Eve. You and me and your Joe. Walsh can’t hurt her any longer. He can’t hurt anyone ever again.”

“Good…” Profound relief soared through her. “It was so close … I was terrified when Walsh took Cara with him off that ledge.”

“Not that close. I knew I could keep Cara from falling for a little while. And I knew Joe was almost here.”

“You seem to have taken huge strides since I saw you last. Walsh certainly … seemed to think so.”

“I had to do it. I had to keep Walsh from hurting Cara until someone could help her.” She smiled. “You said I had to reach down into myself for strength. Instead, I reached out to you.”

“I think we reached out to each other.”

“I guess that’s true.” She took a step closer to Eve. “I was right, I was sent to you for a reason, and it wasn’t only to save Cara. But that was the big thing, and we did it. I had to stay to say thank you.”

“That sounds like good-bye.”

“Sort of. Not really. It’s kind of confusing.”

“My entire relationship with you has been kind of confusing.” She felt a wrenching sadness. “I thought you’d be able to cross over once this was done. Is that what’s happening?”