Read Online Final Target by Iris Johansen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Iris Johansen
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breath.
Minutes passed. Finally she closed her eyes.
Thank you, God. Jessica stepped forward and took Cassie's pulse. It was steadying.
"Is she okay?"Travis asked.
"For now. She's in a deep sleep."
"Will she have another nightmare?"
"Not likely. She's never had two in one night." She turned to Teresa. "Please keep an eye on her."
"I will." Teresa stared at Travis. "I'd keep him around."
Jessica nodded tiredly. "I'll be back soon." Mellie. She had to check on Mellie. She left the room, hurried down the hall to the blue room.
"Mellie?"
No answer.
She crossed to the bed. Melissa also appeared to be in a deep sleep. She took her pulse. Almost normal.
Melissa's lids slowly opened. "Bad…time. You almost…lost us."
"How do you feel?"
"Like we've been hit…by a truck." She was looking over Jessica's shoulder. "Thank…you."
Jessica turned her head to see Michael Travis standing a few feet away.
"For what?" he said.
"Later…sleepy…" Her lids fluttered closed again. "Thank…"
"Good idea. Go to sleep." Jessica pulled the sheet up around her sister's shoulders. "I'll check on you in a few hours."
"Don't…have…to. We're…fine."
"I'll do it anyway." Jessica motioned for Travis to follow her. "Good night, Mellie."
Melissa didn't answer. She was asleep.
In the hallway Jessica turned to Travis. "Why did you follow me?"
"What else was I to do? Evidently, you had no more use for me with the little girl, and that Secret Service man was staring a hole in me."
"You had no right to barge into my sister's bedroom."
He shrugged. "You left the door open, and when I saw you were taking her pulse, I thought you might need me."
"I didn't need you. Mellie…was just…tired."
"Oh?"
"Thank you, everything's fine now. You can go."
He shook his head. "I'm wet to the skin and I'm not going out in that storm until I dry off and have a cup of hot coffee." He started down the staircase. "If you'll point me to the kitchen? You needn't come with me. I'm used to fending for myself."
She could see that he was. His manner was as casual as if this were his home. But that he was also very wet was true. She'd been so upset, she'd not even noticed. "I'm sorry." She hurried down the stairs. "Are you cold? I guess I should have let you get an umbrella at the gatehouse, but my mind was on other things."
"I don't think you even realized it was raining." He followed her into the kitchen. "And you're as wet as I am. Or didn't you realize that either?"
She hadn't. "I'll get us a couple of towels after I put on the coffee."
"I'll get them. Tell me where they are."
"The armoire in the powder room down the hall to the left."
"Right."
Jessica had put the coffee on and set cups on the table by the time he came back.
"Nice house." He tossed her a big white towel and started drying his hair with the one in his hand. "It's not often you see antique armoires in a powder room. It must be like living in another age."
"Sometimes." She wiped her face and neck before dabbing at her hair. "Particularly when the electricity goes out." She tossed the towel aside. "Do you take cream or sugar?"
Travis shook his head. "Does the power go out often?"
"No, my parents had the place rewired when I was a kid, but it still has its quirky moments." She poured the coffee. "The President said you lived in Europe, so you must be familiar with ancient houses."
"Only in the slums." He sat down and cradled his cup in his hands. "The houses I grew up in usually fell down before they had a chance of becoming historic landmarks. When I became an adult, I usually preferred modern houses with all the conveniences because I was moving fast and hard." His eyes twinkled. "And I didn't have time to fix quirky electricity."
"Who does? It's a choice you make." She sat down across from him. "I want to thank you for helping me with Cassie. I know I must have seemed like a crazy woman when I came pounding on your door."
"It was definitely unexpected."
"But you came with
Minutes passed. Finally she closed her eyes.
Thank you, God. Jessica stepped forward and took Cassie's pulse. It was steadying.
"Is she okay?"Travis asked.
"For now. She's in a deep sleep."
"Will she have another nightmare?"
"Not likely. She's never had two in one night." She turned to Teresa. "Please keep an eye on her."
"I will." Teresa stared at Travis. "I'd keep him around."
Jessica nodded tiredly. "I'll be back soon." Mellie. She had to check on Mellie. She left the room, hurried down the hall to the blue room.
"Mellie?"
No answer.
She crossed to the bed. Melissa also appeared to be in a deep sleep. She took her pulse. Almost normal.
Melissa's lids slowly opened. "Bad…time. You almost…lost us."
"How do you feel?"
"Like we've been hit…by a truck." She was looking over Jessica's shoulder. "Thank…you."
Jessica turned her head to see Michael Travis standing a few feet away.
"For what?" he said.
"Later…sleepy…" Her lids fluttered closed again. "Thank…"
"Good idea. Go to sleep." Jessica pulled the sheet up around her sister's shoulders. "I'll check on you in a few hours."
"Don't…have…to. We're…fine."
"I'll do it anyway." Jessica motioned for Travis to follow her. "Good night, Mellie."
Melissa didn't answer. She was asleep.
In the hallway Jessica turned to Travis. "Why did you follow me?"
"What else was I to do? Evidently, you had no more use for me with the little girl, and that Secret Service man was staring a hole in me."
"You had no right to barge into my sister's bedroom."
He shrugged. "You left the door open, and when I saw you were taking her pulse, I thought you might need me."
"I didn't need you. Mellie…was just…tired."
"Oh?"
"Thank you, everything's fine now. You can go."
He shook his head. "I'm wet to the skin and I'm not going out in that storm until I dry off and have a cup of hot coffee." He started down the staircase. "If you'll point me to the kitchen? You needn't come with me. I'm used to fending for myself."
She could see that he was. His manner was as casual as if this were his home. But that he was also very wet was true. She'd been so upset, she'd not even noticed. "I'm sorry." She hurried down the stairs. "Are you cold? I guess I should have let you get an umbrella at the gatehouse, but my mind was on other things."
"I don't think you even realized it was raining." He followed her into the kitchen. "And you're as wet as I am. Or didn't you realize that either?"
She hadn't. "I'll get us a couple of towels after I put on the coffee."
"I'll get them. Tell me where they are."
"The armoire in the powder room down the hall to the left."
"Right."
Jessica had put the coffee on and set cups on the table by the time he came back.
"Nice house." He tossed her a big white towel and started drying his hair with the one in his hand. "It's not often you see antique armoires in a powder room. It must be like living in another age."
"Sometimes." She wiped her face and neck before dabbing at her hair. "Particularly when the electricity goes out." She tossed the towel aside. "Do you take cream or sugar?"
Travis shook his head. "Does the power go out often?"
"No, my parents had the place rewired when I was a kid, but it still has its quirky moments." She poured the coffee. "The President said you lived in Europe, so you must be familiar with ancient houses."
"Only in the slums." He sat down and cradled his cup in his hands. "The houses I grew up in usually fell down before they had a chance of becoming historic landmarks. When I became an adult, I usually preferred modern houses with all the conveniences because I was moving fast and hard." His eyes twinkled. "And I didn't have time to fix quirky electricity."
"Who does? It's a choice you make." She sat down across from him. "I want to thank you for helping me with Cassie. I know I must have seemed like a crazy woman when I came pounding on your door."
"It was definitely unexpected."
"But you came with
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