And then she saw it.
The emerald eyes looking down.
The pool of blood spreading on the floor until it touched the child's shoe.
Scream after scream tore from Melissa's throat.
She didn't know how she got across the room, but she was falling to her knees. Stop the blood. She had to stop the blood gushing from Jessica's chest.
"Mellie?" Jessica was looking up at her. "Help…Cassie."
"Cassie's fine." She was pressing her hands on the wound. "You'll be fine too."
"She was almost…back. I know it. I-did it, didn't I?"
"Of course you did." Oh, God. So much blood. "Now stop talking."
"He's beautiful…" Jessica was looking up at the Wind Dancer. "I can see why Cassie…" A thin trail of blood trickled out of one corner of Jessica's mouth." Beautiful…"
She slumped sideways.
"No!"
Chapter Sixteen
"No use, Deschamps's gone," Galen told Travis outside the museum. "And we'd better get out of here too. Those sirens sound close. It's probably what scared the bastard off."
"Son of a bitch." Travis's hands closed into fists. "He knew this place like the back of his hand. He knew exactly where he was going when he jumped down from that catwalk. How did he get past those guards?"
"That's what I want to know" Galen said grimly. "I'll go find out while you check on Cassie and Jessica. Two minutes and we're out of here."
Travis ran back into the museum and skidded to a stop when he reached the artifacts room. "Oh, shit."
"She won't wake up." Melissa lifted her head, her mouth smeared with Jessica's blood." I can't make her breathe." She covered Jessica's mouth with hers again.
"Melissa." He knelt down and put his fingers on Jessica's throat. "It's no use. She's gone."
"Don't you say that." She frantically blew into Jessica's mouth. "I won't let her be dead."
He checked Cassie. No wounds. The child hadn't been hit. He hadn't been aware that either of them had been shot when he'd run after Deschamps. He'd glanced at Jessica, but she'd been sitting upright in the chair with the child in her arms.
The sirens were louder. "Melissa, we have to get out of here."
She ignored him.
"Out." Galen was beside them, swiftly picking up Cassie. He glanc ed at Jessica. "Dead?"
"Yes."
"No," Melissa said at the same time.
Galen nodded. "Dead. I've locked the doors and I'm taking Cassie out through the basement." He carried Cassie toward the steps. "If we don't get moving, we're all going to end up in jail. Both guards are dead, and so is Guilliame. My man Cardeau was killed too. I found him behind some boxes in the basement. You either get Melissa away from here or leave her."
"She'll come." Travis pulled Melissa away from her sister. "Let's go, Melissa. You can't help her."
"I can help her. I can stop this."
"Melissa, you're lying to yourself. Jessica's dead and you'll be dead too or in prison if you don't come with me. Then we'll never be able to punish the man who did this to her. Do you think it's right to let that happen?"
She stared blindly at him.
"Travis!" Galen called out.
"We're coming."
Melissa whispered, "Dead?"
Travis nodded. He pulled her to her feet. "Come on, Cassie will need you."
"She said 'Help Cassie.' "
"That's right." He pushed her toward the stairs. "But you can't do that unless we get out of here."
"Dead." She suddenly stopped and looked back at Jessica. "Oh, God, it's real." She shuddered. "I wanted it to be another dream." There was a world of pain in her voice.
"Come on, Melissa."
Her gaze slowly moved to the statue. "Bring him."
"What?"
"Bring him."
"No."
"I'm not going without him. Pick him up and bring him."
The sirens were coming from right outside. He knew there was not much time left. "You're not thinking straight. Just come with me, Melissa."
She shook him off and moved toward the Wind Dancer.
"Jesus." He ran across the room, snatched the statue, grabbed her arm, and pulled her after him.
"Hurry, dammit. They'll be knocking down the door any minute."
"Is she doing okay?" Galen glanced at Melissa's reflection in the rearview mirror as the car pulled onto A6. "She looks like a sleepwalker."
"She is a sleepwalker. With the amount of sedative Jessica fed her, she should be out like a light. She should never have been able to leave the apartment. I don't know what's keeping her going."
"Yes, you do."
"Maybe I do," he said wearily. He took his handkerchief and dabbed at the blood on Melissa's lips. "The body can be made to do amazing things when the will is strong enough."
"Why the hell did you take the Wind Dancer? Did you think we weren't in enough trouble?"
"She wouldn't leave without it." He shrugged. "And what's one more-"
"Straw on the camel's back?" Galen finished. "The French police are going to regard this theft as an insult to their pride. They promised Andreas absolute security for the statue. We could get them off our ass if we find a way of returning it."
"No," Melissa said.
Both men looked at her. It was the first word she'd uttered since they left the museum. "We have to keep it."
"We'll talk about it later," Travis said. "You may not be thinking clearly right now."
"We have to keep it."
"It's dangerous. You saw how the police swooped down on that museum. How did they know we were there? There must have been a leak."
"I called Andreas," Melissa said.
Galen began to swear. "I knew it. I knew she'd do it."
"Be quiet, Galen. It's just as well she did call him. Deschamps was positioned on that catwalk to take us all out. Those sirens scared him off."
"Not in time," Melissa whispered.
"No, not in time for Jessica" Travis said gently. "But it may have saved the rest of us."
"I don't care about the rest of you."
"Not even Cassie?"
She closed her eyes. "Help…Cassie."
"She's okay. No different than she was before."
"Help…Cassie."
"We'll help her, Melissa." Travis pulled her head onto his shoulder. "Now try to rest. I'll wake you when we get to the cottage."
"Help Cas…"
She was asleep.
The shuttered window framed a lavender and scarlet sunset sky.
Beautiful…
"Take some water." Travis held a glass to Melissa's lips. "You've been out for a long time. You must be thirsty."
She was thirsty. Her mouth felt as dry as cotton. She drank half the glass. "Out? What do you-"
Jessica.
Pain stabbed through her. White hot. "Dear God."
He caught the glass as it fell from her hand, and drew her into his arms. "I know. I know. I'm sorry, Melissa." His voice was muffled as he rocked her back and forth. "Christ, I'm so sorry."
"Being sorry doesn't do any good. She's dead." She buried her face in his shoulder." I couldn't help her. I couldn't stop it."
"No one could help her. Even if we'd gotten her to the emergency room within minutes, the wound would still have been fatal."
"I couldn't stop it. I should have been smarter. I should have realized she'd try to stop me from going along."
"She surprised me too. And if you'd come along, you might have been shot as well."
"No, I'd have found a way to protect her. I knew it was coming. I'd have stopped it."
She felt him stiffen against her. "What?"
"Let me go." She pushed him away and swung her feet to the floor. "I have to get out of here."