Foss said sharply, "Kyle, she's probably unconscious."
"I can sense her when she's asleep," Kyle shook his head. "There's nothing there," He repeated miserably.
"She was probably given a very strong sedative," Foss told him. "She could be in a very deep sleep. A deeper sleep state than you've encountered before." He continued firmly, "You can't give up. You have to hold on to hope. You have to keep trying."
Kyle took a couple of deep breaths and agreed, "All right." He closed his eyes and leaned back again.
Ian Grimes was driving the red Corvette down Interstate 90. He kept an eye on the speedometer which was just at the speed limit. He checked the rear view mirror once more and then took one of the 'burner' phones out of his pocket and pushed the programmed number. He punched the 'speakerphone' button and put the phone on the dashboard so he could talk while he drove – WashingtonState prohibits hand held cell phone use while driving. This would not be the time to get pulled over for talking on a cell phone.
After two rings a voice said, "Yes?"
Grimes said, "Keels, I've got her."
"Is she dead?" Keels asked
"I hit her with a big enough trank dose to put down an elephant. Her pulse and respiration were really weak when I put her in the trunk of her car. She's probably gone by now."
"You should have made sure she was dead," Keels said.
"I didn't want to spend very long at the pickup site, or make a mess," Grimes said. "Don't worry. She isn't going to wake up. I'll be at the spot I've picked to put the body in a few minutes. If she's still breathing then, I'll finish it. It's an out of the way forested area. The grave will never be found."
"What about her car?" Keels asked.
"I'll stay in the woods until nightfall," Grimes told him. "After that I'm taking the car down to Portland to a place I know. They'll change all the identification and have it on a transport on its way overseas within twenty four hours."
"Wouldn't it be safer to destroy it?" Keels asked.
"Cars are hard to destroy without leaving traces, this way it will simply disappear. It's what they do every day," Grimes assured him. "I'm going to get ten grand for it. I had to ask for payment or it would look suspicious. Do you want to take it off my bill?"
"No, consider it a bonus," Keels said. "Just be careful, she's very dangerous."
"Not any more," Grimes said. "She's just a body to dispose of now."
"All right," Keels said, "Call after you've disposed of the car."
Grimes picked up the phone and pushed 'end call'. Then he rolled down the window and threw it firmly into the passing pavement where it shattered into hundreds of pieces scattered across the highway behind the red Corvette.
Once again, I closed my mind to the distractions around me and concentrated on finding the 'hum' that was my connection to Jessi. I had been focusing my attention ahead since that's where we thought she was, but I couldn't be certain. I widened the search, imagining my consciousness covering an ever widening circle around Declan's car. I put my energy into expanding that circle wider and wider, looking for the slightest hint of Jessi's presence. I could feel the effort draining me, but I pushed everything I had into it. I had to find Jessi, no matter what it cost me.
Foss looked across at Kyle. He was laying back, motionless, his face pale and sweat appearing on his forehead. Foss met Declan's eyes in the rear view mirror and shook his head, grimly.
"He's pouring his energy out," Foss said. "He can't take much more of this. We're going to have to stop him soon."
"What about Jessi?" Declan asked.
Foss shrugged hopelessly, his expression hard and grim.
Foss's words penetrated into my consciousness as if from far away. I could not give up on Jessi. I needed more power. The connection between us could be strengthened by emotion. I remembered the smile on Jessi's face, how her lips felt when we kissed and the comforting energy of having her lean on my shoulder. I remembered the tingling of my skin as it touched hers in the tub. I remembered the sight of her in the pale moonlight. All those memories and feelings boosted the strength of my search. Even with all that power, I almost missed it – a very faint 'hum' in front of us. I refocused the energy from the circle and aimed it all in the direction of that 'hum', sending the simple call, "Jessi".
"Jessi," Kyle whispered as he lay, motionless, in the seat.
Foss looked at Kyle. He was very pale and sweaty, as if in a fever. Foss's grip on the steering wheel tightened, the tips of his fingers whitening, his expression was grim.
Very faintly, the answer to my call came back, "Kyle?" An enormous feeling of relief flooded through me restoring some of my strength. We were connected again, but very weakly.
I sent the message, "Jessi, my love, I found you."
The response came, slowly, with a sense of wonder and joy, "Kyle … Am I your love?"
"Of course you are, stay with me," was my response.
Her response was, "Always". Holding onto that connection as firmly as I could, I diverted a small amount of my attention to relay the news to Foss.
"I found her," Kyle whispered, his eyes still closed.
Foss looked over at him, "Can you tell the direction?"
In response, Kyle slowly raised his hand, as with an effort, and pointed ahead down the road.
Foss told him, "Keep pointing toward her. I am going to use you as a compass."
Kyle didn't give any response but his finger continued to point ahead on I 90.
Foss breathed a sigh of relief and his grip on the wheel loosened. At the same time his foot pressed slightly farther on the pedal and the SUV accelerated. His eyes glistened.
Sending messages required concentration and I had drained myself looking for her. I could tell she had very little to spare, herself. I sent one more message, "We are coming, just hold on to me." I concentrated my effort on keeping the connection open. I felt it strengthening, either through our joint efforts, Jessi gaining strength, or the distance between us narrowing. I had the connection back. I was not going to lose it again.
Grimes saw his exit coming up and slowed the Corvette, exiting the Interstate on route 18 south. He headed away from the interstate, into forested areas.
From the back seat, Declan spoke quietly, trying not to distract Kyle, "How are we going to be able to catch him?"
Foss responded, "In a stolen car, with Jessi in his trunk, he's going to be very careful about the speed limit. I'm pushing it as much as I dare. We should be able to gain on him. As long as Kyle can keep track of her we should eventually catch him."
As he drove, Foss kept an eye on Kyle. His color was looking slightly better. He noticed Kyle's finger start to move toward the right, away from the freeway.
"I think he may have exited," Foss warned. "Look for an exit."
I could hear what was being said but faintly. I concentrated on maintaining my connection to Jessi. Sending her all the strength and love I could gather. I kept my finger pointed in the direction I sensed her. I knew Foss was counting on it. And Jessi was counting on me.
As Kyle's finger pointed more to the right of the car, Foss saw the sign for the exit for route 18. "It looks like it might be route 18," he said. The sideways motion of Kyle's finger increased and Foss decided, "That's the one, I'm getting off. " He exited the Interstate on highway 18 and Kyle's finger shifted to point toward the front of the vehicle once more.
"He's probably going to take one of these side roads into the woods," Foss commented. He handed the laptop back to Declan, "Call up a map, we may need to navigate."
Grimes slowed the Corvette and turned off of route 18 onto a small access road. It immediately split. He took the path to the right, took a tight hair pin turn, and headed up the hill. He went about a mile up the access road and then pulled off to the right, parking the Corvette behind some brush he had found. As he got out, he looked back at the road and nodded with satisfaction. He opened the trunk and got the wrapped body out. He threw it over his shoulder and carried it into the woods.
In Declan's car, Foss split his attention between the road and watching Kyle's finger as it started to diverge from the road he said, "I think he's turned off."
Declan said from the back of the seat. "There's a turnoff just ahead. It splits into two paths."
"Terrific," Foss said sarcastically. "I hope they get good separation. Kyle's finger isn't a precise navigation tool."
"They separate fairly well," Declan told him. "The right one goes right for a short distance and then has a hair pin turn and heads away from 18 on a mostly straight path bearing back to the left. The left one continues sharply toward the left.
"Here it is," Foss said. He turned the SUV onto the side road and watched Kyle's finger point slightly left of straight ahead. "The right one it is."
Declan said, "There are no turn offs for quite a while."
"This is probably it, then," Foss told him. "Get ready."
Declan pulled his gun case from under the driver's seat. He opened it and loaded a clip into the Glock and put it in his right pocket. He put two more in his left.
Kyle's finger suddenly pointed to the right and Foss immediately pulled off the road onto what was little more than a trail. After a hundred feet they came past some brush and saw a red Corvette.
"Here it is," Foss said. He stopped the car and commanded, "Let's go." He got out, taking his gun from his pocket. Declan did as well. Kyle opened his eyes and got out, his legs were shaky. Foss looked at the empty car and shouted, "Kyle, which way."
Kyle closed his eyes once more and pointed toward a trail to the right. Foss started running down the trail with Declan closely following. Kyle stumbled along behind.
