Chapter 5

"Is this you, Phyllis Wick? Amy answered the invisible summons.

"Yes. You called on me for help. I am willing to grant it. She will be with you shortly."

"Does she know what is required of her?'

"Not yet, but she will comply. She has been learning the way of obedience, and knows that this is a big test for her, to obey you in all things."

"Instruct her thoroughly, I do not want her to act in ignorance."

"I will do so. I will send Hallie to you as soon as I am done."

Verhoff strode into the room, grinning at Barnabas.

Barnabas saw the grin and shivered. It was not Verhoff's smile, it was Burke's.

He was now in the power of Burke Devlin.

"You know the truth, Barnabas, don't you?"

Barnabas did not answer.

"Yes, you do know it. And you will say nothing to anyone of this, or I shall take revenge on those you care for. You will not betray by word or sign that I am not Verhoff, or Urien will die painfully. And George, or George's daughter. There is no one who will be safe from me if you betray the truth to anyone."

Barnabas stared at him.

"You understand, Collins?" Burke grabbed his hair and yanked it. "Is that understood? Say that you will obey me or I'll"

Barnabas swallowed. "It is understood."

"Good" Burke released him.

"Is there anything of Verhoff left?' he asked.

"I shall ask the questions, Collins."

"I am worried about Uncle Roger" Carolyn said to Megan. "He said something about looking for Edmund. He has a way of getting into trouble..."

"I understand. You do not want him stepping into the I Ch'ing maze nor anything." Megan sighed. There was a game being played and she was out of it. As she had been out of the rescue of Amy and David... Things were happening in Collinsport over which she had no control.

It scared her.

But if she could keep Roger out of trouble, she would feel less helpless...

She hoped that Amy knew what she was doing...

Barnabas was alone again. Burke was among them, undetected, and ready to extract from him what he knew of Amy's plans and how to get hold of Elsa again.

And he could not hold out for long against him. He hoped that Amy could know what was happening, that she was ready to counterattack.

Yet Burke might force the truth out of him. He could. He had already forced screams of pain and terror out of him... the pain that he had felt at his hands... his body did not respond to the commands of his brain, but it could still hurt... In Burke's hand it could feel again, and feel pain and nothing else...

How long could he hold out?

He could only hope that he had incomplete or outdated knowledge, that Amy kept the most important information to herself...

Did Amy know that Verhoff was no longer Verhoff?

Or maybe Amy did not care, maybe she had decided that he was expendable...

"Tsk...Tsk.."

"Dave..."

"There is doubt in you now, isn't it?" Dave said to him gently.

"What is happening? Does Amy know? Has she abandoned me?"

"She has not abandoned you. She does care. But this must happen. You must seem to be abandoned. You must seem to be in despair, so that Burke will believe what he forces out of you."

"She expected this, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"She told me to be bait, but not what it would mean..."

"Yes." Dave agreed. " As you yourself said, she is not human anymore, so do not judge her by human standards... though humans have made the same calculations as she did... it is shocking because you knew her as a little girl, but she does what she must."

Barnabas did not answer. He was thinking of Burke had done to him, and what more he could do."

"You will not be asked more than what you can bear. No more than you have borne already. What you did for Maggie and Joe, you must now do for Collinsport, and countless others."

"Others?"

"Burke, having grown in power will not content himself with the puny revenge he can extract from Collinsport. You have known Vassily Petofi's rule. Burke is not so different from Vassily. How could have I blinded myself, and for so long... How could I have given him the weapons to achieve his desire, and deceived myself that his desires were just and worthy of support... I unleashed him, the same as Willie unleashed you, only what I unleashed is beyond redemption. Lust must have blinded me. I never took him to bed, but I should have. I might have been able to see through him..."

"We all make mistakes at one time or another."

"Yes. We all do. But this one... For this one mistake much evil came forth, and much more will come." he looked at Barnabas and for the first time Barnabas saw vulnerability there. "I depend on you to undo what I have done. Without your help I am powerless."

"My help..."

Dave smiled sadly. "So it has come out at last, the truth of what lies between you and me. There is an unpaid account between us, but it is I who owe you. I can't demand what I need by working on your guilt. You must give me your help freely. Will you help me, knowing what price you may pay?"

"Dave..." Barnabas thought of Burke again, of what would happen the following night. And what would happen if he denied his help. He thought of the man facing him, how little he had known him, and how much he had learned from him. He thought of the debt between them, not the one that had once seared him with guilt, but of others, little gifts to which he had no right to, and which had enriched him. And he thought of the greatest gift of all.

"I have a choice don't I?"

"Yes, You do."

"You said the same thing to me once. I did not believe it then. Yet I did not forget it either. I had choices... I always had choices... you have given me many gifts, but telling me that was the greatest gift of all. Dave, you are my friend. I wanted more than anything to call you that. As your friend, please let me help you."

"Thank you." Dave's humility shook Barnabas. He had never seen him this way before. "I can take the pain away for now. When Burke returns, you will not remember of what we said. You will be prey to pain, doubt and despair when he faces you. Only when he is done, I will come again, and restore you and let you remember the truth." he laid a hand on Barnabas' forehead. "I can do no more for you."

"It is enough."

"It may not seem so when Burke returns. But remember that when you break, Burke must believe that you are broken."