“The crossroads. I already found it.”
For the first time, Leigh was obviously surprised. “The crossroads?”
A bit impatiently, Sarah said, “That place we all pass through, the—the junction of past, present, and future.”
“You tapped into that?”
“Yes. Tucker needed to know something and…and I just reached out to find it for him.” For the first time, she realized that each time she had found a new use for her abilities, it was because Tucker had asked it of her or needed it of her.
“And you found it? Something…from the past?”
Sarah nodded. “Someone he knew a long time ago. I had to find out what had happened to her.”
Brodie turned his frowning gaze to Leigh. “That doesn’t sound like what I’d expect from a precognitive psychic.”
“No,” Leigh said slowly, still staring at Sarah. “It isn’t. Sarah, can you tap into that place at will?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really know how I found it the first time. It was…for Tucker.”
“You’re in love with Tucker.”
It wasn’t a question, but Sarah found herself nodding even as she felt the shock of awareness. Yes. I’m in love with him.
“You two are lovers?”
Cait, a bit uncomfortably, murmured, “Surely that isn’t important?”
Leigh didn’t even look at her. “It’s vital. Sarah?”
Again, she nodded. “But just…one night. Last night. Before they got to him.”
“I wonder if that was by accident or design,” Leigh murmured.
Brodie was still looking at her. “Why’s it important?”
“It’s important because unless I miss my guess, there’s now an unbreakable link between Sarah and Tucker. Sarah, can you sense him right now?”
“Yes. Just faintly, on the edge of my awareness. He’s sleeping now, or unconscious. He woke up once, briefly. It was cold and dark, and somebody was watching him.” She shivered, remembering.
“Could you sense him like this before last night?”
“No. Though I did…hear…him thinking about me last night before we…before we became lovers.”
After a moment, Leigh looked at Brodie. “We don’t have a choice. If we want to save Sarah, we have to save Tucker as well.”
“Why?” He glanced at Sarah. “I don’t mean to sound cruel, but my job is to protect you—not Mackenzie.”
“He’s single-minded,” Cait murmured.
“I didn’t ask you to protect me,” Sarah reminded him. “If it comes to that, you haven’t been—Tucker has. So he’s been doing your job.”
“He’s been dragging your ass all over the country is what he’s been doing, bouncing around like a tennis ball. He should have sat tight in Richmond and made so much noise the other side wouldn’t have dared to move against you.”
“We didn’t know who we could trust,” Sarah snapped, not bothering to explain that their ultimate destination had been decided by her own budding but then inexplicable instincts. “And hindsight is twenty-twenty.”
“You two stop arguing.” Leigh’s voice was mild. “Brodie, we have to go after Tucker. If Sarah doesn’t take the bait and come after him, they’ll kill him, right?”
Brodie nodded. “Not much doubt about that. They don’t leave anybody alive who could testify to illegal acts such as kidnapping.”
Leigh glanced at Sarah, then looked back at Brodie. “If they kill him, they’ll sever the tie between him and Sarah. From what Sarah’s been telling us, I believe that the tie is deeper than you can imagine and now is absolutely vital to her existence.”
Brodie stared at her. “He dies…she dies. That’s what you’re saying.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
It should have shocked Sarah, but instead she felt only a faintly unsettled but unquestioning certainty that Leigh was right. She had never thought much about the term soul mates, but she knew now that that was what she and Tucker were. They were connected, mated at the soul, and neither of them would be able to survive now without the other.
Whatever else destiny intended for them, it was clear they were meant to be together.
Somewhat grimly, Brodie said, “I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff since getting involved in this, but I’ve never seen two people bound together because of a psychic link. Not to the death.”
“If they kill Tucker,” Leigh said quietly, “there’ll be evidence enough to convince even you.”
After a moment, he leaned back in his chair and, morosely, said, “Shit.”
“There is a plus side to this,” Leigh told him.
“Oh, yeah? I’d love to hear it.”
“Sarah will have his strength as well as her own to draw on.”
Sarah frowned. “That makes me sound…like a parasite.”
Leigh shook her head. “Hardly that. The connection between you and Tucker runs both ways; eventually, he’ll be able to tap into your abilities as easily as you do.”
“A remote-controlled psychic,” Brodie muttered.