The Sky Is Falling

chapter Twenty-Four
DANA'S CELL PHONE RANG.

"Jeff!"

"Hello, darling." And the sound of his voice was a blanket wrapped around her, warming her.

"Oh, Jeff!" She found that she was trembling.

"How are you?"

How am I? I'm running for my life. But she could not tell him that. There was no way he could help her, not now. It was too late. "I'm - I'm fine, darling."

"Where are you now, world traveler?"

"I'm in Chicago. I'll be back in Washington tomorrow."When are you going to be with me? "How - how is Rachel?"

"She seems to be doing okay."

"I miss you."

Rachel's bedroom door opened, and she stepped into the living room. She started to call Jeff's name and stopped when she saw that he was on the phone.

"I miss you more than you can ever imagine," Jeff said.

"Oh, I love you so much." A man nearby seemed to be staring at her. Dana's heart began pounding. "Darling, if - if anything happens to me...always remember that I - "

Jeff was instantly alarmed. "What do you mean if anything happens to you?"

"Nothing. I - I can't go into it now, but - I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Dana, you can't let anything happen to you! I need you. I love you more than anyone I've ever loved in my life. I couldn't bear to lose you."

Rachel listened a moment longer, then quietly went back into her bedroom and closed the door.

Dana and Jeff spoke for ten minutes more. When Dana finally hung up, she felt better. I'm glad I had a chance to say good-bye. She looked up and saw the man still staring at her. There's no way one of Jack Stone's men could have arrived so quickly. I need to get out of here. She felt a rising panic.

Dana's next-door neighbor knocked on Dana's door. Mrs. Daley opened it.

"Hello."

"Keep Kemal home. We're going to need him."

"I'll take care of it." Mrs. Daley closed the door and called to Kemal. "Your oatmeal is almost ready, darling."

Mrs. Daley went into the kitchen, took the oatmeal off the stove, and opened a bottom cabinet drawer filled with packets of drugs labeledBuSpar. Dozens of empty packets were at the bottom of the drawer. Mrs. Daley opened two new packets, hesitated, then added a third. She mixed the powder in with the oatmeal, poured sugar on top, and carried the cereal into the dining room. Kemal came in from the study.

"Here you are, love. Nice, hot oatmeal."

"I'm not very hungry."

"You must eat, Kemal." Her voice was sharp in the way that frightened him. "We don't want Miss Dana to be disappointed in us, do we?"

"No."

"Good. I'll bet you can finish every bit of that for Miss Dana."

Kemal sat down and began to eat.

He should sleep for about six hours, Mrs. Daley calculated. Then I'll see what they want me to do with him.

Dana raced through the airport until she passed a large dress shop.

I need to hide my identity. She went inside and looked around. Everything seemed normal. Customers were busily buying merchandise and clerks were taking care of them. And then Dana looked out the shop door and she could feel her flesh crawl. Two menacing-looking men were standing there at each side of the entrance. One of them held a walkie-talkie.

How had they found her in Chicago? Dana tried to control her panic. She turned to the clerk. "Is there another way out of here?"

The clerk shook her head. "I'm sorry, miss. That's only for the staff."

Dana's throat was dry. She looked out at the men again. I have to escape, Dana thought desperately. There has to be a way.

Suddenly, she grabbed a dress off the rack and started to walk to the entrance.

"Wait a minute!" the clerk called. "You can't - "

Dana was approaching the door, and the two men started to move toward her. As Dana stepped through the door, the sensor on the dress tag triggered an alarm. A store guard came rushing out. The two men looked at each other and stepped back.

"Just a minute, miss," the guard said. "You'll have to come back inside the store with me."

"Why should I?" Dana protested.

"Why? Because shoplifting is against the law." The guard took Dana's arm and pulled her back inside. The men stood there, frustrated.

Dana smiled at the guard. "Okay. I admit it. I was shoplifting. Take me to jail."

Shoppers began to stop to see what was happening. The manager came hurrying over. "What's the problem here?"

"I caught this woman trying to steal this dress."

"Well, I'm afraid we'll have to call the pol - " He turned and recognized Dana. "My God! It's Dana Evans."

Whispers rippled through the growing crowd.

"It's Dana Evans..."

"We watch her on the news every night..."

"Do you remember her broadcasts from the war...?"

The manager said, "I'm so sorry, Miss Evans. Obviously there's been a mistake."

"No, no," Dana said quickly. "I was shoplifting." She held out her hands. "You can arrest me."

The manager smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it. You can keep the dress, Miss Evans, with our compliments. We're flattered that you like it."

Dana stared at him unbelievingly. "You're not going to arrest me?"

His smile widened. "I'll tell you what. I'll trade you the dress for an autograph. We're big fans of yours."

One of the women gathered around exclaimed, "Me, too!"

"Can I have an autograph?"

More people were approaching.

"Look! It's Dana Evans."

"Can I have your autograph, Miss Evans?"

"My husband and I watched you every night when you were in Sarajevo."

"You really made the war come alive."

"I'd like an autograph, too."

Dana stood there, growing more desperate by the second. She glanced outside. The two men were still there, waiting.

Dana's mind was racing. She turned to the crowd and smiled. "I'll tell you what I'll do. Let's go outside in the fresh air, and I'll give each of you an autograph."

There were cries of excitement.

Dana handed the dress to the manager. "You can keep this. Thank you." She started toward the door, followed by her fans. The two men outside backed off, confused, as the crowd descended on them.

Dana turned to her fans. "Who's first?" They were pressing around her, holding out pens and pieces of paper.

The two men stood there, uneasy. As Dana signed autographs, she kept moving toward the terminal exit. The crowd followed her outside. A taxi pulled up at the curb, discharging a passenger.

Dana turned to the crowd. "Thank you. I have to go now." She jumped into the cab and a moment later it disappeared into the traffic.

Jack Stone was on the phone with Roger Hudson. "Mr. Hudson, she got away from us, but - "

"Goddammit! I don't want to hear that. I want her taken out of the picture - now."

"Don't worry, sir. We've got the license number of the taxi. She can't get far."

"Don't fail me again." Roger Hudson slammed the receiver down.

Carson Pirie Scott & Company, in the heart of Chicago's Loop, was crowded with shoppers. At the scarf counter, a clerk was finishing wrapping a package for Dana.

"Will that be cash or charge?"

"Cash."No sense leaving a paper trail.

Dana took her package and had almost reached the exit when she suddenly stopped, filled with fear. Two different men were standing outside the door with walkie-talkies. Dana looked at them, her mouth suddenly dry. She turned and hurried back to the counter.

The clerk asked, "Was there something else, miss?"

"No. I - " Dana looked around in desperation. "Is there another door leading out of here?"

"Oh, yes, we have several entrances."

It's no use, Dana thought. They'll have them all covered. This time there would be no escape.

Dana noticed a woman shopper in a shabby old green coat looking at a scarf in a glass case. Dana studied her a moment, then walked over.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Dana said.

The woman smiled. "They certainly are."

The men outside were watching the two women in conversation. They looked at each other and shrugged. They had every exit covered.

Inside Dana was saying, "I like that coat you're wearing. It's exactly my color."

"I'm afraid this old thing is about worn out. Yours is very pretty."

The two men outside watched as the conversation continued.

"It's damned cold," one of the men complained. "I wish she'd get the hell out here and let us get this over with."

His companion nodded. "There's no way she can get - " He broke off as he saw the two women in the store start to exchange coats. He grinned. "Jesus, look what she's trying to get away with. They're swapping coats. What a dumb broad."

The two women disappeared for a moment behind a clothes rack. One of the men spoke into the walkie-talkie. "The subject is switching from her red coat into a green coat...Hold it. She's heading for exit four. Pick her up there."

At exit four, two men were waiting. A moment later one of them said into his cellular phone, "We've got her. Get the car."

They watched as she came out the door into the cold air. She wrapped her green coat tightly around her and started down the street. They closed in on her. As she reached the corner and started hailing a cab, the men grabbed her arms. "You don't need a cab. We have a nice car for you."

She looked at them in astonishment. "Who are you? What are you talking about?"

One of the men was staring at her. "You're not Dana Evans!"

"Well, of course I'm not."

The men looked at each other, let go of her, and raced back to the store. One of the men clicked on his walkie-talkie. "Wrong target. Wrong target. Do you read me?"

By the time the others piled into the store, Dana had disappeared.

She was caught in a living nightmare, trapped in a hostile world with unknown enemies trying to kill her. She was enmeshed in a web of terror, almost paralyzed with fear. When Dana got out of the taxi, she started walking fast, trying not to run and call attention to herself, having no idea where she was going. She passed a store with a sign that saidFANTASY HEADQUARTERS :FANCY DRESS FOR ALL OCCASIONS . On an impulse, Dana went inside. It was filled with costumes, wigs, and makeup.

"Can I help you?"

Yes. Call the police. Tell them someone is trying to kill me.

"Miss?"

"Er - yes. I would like to try on a blond wig."

"This way, please."

A minute later Dana was looking at her blond image in the mirror.

"It's amazing how much it changes your appearance."

I hope so.

Outside the store, Dana flagged down a taxi. "O'Hare airport."I must get to Kemal.

When the telephone rang, Rachel picked it up. "Hello...Dr. Young?...The final results of the test?"

Jeff saw the sudden tension in her face.

"You can tell me over the phone. Just a minute." Rachel looked at Jeff, took a deep breath, and took the phone into the bedroom.

He could hear her voice, faintly.

"Go ahead, Doctor."

There was a silence that lasted a full three minutes, and as Jeff, concerned, was about to go into the bedroom, Rachel came out, and she had a glow on her face that he had never seen before.

"It worked!" She was almost breathless with excitement. "Jeff, I'm in remission. The new therapy worked!"

Jeff said, "Thank God! That's wonderful, Rachel."

"He wants me to stay here for another few weeks, but the crisis is over." Her voice was filled with elation.

"We'll go out and celebrate," Jeff said. "I'll stay with you until - "

"No."

"No, what?"

"I don't need you anymore, Jeff."

"I know, and I'm glad we - "

"You don't understand. I want you to leave."

He looked at Rachel, surprised. "Why?"

"Dear, sweet Jeff. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but now that I'm in remission, it means I can go back to work. It's my life. It's what I am. I'm going to call and see what jobs are available. I've felt trapped here with you. Thanks for helping me, Jeff. I really do appreciate it. But it's time to say good-bye. I'm sure Dana misses you. So please, why don't you just leave, darling?"

Jeff looked at her a moment and nodded. "Right."

Rachel watched him go into the bedroom and start to pack. Twenty minutes later, when Jeff came out with his suitcase, Rachel was on the phone.

"...and I've come back to the real world, Betty. I'll be able to go back to work in a few weeks...I know. Isn't it wonderful?"

Jeff was standing there, waiting to say good-bye. Rachel waved to him and turned back to the telephone. "I'll tell you what I want...get me a shoot on a nice tropical..."

Rachel watched Jeff walk out the door. Slowly, she let the phone drop. She walked over to the window and stood there, watching the only man she had ever loved walk out of her life.

Dr. Young's words were still ringing in her ears. "Miss Stevens, I'm sorry, but I have bad news. The treatment didn't work...The cancer has metastasized...It has spread too far. I'm afraid that it's terminal...maybe another month or two..."

Rachel remembered the Hollywood director Roderick Marshall saying to her, "I'm glad you came. I'm going to make you a big star." And as the excruciating red river of pain began to wrack Rachel's body again, she thought:Roderick Marshall would have been proud of me.

When Dana's plane landed, Washington's Dulles airport was crowded with passengers waiting for their luggage. Dana walked past the carousels out into the street and climbed into one of the waiting taxis. There were no suspicious-looking men around, but her nerves were screaming. Dana took out her purse and looked in the small mirror for reassurance. Her blond wig did give her a completely different look. It will have to do for now, Dana thought. I've got to get to Kemal.

Kemal opened his eyes slowly, awakened by the sounds of voices coming through the closed study door. He felt groggy.

"The boy's still asleep," he heard Mrs. Daley say. "I drugged him."

A man replied, "We'll have to wake him up."

A second man's voice said, "Maybe it would be better if we carried him there while he's asleep."

"You could do it to him here," Mrs. Daley said. "And then get rid of his body."

Kemal was suddenly wide awake.

"We have to keep him alive for a while. They're going to use him as bait to catch the Evans woman."

Kemal sat up, listening, his heart pounding.

"Where is she?"

"We're not sure. But we know she'll be coming here for the kid."

Kemal jumped out of bed. He stood there for a moment, rigid with fear. The woman he had trusted wanted to kill him. Pizda! It won't be that easy, Kemal swore to himself. They couldn't kill me in Sarajevo. They're not going to kill me here. He began frantically throwing on his clothes. When he reached for his artificial arm on the chair, it slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor with what sounded to Kemal like a thunderous crash. He froze. The men outside were still talking. They had not heard it. Kemal attached his arm and finished dressing quickly.

He opened the window and was hit by a blast of frigid air. His overcoat was in the other room. Kemal moved out onto the window ledge in his thin jacket, his teeth chattering. There was a fire escape leading to the ground, and he climbed onto it, careful to duck out of sight of the living-room window.

As Kemal reached the ground, he looked at his watch. It was 2:45. Somehow he had slept half the day away. He began to run.

"Let's tie the kid down, just in case."

One of the men opened the study door and looked around the room in surprise. "Hey, he's gone!"

The two men and Mrs. Daley rushed to the open window in time to see Kemal racing down the street.

"Get him!"

Kemal ran as if in a nightmare; his legs growing weaker and more rubbery with every step. Each breath was a knife in his chest. If I can get to the school before they close the gates at three o'clock, he thought, I'll be safe. They won't dare hurt me with all the other kids around.

There was a red traffic light ahead. Kemal ignored it and darted across the avenue, dodging cars, oblivious to the outraged sounds of automobile horns and screaming brakes. He reached the other side of the street and kept running.

Miss Kelly will call the police, and they'll protect Dana.

Kemal was beginning to get short of breath and he felt a tightness in his chest. He glanced at his watch again: 2:55. He looked up. The school was just ahead. Two more blocks to go.

I'm safe, Kemal thought. They haven't dismissed classes yet. A minute later he reached the front gate. He stopped in front of it and stared at it, unbelievingly. It was locked. Suddenly, from behind, Kemal felt an iron grip on his shoulder.

"It's Saturday, stupid."

"Stop here," Dana said. The taxi was two blocks from her apartment. Dana watched the cab drive away. She walked slowly, her body tense, every sense alert, scanning the streets, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She was sure that Kemal was safe. Jack Stone would be protecting him.

When Dana reached the apartment-house corner, she avoided the front entrance and stepped into the alley that led to the back of the building. It was deserted. Dana went inside the service door and quietly walked up the stairs. She reached the second floor and started down the hall and suddenly stopped. The door to her apartment was wide open. Dana was instantly flooded with fear. She ran toward the door and raced inside. "Kemal!"

No one was there. Dana dashed through the apartment, frantic, wondering what could have happened. Where was Jack Stone? Where was Kemal? In the kitchen, a cabinet drawer had fallen to the floor and its contents had spilled out. There were dozens of small packets, some full, some empty. Curious, Dana picked one up and looked at it. The label said, BuSpar 15 mg tablets marked NDC D087 D822-32.

What were they? Was Mrs. Daley on drugs, or had she been giving these to Kemal? Could it have anything to do with the change in his behavior? Dana put one of the packets in her coat pocket.

Filled with dread, Dana slipped out of the apartment. She went out the back way, into the alley, and headed for the street. As Dana turned the corner, a man hidden behind a tree spoke into a walkie-talkie to his confederate standing on the opposite corner.

Ahead of Dana was the Washington Pharmacy. Dana went inside.

The pharmacist said, "Ah, Miss Evans. Can I help you?"

"Yes, Coquina. I'm curious about this." She took out the small packet. The pharmacist glanced at it. "BuSpar. It's an anti-anxiety agent. White crystal, water soluble."

"What does it do?" Dana asked.

"It's a relaxant. It has a calming effect. Of course, if you overdose, it can cause drowsiness and fatigue."

He's asleep. Shall I wake him up?

When he came home from school, he felt tired, so I thought a nap would be good for him...

So that explained what had been going on. And it had been Pamela Hudson who had sent Mrs. Daley.

And I put Kemal in that bitch's hands, Dana thought. She felt sick to her stomach.

She looked at the pharmacist. "Thank you, Coquina."

"My pleasure, Miss Evans."

Dana went out the door back into the street. The two men were approaching her. "Miss Evans, could we talk to you for a min - " Dana turned and ran. The men were at her heels. Dana reached the corner. A policeman in the middle of the intersection was directing the heavy traffic.

Dana ran out into the street toward him.

"Hey! Go back, miss."

Dana kept coming.

"You're moving against the light! Did you hear me? Get back!"

The two men were waiting at the corner, watching.

"Are you deaf?" the policeman yelled.

"Shut up!" She slapped the policeman hard across the face. The furious officer grabbed Dana's arm.

"You're under arrest, ma'am."

He pulled Dana back to the sidewalk and held on to her while he talked into his radio. "I need a black-and-white."

The two men stood there looking at each other, uncertain what to do.

Dana looked across at them and smiled. There was the sound of an approaching siren and a few seconds later a police car came to a stop in front of them.

The two men watched helplessly as Dana was put into the backseat of the patrol car and driven away.

At the police station, Dana said, "I'm entitled to one phone call, right?"

The sergeant said, "Right."

He handed Dana a phone. She made her call.

A dozen blocks away the man holding Kemal by his shirt collar was pulling him toward a limousine waiting at the curb, its motor running.

"Please! Please let me go," Kemal pleaded.

"Shut up, kid."

Four uniformed marines were passing by.

"I don't want to go in the alley with you," Kemal yelled.

The man looked at Kemal puzzled. "What?"

"Please don't make me go in the alley." Kemal turned to the marines. "He wants to pay me five dollars to go in the alley with him. I don't want to."

The marines stopped, staring at the man. "Why, you dirty pervert..."

The man backed away. "No, no. Wait a minute. You don't understand..."

One of the marines said grimly, "Yes, we do, buddy. Get your hands off the kid." They surrounded the man. He put his hands up to defend himself, and Kemal quickly slipped away.

A delivery boy with a package was getting off a bicycle and starting toward a house. Kemal jumped onto the bicycle and pedaled furiously away. The man watched, frustrated, as Kemal rounded the corner and disappeared. The marines were closing in on him.

At the police station, Dana's cell door clanged open.

"You're free to go, Miss Evans. You're out on bail."

Matt! The phone call worked, Dana thought happily. He didn't lose any time.

As Dana started toward the exit, she stopped in shock. One of the men was standing there, waiting for her.

He smiled at Dana and said, "You're free, sis. Let's go." He gripped Dana's arm tightly and started herding her out to the street. As they stepped outside, the man stopped in astonishment. A full television crew from WTN was waiting in front.

"Look this way, Dana..."

"Dana, is it true that you slapped a policeman?"

"Can you tell us what happened?"

"Did he harass you?"

"Are you going to press charges?"

The man was shying away, covering his face.

"What's the matter?" Dana called. "Don't you want your picture taken?"

He fled.

Matt Baker appeared at Dana's side. "Let's get the hell out of here."

They were in Matt Baker's office at the WTE building. Elliot Cromwell, Matt Baker, and Abbe Lasmann had been listening to Dana for the last half hour in shocked silence.

"...and the FRA is involved, too. That's why General Booster tried to stop me from investigating."

Elliot Cromwell said, "I'm stunned. How could we all have been so wrong about Taylor Winthrop? I think we should inform the White House about what's happening. Let them call in the attorney general and the FBI."

Dana said, "Elliot, so far we only have my word against Roger Hudson's. Who do you think they're going to believe?"

Abbe Lasmann said, "Don't we have any proof?"

"Sasha Shdanoff's brother is alive. I'm sure he'll talk. Once we pull a single thread, the whole story is going to unravel."

Matt Baker took a deep breath and looked at Dana admiringly. "When you go after a story, you go after a story."

Dana said, "Matt, what are we going to do about Kemal? I don't know where to look."

Matt said firmly, "Don't worry. We'll find him. Meanwhile, we have to get a place for you to hide where no one can findyou. "

Abbe Lasmann spoke up. "You can use my apartment. No one will think of looking for you there."

"Thank you." Dana turned to Matt. "About Kemal..."

"We'll get the FBI on it right away. I'll have a driver take you to Abbe's apartment. It's in our hands now, Dana. Everything's going to be fine. I'll call you the minute I hear something."

Kemal pedaled along the icy streets, anxiously looking behind him every few moments. There was no sign of the man who had grabbed him. I've got to get to Dana, Kemal thought, desperately. I can't let them hurt her. The problem was that the WTN studio was at the other end of downtown Washington.

When Kemal came to a bus stop, he got off the bicycle and pushed it onto the grass. As a bus approached, Kemal felt in his pockets and realized he had no money.

Kemal turned to a passerby. "Excuse me, could I have a - "

"Get lost, kid."

Kemal tried a woman who was approaching. "Excuse me, I need bus fare to - " The woman hurried by.

Kemal stood in the cold, without a coat, shivering. No one seemed to care. I've got to get bus fare, Kemal thought.

He yanked off his artificial arm and laid it on the grass. When the next man passed by, Kemal held out his stump and said, "Excuse me, sir. Could you give me enough money for bus fare?"

The man stopped. "Of course, son," he said, and handed Kemal a dollar.

"Thank you."

When the man walked away, Kemal quickly put his arm back on. A bus was approaching, just a block away. I've made it, Kemal thought jubilantly. And at that moment, he felt a sting in the back of his neck. As he started to turn, everything grew faint. Inside his head a voice was screaming, No! No! Kemal slumped to the ground, unconscious. Passersby began to gather.

"What happened?"

"Did he faint?"

"Is he all right?"

"My son is diabetic," a man said. "I'll take care of him." He lifted Kemal up and carried him into a waiting limousine.

Abbe Lasmann's apartment was in northwest Washington. It was large and comfortably decorated with contemporary furniture and white rugs. Dana was in the apartment alone, pacing back and forth, panicky, waiting for the phone to ring. Kemal must be all right. They have no reason to harm him. He'll be fine. Where is he? Why can't they find him?

When the phone rang, it startled Dana. She snatched it up. "Hello." The line was dead. It rang again, and Dana realized it was her cell phone. She felt a sudden sense of relief. She pressed the button. "Jeff?"

Roger Hudson's voice said quietly, "We've been looking for you, Dana. I have Kemal here."

Dana stood there, unable to move, unable to talk. She whispered at last, "Roger - "

"I'm afraid I can't control the men here much more. They want to cut off Kemal's good arm. Shall I let them?"

"No!" It was a scream. "What - what do you want?"

"I just want to talk to you," Roger Hudson said reasonably. "I want you to come to the house, and I want you to come alone. If you bring anyone, I won't be responsible for what happens to Kemal."

"Roger - "

"I'll expect you in thirty minutes." The line went dead.

Dana stood there, numb with fear. Nothing must happen to Kemal. Nothing must happen to Kemal. With trembling fingers, Dana punched in Matt Baker's phone number. Matt's recorded voice came on.

"You have reached the office of Matt Baker. I'm not in right now, but leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible."

There was the sound of a beep. Dana took a deep breath and spoke into the phone. "Matt, I - I just got a call from Roger Hudson. He's holding Kemal at his house. I'm going there now. Please hurry before something happens to Kemal. Bring the police. Hurry! "

Dana turned off her cell phone and headed for the door.

Abbe Lasmann was putting some letters on Matt Baker's desk when she saw the message display flashing on Matt's telephone. She dialed Matt's password and played Dana's recording. She stood there a moment, listening to it. Then she smiled and pressed the erase button.

The moment Jeff's plane landed at Dulles airport, he called Dana. All through the flight, he had thought of that strange note in her voice, that disturbing "If anything should happen to me." Her cell phone kept ringing. Next Jeff tried her apartment. There was no answer. He got into a taxi and gave the address of WTN.

When Jeff walked into Matt's reception office, Abbe said, "Well, Jeff! It's good to see you."

"Thanks, Abbe." He walked into Matt Baker's office.

Matt said, "So, you're back. How's Rachel?"

The question threw Jeff for an instant. "She's fine," he said tonelessly. "Where's Dana? She's not answering her phone."

Matt said, "My God, you don't know what's been going on, do you?"

"Tell me," Jeff said tightly.

In the reception office, Abbe pressed her ear against the closed door. She could only hear snatches of the conversation. "...attempts on her life...Sasha Shdanoff...Krasnoyarsk-26...Kemal...Roger Hudson..."

Abbe had heard enough. She hurried to her desk and picked up the telephone. A minute later she was talking to Roger Hudson.

Inside the office, Jeff was listening to Matt, stunned. "I can't believe it."

"It's all true," Matt Baker assured him. "Dana's at Abbe's. I'll have Abbe try her apartment again." He pressed down the intercom, but before he could speak, he heard Abbe's voice.

"...and Jeff Connors is here. He's looking for Dana. I think you'd better get her out of there. They're going to be coming over there...Right. I'll take care of it, Mr. Hudson. If - "

Abbe heard a sound and turned. Jeff Connors and Matt Baker were standing in the doorway, staring at her.

Matt said, "You bitch."

Jeff turned to Matt, frantic. "I have to get to the Hudson house. I need a car."

Matt Baker glanced out the window. "You'll never get there in time. The traffic is bumper-to-bumper."

From the heliport on the roof, they heard the sound of the WTN helicopter landing. The two men looked at each other.