Gina relaxed slightly. “Yes.”
“That’s why I want to talk to him. No one’s ever beaten me before.”
Kendra felt Gina shake her head. “Zachary only talks to me.”
“And he’s talking to you now?”
“Yes.”
“What is he saying?”
“You’re making him angry. He thinks you’re trying to fool him. He’s disappointed in you. He’s afraid he might have to do the kill before he wanted it to happen.”
“And you also do what he tells you?”
“Yes.”
“That’s how he does all the things he does? The people he hurts? You do it all for him?”
“No. He does things I don’t find out about until later. I’m not there for those things. He says I’m not worthy to do them. But I do help him. I do.”
“I’m sure you do whatever he wishes.” She had to be very careful to avoid any hint of antagonism in Gina. Kendra had never treated a client with what was commonly called split personality, but she knew the basics. She was almost sure that she was dealing with dissociative personality disorder. But it appeared that Zachary was the dominant personality and that meant to avoid him coming to the forefront it was best not to contradict Gina and threaten the constructs she had created.
“You don’t have to do everything, Gina. We’re here to help you.”
“Zachary knows you’re lying,” she said harshly.
“I’m not.”
Gina was trembling again. “He says you are. I told you bad things would happen if you disrespect him.”
“So he is here.”
“I told you, he’s always here.”
“And you’re afraid of him.”
“He wants me to be afraid. He says it’s a form of respect. He said if I don’t do as he says, he’ll send me away and never let me come back.”
“You think he can do that?”
“Of course he can do it. He’s been with me since I was eighteen and he’s been getting stronger and stronger.” Gina was becoming increasingly agitated. “I know you’re some kind of high-priced psychologist. You think you can fix people.” She said defiantly, “Well, we don’t need fixing.”
“No. I only help people who want to be helped.”
“Zachary doesn’t believe you. He knows what you want to do to us.”
Police sirens wailed in the distance!
Gina went rigid, her head lifting, her eyes widening in shock. “You did this. You brought them here.”
“Let us help you,” Kendra said. “We’ll keep you and Zachary safe.”
“You’re lying.” Her voice was suddenly lower, harsher.
The sirens were closer.
“Then this is where it all ends,” Gina said. “After all these years, it ends right here, with you and me, Kendra.”
Kendra tensed as she noticed that Gina’s voice had now completely changed; her speech was now silky smooth and had dropped to a still lower, almost masculine, register. Was this now Zachary?
Dear God, if Gina was gone, Zachary would strike!
Lynch had obviously also noticed the change. He bent slightly at the knees, tensing, as if ready to pounce.
Gina sounded genuinely regretful. “I’m sorry, Kendra. It’s not at all what I planned for you. There’s no more time. I have to get out of here. Just know you’ve lived up to my every hope.”
“Wait! There’s still something we can—” She broke off as she could feel Gina’s muscles tightening, her grasp squeezing the knife …
“No!” Lynch flew across the room like a panther springing into action! In a second he was almost there …
But in the same instant, Gina grasped the hilt of the knife and hurled it toward him!
The knife buried itself into Lynch’s upper chest and he collapsed in a heap onto the floor.
No! No! No!
Kendra didn’t know if she screamed the words or if they were just repeating over and over in her mind.
She had to get to him.
She struggled with all her strength, broke free, and tore across the room. She could hear Gina swearing behind her as she fell to her knees beside Lynch.
He was alive, but in pain, his eyes open, struggling to breathe.
“Lynch, hang on,” she said frantically. “Listen to me. Please. Stay.”
“Waste of time.” Gina was reaching into her jacket. “He’s a dead man, Kendra. That was only a postponement. Admit it, you’re helpless.”
Helpless. No weapons. And Gina was reaching for the gun in that holster.
But Lynch was looking up at Kendra, he was trying to tell her something. His gaze left her face and then flicked to the knife protruding from his left pectoral muscle. He looked back at her.
Was he actually suggesting—?
He gave her an almost imperceptible nod.
“I can’t do it,” she whispered. “I could kill you.”
“Do … it,” he said hoarsely. It wasn’t just a suggestion, but a command.
Behind her, she saw that Gina was pulling the gun from her holster.
“Now!”
In a blur, Kendra pulled the knife straight up from Lynch’s chest and whirled around. Then she was across the room, lifting the blade.
She saw the shock on Gina’s face just milliseconds before plunging the knife into the woman’s stomach!
But Kendra held onto the knife. She had to be sure. “No more.” She pulled it out and stabbed her again. “Never again.” The knife came down once more. And again. Then one more time.
She stopped, breathing hard. “Look behind you, Zachary. All those people you butchered are waiting for you.”
Gina’s limbs froze. The only indication that she was still alive came from her bulging eyes, mirroring every painful plunge of the blade.
She finally fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor in a sitting position. In this moment she looked totally masculine, totally Zachary. Her clothes were covered in blood. She looked at Kendra in shock, her lips twitching and blood spurting from her nose. “I … still win. Lynch…”
“No, you won’t.” She was already running back across the room to Lynch. “He’s tougher than you ever dreamed of being. I won’t let him die. Believe me, Zachary. You lost big time.”
It didn’t matter if Gina believed her or not. She didn’t matter any longer. Gina finally let out one last long breath, her face frozen in that look of pain and bewilderment.
Zachary was dead.
*
ONLY LYNCH MATTERED AND for an instant as Kendra looked down at him, she was terrified that Zachary had actually won. She couldn’t tell if Lynch was still breathing.
And there was so much blood.
She fell to her knees and checked the pulse in his throat. Still beating. But he was unconscious and that blood kept flowing …
Was that her fault? Had she damaged him irreparably when she’d pulled out that knife?
She tore open his shirt and gasped as she saw the blood flowing out of the wound in his chest. She reached for her phone and pressed Griffin’s quick dial while she started pressure with her other hand.
“What the hell is happening?” Griffin asked. “We’re on our way but I need—”
“Shut up. I told you we were at Hagstrom’s. I just killed Zachary. But I need an ambulance and blood right away. I don’t know Lynch’s blood type, but if you can’t find out, make sure the EMT’s have plenty of universal.” Her voice was shaking. “I’m scared, Griffin. He’s lost so much blood.”