Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

who’d opened their doors to investigate. Another, louder scream met his ears as he reached Daphne’s room. It was coming from inside. Oh, God . I shouldn’t have left her alone .

Chapter Twenty-Four
    Wheeling, West Virginia, Thursday, December 5, 6.30 A.M.
    T he screaming woke her. Daphne’s eyes flew open and she sat up in bed, breathing hard. Her throat was raw.
    That was new. Her throat had never been raw before. She lifted her hand to her throat, trying to control her breathing. The bed was empty. Joseph was gone.
    And then the door flew open and there he was, weapon drawn, shouting her name, and she clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her shriek.
    Joseph ran through both rooms, checking every closet, the shower. Under her bed. Through it all she sat motionless in the bed, the blankets tangled around her legs.
    ‘Joseph? Everything okay in there?’ Deacon Novak’s voice spurred her into action and she jerked the covers up to her chin.
    Joseph sprang up from checking under the bed, poised on the balls of his feet. Slowly he turned and stared at her. ‘What happened?’ he panted.
    ‘I don’t know.’ She coughed, her throat dry as dust. ‘Should I assume that I screamed out loud this time?’
    ‘Did you ever.’ Deacon stood in the doorway looking rattled, his white hair askew, like he’d been sleeping. ‘If everything’s okay, I’ll get out of here until seven.’
    ‘We’re all right,’ Joseph said. ‘Thanks.’
    ‘Wait,’ Daphne said. ‘If you’re here, Agent Novak, who’s with Ford?’
    ‘Hector. We switched places so that I could sleep. Which I’ll get back to.’
    Joseph sank to the bed when Deacon had gone. ‘Oh my God,’ he said, still panting. ‘You scared the fuck out of me.’
    ‘I’m sorry.’ She closed her eyes, mortification setting in. ‘I didn’t mean to. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.’
    Joseph lightly grasped her chin. ‘Bad dream? Open your eyes, honey.’
    She obeyed, finding his expression both fierce and gentle at once. ‘I think so. It wasn’t the same one. I was at Beckett’s, but as I am now. Older. I was always a little girl before, but this time I was me. A shrink would have a field day with this.’
    ‘Don’t worry. Talk to me. You were at Beckett’s. What happened?’
    ‘The gas man came in his truck and I climbed inside, but I was too big and he and Beckett caught me. And then they were . . . monsters. Like you can’t see them, but you know they’re bad?’
    ‘I’ve had those dreams too. What did they do?’
    ‘Chased me through the woods. I was just running through the woods.’ She eased from the bed, testing the stability of her legs. When she didn’t fall down, she started for the bathroom. ‘What did Deacon mean about coming back at seven?’
    ‘I have a status meeting scheduled on my side. I was going to let you sleep.’
    She paused at the bathroom door, not yet ready to face him. The terror was too fresh and she needed to be by herself for a little while. To regroup. Settle down. Get control. ‘What time is it now?’
    ‘Twenty-five till.’
    ‘Let me wash up. I’d like to sit in, if it’s okay.’
    ‘Sure.’
    She chanced a look over her shoulder, found him still sitting on the bed, frowning to himself. ‘What’s wrong?’
    ‘Nothing. Just . . . unsettled. Go, get ready.’ His mouth curved. ‘I love the view, but I don’t think that’s what you want to show to the others.’
    She cheeks heated. She wore only her pajama top. ‘No. Can you order me some room service for breakfast? I don’t think I’ve eaten since lunch yesterday. Thanks.’
    She closed the door, sagged against it. Her legs were like jelly and she had to lean against the shower wall to wash her hair. Run . Run . Through the cabin, out the door .
    Sighing through clenched teeth, she shoved the damn dream aside as she toweled off and went through her morning routine mechanically. Brush the teeth, comb the hair.
    Run . Run . Climb in the truck . Hide under the tarp . Get away .
    She paused as she blended her makeup, frowning at her reflection. Jerking her mind back to the here and now. ‘Stop it,’ she muttered. ‘You’ll make yourself crazy.’
    Bronzer. Blush. If I find her I’ll bring her back to you .
    Mascara. He sees me . The gas man sees me . Hide . Make yourself invisible .
    She froze, her eyes wide as she stared at herself, mascara wand halfway through its stroke. ‘Oh my God,’ she whispered. ‘He was