The air was stifling. She could barely breathe. The heat was increasing. She
was aware of others in the darkness, but could not communicate with them. Then
she heard the screams and the cries of the children in the darkness. I want
to see, she asked, but she could not. She was looking for the children—following
their screams. She began to trip and fall. Suddenly she could see—it was a
body! She awoke sweating and confused. "Case log 68287. There have been a
series of kidnappings in the Chicago area. Each case involves a child of some
prominent figure. And, in each case, a psychic named Caroline Simmons was called
in to help with the investigation. In each case, Ms. Simmons has been successful
in getting the child back unharmed. Someone is suspicious, though, and has
called in the OSIR team to investigate. We are to find out if Ms. Simmons is
legitimate or a fraud. Praeger out."
OSIR agents Praeger and Donner arrived at the offices of Caroline Simmons to
question her on the past kidnapping cases. Each case had ended with a big payoff
for the kidnappers and the child was returned.
"We're here to see Caroline Simmons." Matt told the secretary in
the outer office. "Who, may I say, is here to see her?"
Matt looked at the woman behind the desk. She was wearing a matronly business
suit, glasses and her hair was in a severe bun. Matt wondered what Ms. Simmons
looked like. "We're from OSIR: Office of Scientific Investigation and
Research. We were called in by the Chicago P.D."
The woman, Ms. Hastings, picked up the phone and notified her boss that the
OSIR people were there. "Send them in, please. And I want you to come in,
too." Ms. Hastings led Matt and Lindsay into Caroline Simmons' office. The
office was professionally decorated in shades of pink and mauve. Very soothing,
thought Lindsay. "How are you? If I seemed a little hostile on the phone,
it's because I don't know why you were called in." She was smiling as she
said this, but it was not a friendly smile. "The Chicago P.D. is just
protecting their reputation, that's all. We're not here to put a cramp in your
style, we're just making sure that you're legitimate. Hey, if we find out that
you're legit, you can use that in your advertising." Praeger returned the
same cynical smile. Caroline was not impressed. This was definitely something
that she did not need. He would be a challenge, but she could handle it. She had
handled his type before. "The first thing that we'll need are any notes you
might have on the previous kidnappings." Caroline looked at her mousy
assistant Laura, and signaled her to get what was needed. Matt watched as the
woman quietly did what she was told. Matt made a note to talk to Laura as soon
as possible. "There are also videotaped interviews." Laura added.
Caroline shot her an angry look. "Laura dear, I think you're being a little
too helpful." Laura lowered her eyes and walked out of the office. Matt and
Lindsay didn't tell Ms. Simmons that she was also a suspect in the kidnappings.
Matt had thought that if they went in having her think that her reputation was
at stake, she would be a little more cooperative. "We'll get these back to
you as soon as possible."
When Matt and Lindsay left out through the outer office, Matt, once again,
noticed the inconspicuous secretary. She was short in stature. He couldn't tell
anything about her figure because of the boxiness of the suit. Her hair was dark
and pulled back into an old-fashioned bun. Her glasses were not of the latest
fashion, but from an era long gone. Matt happened to turn and catch Laura
staring at them as they left. Creepy, he thought.
Back at the make-shift office of the OSIR, Matt and Lindsay conferred with
Peter and Anton. They watched the video taped police interviews of Caroline
Simmons. In the interview, Caroline was given an article of clothing from the
victim. "Typical psychic patter," Peter commented on the display on
screen. Caroline was going through convulsions as she held the clothing. It was
all done so neatly that it seemed rehearsed. "So far, her behavior is in
keeping with the usual psychic routines. Nothing unusual here." Lindsay
observed. "Can you tell if she is legitimate?" Peter gave him a
stunned look. "I don't know if she's legitimate. Look, all I know is that
she is doing what I've seen others do. We'll have to bring her in for a
test." They all agreed that this was the next logical step.
************************************************************************************************
Matt had gone back to Simmons' office to try to find Laura, but found that she
had gone home for lunch. Finding her address in the notes that were given to
them enabled Matt to be on her doorstep in fifteen minutes. He rang the bell.
"Yes? Oh, Mr. Praeder. I—didn't expect you." She was surprised to
see him, but not half as surprised as he was to see her. "Is that you, Ms.
Hastings?" She definitely did not look the same as she did before. The
glasses were gone and he could see that she had beautiful blue eyes. He hair was
down—no, it wasn't her hair before. It must have been a wig. Now it was a
lighter shade of brown and it was wavy. Also gone was the boxy business suit. In
its place was a pair of clingy sweats that showed off a rather nice figure.
"Yes, I'm sorry about that. Come in and I'll explain." Matt was now
intrigued by her beauty as well as the mystery surrounding her. He followed her
into the house. Please, sit down. I was just going to have some tea. Would you
like some?" Matt said 'yes' and waited for her return from the kitchen.
"I bet I surprised you, huh?" She felt a little embarrassed.
"Yeah, but why?" She sat down on the couch next to him and poured out
the tea. She was so close to him that he could smell her perfume. "I was
the one that persuaded the police to call you guys in. You see, I believe that
the current kidnappers are the same guys that kidnapped my brother five years
ago." She could tell that he was doing the math in his head. Everyone did.
"My mom died when I was ten and my dad remarried. My half-brother was from
that marriage. When he was kidnapped, everything was identical to these
kidnappings down to the ransom note and the psychic. Everything except the fact
that they killed him." She broke down, then and Matt put his arms around
her to console her. "I'm alright. It's just that not a day goes by that I
don't think about him. He'd be about ten now. Such a big boy. He always wanted
to be a big boy." She was lost in thought now as she stared at the picture
in her hands. She traced the outline of his face with her fingers as if she were
trying to imagine what he would look like now. "The murder remained
unsolved. Then, with the current rash of kidnappings, I recognized the pattern
and the psychic—Caroline Simmons. So, I disguised myself because she had met
our family during Danny's case. I changed my name—my real last name is Moore.
She hardly even noticed me when she hired me. I was trying to see if I could
find some proof on her. She's really smart, though. I just know that she 's a
phony." Matt let her talk. She seemed to be glad to tell someone her story.
"Inspector Kell at the Chicago P.D. was the same one who worked on Danny's
case five years ago. I expressed my concern about her validity because of what
happened to Danny. He suggested that they call you guys in. I figured that you
could discredit her and that would somehow him implicate her." Matt had
started the session by taking notes, but now he was just looking at her.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked incredulously. "I'm sorry.
It's just that you look so different than when I first met you." He was
also trying to comprehend such a beautiful woman going through the things that
she had endured. "So, let me get this straight. You think that Caroline is
involved directly with the kidnappings?" She nodded as she took another sip
of her tea. She knew what was coming next and she was trying to prepare herself
for it. "Yes, well if she is a fraud, which I believe she is, there's no
way she could know the intimate details of the cases unless she's in on it. I'd
stake my life on it." He could tell by looking at her that she really
believed what she was saying. "Is this something that you've discovered
while working for her?" Her confidence waned. She didn't like this line of
questioning. "No. I don't know how to make you understand. I just
know." She emphasized the last statement and then her eyes locked onto his
as if she were trying to will him to understand. Realization registered in his
eyes. "You're the psychic." She was shocked by the response, but not
surprised. Others had come to the same conclusion. The wrong conclusion.
"No. Not exactly. Nothing so dramatic. Ever since I was a child, I've been
able to receive answers to questions through prayer and dreams. My grandmother
always said that I was a prophet." She waited, cautiously, for Matt's
response. "Oh okay, a higher power." She rolled her eyes at his
response. People always said the same thing. "Why are people so ready to
believe in psychics, but they refuse to believe in God." "Okay, The
Higher Power." Even though he didn't share her beliefs, he did respect
them. He had seen so many things in his line of work which made him a bit
confused. He didn't know what to believe. "Sometimes the answer would come
in a dream and sometimes she would just know." Matt could tell that she
really believed what she was saying. "So, God told you that Caroline was
involved in the kidnappings?" she nodded. "Will you help me?" She
was staring deeply into Matt's eyes as she asked this. Matt could tell that she
wasn't deliberately being flirtatious, but she also wasn't aware of the effect
that she was having on him. He swallowed hard before he answered. "Of
course I'll help you." Her smile lit up his world. "Thank you."
She leaned forward and brushed her lips lightly across his cheek. He felt the
electricity flow between them. "Uh, I'd better get back with this
information." On impulse he asked, "Will I see you later?" She
smiled again. This time the smile was mischievous. "You can count on
it." Matt was whistling when he returned to the field office. Almost
chuckling, Lindsay asked, "Where've you been?" "I went to visit
Laura Hastings. Although, it's not Laura Hastings—it's Laura Moore."
Lindsay took a Kleenex and wiped the lipstick from his cheek. "It looks
like she was cooperative." She smirked. Matt smiled back. "Well, I've
got some interesting news. Not only is her name Moore, but she's not really a
secretary. She's posing as a secretary to gather information on Caroline
Simmons." Matt proceeded to tell them everything that he had learned.
"What do you think? Do you believe her?" Lindsay knew that it was a
loaded question that she was asking him considering she could tell that he was
beginning to have feelings for Laura. "I don't know. I wanted to believe
her, but you know me—the ultimate skeptic. She said something, though, that
really stuck with me. She said , 'Why are people so ready to believe psychics
and not God.'" He was considering this. "Maybe she'll agree to be
tested." Peter added. Matt perked up. "Well, we need to test them
both, don't you think?" Matt asked. "What do we do if Caroline does
turn out to be a fraud?" Lindsay asked. The question remained dangling in
mid-air. Later that afternoon, Caroline Simmons appeared at OSIR field office.
She was followed by Laura Hastings. Peter took Caroline Simmons into the testing
room. She was nervous, he thought. Of course she was; she knew she was a phony.
"Now just relax and concentrate." Peter was using cards with different
symbols . The object of the test was for her to tell him which he had in his
possession. She put up a good act, but flunked the test horribly. Matt had told
Peter not to tell Caroline if she flunked the test. Caroline was hoping, by some
miracle, that she had passed. Next, while Matt asked Caroline some questions,
Peter tested Laura. She also failed the test. When he finished, he walked past
the office where Matt was questioning Caroline and signaled that he was
finished. As the ladies prepared to leave, Matt stopped Laura in the hallway.
"Will you have dinner with me tonight?" She smiled as she blushed.
"Yes, I'd like that." He looked into her beautiful eyes. "Oh, you
don't mind changing your clothes first, do you?" he whispered. She had
forgotten that she was still wearing her disguise. "Oh, I will. You can
pick me up at seven." She quickly kissed him on the cheek and fled down the
hallway. "What are you doing?" Peter had come out to give Matt the
results of the tests. "Look Peter, what I do on my own time is my own
business." He started to walk away, but Peter grabbed his arm. "Not
when it involves a test subject. You might compromise the case. Besides, don't
you want to know how they're tests came out?" Matt was not
curious. "They both came out negative, right?" Matt arrived at seven
o'clock at Laura's doorstep. He was extremely happy and he didn't know why. He
had been married three times. He had thought that he had seen it all when it
came to women. But, this girl was different; she was special. He rang the bell.
"Hi, come on in." She was even more beautiful now than when he first
saw her out of her disguise. "You did change, didn't you?" he joked.
She blushed. "Are you ready?" She nodded.
************************************************************************************************
They had a wonderful time. They even managed to talk about other things than
the case. When they returned to Laura's house, there was an awkward moment at
the door. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?" He knew that he
shouldn't, but nonetheless.... "Sure." She invited him to sit down in
the living room while she went to the kitchen to prepare the coffee. "Is
this you?" Matt held a photo album in his hands. He was now looking at a
picture of a beautiful dancer. She came in to see what he had. "Oh yes,
that's me. I was a trained dancer until I started this whole business." She
explained that she had given up her dream to find her brother's killers. She
brought in the coffee tray and set it down. "Those are some musicals that I
was in." He could see the sadness in her eyes as she reminisced. He looked
at her as she looked at the pictures . He saw the excitement as she remembered
each role. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his hand. She was
surprised, at first, but then she just closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch.
"I've wanted to do this for a long time." He whispered as he lightly
brushed her lips with his own. He felt her shudder which made him want her more.
He took her into his arms and kissed her harder. He loved the taste of her and
wanted more. He parted her lips with his tongue as he deepened the kiss. His
touch and his mouth were driving her crazy. She put her arms around him and
stroked his muscular back. This seemed to heighten his passion as he ran his
fingers through her hair. Before it went much further, Laura put on the brakes.
"I'm sorry. I just. . .I'm just not ready for that." Matt pulled back
and looked into her eyes. He had known that this was probably a possibility due
to her religious background. He tried to calm himself down. "It's
alright." But, she could tell that he was disappointed. Laura stroked his
face and kissed his cheek which, even though it was chaste, had an underlying
sizzle to it. "I do have feelings for you, Matt. I just think that it's too
soon." He nodded. "I understand." He held her and stroked her
hair. "We have time.
Part 2
Again she was engulfed in darkness. The screams were getting louder. Then she
saw him and started running. She couldn't see where she was going; there were
crates all around. She kept running into the crates. There were tomatoes on the
crates. He was still coming. "No." she heard herself scream. She
picked up the phone and called Matt. Matt hadn't been able to sleep. He was
still trying to decipher the information they had. His cell phone rang. Matt, I
need you!" She was hysterical. He grabbed his coat as he was still talking
to her. "I'll be right there." he said as he ran out of the trailer.
He arrived at her house and she was right there to let him in. She went straight
into his arms. She was sobbing uncontrollably. He held her tight and stroked her
hair. "It's okay, honey. I'm here. Shh." She tried to control herself.
Men didn't like hysterical women, her mother had always told her. They sat down
on the couch. "Tell me what happened." She went on to describe the
dream that she had. "Tomatoes?" Matt asked. "I know it sounds
silly, but that's what I saw." Matt was trying to fit tomatoes into the
puzzle he was already forming. "Will you stay tonight?" He looked at
her. Again, she was not trying to be flirtatious. "I don't want to be alone
in case I dream again." Matt put Laura back to bed and called Lindsay.
"Where are you?" she asked sleepily. "I'm at Laura's. She had
another dream." Lindsay didn't ask what he was doing at Laura's house at
three o'clock in the morning. Matt told Lindsay about Laura's dream. "The
tomatoes on the crates could be a clue to where the girl is being held."
She could hear him yawn on the other end. "Look, I'm going to get some
sleep. I'll see you in the morning." Lindsay smiled. "Sleep tight.'
Matt rolled his eyes. He went in to check on Laura. She was sleeping soundly.
there was no sign that she was dreaming. Matt had decided to sleep in her bed.
He told himself that he needed to be close in case she had a dream. He took off
his shoes and socks and then tried to decide what else to take off. He usually
slept in the nude which he wouldn't be able to do because it would scare Laura
half to death. He decided to take off his pants and shirt and leave on his
T-shirt and underwear. He crawled into bed. It wasn't until now that he realized
how difficult this was actually going to be. At that moment, Laura turned over
and put her arms around Matt. "Oh my Lord." Matt thought She laid her
head on his chest and snuggled. Matt thought that if he just went to sleep, he
wouldn't have time to think about where he was. Lucky for him that he was so
sleepy. He soon drifted off to sleep. The next morning, Matt woke up before
Laura. He thought it best to go ahead and get up. She smelled coffee as well as
bacon and eggs when she woke up. "That smells wonderful." she said as
she pulled her robe on. She went over and shyly kissed him. He pulled her into
his arms and kissed her passionately. "Boy, I could really get used to
that." She smiled. "I'm starting to grow on you, huh?" she nodded
and accepted the orange juice he gave her.
************************************************************************
When
Matt walked into the office, all eyes were on him. He was still doing the inane
whistling. "We think that we have a location on the missing girl."
Lindsay said. Matt took his coffee over to a place at the table and sat down.
"We've been checking into some warehouses down on the docks. there's a
farmer's market down there." An hour later, they found the girl in a
warehouse by the docks. There was a tomato on a sign out front and on the crates
inside. Because Caroline Simmons had not given the information that had cracked
the case, the media was on her doorstep. They police had also found the girl
before the parents had given the kidnappers the big ransom payment. Somewhere,
someone was extremely ticked. Matt decided to go and check out things for
himself. Besides, he had other reasons for going to Ms. Simmons’ office.
"Hi, you." Matt whispered as he approached Laura's desk. He had a big,
beautiful bouquet of roses for her. He gave them to her and kissed her on the
cheek. "Hey, someone will see us." she said nervously. He continued
nuzzling her neck. "Why? Can't I like an ugly girl?" She fake punched
him in the arm. "What are you doing here besides trying to torment
me?" He really liked this girl. "Well, I'm here to see how our Miss
Caroline is taking the late breaking news. Did anything unusual happen today
besides the media being here?" Laura suddenly frowned. "Some guy came
in. I'm pretty sure he wasn't with the media. I've never seen him before. They
argued. It was pretty scary." He could tell that she was shaken. He had to
get her away from all of this. "Can I see you tonight?" She smiled. He
was so sweet. "How can I say no to a man who brings me flowers?"
************************************************************************
Caroline didn't know what to do. Lance was mad. She was only supposed to give
the police enough information to keep them busy until the parents paid off.
Someone else was feeding information to the police.
************************************************************************
Laura
decided that she would cook dinner for Matt this time. Dinner was a little
awkward because they both knew that it was nearing time for OSIR to leave.
"Do you know where you'll be going next?" She asked nervously. He
looked at her. She was close to tears. "We don't have an exact assignment
yet. We'll probably have a couple of days, you know to turn in reports. .
." He was looking into her eyes now and at her lips. He kissed her hard.
After a while, Laura pulled away. "I think dinner is ready." Matt
smiled. How would he be able to leave this woman? The dinner was absolutely
delicious. Her being a good cook would make it even harder for him to leave.
"So, I would imagine that you're going to continue trying to get proof on
Caroline?" She nodded. "The police are keeping a watch on Caroline,
but we don't know who the mysterious man was. I talked to a sketch artist."
Matt wanted her away from all of this. He admired her convictions of wanting to
find her brother's killers, but he also wanted her safe. Matt put his hand up to
massage his neck. "We have to get proof." "You're tense. I think I
can help." Laura moved around behind him and started massaging his neck and
shoulders. He couldn't believe that she was doing this. "How does that
feel?" she asked. Matt didn't want to say what he was really thinking.
Needless to say, he didn't want to talk about the case anymore. There were other
things on his mind now. He moaned. Finally he said, "That's
incredible." He turned around and started kissing her. She was surprised,
but continued kissing and massaging him. Matt was losing control quickly. He
stopped long enough to remove his shirt. Laura saw this as a sign that he wanted
her to continue massaging him. With Laura now touching his bare skin, it was
almost too much for him. His hands started moving as well. He reached under her
shirt and started unhooking her bra. He had been kissing her the whole time and
now he wanted more. He pulled her down onto the couch so that she lay on top of
him. Laura had lit candles all around the room and decided that it would look
prettier if she turned out the lamp. She broke the kiss long enough to reach
above Matt's head to turn off the lamp. Matt swallowed hard as her breasts were
right in front of him. He wanted to touch her. He removed her shirt. She was so
soft and she was making him crazy. Laura became aware of what his intentions
were and froze. "What's wrong?" he managed to ask. She was frightened.
He could tell. But, then he got angry. She put her shirt back on. "I
thought that you wanted me to do that." She was crying now. "I was
giving you a massage, that's all. Look, I'm not ready for this." Matt felt
guilty. He was being selfish. He didn't want to lose her. "I'm sorry,
Laura. I thought . . .It doesn't matter what I thought. I really care about you.
I want to be with you, but not until you're ready." It took everything he
had not to continue what he had started. "I'll follow your lead. You tell
me how far we go, okay?" He lifted her chin so that she was looking at him.
"Well, I like when you kiss me. . ." Matt smiled and kissed her. He
waited and let her do what she wanted. Laura held him and deepened the kiss. He
would have given anything to continue past the kiss, but for now this would have
to do. He thought about his love for her.
Look What Love Has Done
Where once the moon was just a rock spinning in the
sky
Where once the stars were only tiny points of light Now the moon looks like
its' heaven's shining pearl
Now those stars - they look like windows into
another world
chorus
Look what love has done to me, look what love has done
There's poetry in all I see look what love has done
And my heart is dancing
through each day
My soul is running free
Look what love has done to me
Where
once each breath was just a sigh of aching emptiness
Where once I hardly felt
the beating in my chest
Now each breath feels like a precious kiss of life
Now
inside me beat the wings of a thousand butterflies
chorus
And I can't tell was
that a violin or did you just say something
Was that lightening striking where I
stand
Or did you just reach out and take my hand?
chorus (written by Rob Mathes
and Stephanie Lewis sung by Jaci Valasquez)
They continued kissing until Matt's
cell phone rang. "Yeah. What? Okay, I'll be right there." He turned
off the phone and looked at Laura. "Another child was kidnapped." Matt
brought Laura with him in case she could help in some way. When they arrived at
the field office, they were shocked to see Caroline Simmons there. "What is
she doing here?" Matt whispered to Lindsay. Lindsay noticed that he had
brought Laura with him and she wasn't wearing her disguise. "How did we
know that you were bringing Laura with you?" Lindsay whispered back. they
saw that Caroline was curious as to who Laura was. "Well, if she really
were psychic she wouldn't have to ask who Laura is." Matt whispered back.
"This is Ms. Moore—Ms. Moore this is Caroline Simmons." Peter was
deliberately avoiding he first name. He then took Caroline into one of the
observation rooms to question her about the latest kidnapping. Even though they
knew that she was a phony, she might give them some useful information.
"Matt, that was way too close. As it is, she might still remember me."
Matt knew that it was a possibility. He also knew that it also put her in more
danger. "I'm sorry. Look, you shouldn't be mixed up with this. I know, your
brother was killed and you're trying to find the killer, but why don't you let
us do that?" Matt looked as if he were going to cry. "Why do you
care?" she joked, but Matt was serious. "Because I love you." He
even surprised himself not to mention surprising her. "You what?" She
didn't believe that she had heard him right. "I said 'I love you' and I
don't want anything to happen to you." He took her face in his hands and
kissed her thoroughly.
In the meantime, Pete had been questioning Caroline in another room.
"Look Laura, I need to go and help question Caroline. Why don't you wait
here and then I'll take you home. I'll be back as soon as I can." Laura
nodded and kissed him. I am one lucky man, he thought.
Caroline was going through her usual convulsions. She was feeling pretty
happy with this last kidnapping. The media seemed to have forgotten that she
didn't solve the last kidnapping. "I see a dark place. . . " Peter and
Matt exchanged glances. This sounded exactly like any kidnapping. Just then,
they heard the scream. It was so loud that it brought Caroline out of her
'trance'. Matt ran out of the room. When he came to the room where he had left
Laura, he found her lying on the floor. "Oh my God!" He went over and
lifted her head. He pulled back his hand and there was blood on it. They moved
Laura to the medical facility where Anton examined her. "The blood is from
where she hit her head on the table when she fell. She was unconscious for a
couple of minutes. But, I can't tell why she hit her head on the table."
Anton said. "She was having another dream. She must have fallen
asleep." Matt said as he stroked her forehead where she had hit it. Matt
was falling in love with this girl, but didn't know where it would lead. When
Lindsay came in to check on Laura, she found Matt still there. He was asleep
with his head lying on the bed and he was holding Laura's hand. Lindsay touched
Matt on the shoulder. "What? Is she okay?" "She's still asleep.
Speaking of sleep, don't you think that you need to get some sleep?" He was
already shaking his head. "I need to stay here with her," was all he
said. Laura began to awaken. "Matt. . ." He focused his attention on
Laura. "I'm here, honey." She reached for him. "I had another
dream." He pulled back. "I know. Do you want to talk about it? She
nodded. She needed to talk about it. "There's no light. Wherever she is,
there are no windows. It's pitch black. She's scared. She hears the rats and
Lord knows whatever else is in the darkness." Laura is shaking and Matt
wraps his arms around her to let her know he was there. "Horses."
Lindsay and Matt looked at her questionably. "What do horses have to do
with anything?" Lindsay whispered. "I don't know—remember the
tomatoes." "The Bible says that we only see things partially. That's
how it is when I see things. It's not until the end that everything becomes
clear." She seemed to be finished now. "Go back to sleep now,
honey." He stroked her forehead. They had finished questioning Caroline and
sent her home. "Anton, is there something we can give her so she doesn't
dream anymore tonight?" Anton nodded and said, "I'll take care of it
if you go and get some sleep." This time Matt nodded. He went to his room
that he used while he was in the field. As he took his shirt off, he
remembered her hands on his bare skin and shuddered. Then he thought about
what life would be like once the case was over. He shuddered again.
He didn't know if he would be able to give her up. He thought of this as
he drifted off to sleep.
"And by the way, you flunked your test." She had tucked the tape
recorder in her pocket. She had hoped that Caroline would break down and confess
like they did on the cop shows on T.V. Caroline reached into her desk drawer and
pulled out a gun. "Why don't you have a seat, Ms. Moore." Laura was
surprised. Oh my, what have I gotten myself into, she thought. Caroline
picked up the phone and dialed. "Yes, I have her right here. She knew about
the first kidnapping. She's the kid's sister." When Caroline hung up, she
said, "Come on, let's go." Matt stood on Laura's doorstep ringing the
doorbell for the fifth time. He looked through the window and didn't see a
light. He couldn't understand it. Why would she leave? She must have had another
nightmare. Anton had insisted that it was impossible. "I gave her a
sedative." Matt remembered what Laura had said once. 'Whatever can be will
be.' Matt decided to go to Caroline's office to see if Laura was there. When he
arrived, there was no one there. In the outer office Matt saw nothing out of
place. He went to Caroline's door and opened it. The first thing that he saw was
Laura's wig and glasses on the floor. "Oh my God!"
*****************************************************************************************************
"She's missing!" Matt was frantic. "Calm down, Matt." Anton
told him. He couldn't. He was the one that kept telling her that they needed
more proof. "We've got to find out where they are." "We checked
out the horses lead at the race track. It was a dead end." They were
thinking again. Matt finally went to sleep about two a.m. He had spent the whole
evening racking his brain trying to figure out where she could be. In the
meantime, Laura was with little Heather Thompson. The little girl was scared and
the first thing Laura tried to do was make her feel safe. "It's okay,
honey." She held Heather as they both drifted off to sleep. "We've got
to get rid of them." Lance was saying to Caroline. Caroline remembered
Laura's brother Danny. A homeless man had seen them drag Danny into the
abandoned building. Lance had killed them both. Now he was going to be doing the
same thing again. "And I think I know just how to do it." He flicked
his lighter on. In her dream she saw the flames licking the walls. The dream was
so real, she could feel the heat. Then she heard screams. She saw herself in the
flames. Heather was there, too. She started praying. In the midst of the prayer,
she thought of Matt. "Matt!" She heard her own voice as she awoke.
Matt was having a nightmare. He saw the flames getting higher and felt their
heat. He saw Laura and the little girl, Heather. Then the outside of the
building flashed before him. He recognized it. It was an abandoned amusement
park. On the sign was a carousel horse. "I know where they are." He
yelled as he woke up. They called the police and told them to meet them at the
abandoned amusement park. When the team arrived, the firemen were putting out
the fire. Then, out of the fire came Laura and Heather. "Laura!" He
took her into his arms and held her. "How did you find us?" She
couldn't believe he was here. "I got your message." Epilogue Heather
Thompson was returned to her family. Caroline and her accomplice, Lance, were
taken into custody.
Laura went to visit her brother's gravesite. Matt stood a little way off. The
prophetic dreams had stopped with the capture of Caroline and her crew.
"Thank you for coming with me. I didn't know if I would be strong enough to
come." He held her in his arms. She had decided to go back to her dancing.
She was leaving for New York within the hour. "Do you have to go?"
Matt had said that he would not ask her to stay, but he couldn't help it.
"You know I have to go." She reached out and touched his face. He
kissed her and then held her again. "Don't worry. You're not going to get
rid of me that easily." He smiled. He knew he wouldn't.
Shaken
To the right
like in history let's review the facts of eternity
To the children of Israel and
the burning sands and the desert heat
To the hearts in the wilderness God saw
that they would not confess
To the velvet touch in an iron hand and jumped into
the Promised Land
And everything that can be will be, everything that can be
will be Shaken, shaken, shaken, shaken God is going to shake the whole thing
down