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“That’s not even a month away. What do you think the odds are of this being resolved by then?”

“Doubtful at best. Why? You know they’re not going to care how inappropriate your beginning was.”

“I’m not worried about them. Tori’s semi-convinced that we’re only attracted to each other because of the situation. She’s not going to accept it completely until this is behind her.”

Todd’s eyebrows rose. “If you came up with that excuse, you’re selling Tori short. If she did, I’m willing to bet she already knows it’s bullshit meant to keep you from getting close enough to hurt her like whoever it was who did before.”

“No bet since I’m sure that’s why she said it even if she doesn’t realize it. I’ve heard the details and it’s not as bad as it could be.”

“Then it’s only a matter of time.”

“The one thing I don’t have a lot of. If I don’t put in an appearance, they’ll all swarm in on us and call me on whatever excuse I give Terese. If I call everybody and ask them to play it cool with Tori, they’ll switch into thundering elephant stealth mode which Tori will pick up on right away. If we just walk in together, they’ll be overwhelming to someone who has no experience with anything even remotely like our bunch. The choices all suck. And the only acceptable way for us to not be there sucks more than all three combined since it would mean we’d be in the middle of something related to Tori’s situation. You’d miss your own party which would be ruined anyway with them all worrying about us.”

“Hate to say it but you’re definitely screwed on this one. Guy, if Tori’s the one for you, you’ll find a way to handle it, just like Terese and I did when we lost the babies. Either you’re together for everything or you’re not and if you’re not you didn’t belong to each other in the first place.”

“Damn, I should have kept my mouth shut. Compared to what you got through, this is inconsequential.”

“Nothing that threatens to come between you and your partner is inconsequential. Every couple has their own demons.”

“You guys are awfully serious in here,” Tori commented from the kitchen doorway. “Did something new happen?”

“Nope.” Guy gave silent thanks that she hadn’t overheard their conversation since he was fairly sure she wouldn’t be thrilled that they’d been talking about her instead of the investigation. “Just keeping it down so we didn’t distract you. How’s it going in there?”

“Okay. I hope it’s all right that I asked Ned if we could take a break. I’m heating up some stew in case you guys are hungry so it isn’t really a waste of time.”

“We owe you an apology,” Todd spoke before Guy could. “We should have made it clear that Ned’s here for however long it takes. He’ll work at whatever pace you’re comfortable with. We know this can’t be easy for you and are very appreciative that you’re putting yourself through it to help us. Stop as often as you need to and don’t push yourself beyond your own limits, Tori. This is all very important but not so important that you make yourself sick by going back over too much at one time.”

“Thanks but I’m fine.”

“Good.” Todd could feel the tension radiating from Guy because of the tremor in her voice. “I have some things to go over with Ned first but then I’m more than ready for some lunch now that I’m smelling it.” He winked at Guy once he was behind Tori to let him know they’d have a few minutes alone.

Guy wrapped Tori in his arms as soon as Todd was through the archway. He made sure they couldn’t be seen from the dining room so Ned wouldn’t be forced into an awkward position.

“You’re tense, tiger. I can feel it.” His hands kneaded her back. “Is Ned as good as Todd says he is?”

“Better I think. It’s fascinating in a sick way. By the time he finished each one I could hear them again.”

“Them? How many did you do?”

“Five.”

“No wonder you’re so tense. Five sketches in four hours is tremendous.”

“Five dreams. After the first set, Russ and Stan don’t take long to change. Seeing them isn’t as bad as I expected it to be. Kimmie and Sam and all that go with them was worse than awful but it was the others that got to me. I know Todd’s right that it might help pinpoint the locations but it was bad enough watching them die the first time. Seeing them again, knowing that they’re real people…” Tori broke down, sobbing helplessly into Guy’s chest.

As he had before, Guy crooned softly to the top of Tori’s head, not really saying anything but using his voice to soothe her. He abandoned the massaging caresses to hold her firmly against him.

A movement caught Guy’s eye. He raised his head to find Todd standing in the kitchen, silently offering support. Guy shook his head ever-so slightly, indicating that he wanted more time alone. He knew Todd would see all he was feeling but trusted him not to betray them by sharing the information he now had.

“It hurts so much,” Tori managed through her tears.

“I know it does.” Guy understood all too well from personal experience. “It’ll fade but it might not ever disappear completely. Or it never has for me.”

His statement sank in and Tori jerked back so she could see his face. “How can you stand it? Why do you keep doing this to yourself? And Todd and Barry too. How do you get up every day knowing you could face something even worse than the day before?”

“You can’t let the hurt rule you or it’ll destroy you, Tori. You have to find a way to put it in perspective.”

“Perspective?”

“Mm. Everyone has their own technique for coping but I use the pain to remind me not to take anything for granted. All life is precious but those closest to me are even more so. I’ve learned to cherish the special people in my life because I know all too well that they could be taken at any time. I can’t give you any magical solution because there isn’t one. You’re the only one who can find peace. I’ll do anything to help but in the end it all rests with you.”

“I don’t know how.”

This time Guy nodded for Todd to join them. He must have been listening, out of sight, because he gave Tori’s shoulder a squeeze and said, “That’s how I feel most days too but I always seem to figure it out just when I need to. I know it’s rude to eavesdrop, even worse to butt into a conversation uninvited but one of the things I learned from Terese is that sometimes it’s better not to be politically correct.

“It’s obvious that you’re a survivor, Tori, but even survivors need someone to lean on occasionally. I’m pretty certain that you prefer to be self-reliant and that’s great if it works for you. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to do this on your own. When it gets to be too much and it will at some point, speak with someone who understands. Guy wasn’t just talking when he offered his assistance. I’m available too though not in the same capacity as he is. Now that you’ve met Ned, you can talk to him if you need someone who’s not as close as Guy. If you’d rather be anonymous, I can recommend several good people with the Bureau. I’m probably overdoing it but it’s too important not to.”

Todd took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “Now that I’ve made you uncomfortable, I’m going to make it up to you by taking over lunch. Come sit down and tell me where everything is. We’ll let Guy go take a look at everything with Ned since I made him stay out of there all morning.”

* * * * *

There was an unspoken agreement during lunch to keep the conversation light for Tori’s sake. The men refused to let her lift a finger. While they ate, all three entertained her with stories of occasions at Todd and Terese’s house. Since Ned had been to several, he had plenty to add.

Their ploy to distract Tori was a success until Ned began to clear the table. His ready smile was replaced with a frown and he lost all track of the conversation. When he stood, staring blankly out of the window, dishes still in hand, Todd tilted his head in Ned’s direction and covered Tori’s hand.

“Sorry, kids, but I’m afraid playtime is over. Ned’s got that look about him that generally means his mind has latched on to something and won’t let go until he asks about whatever it is.” Guy captured Tori’s other hand and nodded. “Ned. Yo, Ned. Put down the dishes before you drop them and spit it out.”

Ned blinked several times to focus. “Oh.” He leaned against the sink. “No. It can wait. It’s nothing really.”

“Ned,” Tori sounded calm but both agents noticed the death grip she had on Guy’s hand. “You’ve had a question all morning. What is it?”

When Todd gestured to indicate he should ask, Ned became eager. “Okay, here’s the thing. I don’t get the tree. All the rest follow the same basic pattern from start to finish. Your dreams coincide until their plan is executed and then the series ends. The tree just doesn’t fit. From what you wrote that particular dream pops up at random and stays the same without progressing. Other than the fact that it looks like it belongs in the opening scene of a super-freaky thriller, what does it have to do with anything?” Ned retrieved the drawings from the dining room and spread them on the table. “Why is this all you ever see? Where are the men? What is the point of approaching the tree when you never find anything once you reach it?”

For the longest moment, they all sat contemplating the images in front of them. Each showed a huge tree in the middle of nowhere. The branches were twisted and interlocked, as if it was ancient and had withstood the ravages of the seasons for many, many years. It was bare as was the ground surrounding it, giving the impression that the whole area was dead. The bark was dark, almost like it was wet but the ground was dry. In the dream, Tori always saw the tree from a distance. She could hear the sounds of labored breathing and footsteps as she went toward the tree. Nothing else ever moved. There was no wind swaying the branches and no birds startled into flight by her presence. There were no small creatures rustling in the field. The closer she got to the tree, the harder her heart pounded. She wanted to turn around and run away without looking back but was unable. Her feet kept trudging on, taking her to something that remained a mystery.

Todd frowned at the questions Ned raised. “Maybe there isn’t a point. Maybe the scene is just something you saw once that your mind held on to. Ned’s right. It is eerie. Maybe it keeps popping up simply because its evil image fits.”

Tori shook her head without seeming to realize it but didn’t comment.

“Tori?” Guy broke into her thoughts.

“No.”

“No, what?”

“It’s not random. There’s someone there. It’s just,” she hesitated, unsure if she should share her opinion.

“It’s all right, Tori,” Todd lowered his tone. “You can speak freely with us. Ned and I are here to help resolve this but we need any information you can give us. If you have a theory about this, please tell us. Even if you think it’s highly unlikely and farfetched, you never know. Something you say may be the clue that makes all the other pieces fall into place.”

She saw that Ned’s expression echoed Todd’s words and turned her attention to Guy. She could read the unspoken encouragement in his eyes along with the concern and caring that she had come to expect in the short time he’d been around.

“It’s different from the rest,” Tori began tentatively. “But there is someone buried there. I know it.”

“So why do you think this one is different?” Todd asked.

“Because, well, because it wasn’t planned. I think they had an opportunity that was too tempting to resist. Instead of carefully choosing their victim and planning out a specific scenario, they just killed somebody. They buried him under the tree and the body hasn’t been found yet. I think when it is the dream will change and I’ll see more. I also think whoever they killed was someone who nobody missed. You know, someone like me when I got on that bus without any real idea of where I was going.”

“Tori,” Guy gasped.

“Come on, Guy. You know I’m right. I didn’t talk to anyone on the bus so no one questioned when I didn’t get back on after one of the stops. There wasn’t anyone waiting for a call to say I got here. No one even knew I got on a bus. I don’t know why but I think the person under the tree was more like me and not a typical homeless person. Somehow they knew he was alone and killed him just because they could get away with it.”

There was an extended lull as they all considered Tori’s thoughts. Eventually, Todd said, “You may very well be right.”

“Too bad we’ll probably never know,” Ned added. “Even when we catch these guys it’s not likely that they’ll tell us anything.”

“Next time they say they can feel me with them I’ll ask,” Tori declared. “Hey, you never know. If they can tell that I’m watching, maybe they’ll be able to hear me now too.”

“I know you want to help but I don’t recommend that you attempt to communicate with them. If they find a way into your mind, they will know you’re working with us to try to catch them. They’re already too dangerous, carefully planning things and carrying them out to impress you. If they discover you betrayed them, it could trigger a reaction that might be even worse,” Todd explained truthfully although he knew it would scare her.

“Oh no.” Tori’s lips quivered. “What if they find out anyway? I mean…”

“Don’t do this to yourself,” Todd commanded. “I don’t want you to do anything differently from what you have. I know it’s eating at you, knowing they’re real but don’t dwell on it any more than you did before. Don’t second-guess them or you, even if that means you have to babble nonstop about what’s happening on your favorite show, every memory you have from your childhood, the plot of every book you ever read and your opinion of each of them until you exhaust yourself and pass out. You have to keep talking to keep your mind off what we’re doing here even if Guy conks out first and you stay awake for three days straight. We’ll take turns sitting with you if we need to, Tori. Seriously, we’ll do whatever it takes to keep your mind occupied.” Todd gave Guy a look that told him not to say whatever it was that he was about to.

“Oh, okay. Thanks,” Tori mumbled. The thought that they’d all disrupt their lives for her was too much at the moment. “Should we do some more?”

Ned answered slowly, as if he expected one of the others to object. “If you’re up for it. Or we could call it a day and pick it up in the morning.”