Welcome to the Cassadines: Book II of Kismet

Chapter Eighteen

*Boo!*

A slightly swollen hip postponed the morning's Tai Chi session. Dawn wasn't sad about the delay. The physical aspect of the training opposite Frisco unnerved her. His proximity caused her to make mistakes. And she was not a person prone to making errors.

Frisco had a telephone conference so he gave her paperwork to review. He handed over the psychological profiles the WSB had compiled on the abductees. She was told to cross-reference the data and using her insight, decipher the similarities between the victims, if there were any. He gave her a laptop and a Number Seven security level. She wouldn't be able to access everything, but Frisco advised that a good report had its rewards.

She took the vacant office on the first floor and went to work. This was better than grad school, Dawn decided. The feeling of power was heady. She could actually help these people. Oh, she'd done her share of therapy sessions and had done some good. But this was different. Working for the WSB made it different.

Hours passed. She was down to the most recent abductees: Sabrina DeLane and Jasper Jacks. She leaned in close to the computer screen. Her hand tightened its grip around her pen as her eyes devoured the information before her.

Images of Sabrina's life in Greece flashed before Dawn's eyes. Unable to stop herself, she skipped forward to the early eighties and Nikolas' birth. Her heart surged as she looked at the early childhood images of the man she loved. He was such a cute little boy. She read about Sabrina's interaction with her nephew. She and Nikolas were close. Just as she and Andrèsj. Dawn's throat constricted. She didn't want to imagine the possibility of Sabrina not being returned to her family. Nikolas didn't express his sadness, but it was there. Dawn saw it in his eyes.

She moved back to the beginning of the DeLane file. Nikolas' aunt led an interesting life. Extensive travel in Europe followed by medical school in the States. Her name was associated with many of the world's most eligible as well as most handsome bachelors. Outrageous exploits were common, yet, when it came to her career in medicine, she was completely serious.

Using shorthand, Dawn completed her profile on Dr. DeLane on a legal pad. Later, Dawn planned to type the report for Frisco. Her fingers ached from holding the pen for so long. Her knuckles popped loudly as she flexed her fingers. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She quickly swiveled around in the office chair. A pair of greenish gray eyes assessed her from head to toe. Irritation flared inside her from the stranger's perusal.

Dawn rose from the chair. Her gaze covered him from top to bottom, taking in the scuffed hiking boots, well-worn jeans molded to muscled thighs, and the shadow of stubble that darkened the man's jawline. When their eyes locked, she noted that faint flicker of amusement.

"Did you enjoy the view?" he asked, an Aussie accent punctuating each word.

She moved to the edge of the desk. Her fingers searched under the wooden top for the hidden security button. The stranger didn't frighten her, but she believed it was better to be safe than sorry. "I haven't decided, yet. Who are you? How did you get in here?"

"The same could be asked of you," he said as he sauntered inside the office. "So the WSB recruits children. They must have hit upon hard times."

Dawn refused to be baited. "You haven't answered my question."

He came to stand only a few feet from her. "I don't intend to. Where's Frisco Jones?"

"I'm right here," came a voice from the door. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you returned from the wilderness."