Page 22 of The Girl He Claimed

She'd thought the dream was over,that it was gone, but it came rushing back to her then. She could still seeHaley's face, still hear her accusing voice, refusing to let Paige rest easily.

Paige sat up and looked around,trying to get a sense of where she was. She was still on the couch, andChristopher was asleep beside her. Paige had no idea what time it was, but itseemed to be early, still dark outside.

She leaned back against thecushions, letting out a long breath. That dream had been intense. Maybe it wasa sign that she should stay away from this case entirely, that she should letChristopher and the rest of the FBI do their work without her.

She'd already caused too manypeople too much anguish with the way that she'd gone after answers. She'd beenthe reason Adam Riker had called the Exsanguination Killer and had her murderChristopher's wife. She'd been the reason Adam and the Exsanguination Killerhad lashed out at the Thorntons.

Paige got up quietly, going throughto the kitchen for a drink of water.

As she drank, Paige thought aboutwhat she could do next. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing while AdamRiker and the Exsanguination Killer continued to hurt people. She had to find away to help, even if it meant putting herself in danger.

Paige looked over and found thatChristopher was awake then, looking her way with obvious concern.

"Paige, how are youfeeling?"

"I... don't know," Paigeadmitted. She didn't dare examine her emotions right then. "But I want toget back to work."

"Just like that?"Christopher said with a slight frown. "Paige, it's too soon. Two of yourclosest friends have been murdered, and-"

"And Adam needs to pay forthat," Paige shot back. "Him and the Exsanguination Killer."

The need to do that was the onlything holding her together right then.

"Are you sure you're up tothis?" Christopher asked her. Paige was certain that Sauer would ask thesame thing when he heard that she wanted to keep working on this case.

"I have to be," Paigesaid, setting down her glass. "I can't just sit back and do nothing. Ineed to be out there, finding the evidence that we need to catch them."

Christopher looked at her for amoment, then nodded. If it had been anyone else, perhaps they would have keptarguing, but Christopher had been where Paige was. He knew how this momentfelt.

"Alright," he said."But promise me you won't push yourself too hard."

Paige wasn't sure that she could dothat. Right then, she would do whatever it took to bring the two killers tojustice. She would push as hard as she needed to.

They both knew that it wouldn't beeasy, that the case would take its toll on all of them. But Paige wasdetermined to see it through, no matter what. She couldn't let the deaths ofher friends go unpunished. She had to do everything in her power to bringjustice to their memory.

With that determination fuelingher, Paige headed back to her room to change out of her clothes and get readyfor the day ahead. She was going to need all the strength she could muster toface the challenges that lay ahead.

While she did it, a thought came toher.

"Christopher?"

"Yes?"

He came into the room just as Paigewas zipping up a black, knee-length skirt.

"What I don't get iswhythesetwo are working together," Paige said.

"They've discovered that theyappreciate one another's methods?" Christopher said. "Or they'verealized that they're alike?"

Paige shrugged. That was true up toa point. Both Adam Riker and the Exsanguination Killer were high-controlkillers, who seemed to take a particular delight in killing their victims inways where they knew that they were going to die but couldn't do anything aboutit. But there were differences. Adam tied his victims and let them die frompositional asphyxia, while the Exsanguination Killer tied her victims afterdrugging them and opened veins to let them bleed out.

For a moment, Paige froze, her minddragged back inexorably to the events of the previous night.

"Paige?" Christophersaid, the worry obvious in his voice.

"I can handle this,"Paige assured him. "I'm just thinking. Adam and the ExsanguinationKiller... theylooklike similar killers, from theirMOs." Talking helped her to push back the pain, if only for a moment ortwo. "They're both neat, highly organized."

"But?"

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