The Heroes' Paradox

28. Hunted

Ava woke up from the vision/nightmare, gasping.

The man behind her stared. "Hey, honey?"

"Oh."

"You okay?"

"No, I just had another nightmare. It's fine, it's nothing. Just go back to sleep."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She laid down again, still panting.

ROADHOUSE

Sam, Daisy and Reagan entered the Roadhouse and heads turned. Ellen was behind the bar and looked up as they approached.

She smiled knowingly. "Sam. Daisy. Reagan."

"Hey, Ellen," Sam greeted, grinning sheepishly. "You don't seem that surprised to see me or the girls."

"Well, your brother and Madelyn been calling, worried sick, looking for you three."

"Yeah. Figured they might."

"What's going on between you five?" Noah asked as he walked up.

"So, um, how's Jo?"

Ellen nodded. "Well, I don't really know."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Noah and I haven't seen her in weeks. She sends a postcard now and again."

Daisy tilted her head, trying to avoid Noah's smile. "Well, what happened?"

"Well after she and Noah worked that job with you boys and girls, she decided she wanted to keep on hunting. I said "not under my roof", and she said "fine". Noah, as much as I don't like it, helps here at the bar and goes on occasional hunts."

Noah cleaned a glass. "I always come back and I always check in."

"'Til the day you don't."

"I'm not gonna end up like Dad."

"You don't know that."

"You don't either."

"So we're probably the last people you want to see right now," Sam said.

Ellen let out a throaty chuckle. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I wish I could blame the hell out of you boys. It'd be easier. Truth is, it's not your fault. None of it is. I want you to know that I forgave your daddy a long time ago for what happened to my Bill. I just don't think he ever forgave himself."

"What did happen?"

"Um, so, why did you three come here, sweeties?"

"We need help."

Later, Ellen, Daisy, Noah, Reagan and Sam were talking to Ash, who was looking around furtively.

"What am I looking for, Sam, Daisy, Reagan?" Ash asked.

"Other people, other psychics, like me," Sam replied. "As many as possible, and we need a nationwide search."

Ellen frowned. "But I thought there was no way to track them all down. Not all of them had nursery fires like you did."

"Well, no, but some had to. Start there."

Ash left and eventually emerged from his back room with a piece of paper in hand and gave it a flourish. "Done, and done."

"That was fast."

"Well, apparently, that's my job. Make the monkey dance at the keyboard."

Daisy pursed her lips. "Just tell us what you got, Ash."