“Do you need help?” she asked. “I saw … you’ve been in trouble, right? I don’t know how you ended up here, but there are still police in town—”

He shook his head. “No. I’m … as fine as I can be. I came here to try and find you.”

Don’t say that. God, don’t say that.

“I know this is really strange. But I know you. And I think you know me.”

“The whole world knows you,” Jane said, trying to keep her voice in a calm, detached, doctor tone. “I’ll ask again, are you in need of help? The last I saw, you were … kidnapped? Are you safe?”

“None of us are safe. That’s why I’m here. I know you, but I don’t even know your name.”

Jane took a small step backwards. She’d had her fair share of mentally ill patients. There was certainly strong speculation that a young man who vanished and then reappeared in a violent confrontation with law enforcement might be dangerously off balance.

“Why don’t you take a seat, Mr. Chance. You’ve obviously been through a lot, and it could do you some good to get a thorough examination. Are you on any medication I need to know about?”

He rested his hands on his hips, his shoulders broadening, the vein in his neck rising.

“Listen, please know this is as weird for me as it is for you.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

“I didn’t think I could find you. I couldn’t, actually, until a few hours ago. I still don’t truly understand how. But I did. And … I know you’ve seen me in your dreams. Just like I’ve seen your eyes and, eventually, your face. It’s how I found you. We don’t have a lot of time because that storm out there is getting worse. I assume you had a moment, maybe about a year ago, where you have a block of time that you don’t remember. Am I right?”

She flinched. “How do you know that?”

He took a hesitant step towards her. “I don’t know how to even start having this conversation with you. Something happened to you that you don’t remember. The same thing happened to me, a long time ago. What you need to know is that … you’re causing the hurricanes. And I’m the one who is making you do it.”

Run. Run now. This guy is insane.

Jane bolted. As she darted across the room, she realized she misjudged the distance between them.

“Wait,” he said, reaching out, taking her arm.

The jolt was so strong she felt the room tilt. For a moment, all she could see was the storm blowing in from the gulf. It was all around her, ripping and tearing at her and everything in its path—

She yanked her arm back. “You need to step back,” she stammered.