Smoked

by Slade, Heather

  “There hasn’t been a lot of change. She’s due to head back to Asheville this afternoon. I’m hoping she comes back with more answers.”

  “If there’s anything the rest of the team or I can do, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  I shook my head and looked down at the floor. “Be on standby to sweep up the broken pieces when Siren learns the truth.”

  “Was it really that bad?”

  “You saw us together. The other night, she told me that she had a dream and woke up feeling like we hated each other. She asked me about it.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I told her I never hated her.”

  “Was that the truth?”

  “At this point, I can’t say. There were times I sure as hell felt like I did. More times that I almost called Rile and told him that either he partner me with someone else, or I was walking off the mission. Something I had never considered doing at any other time in my career.”

  “Damn. I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

  “It was worse. There was no question she hated me just as much. More, in fact.”

  “What I don’t get is why Siren thinks the two of you were an item.”

  “Me either. I mean, there was one night when we were in the Seychelles. We had too much to drink, and one thing led to another.”

  Decker’s eyes opened wide.

  “The next morning, I told her that nothing like that could or would ever happen between us again. She was sure to inform me that she’d rather die first. That’s how it was between us.”

  “Damn, Smoke, I’m real sorry.”

  “Me too. I’ve wanted to tell her the truth since before we left London. I didn’t, and then when we got here, the psychiatrist told me not to. That her already fragile emotional state could get a lot worse.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Not much I can, except wait until her memory comes back and, when it does, try to keep her from cutting my balls off and feeding them to me. Then I’m sure she’ll go back to IMI and I’ll go back to freelancing, only this time, with the caveat that no one ever teams me up with Siren again.”

  I heard something outside the office, but when I looked, all I saw were the barn cats.

  “It seems like you really care for her, Smoke.”

  “It’s more than that, Deck. I think I love her.”

  “Fuck, man. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Me either. What I said earlier, about sweeping up broken pieces. I was referring to what’s left of me.”

  16

  Siren

  Gripping the barn door with one hand, I tightly covered my mouth with the other, praying no sound came out. I ran across the lawn, stumbling before I got to the house. Once inside, I raced down the corridor to Smoke’s bedroom.

  I pulled a small bag I’d seen at the back of the closet and tossed some clothes into it, careful to only take what I’d had when I arrived here. Then I went into the bathroom and grabbed a handful of necessities.

  Next, I checked the cross-body pouch I wore under my clothes that I’d thankfully found in the bag of things I brought with me from the hospital. In it were my identification, passport, and credit cards.

  I hurried over to the bedroom where Maureen had been staying. “Put this inside your suitcase,” I said, handing her the smaller bag. “I’ll explain later. We’ll be leaving earlier than anticipated…um…Dr. Mansfield had to switch my appointment.”

  “He didn’t notify me.”

  “That’s because he notified me,” I snapped and turned before stalking out of the room. “Please just do as I ask. I’m begging you.”

  When she nodded, I hurried back into Smoke’s bedroom and packed the suitcase I usually took with me to Asheville. I had it almost wheeled to the front door when I saw him walking in my direction from the barn. I took a deep breath, ready to give the performance of my life.

  “I thought you weren’t leaving for another hour,” he said, looking down at where my suitcase and Maureen’s sat near the door.

  “I thought we’d get an early start. There are some things I need to pick up at the store.”

  Smoke wrapped his arm around my waist. “I wish I could go with you.”

  “Me too. Next time.” I leaned forward, brought my lips to his in a quick kiss, and took a step back. “You’d best get back to work,” I said, motioning with my head to where Decker was waiting.

  “Okay. I’ll try to call some time tonight.”

  “Sounds good. Goodbye, Smoke.” I turned away, praying I could get in the SUV without him following.

  By the time he loaded the two bags in the back, Maureen was behind the wheel.

  “Go,” I said before he could walk around to my door.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked.

  I shook my head, put my finger in front of my lips, and she nodded.

  I pressed my fingers against my temples as thoughts raced through my head. There was still so much I didn’t remember, but hearing what Smoke had said to Decker gave credence to the dreams I’d had of the two of us, not only at odds, but that left me feeling as though he and I hated each other.

  * * *

  Once we arrived in Asheville, I wheeled my suitcase into the house Smoke had rented. I used the landline to call a car service to take us, along with Maureen’s suitcase, to the hospital complex.

  “May I use your mobile?” I asked before we left the house. When Maureen handed it over, I walked into the lavatory and rang Dr. Mansfield’s emergency number.

  “It’s urgent I see you as soon as possible,” I said when he answered.

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “In Asheville, near the hospital.”

  “I can meet you at my office in twenty minutes.”

  I ended the call, dismantled Maureen’s phone, removed the necessary components, and put it back together. If Smoke had a tracking device on it, from this moment on, it would indicate the phone was here at the rental.

  I came out and handed her back the mobile that appeared operational, but wasn’t. I heard a car’s horn from outside and led her to the waiting vehicle.

  Once at the hospital complex, Maureen followed me to an out-of-the-way courtyard and I explained what had happened. My version of it anyway.

  “My memory has been coming back in bits and pieces,” I explained. “I’ve no idea what Smoke divulged to you, but he and I work in intelligence.”

  She nodded, her eyes wide. “I gathered it was something like that, given the way he got the doctor to travel from London to the States with us.”

  “Right. Anyway, I’ve received word that I must return to the UK as soon as possible. My orders are that Smoke not know of my departure nor of my whereabouts.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you?” I pressed.

  “You can trust me.”

  Whether I could or not, remained to be seen. I wasn’t foolish enough to think she couldn’t contact Smoke without her mobile. I only hoped to waylay her if that was her intention. “Best you wait here,” I said, before leaving for Dr. Mansfield’s office. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”

  * * *

  “I don’t have much time,” I explained as the doctor closed the door behind me.

  “What’s happened?”

  I told him about the conversation I’d overheard between Smoke and Decker. “The last thing I heard him say was that he was waiting for me to get my memory back. Once that happened, I could return to IMI’s employ and he’d ensure the two of us never saw each other again.”

  The doctor brushed his lower lip with his finger and leaned back in his chair. “I was aware your relationship with Mr. Torcher wasn’t the way you remembered it. However, I do believe he cares for you, Siobhan. A great deal, in fact.”

  “You would think differently if you’d overheard the same conversation I did.”

  “What are you planning to do?”

  “You are not permitted
to tell anyone the things we say while in session.”

  “That is correct.”

  “My intention is to fly to Washington, DC, and go straight to the Irish Embassy. I will explain who I am and that I need to return to Ireland as soon as possible.”

  Dr. Mansfield opened a desk drawer and pulled out a large envelope. “This may prove useful,” he said, handing it to me.

  “What is this?”

  “A complete dossier on Siobhan ‘Siren’ Gallagher.”

  I opened the envelope, pulled out a few of the pages, and looked through them. “You know everything about my life? I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”

  “Because you needed to remember on your own, Siobhan. Not reconstruct your memory based on things I told you. Do you understand the difference?”

  The fact that I did, did not diminish the rage I was feeling at that moment.

  “I do not want Smoke to know any of this. That I was here, where I’m going. Nothing.”

  “There is an easy solution to that.”

  “What?”

  He opened a different desk drawer. “This form removes Mr. Torcher currently from your medical power of attorney. Once you’ve completed it, he has no legal means by which to access your medical records.”

  “He could trace my whereabouts that way,” I mumbled.

  “That is correct.”

  “Please.”

  “There’s one more thing,” Dr. Mansfield said when I stood to leave. “I want you to know that I truly do believe Smoke cares about you, Siobhan. I wouldn’t say so otherwise.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether he does or not, because I do not care about him.”

  “I hope you’ll keep in touch,” he said as he walked me to the door.

  “When I can, I will.”

  “Best of luck to you, Miss Gallagher.”

  * * *

  Before I left his office, I placed a call to another car service and then dismantled my phone. I tucked part of it under the cushion of the sofa in the waiting room. The other part, I dropped in the trash can near the hospital’s entrance.

  I returned to the courtyard where Maureen sat waiting with her suitcase and asked her to remove the small bag I’d given her earlier.

  “Follow me,” I said, leading her back out to where the car service I’d called was waiting.

  Rather than fly out of the regional airport in Asheville, I asked the driver to take us to the larger one in Charlotte. From there, we’d fly to Dulles in Washington, DC. My plan was to book Maureen and I on a direct flight to London as soon as we landed. However, she’d be the only one of us getting on the plane. Once she did, I would make my own travel arrangements.

  17

  Smoke

  I’d been trying to reach Siren all afternoon as well as Maureen. Finally, I called Dr. Mansfield.

  “I saw her earlier,” he told me.

  “Did she mention whether she had scans scheduled?”

  “She did not.”

  “Hey, Smoke,” Zeke hollered at me. “We’ve got a situation.”

  “Thanks, Doc,” I said, ending the call. “What’s going on?” I asked my ranch manager.

  “One of the perimeter lines has been crossed.”

  This is what we’d been waiting for. That breach would trigger drone coverage; however, I wasn’t about to wait around to see if we could identify the bastards stealing and killing my cattle. Zeke, Decker, and I had already formulated a plan of action for when this happened.

  “Let’s move out!” I shouted, heading for the part of the barn where the ATVs were stored.

  * * *

  “Fuck,” I swore into my headset’s mic when we came over the crest and could see there was no one anywhere near the breached perimeter.

  “We’ll review the footage. If someone was here, we’ll ID them. If not, I’ve got a glitch to fix.”

  “Copy that,” I said. “I’m going to keep looking.”

  “I’ll go with you,” said Zeke through his own mic.

  It was after three in the morning by the time Zeke and I agreed there was nothing more we could do. I’d checked my phone a couple of times, frustrated that I hadn’t heard from Siren or Maureen. The latter would be getting an earful from me, given I was the one who paid her salary.

  * * *

  Once back at the house, I showered and got in bed. A few minutes after lying there in utter exhaustion but unable to sleep, I picked up my cell and tracked Siren’s. According to the app Decker had developed and put on my phone back when I was hired for my first mission with the Invincibles, Siren’s phone was at Mansfield’s office since earlier in the day.

  Maureen’s was at the rental from about an hour prior. While the locations didn’t trouble me, the fact neither had updated since that morning, did. Later, I’d have Decker check and see if that app had a glitch too. Knowing the man’s reputation, I doubted it very much.

  * * *

  By the end of the second day without hearing a word from either Siren or her nurse, I was equally pissed and worried. Especially after Decker assured me the app was functioning properly.

  “Hey, Smoke, I have an update for you,” he said a few minutes later.

  “Yeah?”

  He led me into the office and pointed to something on his laptop.

  “What does that mean?” I asked, looking at the flashing alert.

  “The phones have been dismantled.”

  Adrenaline streaked through my body as the ramifications of Decker’s words sunk in. I ran my hand through my hair. “What the fuck?” I mumbled under my breath.

  “It appears Siren may have more of her memory back than you might’ve thought.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “It takes someone with a certain amount of skill to know how to take a cell phone apart in such a way that it still shows up on most normal tracking programs as active.”

  “You think she’s the one who did it?” I asked.

  “I do.”

  “Based on?”

  “Instinct.”

  I nodded. Sometimes, that’s all we had to go on. I trusted Deck’s gut as much as I trusted my own.

  “I’ll start searching through security-cam coverage. What do you know about the nurse?”

  I pulled up the contact information for the medical personnel placement agency I’d used to find her and forwarded that to Deck.

  “While I do this, give them a call and see if they’ve heard from her.”

  “Copy that.”

  Both he and I realized the time difference simultaneously. “Guess you’ll have to wait,” he muttered when I calculated it was three in the morning over there.

  * * *

  “We have a hit,” he said less than ten minutes later.

  “Who?”

  “The nurse.”

  I looked at the screen. “Is that Dulles?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “What time was that?”

  “Seven last night.”

  * * *

  More than twenty-four hours ago, which meant Siren and her nurse could be just about anywhere in the world by now.

  “Is Siren with her?”

  Deck shook his head. “She’s smart enough to know how to beat facial recognition, Smoke.”

  In the same way most in the intelligence business would. If one of us appeared on security footage, it was because we wanted to. What surprised me was that Siren hadn’t made sure her nurse wasn’t recognized either.

  “Better read Rile in on this,” Deck suggested.

  While it was a little later in Spain, it was still the middle of the night, so rather than calling, I sent him a text. Siren on the move for more than twenty-four hours. Current whereabouts unknown.

  It wasn’t five minutes before my cell rang.

  “Brief me.”

  I told him everything Decker and I knew to this point.

  “Do you believe her memory has returned?”

  “It’s the only thing that ma
kes sense.”

  “I think it’s time I contact Director Hughes.”

  I had to agree. If we were wrong, we’d need IMI’s help. If we were right, there was a good chance he’d know her twenty.

  “Got her,” said Decker.

  “Hang on, Rile. Ashford says he has a hit.”

  “Fuck,” I muttered, looking at the image on the screen of Siren walking into IMI’s secret headquarters, looking straight at one of the security cameras with her middle finger in the air.

  II

  18

  Siren

  “I refuse to jeopardize our relationship with MI6, the CIA, or the Invincibles by turning this into an international incident, Siren,” said my boss, Director Rory Hughes, slamming his fist on his desk. He leaned back in his chair. “It seems to me that Smoke was trying to help you. Not informing IMI of your condition is an issue I’ll take up with Rile DeLéon, but you know as well as I do that faced with the same dilemma, both of us would have done the same thing for him or any other agent as he did for you.”

  I stood and walked over to his office window. I knew he was right; my pride was the only thing refusing to accept it.

  “How are you now, Siren?” Hughes asked, his voice taking on a fatherly tone.

  To begin, I was humiliated and heartbroken, but Rory wasn’t asking about my feelings. He wanted to know my medical condition. A few years ago, before I’d officially come on board at the Irish Military Intelligence and long before Rory Hughes was named director, he and I had a brief affair. There was no bad blood between us; the flame had just fizzled. When he became my boss, there was nothing untoward about our working relationship. It was as any other I had—except for Smoke and me. It still didn’t mean Rory would want to hear the sordid details.

  I tossed the copy of my medical records Dr. Mansfield had included in what he gave me before I left his office, but he handed it back to me.