“He doesn’t even want to talk with you!” Tessa turned around, stopping halfway across the street.
“That’s not important, the military training will be enough to get us help. Always help a brother in need.” An hour later, they exited a taxi and ran through the crowds to the terminal. “We’ll catch a flight to the town just past where they are, then cut them off.” Inside the plane, Tessa fell fast asleep leaving Morgen to her thoughts. She began to drift off, thinking about the man with the blue eyes who had given her hope for a future. Her mind trailed into a girlhood fantasy.
There was a beautiful house in the country, stone walls with ivy trailing down and green moss sticking into the crevices. Behind it lay a golden field of wheat, waving in the wind. A woman came out of the house with a baby on her hip. On closer inspection, the woman was her in a perfect future. Clothed in a simple dress, her hair in a bun without the makeup of the city living. The baby was a healthy young boy with blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. On the road trudged a man who looked up and saw them. A smile grew on his face, dropping the lunch box in the center of the yard and running up to them. He grabbed the child and tossed him up into the air, catching him gently on the way down. The child’s laughter rang against the stone buildings and echoed out onto the fields. Then he bent down and kissed her lips, gently. “Ethan.”
“Morgen!” Tessa’s voice woke her up, the sunlight pouring in from the small window to her right. “We’re on the ground. Let’s go!” She scrambled out of her seat and took off down the corridor, leaving Morgen to get up groggily. Inside the bustle of the airport, the noise gave her an awful headache. Tessa had already rented a vehicle and was hurrying in the direction of the parking lot with the keys. Her energy exhausted Morgen. Something had drained her strength and will to find him. As the vehicle sped down the road toward the hotel, she checked the tracker. He was on his way toward them, traveling at a fast clip in the black Audi. The woman was looking tired, even the children looked somber. Ethan’s face was a mask of emotionless exhaustion, eyes an icy grey.
“How are we going to contact him?” Tessa’s question broke into her private thoughts, shattering the painful reverie like a wrecking ball.
“By driving him off the road.” Morgen gestured for Tessa to pull over and got in the driver’s seat.
12
His mind was a turmoil of emotions and panic. Honor and duty had never required such a drastic step. Pain stabbed at his chest and mind. I love her. Oh, god. I love her. The thought ran in an endless loop in his head. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that the knuckles had turned a translucent white. The muscles in his face ached, begging him to stop gritting his teeth. Sweat poured from his hairline into his eyes, forcing him to blink the salty liquid out before the road became a blur. The veins in his neck made the tie press against lungs in his throat, cutting off most of his air supply.
Amber looked at him, seeing a man who was focused on one thing – driving the vehicle down the highway at high speed. There was a cold icy glare in his eyes, moving from the road to the mirrors without straying to her or the children. His jaw was set in a hard line, the appearance of a determined man. Sweat was forming at his hairline, soaking his hair and making it glisten in the sunlight. She couldn’t read the thoughts going on in his mind, the solid mask was blocking her out.
Her own thoughts were searching for a way to keep him with her and the children. This was the first person to treat her with such deference, respect, love, and gentleness. It had brought back the girlish joy that had been her own before the harsh marriage. She had been transported back into high school and the anticipation of a first date. Even the children, the lights of her life, had been carried away by his charm and fatherly tenderness. They were already calling him, daddy. In their naïve minds, the moment a man kissed their mother that made him, their father. I can’t let him go. He’s given my life back. The children are behaving like nine and five year olds should, for the first time. Her heart was pounding, mind scrambling for the right words to address the situation.
A grey jeep passed them by, ignored by all the occupants in the car. Then Ethan’s eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror, watching as it did an illegal U-turn and began to follow them. He started increasing the gas, keeping a couple of cars between them. As the jeep sped up, the Audi matched the pace about two lengths ahead. A black van swung in front of the Audi, slowing it down. Ethan swore underneath his breath, attempting to pass it before the jeep caught up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it swing into the other lane and begin to gain on them. It drew parallel, then closed the space forcing the Audi off the road. He slammed on the breaks, using all his skill and strength to swing into a parking position. “Get down!” The order was barely out of his mouth and the door flew open. His pistol was in his hand, cocked and locked in order to shoot the first person out of the car. He stiffened when his eyes were met with the younger woman from the hospital, then he acted.
Morgen leapt out on her side, stopping when she saw Tessa held there with the gun to her head. “I told you to stay away from my family. Colonel, you know the drill. Face down on the ground!” She began to obey, watching him with a beating heart. There was a great deal of strain on him, visible from the sweat pouring down his face. “Do the same.” He’d let go of Tessa, using the barrel of the gun to direct her next to Morgen. “Next time, I so much as sense you following me…you’re dead.” The threat hung in the air, chilling the warm sun for Morgen. He was backing away, gun still aimed at them.
“Easy, soldier.” She said, not daring to raise her head from the ground. “There’s a man tracking the woman and children in your car. He’s gaining on your tail.”
“Then you just slowed us down.” Ethan replied, his voice beginning to get harsh from stress and anger. “If you were trying to warn us, you’ve done a bang-up job. Now, shut up and stay here until we’re gone. Don’t even try to follow us.”
“What about Bangkok?” There was silence, only the heavy breathing of a man thinking through his options.
“I owe you my life, don’t I?” The statement was said with a question at the end of it, confusion in his voice. “Get up.” She did, helping Tessa up while keeping an eye on him. “Exactly what do you want?” Morgen turned back to the car, pulling out a white packet and handing it to him.
“This belonged to your wife.” His eyes looked at it, then back at her without emotion or interest.
“Is this it? You needn’t have bothered.” There was something in his tone that made her look closely at the occupants of the car who were watching with worried faces. “Leave now and get back to Los Angeles. It will be safe there.”
“What about you? The woman and children?” She gestured toward them, seeing the woman begin to slowly get out of the car.
“Ethan? What’s going on?” She had a slight Spanish accent, a silky, smooth voice that seemed to float in the air like music.
“Get back in the car, Amber. We’re about to leave. They just wanted to warn us about…” He hesitated, looking at her for an instant with a tender glance. Something made Morgen’s heart begin to hurt, the fear of losing him again clutching at it. “We can take care of ourselves, Colonel. You should know the risks of dragging an uninvolved civilian into this.” His eyes flicked over to Tessa who stood watching the proceedings. “Care about her at all, get her out of here.”
“What about her?” Morgen pointed at Amber, her voice unable to hide the revulsion that she felt for the other woman. “She’s a civilian, Ethan.”
“Involved civilian. Her husband is the man you met two days ago. Keep out of it or I’ll put a bullet in your knee, myself.” It sent a chill down Morgen’s spine. Ethan Ryde kept his promises. She nodded, dragging Tessa back into their car and starting up the engine.
“He’s crazy!” Tessa burst out in the car, shouting and looking out at him. “You said that he was a friend!” Morgen couldn’t think of a reply. She had counted on their experience together to pave the w
ay. It had been too long. The anticipation of their meeting tasted like a bitter drink in her mouth.
Inside the Audi, Ethan sank into his seat and watched the Jeep take off in the dust. There weren’t any questions, just an understanding silence. Instinctively, Amber could feel the tension radiating off him. She just gently laid a hand on his shoulder for a moment, an invitation, not a demand for a conversation. I love her. I can’t leave her alone. The thoughts began to pound into his head, telling him to get going and leave before their attackers were following them. It wasn’t until they’d pulled over into another hotel parking lot that Amber began to press for answers. They left the kids in the room watching a cartoon and took a walk around the hotel hallways, just talking. “What happened back there?” Don’t let me lose him. I can’t lose him.
“I served with her during the war.” His eyes looked into her own for a brief moment before they turned down a flight of stairs. “She saved my life in Bangkok, tried to get information out me. Wade threatened to have her killed because of us.” Amber stopped, mouth open slightly. Too many people are being threatened by my ex-husband, he’s gone insane. Not anymore. I don’t care what it takes, Ethan has to end this. “Told her to get back to Los Angeles or I’d personally see to it that she was flown back in a medical chopper.”
“Ethan, we have to stop him. He’s gone psychotic. No more people can get hurt by his actions.” He nodded, leaning against the cold textured wall of the building and listening. “I’m not letting you go out there alone. This is my fight…our fight…we’ll finish it together or not at all.” There was a fire that hadn’t been in her heart for a long time, courageous and prepared for a fight. It surprised him, the sudden bravery making the blue eyes sparkle. His heart told him, she was right. His mind told him, they’d both die. There was a fierce battle going on behind the neutral mask that usually remained on his face.
“What about the children? We can’t leave them alone, especially not…as orphans.” They had to face the possibility of dying in this fight, these were highly trained men. “You should stay with them, back me up with surveillance and information.” Her mind rebelled against this statement for a moment. I’m not a weak woman to be left behind with the children. Who does he think he is? Then the children’s needs crossed the inner screen of thought and pulled at her heart strings. He’s right. I wish he wasn’t. They need their mother. Stepping forward, she looked up into his face.
“Fine. You’ll have to show me how.” His arms were around her waist, lips pressing lightly on her forehead. Their embrace was desperate, both terrified that it might be the last time together.
13
Traffic slowed the Audi down to a crawl, the children’s eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. “Mommy, look at all the tall buildings!” Her son’s nose was pressed against the window, distracted by all the new sights. “Is this where we are going to live?” There was happiness in his voice, the novelty making it special.
“Yes, dear.” Amber said, meeting Ethan’s gaze and seeing him smiling at the children. “We’re going to be living in your father’s house.” The vehicle made its way through the main downtown area into the suburban cookie cutters, then on to the older houses. On a small hill, sat a nice house with the familiar reddish roofing and a balcony overlooking the city. As the car rolled to a stop, the children were bounding out and scampering everywhere. It was all so new. They’d spent their entire life in one town in shack that was falling apart. Here was a new house and home that had so many exciting experiences.
At the door, Ethan suddenly stopped them from entering and swept Amber’s feet out from under her. She shrieked in surprise, then laughed, protesting at his nonsense. Then he carried her in, swinging her around in the middle of the living room before setting her in a chair. It was simply furnished with a chair, couch, decorative fireplace, and bookshelf. Inside the kitchen there were pots and pans neatly hung up on the walls. Everything was simple and organized. She walked into the bedroom. It was plain with a grey blanket tightly covering it. There was a closet that she opened carefully. Two suit jackets. Two white shirts. Two black ties. A blue shirt and black jacket. All neatly pressed and hung. Inside the first drawer an assortment of t-shirts and pants. The second refused to open. “Ethan?” He had followed her, watching with interest. It was as though looking at another man’s house, his memories gone. “This drawer won’t open.”
His hand slid automatically along the top of the closet, his fingers running along the smooth wood before hitting a small metal object. A small gold key glinted in the sunlight. He bent down and moved one of the pairs of pants laying above the drawers. The key fit in the silver lock. Then he hesitated, suddenly terrified by what could lay hidden in that drawer. Amber laid a hand on his shoulder, willing him to draw on her strength. It slid out, revealing several guns incased in black foam along with three loaded clips. Relief flood Ethan’s mind, the presence of the weapons wasn’t alarming. His military experience would warrant the need to have some means of defending himself in the house.
“Mommy!” The girl came running in, her eyes wide with excitement. “There’s a man at the door. He wants to speak to daddy.” Ethan was on his feet, almost running toward the door with a sense of dread. An older man was seated on the porch, looking out over the city with a bored expression. He stood, smiling at the children who followed both of them out onto the wood.
“Ethan, just checking on the house for you. I didn’t know you were coming home so soon or the dog would have enjoyed coming. She’s missed you.” The young man stood stiffly, searching for a memory that wasn’t there.
“Thank you for looking after the house and t
he dog. I’m afraid…” He trailed off, looking at Amber desperately trying to think of something to say. “This is…my friend, Amber.” The children came forward, leaning against him to see the stranger better. “James and Emily, her children.”
“A lot has happened to you, my friend.” There wasn’t any way to gage the man’s reaction, his face was a mask of polite wrinkles and a smile. “I’m the man in charge of keeping this young man alive. Antoine Dubois.” Amber shook his hand, smiling and instantly liking this old man. He had kind eyes and a gentle manner about him, like a grandfather. “You should come for supper. No time to cook now. There’s a pot of Cassoulet on the stove. Besides,” his hand landed on Ethan’s shoulder, “we need to talk.” For some reason, Ethan stiffened in fear, unsure of the nature of his relationship to the old man.
They walked across the neat lawn along the sidewalk, the children clinging closely to him. He let Amber speak, hoping the man would let more information slip. “How do you know Ethan?” His heart began to pound, leaning forward to hear the answer.
“Ethan’s mother was a close friend. When she died, his father was taken away by the authorities. He needed someone to care for him, a man in his life. Since, Amelie was a dear friend, I took it upon myself to raise him as my own. It is a delightful surprise to meet such a lovely woman.” Amber blushed, her eyes turning back to Ethan with a tender look – strange that there was no hesitation in falling in the connection that this man was giving her and him. The children have begun to rely on him, he’s done so well with them. He smiled back, everyone walking into the house and sat down at the table. Antoine bustled around the kitchen, pulling out a pot of steaming food from the burner and placing it on the table. As he went back into the kitchen, Ethan followed him, leaving the rest of them in the dining room.
“Antione, you’ve got to tell me something.” The man rose from the cupboard and looked him in the eye. “Who am I?”
“What do you mean?” Ethan sighed, struggling to get the words out in an audible and understandable tone.
“Fifteen days ago, I woke up on the side of the road with no memory. There are still large gaps, help me fill them in.” Antoine looked at the man standing there in the kitchen, seeing the little boy who had begged him to explain the reason for the tragedy that ripped apart his family. His hear
t ached for the young man, wanting to help him and yet hesitating.
“How can I help you, son?” Amber walked into the room, stiffening when she heard the words, then taking her place by Ethan’s side.
“Tell us everything.” The supper was spent in silence, then the children bounded into the yard to play with the dog, Sasha. Ethan sank onto the couch, taking the drink that the older man handed him. Amber sat beside her, leaning against his side and looking at Antoine who was pouring another drink.
“Your mother was a country girl, born and raised in a village on the coast of Provence. She was content with the simple things, but always craved beauty. We would gather flowers in the meadow, shells on the beach, and other trifles to leave at her doorstep. Most of us were hoping to win her heart in marriage, begging your pardon, Ethan. I mean no disrespect to her memory. But she chose a man of the city, English and proud. He dazzled her with fancy jewels and trips to art museums. When she left, her father begged me to keep an eye on her safety since his life was nearly over. I traveled to England and found a means of living close to her. It quickly became evident that your father was a scoundrel who beat her and controlled her life. She was miserable. Then your sister was born.” Ethan started, staring at the man in surprise. There was no memory of a sister. “A year later, you came into the world. It made your mother extremely happy, an escape from her reality. We had met in secret to discuss her marriage, the children, and your father. When you were around three years old, she made me promise to take care of you. You were only four when your father murdered your mother.”
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