The Enigma Series Boxed Set

by Tierney James

  She sighed, becoming aware of Bonnie’s pale face. “I thought you said I needed to get on his good side so he’d take us back?”

  “I said have sex with him, not lead him on.” Bonnie grabbed her arm and squeezed. “You’re getting him all hot and bothered. He gets us to their village or wherever they’re taking us and it’s all over. The children will be farmed out and Shirin will be married to the testosterone-crazed boy over there who keeps tripping over his own tongue. And who knows what he’ll do with us. Is that what you want?” Before Tessa could respond, Bonnie tightened her grip. “Time is running out for us. We don’t even know if the Taliban is on our trail or if the military is coming for us.”

  Tessa failed to tell her about the Taliban scout coming into camp during the night. She also decided not to reveal the point Darya made about keeping her for himself. “There’s something off about him,” she admitted as she remembered the tattoo.

  “Hmm. Well I’m not sure what you’re talking about but I saw him coming out of the water and trust me there is nothing off about that guy.” Bonnie’s voice held a husky tone.

  Tessa threw up her hands as she turned away toward the children and motioned for them to come closer. “I’m talking about his teeth.” She tied scarves on little heads then added a kiss for good measure. They responded by hugging her around the waist then scampered off to whatever rider was assigned to them. They no longer showed hesitation.

  Bonnie huffed impatience. “Teeth? That’s it? Teeth? The fact he has teeth is amazing.”

  “No. I mean he has straight teeth. They’re whiter than the others. Have you seen him smile?”

  “Mostly I’ve seen him watch you like he wants to rip your clothes off. You act like he’s a nice guy who plans to ride off into the sunset with us,” she hissed. “He is not so different from the Taliban. You didn’t see what they did to those murderous savages after they caught them. You chose to pass out on us. I’m here to tell you they were vicious.” She rubbed her back then neck before starting to stretch. “Got anything else besides ‘teeth’?”

  Tessa pretended to glance around to make sure none of the tribesman stood close enough to hear. “He had a tattoo of a Chinese character and a dragon down his arm.”

  “So?”

  “Kyrgyz don’t tattoo.”

  “More information you learned in CIA school?” Bonnie watched the tribesmen walk their horses around then mount.

  “I’m not a spook, Bonnie.”

  “For somebody who claims to have lost her memory, you’re pretty confident about that.”

  Tessa picked up Arzo in her arms to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I remember you and the ambassador got us into all this trouble. I remember you wanted a piece of the heroin trade which made Massoud come after you. I also remember you thought more about yourself than these kids.” Her voice took on a low tone as she glanced around to see if anyone listened.

  Bonnie crossed her arms on her chest. “Do you remember snapping a man’s spiral cord when you ran a switchblade into his skull?”

  Her bitter tone made Tessa’s stomach lurch. “I remember. I also remember shooting the guy hell-bent on destroying any self-respect you had left.”

  Bonnie’s arms dropped and she stormed off toward the tribesman who waited to help her onto his horse.

  Something inside Tessa made her think this ability to stand up to people might be a new phenomenon. It didn’t feel right. Searching to find Darya and feeling her heart almost leap out of her chest didn’t feel right either. He stood there like some ancient Asian god summoning her to him with his smoldering expression.

  He possessed no shyness in showing what he desired. He examined her with lust while mounting his horse. He pranced the beast around her as she stood still enjoying the dance of intent he displayed on her behalf. Yet, a nagging voice deep inside her said stop. Even though she couldn’t quite remember why, Tessa knew she belonged to someone else, someone who loved her. Could it belong to the shadow of a man walking through her dreams?

  Tessa felt the necklace with the charm of a Christian cross. She didn’t understand why it was so special to her except it had been a gift. With a tug, it came loose from the magnetic clasp. On the back it read a grateful president. As the group of tribesman, children, and animals moved toward the water, Tessa hung her necklace on the end of a branch so it dangled in the wind. She remembered once again the words I will always come for you. Was removing the necklace a cry for rescue or an act of leaving her old world behind?

  ~ ~ ~

  Sacramento, California

  Director Benjamin Clark stared at the phone in his hand. If he had been in a science fiction movie, the glare would have melted the phone and burned a hole in the desk surface. His teeth clenched over and over as his mind raced at hearing the news. One of his agents had disappeared in Afghanistan.

  “Sir?” Vernon Kemp, a member of Captain Hunter’s team, stood before him. Some at Enigma claimed if you searched for “genius” in the dictionary, a picture of Vernon would be next to the word. In spite of being the youngest of the team, Vernon was the master of artificial intelligence, spyware, and infringing on anyone’s personal cyberspace.

  The director cut his harsh glare to Vernon with one arched brow.

  “Chase and Zoric are searching. The chopper dropped them off near the entrance to Kyrgyz territory. They’ll be dark now. It might be a couple of days before we hear back. No cell service most of the time, but their radios should work. In higher altitudes, the Enigma phone should kick in.”

  “Chase still got connections with local clans?”

  “As far as anyone knows. He’s pretty guarded about those guys.”

  The director frowned at Vernon. The kid continued to flaunt the hippy-like appearance of one who spent his time surfing. When not in the field, he wore a Hawaiian shirt, faded jeans with holes in the knees, and a pair of flip-flops. But with one cross word Benjamin had his ability to whither the kid to a stuttering imbecile.

  “And Massoud? What of him?”

  “Chase got a few of the villagers to talk. He figures Massoud might be planning to retaliate against the Kyrgyz.”

  The black leather chair creaked under Ben’s stout body when he sat down. “My guess, too. Massoud is an educated terrorist. They’re the worst kind. He’ll have his revenge no matter how long it takes. Did the villagers say anything about Mrs. Scott?”

  Vernon couldn’t hide the grim expression. “She may be in even more danger with the Kyrgyz. The leader who ran the Taliban off didn’t spare his brand of brutality with the ones he caught. He took Tessa with him.” He handed Ben a black file folder then stepped back as the director placed it on the desk.

  Opening up the folder, a flush of heat filled his face. He thumbed through a few pages. “Do Chase and Zoric have this information?”

  “No. Can’t get it to them, either.”

  Benjamin ran his hands across his face, imagining what might be happening to an innocent woman like Tessa Scott. This should not have happened. All the woman needed to do was give a couple of speeches. Now she was God knows where with the Undersecretary of State and a bunch of little kids. He shuddered to think about her being carried off against her will by a Kyrgyz tribesman. They could disappear into the mountains and not be seen again until spring. How could one person be such a magnet for trouble?

  “So this Kyrgyz tribesman is a rogue military intelligence agent?” Ben picked up the picture of a man who didn’t fit the description of Asian or Caucasian but a combination of both. “Who is he?”

  Vernon shrugged. “Locals call him Darya. Disappeared five years ago undercover. Never came back. The military reported him MIA but believed he’d died until the CIA ran across him. Guess he’s quite a character. His appearance had changed to the extent they first thought him just another local. One thing they did say.” Vernon swallowed hard. “You wouldn’t want to cross him. Even the Taliban avoid him.”

  “Tell Dr. Wu I want him on a plane to Kabul t
onight.”

  Vernon fidgeted. Dr. Wu enjoyed messing with everyone’s head. Being a psychiatrist gave him liberties with such things, except with Captain Hunter. They locked horns every time Dr. Wu evaluated the captain’s state of mind after a mission. It would always end up with the doctor complaining about the lack of respect or filing a report about the captain being a walking time bomb.

  “Mrs. Scott, provided we find her in time, is going to need someone to talk her through this. I imagine she’s terrified about now. Probably thinks she’ll never be found. God knows what she’s been through.”

  “Director, her husband has been calling to find out when she’s scheduled to return. He’s concerned he hasn’t heard from her.”

  “I’ll call Robert.”

  “Are you going to tell him the truth?” Vernon reached for the doorknob.

  “Of course not.”

  Chapter 14

  Badakshan Border

  D arkness had fallen like a heavy blanket by the time Chase and Zoric stopped for the night. They found refuge under an outcropping of rocks where they’d spotted a shallow cave they could rest in until daylight. The days in Kabul had been reaching close to eighty degrees when they left, but up here in the mountains, the temperatures could drop to freezing at night. The higher they climbed, the colder it would get. If the monsoons reached them at higher altitudes then snow would become an issue. In this part of Afghanistan, the weather was yet another mortal danger. Maybe if they didn’t have to skirt any Taliban they’d reach an encampment of Kyrgyz bringing their animals down to graze on the lower south side of the mountain valleys for the fall season. This might be the one thing going for them.

  “You haven’t said more than ten words since they dropped us off up here. We’ve been walking for hours,” Zoric whispered. Taliban could be in the vicinity, after all.

  Chase pretended to sleep.

  Zoric elbowed him. “Take it.”

  Chase opened one eye and grabbed the half candy bar Zoric offered. He shoved the whole thing in his mouth. “Say something.” Zoric took small bites of his half.

  “Shut up,” Chase mumbled through the melting candy.

  “I know you’re worried, old friend. I am, too. We’ll get her back.” Chase remained silent. His brooding added to the fire burning inside him. Questions had begun to avalanche in his head from the moment he realized Tessa was at the orphanage when the Taliban entered the village. Between the blood on the floor, broken furniture, and the locals’ version of the Taliban shooting the helicopter down, Chase wondered what shape she might be in.

  “She is so damn naive,” he whispered. “Believes God is always protecting her.”

  Zoric chuckled. “I hope she’s right. This is not her first brush with trouble. Everything worked out and, statistically speaking, it should have blown up in all our faces.” Chase turned his head toward him, watching Zoric dig in his pack. “Okay, so it did blow up the last time. But it worked out.” He referred to a mission in Washington D.C. when an assassination attempt on the president came close to being a reality. He withdrew his hand from the pack.

  “We both know this is not going to end well. Who knows what the Taliban did to her and the undersecretary, not to mention those little girls.” Chase swore under his breath.

  “Why do you think the Kyrgyz took them? You know them better than anybody. Doesn’t make sense. Why not leave them?”

  “Death rate among children is pretty high up there on the rooftop of the world. If they make it to five, it’s a freakin’ miracle. You come across a bunch of little girls no one wants and suddenly you got children for grieving mothers, not to mention new blood for future wives. They marry young up there.” Chase tried to refocus but the image of Tessa loomed in his mind. “As to the women…” He paused. “Ransom. Maybe to taunt the Taliban. Or…”

  Zoric cocked his head, his brow arched. “Or what?”

  “One of the elders in the village said the leader took Tessa with him. The undersecretary was in the care of others. Why not take someone more valuable? Tessa is a nobody.”

  Zoric sobered. “He took her because he wanted her for himself.”

  Chase moved to get more comfortable but failed. The thing irritating him couldn’t be soothed. “I’m betting he never saw hair and eyes like hers. Even when she’s been through the wringer, Tessa is a striking woman.” He remembered how she’d felt the few times he’d protected her from harm: the press of softness in her body, the smell of her hair, and the sweetness in her mouth when he forced a kiss on her moving lips. He remembered her not as a skinny, model type but a woman who abounded in curves.

  He grinned. “Well, maybe she’ll talk them to death.”

  Zoric grinned, too, but it faded as he prepped for sleep. “You need to prepare yourself, my friend. Bad things happen up here. She has been missing now several days. Tessa is not the kind of woman who knows how to cope with the lawlessness of Afghanistan. She is a babe in the woods.”

  The silence thickened as a light sleep fell upon them.

  Zoric muttered in his sleep as he often did, of the wife and children he lost in Serbia to a bomb. Chase had heard it many times. He battled demons of his own, the men he’d killed and the ones he planned to kill to save Tessa Scott.

  ~ ~ ~

  Giggles from little girls were contagious even among hardened men who had little to be happy about in a desolate land that takes more than it gives. But the tribesmen appeared to enjoy the children as they continued the Ring Around the Rosie game Tessa taught them. A rag ball appeared from one of the riders and another game began, resembling soccer without rules. Even Shirin played, forgetting to play mother to her little sister. Arzo attempted to get in the thick of it but kept falling until she covered her face with little hands to cry.

  Darya marched into the foray to scoop her up in his arms. He scolded the other girls in Pashto then swung her up onto his shoulders. In seconds, they were playing again and Arzo, arms wrapped around the top of Darya’s head, beamed as if she’d won the ultimate prize. With reins in hand, he led his horse to the small stream near where they’d stopped to rest the animals.

  Standing together at a distance from the women, Darya talked to the horse then to the three-year-old to instruct her on something. She listened intently before hugging him so tight he pretended to be annoyed. But a smile spread across his thick lips, making them appear thinner. The mask no longer covered his face. Tessa could at last observe his interesting face, not handsome in a Hollywood style but begging one to use their fingertips to explore the folds of his eyes and the stretch of his lips when they parted. After he’d removed his brown hat, dark hair fell down his forehead with a few strands slipping across his face. The occasional gust of wind moved his black clothes against his body, outlining what lay beneath.

  An elbow jabbed into Tessa’s side, making her jump. “Stop gawking at him,” demanded Bonnie. “We’re in enough trouble as it is. I’m going to talk to him.”

  “And say what? You think you can order these guys around? You’re in Afghanistan. Women are property. They aren’t seen or heard.”

  “Here he comes. Wipe that ridiculous grin off your face. Interpret for me.” Bonnie blocked Darya’s path as he swung Arzo to the ground. His eyes narrowed in contempt.

  “Tell him I work for the American government. I’m worth a lot of money. The military will pay for my safe return. He will be a hero.”

  Tessa stumbled over the words at first but managed to convey the meaning. “What are you planning to do with us? It is important we return immediately.” Bonnie hit one fist in the palm of her hand to emphasize her meaning.

  Before Tessa could translate, Darya held up his hand. “I know your words.”

  “Good.” Bonnie faked an expression of gratitude, with little success then shifted her weight to one foot. “Good. So when can you take us back?” He stepped to the side to walk off, but Bonnie cut him off again making him bump into her. “It’s important Tessa and I leave right away
.” She glared at him. “Do you understand?”

  “Understand.” He tilted his head toward Tessa. His visual examination ran over her as a frown formed on his lips. “Name not Mel-E?”

  “No. My name is Tessa.” She took his hand and placed it on the back of her head where a knot remained. “Hit my head. I forgot my name. Now I remember, Darya. Taliban wanted to hurt us and I…” Tessa froze remembering how she’d killed another human being even though he hadn’t acted like one. Her lips trembled and tears threatened to spill. She sucked them back as her chin jerked up in mock bravery. “My name is Tessa.”

  “I punish Taliban.” His attention went back to Bonnie. “Taliban follow. They want revenge. We need to keep moving.”

  “No,” Bonnie insisted. “I have to go back. I am important. You must understand.”

  Darya put his hand in the middle of Bonnie’s chest then shoved her to the ground. She let out an exasperated gasp. When Tessa rushed to help her, Darya caught her by the robe and pulled her back with such force if he hadn’t been standing there she would have fallen.

  Whirling around on unsteady legs, Tessa shoved him with as much force as she could muster. “Don’t ever do that again. I’m not your property, you overgrown pile of yak dung.”

  For a few seconds, he pretended to be confused then the corners of his mouth turned up. He pointed to her face. “Eyes turn color. I like.” He puckered his lips approval. “Yak dung make good fire for you and me when we…” He seemed to search for a word. “When you my wife.”

  “Wife,” Bonnie groaned. “You’d better do something,” she yelled at Tessa.

  Tessa bobbed her head between Bonnie and Darya. Nothing could stop the flood of tears now. They burst forth so fast, she spun around and pushed several men aside then dashed around the children before heading toward the stream. Several of the yaks lumbered out of her way. A tree standing alone on the plain stood like a lone sentinel in the opposite direction from the one they’d been headed. Something inside her thought if she could reach such a small destination, it would be a step toward returning to her old life, the life where she hadn’t killed a man.