The Defender (The Carrier Series Book 2)

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The Defender (The Carrier Series Book 2) Page 20

by Diana Ryan


  It sounded like the FBI had little idea how to put a stop to Myers. Any little thing about Myers’s great grandparents could help? To me that was code for, “We have no idea where to go from here. We’re screwed.”

  Chapter Eight

  Saturday, October 25th

  Agent Kane tasked Darcy back to Dublin for another assignment, so Drew and I flew alone in a tiny private plane the FBI had chartered for us. After the two hour flight over the Celtic Sea, we landed on an airstrip in Land’s End that was usually reserved for scenic day trips and aerial photography.

  A man driving a black Mercedes Benz, most likely rented by the agency, picked us up from the airport and took us along a tiny two-lane road called the B3306 north toward St. Ives. The GPS on Drew’s tablet said the trip was only sixteen miles but would take thirty-one minutes.

  The rural, winding roads led us through tiny Cornish villages, around scenic English farms, and alongside the enormous, blue Celtic Sea. The view was just as breathtaking as the Irish countryside, and I felt myself longing for Ava again.

  “Only a few more days,” Drew said, watching me stare out the window.

  “I know. I just hope she—” But I couldn’t bring myself to finish my sentence. I wanted to say that I hoped she hadn’t forgotten about me, but the truth was she had already forgotten about me. She had no idea who I was. Would I ever be able to slip that diamond ring on her finger and keep her by my side forever? I exhaled loudly, trying to force some of the discomfort out of my heart.

  Drew slapped a hand on my knee and squeezed for a quick second. “Board up, surfer. Let’s focus on the info Bowman needs, and get the heck out of this place as soon as we can.” He let that settle for a moment, and then it was Drew’s turn to stare out the window, eyes far away, dreaming of a girl just out of reach.

  The driver drove us into the coastal city of St. Ives and Drew and I quickly realized we were in English paradise. Colorful fishing boats stood waiting in the harbor, the bright blue sea standing as a backdrop. I was surprised to see beautiful white sand beaches, bordered by cobblestone walkways.

  Later that afternoon, I made a call to Adam as I sat on the patio of our suite at the Blue Hayes Hotel.

  “She seems to be adjusting adequately, Nolan. Ava’s brain is able to memorize new information and her blackouts are not increasing in number. She’s coping incredibly well for someone who is oblivious to the trauma she’s been through.”

  “That’s good to hear. I am worried about her, you know.” I stood looking at the view from the balcony. It was incredible. “Do you truly think you may be able to reverse the operation?”

  He paused a little longer than I’d wanted to hear. “Nolan, let’s just be thankful Ava is progressing unbelievably well at this point. Oh, and her academics are outstanding!”

  “Great,” I replied with little enthusiasm. I disliked the joy I heard in Adam’s voice. Why did he get to celebrate with my girl while I was stuck here searching for something that seemed impossible? But on the other hand, I was truly proud of Ava if she was focusing on her grades and working towards getting off academic probation.

  “Bowman suggested I upload a program his techs developed onto Ava’s computer.” Then his voice changed like he was thinking out loud. “It’ll allow us to search her files remotely.”

  “What are you searching her for?” I asked.

  Adam ignored me and kept talking as if he was talking to himself. “Problem is I have to transmit the program from my cell phone to her computer, and can’t be more than half a foot away. I’ll have to get her to take me into her bedroom tonight.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Nothing, nothing. I’m just working out the details. Anyway, I gotta go. Have a nice afternoon.” Then he hung up before I could return the salutation.

  Drew closed the door to the hotel room and walked through the living room. “And you said snooping my nose around was rude. I just hooked us up, my friend!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Drew walked out onto the patio and continued. “The concierge downstairs has incredibly gorgeous legs, and she was stupendously helpful as well.” That sly dog took a seat on the lounge chair on the balcony next to me, stretched out his legs, and placed his hands behind his head. “She’s a local, and her father is the president of the Cornish National Historical Society, St. Ives District.” Then he put on a British accent. “I somehow got us invited over for tea and crumpets in a few hours!”

  “Get out! How do you do it?”

  “A little charm, my friend, a little charm.” Drew leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes, and laughed.

  “But over to their house? Seriously?”

  “The Cornish are incredibly hospitable, Nolan! Don’t you know anything?” I might have been offended had it not been for the smile on Drew’s face. “I gave the Mayers name and the little lady’s father is going to dig into his collection of books at his office to share with us.”

  “Unbelievable.” I smiled as I shook my head.

  Drew grabbed his guitar from behind the chair and worked for a while on a lyric about a girl with legs a mile high. I closed my eyes and listened, soaking up the sunshine on my face.

  * * * *

  A few hours later our driver took us up Bedford Road, which, like all the other streets we had traveled through, was merely feet from the row houses on either side. The farther from the beach we moved out, the more claustrophobic I felt. The roads went every which way, darting around storefronts and houses. The driver took no caution as he sped around the corners and I thought we might be in trouble a few times.

  Corinne Jolliffe and her family lived in a quaint little two-story, whitewashed stone house only inches from the one next to it on Bedford. We knocked on the door and waited as we heard footsteps approaching the door.

  A tall, very cute young lady opened the door. “Drew! You made it.” She let out what could only be described as a hyper cheerleader’s scream of excitement, and then gave him a hug, her brown hair bouncing on her shoulders. She turned her sparkling green eyes to me. “You must be Drew’s friend, Nolan?”

  “Yes, hello. Thanks for inviting us over,” I said as she hugged me, too.

  “Not a problem. Come on in. My parents are waiting in the dining room.”

  The inside of the house felt just as crowded as it did out on the street. A freestanding coat rack brimming with jackets overflowed into the path of the doorway. Drew and I brushed through and waited at the base of a wooden staircase leading up to the second floor. The living room was stuffed with furniture, books, and knickknacks. There was barely room for Corinne to lead us through the long, skinny row house.

  We arrived in a tiny dining room covered in blue floral wallpaper. Two middle-aged people sat at a clothed round table chatting with each other. Several light blue teacups and a dark blue pot sat waiting on the table.

  “Hello, gentlemen. Welcome to our home!” Mrs. Jolliffe stood and held out her hand for us to shake. “Would you like some tea?”

  Mr. Jolliffe pointed to the empty chairs at the tables. “Please. Have a seat. We understand you are seeking some information on the Mayers family.”

  “Yes.” I noticed a collection of old books sitting on the table near Mr. Jolliffe. “Would you happen to know any information about a Mayers family that lived here in the late 1800s?” I took a sip from the blue cup in front of me.

  “I do recall reading about a couple, Charlotte and Declan Mayers, that lived in town until probably 1915 or so.” He took a drink from his teacup and his wife immediately refilled it.

  “That sounds about the right time period,” Drew commented.

  “Mr. Mayers was actually the town physician.” Mrs. Jolliffe poured more tea for Drew.

  “Yes, yes. That has to be it,” I said.

  “According to the records I found, Declan was a well liked and respected man in town. He and his wife raised one small boy, Alec. Declan died young, and I believe—” he paused while he
turned the page of the book, “—Mrs. Mayers moved out of the country at that point.”

  “Mr. Jolliffe, have you ever heard the name Ó Meidhir?”

  “Actually, that sounds like a rough Gaelic translation of the name Mayers.”

  “Yes, we believe that might be right,” I acknowledged.

  Drew stepped in with a great question. “I know this sounds weird, but through your research, have you ever come across evidence of a significant meteor shower that may have hit St. Ives early in the century?”

  Mr. Jolliffe raised his eyebrows. “Yes, actually. I do believe there was some type of meteor shower in 1900.” He paged through a different book he had laying on the table.

  “No, honey, wasn’t it 1901?” Mrs. Jolliffe refilled all the teacups even though Drew gave a hand gesture suggesting he did not want any more.

  “Oh, you’re right dear. It was 1901.” He turned to another book and found an old newspaper article pasted in. “Ah, here.” He ran his finger down the page as he skimmed the text. “Oh yes, this storm was a doozy! There were hundreds of rocks that fell from the sky that night. Many citizens thought it was the end of the earth; that heaven was crumbling before their very eyes. Once the panic settled, people took rocks into their homes as souvenirs.”

  “That’s right,” I said under my breath.

  “Years later, the local doctor, Declan Mayers, began to report strange symptoms in his patients, and attempted to treat them with local remedies—you know, berry salves, plant balms, and flower petal cocktails. Nothing he tried worked, of course, and more modern medicine wouldn’t come around for another half a century.”

  I felt my excitement begin to fade. None of this was any new information, or even helpful at all. “Is there anything else you can tell us about this mysterious disease, or how Dr. Mayers treated his patients?”

  Mr. Jolliffe took a few seconds before he replied. “No, I don’t think there was anything else recorded.”

  “I hope we were of help to you boys,” Mrs. Jolliffe said as she refilled our teacups again.

  Drew answered since I was too upset to say anything. “Oh yes, thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Jolliffe. We appreciate your hospitality.” He stood up from the table and I did the same.

  Another dead end. Why did Agent Bowman send us to Cornwall? I hate wasting time.

  Corinne led us back through the cluttered house and to the front door, where she bid us a friendly farewell and good luck.

  We turned around on the stoop to see that the car was not waiting where we left it. “Didn’t we tell the driver to wait out front?”

  “Yes, I thought so.” Drew looked up and down the street. “Maybe he went for petrol.”

  “Petrol, Drew?”

  “Gas. It’s what they call gas over here.”

  “I know, I just…nevermind. Do you have his cell number, or should we just wait here on the front steps?”

  “I don’t have his number.” We sat down on the curb as two men wearing all black came walking up the sidewalk to our left. “Why did Bowman send us here, anyway? Obviously Dr. Mayers didn’t know much about Caducuspetra at the turn of the century.”

  Drew picked up a pebble from the sidewalk and threw it into the street. “Sometimes I feel like Bowman sends us on meaningless tasks just to keep us busy. You know, so we aren’t sticking our noses into other concerns and being obstruent.”

  There might be some truth to that.

  The two men stopped right in behind us, and before I could blink, one of the guys threw a black bag over my head and wrestled my arms behind my back.

  “Hey! What the hell?” I yelled.

  “Who are you? What do you want?” Drew was obviously under attack as well.

  “Shut up!” one of the men said forcefully, smacking me on the side of the head while pulling me to my feet.

  I didn’t have my gun with me. Why didn’t I have my gun with me? I tried to muscle the man’s grip from my arms, but he was incredibly strong. He held my arms back with one hand and with the other, he dug his fingers into my jeans pockets until he found my cell phone and pulled it out, throwing it to the ground.

  I heard a car screech to a stop in front of us. The doors flew open and then I was blindly forced into the backseat of the car. Inside, Drew breathed quickly next to me. What the hell was happening?

  It’s Myers’s men, my head explained.

  Drew tried again to get some info from our captors. “What do you want from us?”

  “Shut up,” one of the men said snapped.

  A cell phone rang. “We’ve got them. ETA five minutes.”

  I had no idea if the men were watching me carefully, but I decided to take a risk. I began carefully working on the rope tied behind my back and by the time the car stopped it had loosened considerably. I hoped Drew was smart enough to be working on his ropes as well.

  The doors opened and the men dragged us out of the car. We walked into a building and stumbled down some stairs. The poignant stench of moldy basement disturbed my nostrils as the vociferous sound of oversized machines whirred in my ears. We walked a few more steps, and then they forced us onto chairs back to back. Our captor’s heels walked toward a heavy door and slammed it. One man dialed a number on his cell. “We’re here…. Yes…”

  I took the opportunity to turn my head so my mouth was by Drew’s ear and spoke softly, giving him directions.

  “One, two, three!” I called and busted out of my ropes. I whipped the black bag off of my head to see Drew already punching one of the guards in the face. The other guard came at me, but I was able to kick him in the knees before he could throw a punch. He toppled over to the ground in pain just as the other guard jabbed Drew in the stomach. I jumped up and hung from a pipe running through the exposed ceiling. I swung my legs back, smacked the man in the face with my feet and he went tumbling backwards, crashing into a stack of metal containers.

  Drew yelled for me to duck as he jumped up on a chair and leapfrogged over my back, using his whole body to plow into a guard behind me.

  Then the door opened. “STOP!”

  I couldn’t believe it. Agent Harper, my old boss from the CBB, stood in the doorway aiming his Glock at my head.

  “I knew we’d meet again, Agent Hill.” He walked closer, the guards still lying on the ground. “Now, be a good little agent and hand over the Schematics.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play ignorant!” He stopped a few feet closer to me but I only stared at him, showing no fear. He raised his voice a little and spoke through clenched teeth. “Give me the damn Schematics.”

  Drew didn’t know who Harper was. “Listen buddy, we have no idea wha—” BANG! Drew fell to the ground with a grunt and lay at my feet holding his shoulder. My heart rate sped up to the same speed as a hummingbird’s.

  Harper spanned the room quickly and landed within inches of my face. “Give me the papers.” His intense eyes bored a hole through mine.

  Nerves flew rampantly through me, but I didn’t allow them to surface. I knew he’d shoot me, and I hadn’t a clue what papers he was talking about. “Listen Harper, I’d love to cooperate,” I said, trying to steady my voice, “but I do not know what you are looking for.”

  He studied my eyes for another twenty seconds while Drew groaned on the floor. I wanted to bend down and help him stop the bleeding, but I knew I’d be shot if I moved.

  A tiny hint of a smile made an appearance at the left corner of Harper’s mouth. “You really don’t know, do you?”

  I remained silent.

  Harper cracked an evil laugh. “Ethan’s got you figured all wrong. You’re oblivious to the truth.” The smirk turned into a rather large and ugly smile. “Well, I guess we’re back at square one, guys.” Then with surprising speed, he took my arm and twisted it behind my back until I felt my shoulder crack and heard a painful pop from my forearm.

  * * * *

  Sunday, October 26th

  I woke up in a very dark room. Sleep
was still on my mind as a horrible and moldy smell accompanied the dampness in the air. I was lying on some kind of dreadfully hard mattress, and as soon as I rolled over I felt intense pain in my left arm. I couldn’t move it. There was no control. Panicking, I used my other hand to check if my left arm was actually there. Of course it was. One limp arm with incredible pain. It had to be broken in several places.

  Where was I? Was I alone? My mind felt fuzzy as I tried to remember the last thing that happened to me.

  Harper…

  “He’s nothing but a worthless piece of trash,” a voice said in my memory. “Make him feel the pain.”

  I cautiously called out for Drew, but my voice came out scratchy and barely audible. I waited a few seconds, but there was no answer.

  You’re utterly alone, my heart called.

  “Ava,” I spoke out loud. “Ava, I need you…” and then my eyes closed, and I passed out.

  * * * *

  Monday, October 27th

  Hunger pains forced my eyes open. My mouth was extremely dry, and I was disoriented. The room was spinning, even though I couldn’t see anything through the darkness. The pain in my arm was difficult to endure, and now it felt like my brain was knocking itself into my skull. I leaned over the side of the bed and heaved onto the floor below.

  A stranger’s faint voice echoed through the halls of my mind. “Leave him there to rot.”

  Ava. My heart called desperately for Ava.

  I wished I were dead.

  * * * *

  Tuesday, October 28th

  The creaking sound of a heavy metal door opening woke me up.

  An urgent, whispered voice called my name. “Nolan. Get up. We’ve gotta get out of here quickly.”

  A small shaft of light shone through the door and into the dark room. I could see now that I had been in a tiny concrete cell with a moldy cot and a moist floor. A dead rat sat in the corner of the room. I looked up at the blurry person standing in the doorway. She was wearing some kind of black leather bodysuit.

 

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