***
Nathaniel slipped out the French doors and found Mr. Schwartz standing on the deck. He was staring off into the distance, his arms resting on the wooden rail. Nathaniel joined him and stood in silence for a few moments. He noted the other man’s face was rigid, jaw clamped tight, his teeth grinding.
“It is lovely out here.” Nathaniel said, breaking the silence.
The older man never acknowledged him.
“Look I know you are angry. You have every right to be. But tread carefully. Rebekah is scared you will turn your back on her after what happened.”
“Turn my back on her?” His voice deep and low.” Why would she think such a thing?” He never stopped staring out at the garden.
“Because of your religious beliefs. She is afraid that she has shamed you.”
“There is a lot of shame. None of it is her’s. What they did to her. I keep trying to believe it is God’s will. But why would God allow that to happen to a girl like my Rebekah.”
“I was taught God uses us to fulfil his plan. Rebekah has an inner strength that amazes me. Maybe. Just maybe God knows she is the one to stop these monsters.” Putting his hand on the other man’s shoulder, Nathaniel gave it a comforting squeeze. “Her testimony will be what seals their fate. She just has to get her memory back.”
“I have never felt so much anger before in my life. I know it is sinful, but it is there.” A tear slipped from the corner of his eye. “My job was to protect her. I failed at that job. She suffered because I failed.”
“Anger is human. No shame in being human. Just make sure it is righteous anger. The anger that drives you to positive actions. Not the kind that eats at your soul.”
“Righteous anger, huh?”
“Yes Mr. Schwartz, righteous anger.” Smiling he found himself liking Rebekah’s father. “The kind that allows us to do what is right, even when it is difficult. Just remember to not allow yourself to be angry with God. Direct it towards the monsters who hurt her. Then help her find the strength to stop them.”
“I need time to pray. Then I think I will try again with my daughter.”
“The stables are right over there. Many of us take the time to use them to pray and reflect.”
The other man’s shoulders slumped. Giving him one last comforting squeeze Nathaniel left him on the deck and headed back to the bunk house. He knew Rebekah could handle the reunion with her parents without him now. She wasn’t alone. She had Analise and his mother there. He hoped his words were enough to help Mr. Schwartz to come to terms with his emotions and his daughter.
Inside the bunk house he found his name on the chore list next to the word bathroom. Great. Just great! Cleaning the bunk house bathroom was just as bad as mucking out the stalls. Grabbing the cleaning caddy, he stomped off to the bathroom. He learned the first day that the best thing was to pour pine scented cleaner in the toilet first. The scent made cleaning the bathroom more bearable.
Twenty minutes later, he had the room scrubbed clean. Putting the cleaning supplies back, he grabbed the mop and bucket. The commercial bucket was cumbersome, the wheels had a bad habit of sticking. Pushing and pulling, he made his way back to the bathroom. This was not his idea of what the day in the life of an agent looked like. “Undercover agent wanted. Job description: clean bunk house toilets.” he smiled at the thought.
Chapter 21
Her parents had decided to stay for a couple of weeks and everything was going better than it had the first day. Rebekah found herself actually remembering snippets of her life. Some memories were from when she was a young child, others as a teenager. When she would remember something, she would share it with her mother or father. Her parents would confirm that, in fact, said memory was something that had really happened, and they would fill in the blanks her brain had not remembered.
The sun had just started to set when she ran into Nathaniel in the gardens. He was staring down at the Koi fish. He lack of interest in the past had her curious why he was looking at them now. Standing next to him the butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She wanted to grab him and pull his mouth to hers. She wanted to explore his hard body. Her thoughts were bold, her actions though were a different story. No way could she or would she pounce on him. Although the thought held appeal.
“Go for a ride with me?” Nathaniel broke the silence.
“Do what?” His question was so out of the blue it threw her.
“Go for a ride. I feel like getting out of here for a bit. “
He gave her that devilish smile of his and her breath caught. He was downright sinful, and she loved it. “Alright. I could use some time away from the ranch.” She smiled back at him. “I haven't left since we came back from Kentucky.’
Following Nathaniel to his truck, she looked forward to getting away. Thoughts of being alone with him made her tingle all over again. Inside the cab of his truck, she watched the scenery change as the last of daylight gave way to the moonlight. The tingling feeling never left her. She wanted to scoot over next to him. Casting a glance his way, she weighed her choices. In the end she stayed on the passenger side.
Nathaniel turned the truck into a roadside scenic park. Wasting no time, she hopped out of the truck as soon as they parked. Darkness engulfed her. She was able to make out a couple picnic tables and a trash can. As far as views went, it wasn’t impressive, but it was peaceful. She hadn’t realized just how stifling it could be on the ranch. Here though in the dark as the soft summer breeze whispered through her hair there was a sense of being set free.
She made her way to one of the picnic tables and hopped up on the end of one of the tables. She waited for Nathaniel to join her noting that the in the dark the trees looked like dark curtains that cocooned the park inside its own private world. She didn’t have to wait long before Nathaniel was standing in front of her. Crickets chirping around them offered the perfect symphony. In the distance an owl hooted. Smiling up at him she wondered if he brought her here for a reason.
“Are you alright being here?” His voice laced with concern.
“Yeah I am fine.”
“It isn’t much, but I found it peaceful here when I discovered this place.” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he awarded her with another one of his devilish smiles.
“I will give it that. It is peaceful.” Her every fiber vibrated inside her. He was so close; his cologne teased her nose. Anticipation rose up and she wished he would just kiss her already. Reaching out she ran her hand up his chest. Taunt muscles twitched under her hand. In the moonlight she could see his nostrils flare and his eyes narrow.
Her eyes drifted closed as he leaned down. She knew he was going to kiss her. It seemed the world stopped. Seconds ticked by like hours as his warm breath teased her face. Just when she thought she would explode from excitement his lips brushed against her lips. So soft she wasn’t sure if it was real. Her hands gripped his shirt. Her eyes were still closed when Nathaniel threw her to the ground.
The picnic table wasn't very high off the ground, but the impact sent pain shooting through her side. The force knocked the air from her lungs. She laid there gulping, trying to get air in her lungs again. What was he doing? She was starting to find it annoying that twice now she ended up on the ground when he was with her. He crouched next to her and she wanted to get up and kick him in his sexy face.
She started to get up and do just that when his hand shot out. Pinned to the ground she tried to push him away.
“Are you trying to get shot?” He demanded.
“Shot?” she asked bewildered.
“A bullet just whizzed past my head. You didn’t hear it? We need to get to the truck and get out of here.” He moved closer to her and helped her sit up. Using his body to block her from the direction the shot came from. “When I tell you to, I want you to stay low and run for the truck.”
“I can’t. I can’t do this,” her voice barely a whisper. Her heart thudded inside her head. Panic seized her making it difficult to bre
athe. Her lungs cried out for mercy.
“Yes, you can. I will be right behind you. Just run for the driver’s side and slid in. Stay low.”
Getting into a crouch position she prepared for him to tell her to run. Her legs were shaking. The truck looked miles away. Too far to run. Somewhere in the dark was a madman with a gun. Glancing around she tried to spot someone out there. It was too dark. He could be anywhere, just waiting to shoot her as soon as she moved. She didn’t want to do this. Nathaniel shifted behind her, then give her a shove. She stayed frozen where she was. Nathaniel gave her a another shove. This time she finally took off with her head kept low. Reaching the truck, she grabbed at the door handle. Shaking she couldn’t seem to get it open. They were going to die right here in this pathetic park because she couldn’t open a door. Trying again, she fumbled with the door handle. It was no use.
Nathaniel grabbed her and pulled her against him. With her out of the way, he yanked the door open. A bullet impacted the ground right by her feet. Yelping, she tried to jump away. Nathaniel cursing, grabbed her by the waist and shoved her up and into the cab. She was still sprawled across the seat, as he jumped in. The truck roared to life.
Scrambling down into the floorboard, she huddled there. Her head kept bumping into the glovebox as Nathaniel took the curves a little too fast. Her heartbeat picked up in her chest, pounding and banging so hard she thought it would burst right out of her. Emotions so strong they threatened to suffocate her welled up inside her. Clenching her fist, she jammed it in her mouth and bit down to stop herself from screaming.
She watched him punch numbers into his phone. None of this made any sense to her. What was locked inside her head that was so important? It was so strange realizing that someone want her dead. If only she could remember what happened. More importantly she wished she could remember who was doing this to her. Listening to Nathaniel on the phone she heard him tell someone on the other end what had happened. The call was quick and in no time, she watched him grip the wheel with both hands. She stayed huddled on the floorboard biting her fist as they raced towards the ranch.
***
Nathaniel cast a glance towards her. In the soft dashboard light, he could see her huddled in the floorboard. Her eyes were wide, and she was biting her fist. He mentally berated himself for putting her in danger. He knew there was a killer out there. Yet he took her for a road trip away from the ranch. Not only did he take her out into open, but he failed to remain alert. He had been too wrapped up in her. In his need for her, that he almost got her killed.
What puzzled him was how anyone knew where to find them. How long had the killer been watching them to know just when she would leave the ranch? It was like the enemy was waiting with the patience of a sniper. Hiding, watching and waiting for the just the right moment to strike. Another aspect about this whole thing that confused him. The more he mulled over everything he knew the more his head spun. There was always bits and pieces of clues. All of which lead to more questions than answers. Rebekah was another clue. No one knew how she fit into all of this though. He hoped that someone had some answers soon, because he kept coming up empty.
When he pulled up at the ranch, he barely had time to help her out of the truck before they were surrounded. His mother, her mother and Analise all formed a circle around her and ushered her into the house. His mother didn’t even ask if he was alright. Just took off with Rebekah. Hey, I was shot at too, he thought.
He made his way into the kitchen and saw his father. The distance between them disappeared. One moment they were apart, and the next his father’s arms were around him. He clung to his father as the tension gave way. He body shook, and he just held on. In this moment he didn’t have to be strong. He didn’t have to be a professional agent. Kirk patted his back and murmured soothing words. The same way he had when Nathaniel was a small child.
“I am glad you and Rebekah are alright,” Kirk told him as he continued to embrace him.
“Yeah we are fine. Shook up but fine.” Nathaniel stepped back and took note of all the men seated at the kitchen table. “Let me grab a cup of coffee and I will fill everyone in on what happened.”
With his coffee in hand, he took a seat at the table. Rebekah’s father was at the table, so he mentally prepared himself to give an account of the night without mentioning what he was doing when the shot was fired.
“We went for a drive and ended up at the roadside park up the road. We were enjoying the peacefulness of the night when a shot was fired. I got Rebekah on the ground and prepared for us to make a run for the truck. After reaching the truck another shot was fired. From there we got in the truck and on the way here is when I called.” He rushed through his account. Not stopping to take a breath till it was all out. Grabbing the coffee cup, he let the hot liquid burn all the way down.
“I commend you on your to the point explanation. However, you left a lot out.” Matt said.
“Yeah I agree. A lot was left out of that.” David said.
“I am not sure what you mean.” Nathaniel said.
“Let me explain what they mean,” Alex offered. “First what were you doing there to begin with? Did you return fire? How did our bad boy know where to find you?”
“First off like I said we went for a drive and were enjoying the peace and quiet of the road side park. I didn't have my firearm with me, so I didn’t return fire…”
“Wait, “Matt interrupted him. “You are telling me that you went out with Rebekah alone and didn’t take your firearm. Are you stupid?” Matt banged his fist on the table. Standing he placed his palms on the table and glared at Nathaniel.
“Matt there is no need to start name calling.” Kirk chastised.
“In this situation Kirk there is. You son is an agent and acted like a hormonal teenage boy tonight.” Matt continued to glare at Nathaniel. A low growl rumbled from his throat before he turned and stormed from the room.
“He is right dad. I should have had my firearm with me. I took her out in the open and disregarded the dangers.” Guilt and shame washed over him. He knew better than to get tangled up with her. Despite knowing this he had taken her out to spend time with her. Time that almost got her killed.
Mr. Schwartz rose and left the room in silence. Nathaniel was unsure what the other man was thinking. He knew if he was a father what he would be thinking. None of which was good. He royally screwed the pooch and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
“Alex and I will go down to the roadside park and poke around. See if our bad boy left us anything to go on.” David rose and motioned for Alex to follow him.
Nathaniel got up and refilled his coffee cup. He was at the island when Matt came back into the room. The look on Matt’s face caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise. Something else had happened while Matt was out of the room. He lifted his eyebrow.
“Savannah called. One of our newest agents is dead. Felicity had a strange package left outside her apartment door. Not sure of the significance of that. Then to top it off we have another agent undercover and a message was left for him at his hotel.” Matt went over and sat back down at the kitchen table.
Nathaniel had just sat back down at the table when his mother came in. She stopped next to him and planted a kiss on top of his head before sitting next to Kirk. At least she was acknowledging him now. He was still baffled by her behavior earlier. He would have thought she would have shown some concern for him when he first arrived at the ranch.
“Ok we got Rebekah settled into bed. Poor girl was so shook up.”
“Will she be alright?” Kirk asked.
“Yeah she will be fine. She is a strong girl.” Stella told him. She turned to Matt after Kirk left the room. “So, Matt fill me in on the call with Savannah.”
“Our new agent Jonathan was killed. So far all we know is a car bomb.” Matt rose and went to the kitchen counter. Pulling down a bottle of bourbon out of the cabinet he poured himself a glass then rejoined them at the table.
�
�Is it related to something he was working on or to the same killer we are hunting?” Nathaniel asked.
“I am not sure.” Matt admitted.
“When I walked in I heard you tell Nathaniel that Felicity received a package and one of our undercovers got a message. What is that all about?”
Matt swirled the bourbon around in his glass. He seemed to be staring at it and through it all at the same time. “Felicity received a package of photos taken of her and Eddie. Not the normal photos but photos of her and Eddie in bed together. Very sexually graphic photos.”
“What do you mean photos of her and Eddie having sex? Eddie has been dead for years. Matt what is going on?” Stella’s voice rose. Her eyes widened, and she slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Apparently the photos were taken a long time ago. Some sick bastard has held on to them till now. No idea either how he even got photos like that of the two of them.” Matt downed the rest of his bourbon. “Then we have our undercover agent and the message left used his real name. His cover is blown so Savannah called him back to Boston.”
They spent the next few hours discussing what all was happening. They all agreed that one killer was behind all of it. One night and four agents affected in one fashion or another. He was shot at, one was killed and two received strange messages. How though could this man manage to be in more than one place at a time? Again, more questions and absolutely no answers.
Chapter 22
A smile spread across his face. Through the scope of his rifle he had watched them for a bit. Saw the way they seemed to be drawn to each other. When Nathaniel leaned down to kiss her, he knew he couldn’t have planned it better himself. The first shot was the best. He laughed to himself as he remembered watching Nathaniel shove the girl to the ground.
The Making of a Centaur Page 8