by Vanessa Kier
Setting an example for his team, Rafe spoke openly about continuing to seek help with his nightmares and his occasional bouts of rage. As a result, about seventy percent of those who’d participated in the assault on Kaufmann’s compound had sought at least one session with a counselor.
Ryker shook his head and eyed his reflection in the window. Hard as it might be, he had to trust that Rafe knew his own limits.
“I’m solid, sir. Really,” Rafe said. “If I didn’t think I could handle this, I’d tell you.”
“I see some of my mind reading skills have rubbed off on you.” Or maybe his age was catching up with him and he was becoming predictably cautious.
Thinking about his age made him scowl. He did not want to think of himself as too old for Siobahn Murphy. He wanted her to look at him and see a man she was interested in romantically, not an older authority figure.
“Naw, no mind reading,” Rafe answered. “I just know you, sir. So, have the analysts found anything in Kaufmann or Jamieson’s data to indicate there were other branches of the program?”
“No. You never heard Kaufmann mention other bases?”
“Right. He occasionally sent us on multi-day training excursions, but I don’t remember any permanent structures. This base could be just a trial outpost or it might be a fully independent program.”
The weariness that had been pressing down on Ryker for weeks gained another couple of pounds. He’d hoped that they’d found all of Kaufmann’s remaining victims. “I’m going to put Gabby and Kai on standby until we get this issue resolved,” he said. Dr. Gabrielle Montague and Kai Paterson headed the SSU medical and scientific team responsible for reversing the effects of Dr. Kaufmann’s program.
“I understand, sir. Continuing our long distance relationship a bit longer won’t kill me or Gabby.”
Ryker grimaced over Rafe’s choice of words. “I’m sorry.” With Gabby working out of the lab in Georgia and Rafe based out of the Oregon compound, Ryker knew the couple had precious little time together.
“Don’t be. We both sleep better at night knowing we’re doing everything in our power to help Kaufmann’s victims.”
Never let it be said that he didn’t understand a losing position. Ryker had to accept Rafe’s decision, both regarding his own mental preparedness for investigating the compound, and the readiness of his team. “Okay, Rafe, you win. You and your team are officially assigned to check out this compound. Under the condition that all members of the team be volunteers. I don’t want anyone going with you who isn’t ready to handle the potential of seeing the same sorts of atrocities that they witnessed at Kaufmann’s compound.”
“You got it.”
“If you determine that this compound is a fully functioning program, report back and we’ll send a full assault team.”
“Understood.”
After Ryker ended the call, he continued to stare into space for several minutes. Rafe’s courage humbled him.
Yet you’re afraid to confront one sexy woman.
Shaking his head over his unexpected nerves, Ryker picked up the phone. It was time to bring Siobahn Murphy in.
Chapter Five
Siobahn knew the moment she stepped in her foyer that someone had been in her house. The eerie silence indicated that the alarm had been cut off and no lights came on when she flipped the switch to the overhead light. A sixth sense raised the hair on the back of her neck and she glanced around nervously.
Damn. Probably whoever had been here was long gone, but Siobahn wasn’t taking any chances. She spun on her heel and reached inside her purse for her cell phone. Her other hand had just pushed open the unlocked door when a movement in the air behind her caused her heart rate to spike. She jerked to the side and looked back. The faint illumination from the streetlight revealed a man in a black ski mask moving toward her. Siobahn had a moment to recognize the square tip of the gun in his hand before she heard a zing.
Taser! Her mind screamed the warning an instant before the probes embedded themselves in her back and the powerful electric current sent her muscles into spasm. She fell across the doorway. Her head slammed against the concrete of her front step.
And the world went black.
“Ms. Murphy?”
A strong, broad hand gently shook Siobahn’s shoulder. At least she thought that was her shoulder. She felt kind of disconnected from her body.
“Ms. Murphy, can you hear me?”
Yes, she could hear him. The masculine voice had the faintest hint of a Boston high-society accent and sounded vaguely familiar. Siobahn had an exceptional ear when it came to voices. Not just in recognizing them, but in hearing the subtle cues that indicated subtext the speaker might not be aware of. It was a skill that had frequently served her well as a journalist.
So why did this man’s voice make her think of two bodies entwined, skin to sweaty skin, while the voice whispered words meant to arouse. Siobahn started to shake her head, wanting to dislodge the image, but even that slight movement caused pain to spike through her skull.
She groaned.
“Ms. Murphy, can you open your eyes? I need to determine how badly you’ve been hurt.”
Given the speed at which the pain was drilling through her head, she thought opening her eyes sounded like a really bad idea. But her “I don’t want to” came out as “Idonwanna” spoken with all the petulance of an injured child.
“The recovery team is two minutes out, sir,” another voice interjected. “They have a medic on board.”
“Thank you, Ethan,” the sexy voice said.
Siobahn made a sound of approval. She could listen to this man talk all day. The way the smooth, deep voice fired up her libido should be illegal.
Hmm. How come she felt so disassociated from her body yet her sex drive was working overtime? Had she been drugged?
She must have asked that last question out loud, and this time spoken clearly enough to be understood, because the man answered. “No, Ms. Murphy, you haven’t been drugged. You were shot with a Taser.”
“Umph. Don’t like it. Hurts.” And it did. The pain in her head joined forces with the man’s comment about the Taser to yank Siobahn fully back into her body. All her muscles ached. Damn intruder.
The hand on her shoulder turned caressing. “I know you hurt, Ms. Murphy. Just lie still. When you fell, you hit your head on the edge of the concrete step outside your front door. Because your spine is twisted, I don’t want to move you unless you can reassure me that you have full control and feeling in all of your limbs.”
“Not Ms. Murphy,” she said, aware that her words still had a slightly drunken slur to them. “Siobahn.”
The man’s hand stilled its caressing. Had her comment shocked him? Why? Needing to understand why a request for more familiarity would have such an effect on the man, Siobahn forced open her eyes.
“Ryker!”
He smiled. “Hello again.”
Crap. The man’s effect on her with her eyes closed had been too powerful for her peace of mind. With her eyes open, and the memory of their kiss heating her blood, he was devastating. Those penetrating gray eyes now held only concern. His lean cheeks were darkened with after-five stubble sprinkled with several white hairs. But the biggest shock was that instead of an elegant suit, he wore a dark, snug, long-sleeved t-shirt and a well-worn pair of jeans.
He crouched beside her, causing the fabric of his jeans to pull tight against very interesting places on his well-muscled body. Dang. She didn’t know many men in his age group—or hers, for that matter—who looked so good. And it certainly had been a long, long time since she’d had such a potent reaction to a man.
Too bad she was in no position to act on her attraction.
“Siobahn?” Ryker crooked his eyebrows and amusement stole into his eyes.
Uh-oh, busted. “Umm?”
“Can you feel your hands and feet?” He nodded toward the inside of the house. “We’d like to move you off your stoop and onto a more comforta
ble surface if you’re not seriously hurt.”
“Oh.” For the first time she realized she lay on her left side halfway out her front door. The pain in her head radiated out from the point of contact with the edge of the top stair of her tiny concrete landing. She was twisted at the waist, with her head, shoulders and torso on the outside, her hips bridging the six-inch rise to the doorway, and her lower legs sprawled inside the foyer.
The porch light was off, giving her some privacy from nosy neighbors. But the sooner they got inside, the better. She had a tough girl reputation to uphold. Being caught in such a vulnerable position would set her back in the constant power struggle within the cutthroat news industry.
The man who’d spoken to Ryker earlier stood at the foot of the five stairs leading to the sidewalk. She noticed him straighten an instant before a black SUV pulled up to the curb.
Siobahn’s breath hitched.
“Easy. They’re friendlies,” Ryker said, his hand tracing another soothing circle on her shoulder. “They have one of our medics with them.”
Siobahn hated lying here. Hated the vulnerability. Hated that Ryker was seeing her as a victim instead of the strong, fearless woman she usually was. But the pain in her head prevented her from obeying her natural instinct to sit up. Instead, she carefully assessed her body by making small movements, until by the time that Ryker moved aside to let a dark skinned, stocky man with closely shaved hair take his place, Siobahn was reasonably certain that she hadn’t suffered anything more serious than a concussion and sore muscles.
Much to her relief, Ryker didn’t move far away. He positioned himself two stairs down with his face turned so he could still watch Siobahn while he spoke softly to the men in civilian clothes who’d arrived with the medic. A moment later, the team headed around the side of her house toward the gate into the backyard.
“All right, Ms. Murphy,” the medic said, his voice surprisingly gentle for a man who looked like he could carry an unconscious, wounded soldier for miles. “My name is Colin Daniels. I’m the team’s medic. I think you’re okay to be moved. Do you want some help up?”
She started to shake her head, then yelped as the pain in her skull tripled. The night sky spun and she squeezed her eyes closed. For a few heartbeats she lost track of time, only regaining awareness when she felt strong arms slip between her torso and the concrete, while another pair slipped under her legs. A second later she was airborne. They’d been careful, but the movement still set her head screaming and she couldn’t stop a moan from escaping.
“Easy, we’ve got you.” Siobahn identified the voice at her ear as Ryker’s. Once again she lost touch with reality, because the next thing she knew, she felt the softness of her bed underneath her. The effort it took to open her eyes worried her. She really must have whacked her head hard to put her out like that.
Finally, she managed to force her lids to lift. Ryker looked down at her, worry darkening his eyes. His hand stilled, then finished drawing the edge of her comforter up over her body. Siobahn snuggled under the cover. While she’d been out someone had removed her shoes, stockings, and suit jacket. She couldn’t decide if she was horrified or thrilled that Ryker might have performed such an intimate task for her. Hmm… What would he do if she asked him to continue undressing her until she wore nothing but her skin?
“Welcome back, Ms. Murphy.” Siobahn jerked her gaze away from Ryker and met the amused glance of the medic. Her cheeks heated. Had her thoughts really been that obvious?
“Er. Hello.” Siobahn cleared her throat. “I guess I’m okay, huh?”
“Well, ma’am, the bad news is that you have a concussion,” the medic said. “You have a laceration approximately an inch long on your forehead and the beginning of a sizable lump. I’ve stopped the bleeding and bandaged you up.”
Siobahn raised her hand to her head and felt the familiar texture of a piece of gauze taped to the left side of her forehead.
“The good news is that the bone appears to be intact, at least as far as I can tell without an X-ray.” Colin shared a look with Ryker. “Given the nature of the attack, the boss here doesn’t want you in a hospital.”
Siobahn shot a questioning glance at Ryker. “Your investigation has attracted dangerous attention, Ms. Murphy. As soon as Faith gave me the information you received regarding the South Dakota compound I called to warn you, but got no answer. We discovered your cell phone in your purse. Its battery had died.”
“Ugh. Too busy. Forgot.” Which would have been a problem when trying to call for help.
“Until we know who your enemies are, Ms. Murphy, it’s safer for you to be under our protection.”
“Your protection? Who do you mean?”
A smile touched Ryker’s stern mouth. “What? I thought your father told you all about me.”
“Not Dad,” she grumbled. “He kept your secrets, damn him. But I have other sources.” Siobahn bit her lip so she wouldn’t whimper as the pounding in her head intensified. “Ryker, first name unknown. Spec ops legend. Director of the SSU.” A glimpse of something like embarrassment crossed his face as she called him a legend, but it passed so quickly she didn’t trust her judgment. She found it hard to believe anything could embarrass the calm Mr. Ryker.
“Is that who all these people are?” She cut her eyes toward the medic. “SSU employees?”
“Yes. Now, can you tell me what you saw when you stepped into the house, Ms. Murphy?”
She wanted him to call her Siobahn, but sensed that he deliberately used her formal name to put some distance between them in front of his employees.
Probably a smart idea. He’d be going back to Oregon soon. Leaving her behind.
But before he left, she fully intended to get to know Ryker on the most intimate level.
Ryker watched Siobahn’s face as she thought back to the attack. When she closed her eyes, he glanced over at Colin. The medic held up a packet of painkillers, set them on the bedside table, then let himself out of the room.
When after a couple of minutes Siobahn still hadn’t opened her eyes, Ryker prodded, “Ms. Murphy?” He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about her on a first name basis inside his head, but he would do everything in his power to keep a professional distance between them everywhere else.
“Sorry. Can’t focus.”
Ryker cursed inwardly. Her words were slurring again. Colin was right, she needed a hospital and to have her head X-rayed. But the security risk was real. The man who’d—
“I got home late,” Siobahn finally said without opening her eyes. A crease appeared between her brows as she concentrated on enunciating clearly. “I’d walked down to a restaurant in Georgetown for dinner so when I got home I came in through the front door. My gut instantly told me something was wrong. Also, the alarm was silent instead of giving its normal beep to indicate that the door had been opened.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I turned to leave. Something made me look back. A man wearing a black ski mask—very clichéd—stood behind me, just barely illuminated by the light from the streetlamp. He tased me. I fell. Blacked out.”
Her eyes opened and he read the question in them before she continued, “I woke up and you were there. How? Why? Who was that man? Was it a robbery?”
Ryker had to admire the way her inquisitive journalist’s brain hadn’t lost its ability to focus despite her concussion. “No, it doesn’t look like a robbery, but you can tell us if anything is missing once you’re stable enough to do a walk-through. We’re still working on the identification of the intruder.”
“Not much here to steal,” she murmured. “Have better things to do than collect art. Don’t care much about jewelry. And the FBI already confiscated my research both here and at the office.”
Ryker felt a spurt of anger that his contacts at the agency hadn’t informed him they’d moved in on Siobahn. “I don’t know anything about the FBI’s raid. But since the SSU has been working with them on this matter, I’ll certainly find out why we weren’t told about i
t. Did they get all your data?”
“‘Course not. Too smart for that. Kept all my critical data on a secure laptop. Locked it in a safe deposit box when Faith told me to stop investigating a while back. Still there. Even put flash drive back. All safe.”
She smirked. “Stupid agent Ajax didn’t realize that. Never really knew me, did he? Just saw a pretty face.” Her nose scrunched up. “Good in bed, but Lord, the man drove me nuts out of it. Rules, rules, rules. Don’t know how we lasted three weeks. Shoulda dumped him after three hours.”
Ryker coughed into his hand. Partly to hide his laugh over her spot-on assessment of uptight Special Agent Ajax Fairchild. Partly to hide the burst of jealousy he felt hearing Siobahn talk about her ex. He really hadn’t needed to know her opinion of Fairchild’s bedroom skills.
Ryker knew from the background check that she’d had a string of lovers in the law enforcement and military communities, including a marriage that ended in divorce. After the death of her ex-husband in Iraq, Siobahn had gone through a period of dating other journalists, academics and a couple of scientists. But none had lasted more than a few months and his research indicated no current lover.
Even though he had no business thinking about starting a relationship with Ms. Siobahn Murphy, Ryker had to admit to being relieved that she was single.
“Confession time,” he said, pulling up the armchair from the other side of the bedside table. “I’ve had one of my men shadowing you since an hour after you nearly bowled me over at the Capitol. Ethan called me when he saw you fall. His replacement had just arrived to take the next shift and Tyler is the one who caught the intruder trying to escape over your back wall.”
Ryker had expected outrage or at least indignation. Instead, her eyes softened. “Why?”
“The matter you investigated about the missing military and law enforcement personnel isn’t over, Ms. Murphy. I was at the Capitol the day we met for a meeting to discuss the aftermath of the program being shut down. Until that point, you had stayed away from any place where the parties involved might be reminded that your article played a minor role in the beginning of the whole affair.”