RunningWildAmazon

by Reece, Christy

  Olivia had been an LCR operative for a while but had recently moved over to the Elite team. When McCall had suggested her, Aidan hadn’t been sure. Other than knowing she had some resemblance to Mellie, he knew almost nothing about the woman. After he’d seen her in action the last couple of days, his opinion had changed and his doubts had disappeared. Olivia could handle anything that came her way.

  He pushed aside the knowledge that he had worked with many female operatives who would have gladly partnered with him to trap Simon Cook. He still didn’t feel right about putting any operative at risk, but McCall had drilled holes in his tightly held beliefs. Simon was not going to just appear out of nowhere. He was going to have to be trapped. If Aidan intended to ever have a life with Anna, this was his only option.

  So he would go home, work on logistics, and when Olivia arrived back home, they would put their plan into action.

  He could have waited and flown back to the States on the LCR jet, but that would’ve delayed him a couple more days. McCall hadn’t been able leave yet, and the other operatives on the team had gone their own ways.

  His cellphone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the readout and felt a familiar thudding of his heart. It only made sense that she was calling him, especially after that ridiculously awkward call he’d made to her.

  He answered with a smile in his voice. “Hello, Anna.”

  “Sorry, Dr. Thorne. Anna is otherwise occupied right now.”

  Aidan jerked up in his seat. “Who is this? Where’s Anna?”

  “A friend of a friend, you might say.”

  “Where’s Anna? If you’ve hurt her—”

  “Relax. Other than feeling a little under the weather, Ms. Bradford is perfectly fine. How long she stays that way is entirely up to you.”

  “Where’s Simon?”

  “Dr. Cook is getting acquainted with Ms. Bradford. He asked me to call you.”

  “I swear, if he hurts her, I—”

  “You’ll what?” the man asked mockingly.

  “I’ll personally gut you,” Aidan snarled.

  “I’ll look forward to the challenge, Dr. Thorne. But since we only have a limited time to talk, let’s move on, shall we? I have specific instructions from Dr. Cook.”

  “I’m listening,” Aidan ground out.

  “You’ll be landing in about two minutes. Get off the plane and go straight to baggage claim. You’ll be met by two gentlemen. No need to look for them. They’ll recognize you. These men will give you instructions for the next part of your journey.”

  “I want to talk to Anna. How do I know you even have her?”

  “You don’t. However, you know that I have her cellphone. You’re welcome to contact the bodyguard you assigned to her. He is unfortunately no longer able to talk, but you can do your best. Dr. Cook told me you were once a gifted doctor, so who knows what miracles you can perform?”

  “How do I know she’s alive? This could be a trick to trap me.”

  “Also true. You’ll just have to wait for further proof. If it makes you feel any better, we’re preparing a video for you.”

  “How can—”

  “I’m not finished, Dr. Thorne. Please refrain from contacting anyone. We have spies everywhere. One could be on the plane. If we see you talking to anyone or using your phone, Ms. Bradford will suffer for your disobedience. Is that understood?”

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent. We’ll chat again soon.”

  The instant the call ended, Aidan studied his fellow passengers. A woman and a child sat across from him, two businessmen were in the right front, an elderly couple sat directly in front of him. None of them looked like spies for Simon Cook. Aidan couldn’t take the risk. If Cook knew he was on a plane, headed back to DC, then he could damn well have placed spies here to watch him.

  Having no other choice, Aidan slipped his cell back into his pocket. If anyone were watching, they’d see him comply with the instructions. What couldn’t be seen was the finger he’d used to uncover a small, hidden compartment on the left side of his phone. Most people would think it was a cover for an earphone jack, which it was. But next to the jack was a tiny alert button. One press, and McCall received an immediate notice that one of his operatives was in trouble. GPS tracking would begin immediately.

  Knowing he’d done all he could for now, Aidan stared into space, his heart racing as he envisioned all the horrible things Anna was going through. Dammit, how had Cook gotten to her? Aidan had been so damned careful.

  None of that mattered now. He would save Anna. There was no doubt in his mind about that. It might be the last thing he accomplished on this earth, but he would be successful. The confrontation that had been ten years in the making would soon take place, and Aidan was sure of only two things—Anna would survive and Simon Cook would not.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Darkness surrounded her, consumed her. Hands, thousands of them, grabbed at her, clawing, pinching. Giant teeth tore into her flesh. Anna fought, struggled to scream, to call out for help. She was bound, legs, hands, mouth. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t breath.

  What was happening? Why was she being tortured? Sobs built to a crescendo but she couldn’t make a sound. Who was doing this? Why? Her mind prayed, begged for help. Tears filled her eyes, rolled down her face. Whimpers rose in her throat as she realized she was going to die.

  A golden haired man appeared before her. With beautiful brown eyes and a dazzling smile, the man filled her heart with hope. She wanted to call out to him, warn him. Why, she didn’t know. She needed to tell him something. What? Who was he? Had he done this to her?

  No, not him.

  His smile dimmed, his eyes went dark with sorrow. Agony zoomed through her entire body. She swallowed her screams and let the darkness devour her once more.

  Minutes or days later, she woke again. Darkness still surrounded her. She was still bound, still unable to scream but she was alive. She heard a noise. She blinked, assuring herself that her eyes were open. Was she about to be rescued? Had the golden haired man returned?

  Light appeared. The face of evil hovered above her. No, no, no! Not him. Not him. He was dead! Alden Pike had been shot and killed. Her mind scrambled to explain the horror. A little voice in the back of her mind whispered the mantra, Pike is dead, Pike is dead. Yet he was here, beside her. Had everything been a dream? Was she still in Tranquility? Everything that had happened—her rescue, her degrees, her career—were they all in her imagination? How was that possible? How…?

  Aidan! Aidan Thorne was not a figment of her imagination. He was the golden haired man, the man she loved. He was real.

  Fighting back the hallucinations, the hideous memories, Anna kept Aidan’s face locked in her mind. Alden Pike’s evil countenance hovered on the periphery, but as long as she held onto Aidan’s image, she could fight the beast that threatened to throw her back into hell.

  Darkness washed over her once more, but this time it was softer, welcoming. Warmth wrapped her in a comforting embrace.

  She woke again, this time to horrendous agony. Streaks of fire ripped through her stomach as if the devil himself were dancing inside her gut, shredding her insides with his vile, evil claws.

  Pounding, piercing misery erupted in her brain, drilled into her skull. Anna screamed, her dazed mind recognizing that she had been released from her bonds. Freedom no longer mattered. She was dying…she was sure of it.

  As much as she wanted to roll around in her misery, cry out in her suffering, she forced herself to lie still. Taking even, shallow breaths, she acknowledged and absorbed the pain. Her racing heart slowed, the panic within her calmed. The hideous pain was still there but by focusing her thoughts she could lessen it somewhat.

  She zeroed in on her surroundings. The surface beneath her was soft, giving. She heard no sounds or noises. She knew she should open her eyes and face the knowledge of her circumstances, but something held her back. Not just the violent nausea and hideous headache
. Something else stopped her. A shadow hovered at the edge of her consciousness. A dark, ominous feeling of dread that told her to put off facing reality for as long as she could.

  Unable to bear not knowing, Anna forced her eyes open.

  What she saw was nothing she’d anticipated. She was in a beautiful bedroom decorated in different shades of green. It was both feminine and practical. Nothing frilly or ostentatious. In fact, if she had chosen the décor herself, she couldn’t have been more pleased. Problem was, this was not her bedroom.

  She lay still as possible and tried to think. What was the last thing she remembered?

  Her mind refused to give her the memories. Hoping for a clearer perspective, Anna gingerly sat up in bed. In an instant she knew she’d made a massive mistake. As if a monster had been let loose inside her, her belly roiled like a massive wave, and the pain turned into a fit of vomiting. Noting the bucket beside her bed, Anna reached for it just in time. She retched and gagged. Beneath the misery, a small voice inside her was telling her something else was wrong. Something even worse than the sickness. That worry would have to wait. Another bout of nausea hit her.

  “Hello, my dear.”

  Anna raised her head and looked around. Saw no one.

  “Don’t bother looking for me. I’m in another room. I have to admit to having a weak stomach, one of the many reasons I never did well with patients. So please excuse my rudeness in not greeting you in person.”

  As if a movie played in her head, she saw herself fighting against two men. She had pepper-sprayed one of them, punched the other. Then another man, the kindly looking man in the elevator, had appeared. He had drugged her and abducted her. She didn’t remember much else other than the name mentioned right before she’d lost consciousness.

  “Hello, Simon.”

  “Excellent. I see Thorne has apprised you of the situation. That will save us some time.”

  “What the hell did you give me to make me so sick?”

  “Just a little concoction I created. It’s so rare that I have the opportunity to experiment on a healthy specimen. I hadn’t anticipated the delightful addition of hallucinations. It’s been enlightening to watch you these last few hours.”

  “You bastard! What was in that shot?”

  “Now, now, don’t get too upset. You’ll just feel sicker. Let me reassure you that it won’t kill you, my dear, if that’s what worries you.”

  “It’ll just make me wish I were dead.”

  “Exactly. I can already tell that we are going to get along quite well. You speak your mind, and that’s a quality I’ve learned to appreciate in a woman.”

  “What do you plan to do?”

  “That’s nothing for you to worry your pretty head about. Now that you’re awake, you’ve got several hours of unpleasantness ahead of you. Do be sure to keep your bucket close.”

  Nausea overtook her once more, and Anna did the only thing she could do. She rode the wave of agony and endured.

  ***

  Reagan National Airport

  Arlington, Virginia

  The instant the door was opened, Aidan strode off the plane with an unleashed urgency. He didn’t bother looking around at the other passengers as they disembarked. Whether Simon had someone on the flight no longer mattered. Whatever the man had planned, Aidan would go along with it. Getting to Anna was his only priority right now.

  McCall would be tracking his phone. He would know where he was, and a team would be headed his way soon. Unfortunately, not soon enough.

  As instructed, he went to baggage claim. He hadn’t checked any bags, so he stood in the middle of the large area where dozens of exhausted and harried travelers waited. It didn’t take long.

  A hard hand landed on his shoulder, and a man growled into his ear, “Let’s go.”

  Aidan didn’t see the man or the one he sensed on his other side. He walked with them toward the glass doors. When one of them pushed the door open, he noted the scorpion tattoo on his hand. Looked like a gang symbol.

  “This way,” the tattooed man said.

  They led him to a black Hummer. The back door opened, and Aidan was pushed inside. The two men got in with him, one on each side. He couldn’t see who was driving. The vehicle took off.

  “Your cellphone, please.”

  Knowing he had no choice, Aidan handed over his cellphone. The man pressed a button on the door, and the window slid down. Aidan’s phone disappeared through the opening.

  “What now?” Aidan asked.

  “We wait for further instructions.”

  They drove out of the airport and toward the Beltway. Though the atmosphere inside the vehicle was one of grim silence, there was also an air of expectation. These guys were as much in the dark about what would happen next as Aidan was. He didn’t find that the least reassuring.

  A cellphone buzzed, and the guy on Aidan’s left answered with, “Yes?” The man listened for several seconds, said, “I understand,” and ended the call.

  “Your wrists, please.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re to be restrained.”

  “Why now?”

  The man on his right jabbed a gun in his side and snarled, “Do it!”

  Having little choice, Aidan held out his hands and watched as his wrists were zip-tied. If these guys thought that they were safer this way, let them. Zip ties wouldn’t slow him down for one second.

  The man then pressed a button in the ceiling, and an overhead monitor lowered to eye level. The screen flickered briefly, and as eerie music surrounded them, a scene right out of a horror movie appeared. The setting was a graveyard. Fog and mist swirled and danced with slow, graceful abandon. Twisted and gnarled trees with Spanish moss hanging from the misshapen branches encircled ancient-looking tombstones. The camera panned the area, revealing monstrous crypts and crumbling encasements. The only thing missing were ghost and goblins.

  The camera that had been moving slowly through the graveyard abruptly picked up speed and zoomed forward, then jerked to a stop before three tombstones. The one in the middle was large and elaborate, made of expensive-looking marble and stone. The ones on either side of it were much smaller and looked like they were made of concrete blocks.

  The writing on the tombstones was out of focus. Aidan moved closer to the screen, trying to read the inscriptions. As if the cameraman wanted to make the most impact, the picture focused abruptly and the writing became clear.

  Here lies Simon Cook, Jr. A brilliant doctor destroyed by evil. May his betrayers rot in hell.

  The camera shifted to the right. The etching on the cement, jagged and messy, read:

  Here lies a betrayer and liar: Aidan Thorne

  Even though he didn’t need to read what was on the other tombstone to know who it had been prepared for, Aidan shifted his gaze to it anyway.

  Here lies the innocent Anna Bradford. She used her last dying breath to curse the man who killed her, Aidan Thorne.

  Aidan pushed aside the knee-jerk reaction of fury. There were clues here, and he needed to find them before the images faded. First clue: This wasn’t the result of Simon’s imagination. It was too tame. When it came to horror movies, the Simon he knew was all about the gore. This was too mild, almost stereotypical of an old-time horror movie.

  Second clue: Simon was one of the most-foul-mouthed people he’d ever known. Twice in college he’d been almost kicked out for the vile language he used in public. So why was Aidan’s epitaph so mild if Simon hated him that much?

  Third clue, and the one that confused Aidan the most: Simon’s epitaph. Problem was, Aidan couldn’t put a finger on why the wording bothered him. And while it was obvious that the endgame was for all three of them to die, why would Simon want to end his life when he was finally getting exactly what he wanted?

  Something didn’t add up.

  The screen faded to black, and a voice, reminiscent of Vincent Price, said, “The time has come for you to pay, Dr. Thorne. It’s unfortunate that Ms. Bradf
ord will have to die, too.”

  Aidan didn’t know if there were cameras inside the Hummer. Not that it mattered. Showing any kind of emotion other than icy coldness during this ordeal wasn’t something he could allow. Simon would feed off of any anger or pain Aidan revealed.

  The man who’d taken the phone call earlier pressed a button on a side compartment. A door opened, revealing a small bottle of clear liquid. The man took the bottle and handed it to Aidan. “Drink it.”

  “No.”

  He smiled and said, “Good.”

  The man on the other side of him pressed something hard against his side, and a jolt of electricity zipped through Aidan’s body. Jerking uncontrollably, Aidan shouted. In that instant, something foul-tasting splashed against his tongue. He spewed out as much of the liquid as he could, but within seconds, he knew enough of the drug had gotten into his system to impair him.

  Slumping into his seat, Aidan watched a blur of the world pass by. The man to his right chuckled. “Enjoy your trip.”

  ***

  Bogota, Colombia

  A weak and listless Anna Bradford lay on the bed. He hadn’t yet met her in person. He’d spoken the truth when he’d told her that he had a weak stomach. The stench of bodily fluids was one of the many reasons he had changed course in his medical training. Whiny, complaining people were another.

  He had to give Anna credit. She wasn’t a whiner or complainer. For the past five hours, she had vomited and heaved as though she were dying. But not once had she called out to anyone. Not that it would have done her any good, but he had developed a certain measure of respect for her stoicism. Women who endured without complaint were his favorite kind.

  The poison was now out of her system, but she would remain lethargic, unable to defend herself against the weakest of opponents.

  One of the day nurses he’d employed several years ago stepped into the room. At just under six feet tall and as strong as an ox, Sybil Dempsey could arm-wrestle a steroid-using body builder and win. Anna would be no challenge.

  “Get up. I’m here to clean you up,” the woman said brusquely. Sybil wasn’t known for her bedside manner.