Mission--Memory Recall

by Virginia Vaughan

  Would she ever feel like God was on her side again?

  Something on the computer screen caught her attention, but it wasn’t an image from the camera. It was a reflection in the screen of someone coming up behind her. She spun around and saw Dillon, now free of his binds, lunging at her, a knife in his hand. She kicked at him but he flew at her and knocked her to the floor. The Taser was still on the desk and she scolded herself for ever dropping her guard and putting it down. But how and where had Dillon gotten hold of a knife?

  His pack was on the floor near where Marcus had placed him. She realized he must have gotten to it, grabbed the knife and cut himself free. She should have moved it just in case and she certainly should have never turned her back on him, tied up or not. She’d underestimated this man again, but it would be the last time she made that mistake.

  He grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. “Sit down,” he demanded.

  She sat back in the chair as he scooped up the duct tape and wound it over her hands.

  Once she was secure, he hit a button on the laptop and spoke. “Levi, where are you? What’s your status?”

  Levi’s voice filtered through the speaker. “I’m in the woods. I’m safe but they’re hunting me.”

  “Lose them and meet me at the rendezvous point. I’ve got the girl. That’s all the leverage we need.”

  “Copy that.”

  He clicked off, closed the laptop then turned to her. “We’re leaving now.” Then he slapped her face hard. Pain radiated through her cheek and she nearly toppled over in the chair. When she glanced back up at him, he sneered.

  “Who’s the loser now, Bethany?”

  * * *

  Marcus ran through the woods, pushing away branches and scrubs, his only focus on finding Levi and bringing him in. The rogue agent had claimed to be in New Orleans when Colton had phoned him. Capturing him now and bringing him down was the only way to prove to everyone that he’d been lying about everything and had in fact been working with Dillon.

  Marcus could leave no doubts if he ever wanted his life back. Now that he remembered everything that had happened that night in Afghanistan, he knew he had nothing to be ashamed of except for failing to take down both traitors that night he’d seen them together. It had seemed suspicious to him that Dillon had even been on-site. CIA personnel generally remained on the base for the duration of the mission.

  “I’ve made arrangements to take down Akif,” he’d heard Dillon say. “Everyone will think he’s the one to blame.”

  “And the target is already off-site?” Levi had asked him.

  “Yes, I informed his men about the pending operation and they moved him three hours ago. I made certain it was done during a time the drones wouldn’t capture it on video.”

  Marcus remembered the anger that had whipped through him and he felt it again. It sickened him to realize that a member of his team and a CIA agent were talking so callously about walking American soldiers into an ambush. Now he knew he’d acted rashly in confronting them instead of relaying the information immediately back to his commanding officer.

  Marcus spotted movement in the brush, pulling him back to the present day. He stopped, kneeling as he scanned the horizon, until he saw a figure running toward him.

  He clicked on his mike. “I have eyes on the target. He’s in the woods behind the concession building.”

  “On our way,” he heard a multitude of voices proclaim.

  He dropped his gun and took a place behind a tree. He didn’t want the guy dead and he had the element of surprise on his side.

  Marcus sprang forward and clotheslined him as Levi passed. He sent him falling backward and Levi groaned in pain as Marcus lunged at him, grabbing him by the jacket and pulling him to his feet. If it had been possible, he was certain steam would have been coming from his ears, his face felt so flush with anger.

  “You betrayed us,” Marcus snapped, more anger than he’d thought possible pouring out of him as he smashed his fist into Levi’s face. He went down again but this time came back up fighting, blood oozing from a cut on his lip.

  “I don’t answer to you,” he stated, not hesitating before tackling Marcus. The two men struggled on the ground and fought hand-to-hand, each throwing punches and blocking. They seemed evenly matched but Marcus’s injured hand—the hand Levi had shot—put him at a distinct disadvantage and Levi took full advantage by grabbing it until Marcus screamed in pain.

  He pushed through the pain and headbutted him, sending them both off balance and hitting the dirt. Instead of crawling to his feet and continuing the fight, Levi grabbed for the rifle that had flown from his hand when Marcus attacked. He grabbed it then spun at Marcus, who remained unarmed, his own gun still by the tree.

  “Get up,” Levi demanded.

  Marcus glanced up at him then slowly crawled to his feet, defeated. “You betrayed us,” Marcus said. “How could you do that? You betrayed us all.”

  “You don’t know the meaning of the word betrayal,” Levi shot back. “You all betrayed me.”

  “How did we betray you? You and Dillon are the ones who sent our entire squad to their deaths.”

  “Our government betrayed us, Marcus. They’re the ones who sent us into dangerous situations with poor intelligence and inadequate weaponry. They’re the enemy and you continue to fight for them even after they left you for dead.”

  He had heard this spiel before and imagined those were Dillon’s words coming from Levi’s mouth. Levi had only been a foot soldier recruited by Dillon and Marcus knew there must have been some vulnerability in Levi that he’d been able to expose. It saddened him to think someone he’d once considered a friend could have been so easily manipulated. But Levi had made a choice and he’d crossed a line from which he could never return. He was responsible for men’s deaths and God was the only judge who could ever redeem him.

  Levi touched his earpiece. “I have Marcus.”

  Marcus nearly smiled, knowing that Levi was speaking to no one on the other end of that mike. Dillon Montgomery was out of action. He’d made certain of it.

  Levi appeared to be listening to someone then he clicked the mike and said, “Copy that.”

  Marcus’s gut clenched. It wasn’t possible he was talking to Dillon. Was there someone else they didn’t know about in the mix?

  “Who was that?” he asked. “Who were you talking to just now? Not Dillon. It couldn’t be Dillon.”

  Levi gave him a chilling smile then removed his earpiece. “Repeat command,” he stated. The voice that came through nearly sent Marcus to his knees.

  “I said kill him” came Dillon’s voice loud and clear. “Kill him now and let’s get out of here. I have the girl. She’s all the leverage I need to make it out of here alive. They won’t dare do anything as long as she’s my hostage.”

  Marcus felt his words like a punch to his gut. Dillon had escaped and had Bethany at his mercy. He wanted to kick himself for leaving her. He should have been with her. He should have known how dangerous a man Dillon Montgomery was.

  “On your knees now,” Levi said, aiming the gun at him.

  Marcus dropped to his knees, knowing he had no other choice but also wondering what would happen to Bethany once he was gone.

  Levi stood behind him.

  He felt the barrel of the gun press against his head and knew his time was limited.

  Lord, please take care of her. Please make a way out of this for her. I love her so much.

  Marcus heard the safety of the gun release. This might be the end for him, but he was thankful that at least Bethany knew his feelings for her had been real. He kicked himself now for not saying he loved her. He hoped she wouldn’t doubt his affection like she had for the past two years.

  He closed his eyes and prayed. He wasn’t ready to die. He’d just recovered his name, his reputation and his family. But mos
t of all, he’d found Bethany again. He wasn’t ready to let her go. But he’d trusted in God throughout this process and he couldn’t stop now. His journey might have ended, but hers hopefully would continue.

  Help her out of this, Lord. Please, keep her safe.

  His only thought as the gun went off was of Bethany and how much he loved her.

  * * *

  She jerked when a shot rang out over the radio and a cry escaped her lips. Hot tears flooded her eyes and an overwhelming grief paralyzed her at the horrible realization that Marcus was dead.

  She’d spent so long questioning him...so much time being angry with him over something that wasn’t even his fault. Anger rushed through her. It wasn’t fair! She’d joined the CIA because she wanted to make this world a better place. Her eyes were open now. Life wasn’t easy and it wasn’t fair.

  Marcus would tell her to pray but she didn’t know if she could. All that anger and hurt and betrayal she’d felt the first time she’d thought she’d lost him returned. She wanted to blame God but this time her anger was directed at a man and he was standing in front of her now.

  She wouldn’t allow him to get away with this. She didn’t know how, but she would make it out of this situation and somehow she would find a way to make him pay for what he’d done.

  Dillon clicked on the mike. “Levi, respond. Is it done? Is he dead?”

  There was no immediate response, which gave Bethany a sliver of hope, but it was short-lived. A few moments later the response came over the headset. “He’s dead.”

  Sorrow burst through her at those two little words and Bethany knew at that moment that she couldn’t go through this alone. She needed help but had no clue where to turn. She couldn’t go through another two years of suffering like she’d done before. The anger and bitterness had eaten her up inside. And that was no way to live. She wanted a life and she wanted one day to be happy again.

  Suddenly she realized she was looking at this all wrong. How many people got to spend time with someone they loved after they’d thought they’d died? She’d had that privilege, had gotten the answers she’d sought and had shared a few more precious moments with him. How could she be angry with a God that would give her such a gift?

  Lord, I need You.

  Her soul made the cry. She remembered the way Marcus described feeling someone higher than himself with him. She needed that assurance that she wasn’t alone in the world and she needed the healing He could offer her.

  Dillon slammed his laptop shut and grabbed her arm. “We’re leaving.”

  She wiped away tears and tried to focus on the moment. First, she had to escape. She had no doubts that Dillon would not keep her alive long now that Marcus was dead. He had no use for her anymore except as a hostage to threaten if the rangers caught up with him. Once he was safely away, he would kill her for sure. She should have felt alone, but she didn’t anymore. Marcus had told her to pray and she was ready. She didn’t know if it would do any good. She was certain God could fix this all, but she knew He didn’t always intervene. He might let this happen. She closed her eyes and prayed. She needed Him to act.

  Finally she understood the truth of what Marcus had been telling her. Even if He didn’t intervene to change her situation, God would see her through it. He would guide her on this new journey.

  Dillon yanked her out the chair and through the dark hallway. Bethany spotted an unlit exit sign and knew they were heading that way. Did he have a car waiting? All of theirs had been destroyed. And what about the other rangers? She realized they were still out there. All hope wasn’t lost. She just needed to keep her eyes open to possibilities to either overpower Dillon or to escape him.

  He burst through the doors and into the back woods, but as he ran, his grip on her loosened. This was her one and only chance at escape. Could she succeed? Taking a deep, bracing breath, she pulled away from him and turned and ran the other way into the woods.

  Dillon bellowed after her. “Stop! Get back here or I’ll shoot.”

  She didn’t stop. This was her only chance to make it out alive.

  He fired several shots. She still didn’t stop. It wasn’t the first time she’d come under fire and she knew continuing to run was her best chance for survival. The branches kept smacking against her face, cutting into her skin, but it was a small price compared to what Dillon would do to her if he caught her.

  Father, help me!

  She heard movement in the woods and knew Dillon was chasing her. But where were the rangers? Reaching them was her only hope. She needed them on her side if she had any hope of making it out of this alive. She needed to head back toward them. It was a risk but one she had to take.

  She stumbled over some exposed tree roots and fell, landing hard on her shoulder and knee. She grimaced and got back up, but she wasn’t quick enough. Dillon caught up with her, grabbed her around the waist and lifted her from the ground.

  “Did you really think you could get away from me?” he rumbled in her ear. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  She had made the decision she wasn’t going down without a fight and she’d meant it. She kicked and struggled, trying to break his hold, to no avail. He overpowered her.

  Suddenly several shots rang out, hitting the trees surrounding them.

  Dillon ducked, grabbed her around the neck and pressed the knife in his hand to her throat as a group of men in survival gear appeared from the brush, each with a rifle trained on them.

  “That was a warning shot,” a voice told him. “Next time, we won’t miss.”

  She recognized his voice right away. Marcus! He was alive!

  The men cleared a path and Marcus stepped forward, dragging a bound and disarmed Levi behind him. He shoved him to the ground in front of them for Dillon to see.

  “It’s over, Dillon. Let her go. You’ve lost.”

  Dillon dug the blade into her skin and she cried out in pain, certain he’d broken skin. It would take only a slip of his hand to slit her throat. He started backing up. “I’m getting out of here and Bethany is my ticket to escape. Don’t think I won’t kill her.”

  “You won’t,” Marcus said. “You need her.”

  Her heart was racing as she realized she hadn’t lost Marcus, and she wasn’t going to, either, not this way. Knowing she had to get away from Dillon so the rangers could take him out, she jabbed her elbow as hard as she could into his stomach. He groaned and doubled over, but not before digging the blade deep into her throat. They went down together and she heard the sweet sound of gunfire end the standoff.

  Marcus ran to her as the uncontrollable pain shook her. He pressed his hand at her throat and she knew it was bad from the frantic look on his face. He fell to the ground and pulled her into his lap. She noticed his breathing was heavy and sweat broke out on his forehead.

  “Don’t you leave me,” he pleaded, his face going pale.

  Another figure hovered over her and she recognized it was Matt. “Keep pressure on her wound,” he told Marcus, then yelled at someone else. “Go get the truck. We have to get her to a hospital now.”

  She was aware of Marcus ripping pieces of his jacket and pressing it against her neck.

  Breathing became difficult and she suddenly felt weak. She was thankful she was already in his arms. This was where he wanted to be. It was the only place she wanted to be, as well.

  “Come on, Beth,” Marcus said, shaking her gently and rousing her. She hadn’t realized she was drifting off. “Don’t you do this to me. You spent all that time and energy looking for me. Don’t you leave me now.”

  It took effort, but she managed to lift her hand and touch his face. He covered her hand with his own and she realized his face was wet with tears.

  “I love you,” she whispered, choking over the words and not even sure she got them out.

  She must have because he leaned down and kissed her
forehead. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.

  She clung to his words as she slipped away.

  * * *

  Lord, please don’t let me lose her.

  Marcus had spent most of the past two days—ever since Dillon Montgomery had slit her throat like the animal he was—on his knees, praying for Bethany’s healing and recovery. She’d lost a lot of blood before they’d made it to the hospital and an infection had set in after surgery, causing concern by her doctors. Finally she’d turned a curve and seemed to be resting comfortably, but the antibiotics and pain medication they were pumping into her kept her groggy and subdued and he hated seeing her this way.

  He camped out in her hospital room, taking up residence in the recliner at her bedside and daring anyone to try to move him. The only one who had was Rick Eaves. Bethany’s CIA supervisor had tried to get him to return to Langley for questioning at the same time the Marshals had picked up and transported Dillon and Levi for the trip.

  The rangers had shot Dillon, but hadn’t killed him. He’d been treated and released to the Marshal’s custody. Marcus had refused to leave, reminding Rick that he’d instructed Bethany to bring him in and that’s what would happen.

  Her hospital door opened and Marcus looked up to see Colton. He got up and greeted him, shaking his hand heartily.

  “How is she doing?” Colton asked, motioning toward the bed.

  “She’s doing good,” Marcus assured him. “She’s going to pull through.”

  Colton, however, looked rough, as if sleep had evaded him, as well, the past two days. “How are you?”

  He nodded, an instinctive response, Marcus decided. “I’m getting there. I won’t lie to you. It was a shock for us all finding out what Levi had been doing all this time. That CIA guy told me that all those surgeries he claimed to have, they’ve discovered that they coincided with the dates Bethany was out searching for you. I guess Dillon was covering for him, forging his records somehow.” He grimaced. “He was badly hurt in the ambush, just not as seriously as he led us all to believe. He hasn’t needed any additional surgeries. I always thought it was odd that he didn’t want any of us with him at the hospital. I just thought it was vanity, that he didn’t want us to see him weak like that.”