Mojave Rescue

by Tanya Stowe

“You made it easy with your disregard for protocol and careless attitude toward security. Information was leaking out and the biggest holes in the safety net were around you.”

  She hung her head. “I never took it seriously until...”

  “Until it almost got you killed.”

  She looked away. “I never meant for that to happen.”

  Regret was deep in her tone. It struck a chord with Cal. “You know, I believe you mean that. But it doesn’t change the fact that we’re here because of your carelessness.”

  “My work... My project means everything to me.”

  Irritation filtered through him. “It better. You almost lost your life over it.”

  Her gaze darted to the backpack lying beside them, but she said nothing more. For the first time he realized she’d had the nerve to retrieve her computer...and the money. His respect for her rose a little, but it didn’t change their situation.

  “Maybe someday you’ll tell me why your work means so much you’d willingly risk your life and the lives of others. But right now we need to concentrate on getting out of here alive.”

  He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and plugged in the password. Bright light filled the small booth. He heard a small sigh of what sounded like relief...until he started to power the phone down.

  “What are you doing? Why don’t you call for help?”

  “Because I’m not sure who to call. We knew—”

  “Hold on. Who is we? Your security team at the base?”

  “No. I’m an undercover agent for the CIA.”

  “CIA?” Her expression phased through several emotions in an instant—shock, confusion and then disgust. Cal couldn’t tell if the last was directed at him or his company.

  She frowned. “That can’t be. You’re head of base security.”

  “Security chief is my cover. I’m the field operator for a team in Washington. We’ve been following the activities of an arms dealer by the name of Alexi Gorkoff, trying to find his source. He’s been buying top secret weapons on the black market for several years. We finally narrowed his contacts down to someone on the inside. A person at your home lab or here on the support team of the base has been selling plans even before they’re completed.”

  “Bill, my boss, mentioned something to me about a security problem a while back. But I thought it was in the aeronautics department, not mine.”

  “It’s all departments and all projects, which indicates someone high up in the chain of command. The CIA planted me in the base’s security force to find the leak. We created a background for me, which included a substantial gambling debt. I let it be known that I was willing to do anything to pay it off. A man approached me and we started feeding him information. After two years of work, I was finally going to meet the boss.”

  “Whitson and Carter were talking about their leader. They said he gave the order to kidnap me.”

  “Whoever he is, he’s clever about covering his tracks. He throws suspicion onto unsuspecting people like you. We... I wasted months tracking down the wrong people. Every time I’d get close to the truth, he’d disappear again.”

  “So when you walked in and saw me lying there, you had to make a choice between meeting the boss and saving my life.” Her voice was low and raspy.

  His jaw tightened unit it was almost painful. “You didn’t leave me much choice, Drina. I thought they might have already finished you off and dropped your body down an abandoned mine shaft somewhere out here in the desert. It’s happened before.”

  An image of the young man who disappeared flashed into his mind. He was a computer geek with glasses...much like Drina’s. He had serious social issues and hadn’t been very popular with his coworkers. The CIA had already pegged him as a potential spy before Cal came on the scene. But in Cal’s quest to convince the members of the black market ring that he was willing to do anything for money, he’d fed them erroneous information. The leaked info countered real intel from the young computer geek. He’d disappeared two days later, never to be found, his body probably dumped down one of the many abandoned mine shafts in the endless desert floor.

  Cal had taken the kid’s disappearance personally. He would have felt the same about Drina if he’d found her dead. Still...

  He shook his head in a sharp movement. “If you’d just followed the protocols, we wouldn’t be here now.”

  His words seemed to make Drina aware of her disheveled state. She sifted fingers through her short hair—hair that, in spite of all she’d been through, was still shiny black, tousled but touchable. A twig or leaf had wedged itself into a lock near the top. He remembered its silky feel against his lips and itched to pull the leaf loose just to feel that shiny curl.

  “You don’t know anything about me. You don’t know how important my work is.”

  Her words squelched his soft feelings. “I know your work was important enough to try to protect it. Besides, I’ve made it my business to know about you. MIT graduate after only three years. Top honors. Recruited by Aero Electronics right out of school.”

  Her lips parted in surprise. After a moment she looked away. “And that’s where the interesting part ends. Now my life is all work.”

  “True, but you were a social butterfly in college. Served on the board of every club you joined. You even volunteered with Boston’s poorest, in soup kitchens and eventually in hospice, serving the aged and dying. That really intrigued me. To be honest, it filled me with admiration.”

  He leaned his head back against the wall. “A young woman like you, taking on the most difficult situations life has to offer. But something happened. You changed. Dropped your volunteer work to focus on your studies, graduated earlier and went on to a career in electronic warfare. What happened, Drina?”

  Maybe shock had loosened Drina’s previously tight-lipped attitude. To Cal’s surprise she answered him.

  “I fell in love.”

  Three

  Moonlight fell onto her face, softening her features. Wide-eyed. Wounded. She looked so very lovely and so vulnerable.

  That’s how love looks on Drina Gallagher. Cal couldn’t take his gaze away. The shock of that look, that softness, jolted him. Drina was so very beautiful with the silver light kissing her eyelashes and dark hair. The urge to comfort her, to pull her into his arms almost overwhelmed him.

  Get a grip, Cal. She’s here because of her own disregard for security. Still, the need to comfort her was almost irresistible.

  She saved him from making a fool of himself when she raised both knees and wrapped her arms around them, gripping tight. “His name was John. He was...good. A rule follower... A lot like you, actually.” She glanced at him but he couldn’t define the look in her gaze. Was it admiration or scorn?

  “What happened?”

  “We broke up. My parents didn’t approve. They were right, of course. We were too young...too idealistic and foolish.”

  “I don’t think following the rules or being idealistic makes you foolish.”

  “Does quitting school and joining the marines qualify?” The sarcasm in her tone lashed at Cal, made him scale back his reaction. Her attitude said much about the depth of her feelings for an event that had occurred years ago. Obviously, there was more she wasn’t saying.

  “Perhaps,” he said cautiously, “or maybe it speaks about his patriotism and desire to serve.”

  “John died in Afghanistan. He was twenty-two years old. His death was a complete waste...just a waste.”

  Cal was silent for a long while. “I understand your feelings but I can’t draw the connection. Your first love died in battle, so now you build weapons?”

  Wrong thing to say. Drina bristled like a dog on alert and went on the attack. “What about you? Why do you work for the CIA?”

  “There are lots of ways to serve, Drina.”

  “I’m building weapons
to save lives. All the CIA does is plot and kill people.”

  His jaw tightened. “Sometimes we save lives, too. Like this afternoon.”

  His reminder took the spit and vinegar out of her. She lay her forehead on top of her knees. Her next words were muffled. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just—I’m not cut out for this.” Her words came out less belligerent. “Even if I wanted to do it, I couldn’t. I’m falling to pieces.”

  “I had a breakdown after my first encounter with evil.” His tone came out bitter. “It’s natural.”

  “Evil?” She raised her head. “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?”

  He nodded.

  “I should have known. John was, too.” She slumped again, this time turning sideways with her cheek on her knees. She sagged with a weariness that went deeper than the physical. Cal recognized spiritual conflict when he saw it. He was on intimate terms with those battles, battles that helped him to anticipate her next question.

  “But you’re still working for the agency. Why?”

  “A lot of prayer. No matter how many times I asked God to send me in another direction, He didn’t. After a while, I had to accept that I was where He wanted me to be. Then my pastor advised me to count the lives I saved, not the lost ones.”

  Good advice, but it hadn’t helped much when he remembered the men who killed Buddy were still free...and still killing.

  Drina studied him in the dim shadows of the tollbooth. He could feel her gaze—intense, probing.

  “Do you think Whitson is dead?”

  He gave a tight sigh. “I’m a pretty good shot. I don’t think he’ll be kidnapping anyone else.”

  In the silver moonlight her lips thinned. “I don’t think I could do it...justify killing.”

  Anger flared. “You’re right. I should have let Whitson shoot you.”

  She sagged. “I’m sorry. I’m very thankful you didn’t. I’m just trying to understand.”

  “That’s your problem. You think too much. There was nothing to understand. It was you or him. I chose you.”

  She met his gaze, her eyes wide. “You’re right again. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He brushed dirt off his jeans, his movements angry and abrupt. He tried to hold back his irritation but it didn’t work. “You don’t make sense. All this complaining about death but you work for a defense company, specifically in weapons.”

  “Weapons that protect men, stop the fighting by shutting their electronics down.”

  “It also causes the soldier’s skin to feel like it’s on fire.”

  “Yes, it does sensitize their nerves, but it causes no permanent damage. As soon as it shuts off, the pain goes away. It’s a nonlethal weapon. No one dies.”

  Cal was silent for a few minutes before he nodded. “So that’s what drives you. Saving lives.”

  “Yes. Saving lives. Making up for those John would have saved if he’d lived.”

  She looked away, but even in the dark shadows he could see the determined set of her jaw. He was more than surprised. Their goals were the same, yet she objected to everything he did and fought him every step of the way. Even when he was saving her life.

  Drina Gallagher was a puzzle...one he didn’t have the time to solve. He needed to get her to a safe place so he could get back to the business of finding the boss and his gang.

  He ran a hand around his neck. “It’s a good plan, Drina. Your work is valuable. So let’s see what we can do about getting you and your plans back into the right hands. The question is, who can we trust?”

  “My boss. Bill Carlisle. I trust him implicitly.”

  “Do you? Who did you call when you discovered the key to this new weapon?”

  “Well, Bill, of course.”

  “So he was the only one who knew you’d found the solution.”

  “Yes, but someone else was on the line. I heard the double clicks and Bill even cautioned me not to reveal my location. Not that it did any good. They already knew where I was. The point is, I know I can trust Bill.”

  “Let’s pray you’re right.”

  “You pray. I’ll rely on my own judgment.” She averted her gaze.

  He studied her for a long time. Drina definitely had God issues. He suspected her unwillingness to relinquish control was a symptom of some deep-seated anger with God—maybe even the source of her resentment toward Cal’s work. But she refused to say more...even to make eye contact.

  He shook his head. “Right now I need to make sure they can’t track us through my phone. I hope it’s not already too late.”

  They’d talked so long his phone had timed out. He punched the pass code in again. Light flared and Cal powered all the way down. Drina raised her head to watch him. Moonlight fell over her features and he watched hope drain out of her as the phone’s light faded.

  “Why can’t we just call the local sheriff’s department?”

  “Because the authorities will have to contact my superiors or your company, and the boss’s men will be able to trace us. It’ll be a race to see who reaches us first. Judging from previous experience, I’m counting on the bad guys.”

  “Won’t the CIA wonder why you aren’t contacting them?”

  “I was going deep undercover, remember? They didn’t expect to hear from me for days. They won’t risk betraying my cover.”

  “No, I did that for you.”

  She was right—her carelessness and single-minded obsession were the reasons they were here. Still, her tone revealed deep regret. For all of her strong opinions and scathing tongue, Drina Gallagher cared...more than she was willing to admit. He was glad. Her tone and the fact that they had the same goal softened his attitude.

  “We saved each other. We actually made a pretty good team.”

  She laughed. It was a small sound, like she didn’t do it much. But it was light and sweet. He liked it.

  “You and I... A team? Do you know how illogical that sounds? We’re exact opposites.”

  He shrugged. “Illogical or not, here we are. And we did good. We’re alive.”

  She nodded slowly, her head still balanced on her knees. “Yes. We’re alive.” She lifted her head. “So what are we going to do?”

  “We have to get back to the base. I need to see what’s happening, who is moving and how.” He paused, then almost as an afterthought, added, “Then we’ll ask for help.”

  “How are we going to do that? Drive right up to the gates on our quad?” Her tone told Cal she meant her explanation to be facetious. But it wasn’t.

  “Not through the gates but across the desert, so no one will see us. We can ditch the quad and sneak into my place. I’ll be able to connect to my phone and emails, maybe even my office computer.”

  Her lips parted in surprise. “You mean it? We could just drive across the desert to the base?”

  “If Carter and the others on his team don’t find us—and I don’t think they will—they’ll expect us to alert the authorities, not to stay quiet and double back to the base. So that’s exactly what we’ll do, the unexpected. We could be safely ensconced at my place with no one the wiser.”

  Drina closed her eyes. “I wish we were there now.”

  “I can’t risk trying to find my way in the dark. We’ll have to wait until daylight. The park is closed for camping, but just outside its boundaries is a wide-open valley that belongs to the Bureau of Land Management. I’m sure we’ll find campers and ATV riders there. We’ll mix in with them, cross the park and head out the opposite direction...to California City. We can gas up there.” He pointed to her backpack. “Fortunately, someone had enough sense to bring along some cash. Maybe we can get something to eat before we cross the desert to the base.”

  Drina shivered. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “It will be if everything goes well.”

  She closed
her eyes. “The best thing you said was something to eat. I’m starving right now.”

  “You should be. It’s been over twenty-four hours since you ate and you need some water.” He glanced at her backpack again. “You wouldn’t happen—”

  “I do.” She brightened and dragged the bag toward her. “I usually keep a granola bar...” She unzipped the side bag and triumphantly held up the mixed-nut-and-raisin treat. “We can share it.” She ripped open the wrapping and broke it in half, but Cal shook his head.

  “I had breakfast and lunch today. You need it more than I do.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “You’ll need your strength to hang on if we’re going to cross the desert. But I might share some water. Do you have a bottle stashed in there someplace?”

  With her mouth full, she nodded and unzipped the other side. She handed him the bottle as she chewed.

  Seeing her slow, troubled chewing, Cal took a swig and handed it over. “Finish it off. Like I said, you’ll need it.”

  She took the bottle and did as he suggested. The food and drink took some of the edge off her attitude. When she finished she leaned her forehead on her knees again.

  “You should try to rest. You’ll need it for tomorrow.”

  “I can’t. I’m too cold.”

  Not waiting for her to tell him no, Cal took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her. Drina nestled her nose into a fold and sighed with relief.

  * * *

  “Wake up, Drina.”

  Cal’s voice came to her through an exhausted mist.

  He shook her roughly.

  “Wake up! Get moving now!”

  “What—what is it?”

  “I think they found us. They must have had a trace on my cell phone.”

  The booth was pitch-dark. Even the moon had abandoned them. Wind buzzed through the building like an angry bee. The sound reminded Drina of the metal shack beneath the wind turbines, and adrenaline surged through her.

  She grabbed her backpack. As she slid it over her shoulders, she heard the far-off whine of engines...running at high speed in the dark.