by Mary Alford
“Do your part, Ella. There’s still time to save the boy.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. Duncan was trying to use Joseph’s life as a bargaining chip.
Kyle touched her arm and she looked at him. “We’re going through there,” he whispered and pointed to the side window. “I’ll cover you. When you’re free, start running and don’t look back.”
Ella didn’t budge. She wasn’t about to leave him. “I’m not going without you. You never leave a man behind.”
He smiled at her valor and scrubbed a thumb across her cheek. Her eyes closed briefly, and she swallowed involuntarily in reaction.
“I’ll be right behind you,” he assured her in a gravelly voice—its familiarity seemed to reach out and grab her from the past.
“You’ll only have a second. Ready?” She wasn’t, but she had a job to do. She nodded. “On three.”
Her heart pounded in her ears as he counted off. On the three count, Kyle shot the window and glass shattered everywhere, then he leaped to his feet and opened fire. Duncan quickly returned it.
Ella kept as low as she could and slipped through the broken window. The second she cleared the deck, she ran for her life. Once she reached the opening to the woods, she paused to listen. She wasn’t leaving Kyle behind. She’d wait. If he didn’t come soon, she’d go back for him.
A handful of seconds ticked by before she spotted him. He caught up with her quickly enough.
“We have to hurry. I don’t doubt he’ll come after us,” he assured her and grabbed her hand as they raced through the woods at a frantic pace. Once they’d covered some distance from the house, Kyle stopped and she turned to him.
“What is it?” she asked because she didn’t like the look on his face.
“I need you to keep going, Ella. Don’t stop,” he said in a tone that sent chills through her. “No matter what happens, don’t stop.”
SIX
She shook her head. “No, Kyle, I’m not leaving without you.”
The crunch of undergrowth beneath a footstep drew his attention behind them. Duncan was coming after them.
He knew Ella heard it, too. She whipped around. “He’s right behind us.” The fear in her voice was evident in every syllable.
He didn’t bother looking behind them. “Keep moving and don’t stop. I’m going to draw his attention in another direction.”
She grabbed his arm. “He has nothing to lose. He’ll kill you.”
“I’ll be okay,” he said with assurance. “Just keep going the same direction we came. When you clear the woods, stay out of sight and wait for me. If I’m not back soon, get to the car and go into town. Find the chief. He can help you.” When she hesitated, he gave her a gentle nudge. “Go, Ella. He’s almost here.”
With a final searching look, she did as he asked and turned and ran down the path. Once more, Kyle was struck by how closely she resembled Lena. The way she carried herself. Her body language. Her instant ability to interpret his signal earlier. Even the way she ran. If they survived this, he’d have to find a way to positively identify her as Ella Weiss. Because his heart couldn’t take another crushing blow like he’d experienced with Lena’s death.
Kyle shoved his personal feelings down deep and found adequate cover. He listened as Duncan’s steps slowed. The man must suspect Kyle was planning something. Still, Kyle held his position. If his idea worked, Duncan would hear Ella and go after her. He’d walk straight into the trap.
A dozen or more seconds ticked by before Duncan finally emerged from his cover. Kyle waited until he was past him before he stepped out with weapon drawn.
“That’s far enough.”
The man stopped dead in his tracks then slowly turned and faced Kyle. “Nicely played, Agent Jennings. Too bad she’ll be dead before she reaches the car.”
Nothing showed on Duncan’s face. Kyle prayed it was a bluff. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” Duncan challenged. “Are you willing to stake her life on it?”
Kyle didn’t take the bait. “You’re going to tell me where Alhasan is and what he has planned.”
Duncan laughed as if Kyle had said something amusing. “You’re kidding. You have no idea the scope of this operation. Who the real enemy is. You think she’s on your side.” He added the jab slowly and then grinned.
The man was trying to get under his skin, and it was working. Kyle kept the Glock trained on Duncan’s head and grabbed his phone. He’d take Duncan in. Once he had Ella stashed someplace safe, he’d interrogate the man himself.
Duncan realized what he was planning and dived for the gun. Kyle leaped out of the way before he could grab the weapon. The move gave Duncan enough time to scramble for tree coverage.
Kyle quickly did the same. “Give yourself up, Duncan. It’s over.”
The man’s answer was to open fire. A round of bullets hit the tree Kyle was standing behind. He peered around and another round of shots sped past his head, forcing him to duck. A few seconds later, he could hear Duncan heading back in the direction of the house.
Kyle jumped from behind his cover and opened fire while Duncan zigzagged between trees, making it impossible to get a clear shot. When Duncan popped into view, Kyle aimed at his right side and fired.
One of the rounds hit and the man screeched in pain. For a second Kyle thought he was going down. He stumbled a couple of steps then got his legs beneath him once more.
Kyle gave chase, but with Duncan firing over his shoulder, he was forced to take cover once more.
As much as Kyle wanted to bring Duncan in, he wasn’t willing to take the chance. What if his threats were real? He needed to get Ella out of there quickly, because every second Alhasan knew her whereabouts meant she was in danger.
* * *
Her labored breathing echoed in her ears, drowning out all other sound—yet she didn’t dare stop. Ella kept running, shoving branches out of her way, all the while praying for Kyle’s safety. She couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him. She wasn’t sure when it’d happened, but she realized now that he was all she had to hold on to without Joseph.
When she reached the edge of the woods, out of breath and close to fainting, Ella was forced to stop. She leaned her hands against her knees and listened. The eerie silence behind her was broken by a rapid exchange of gunfire.
Ella clamped her hand over her mouth.
Please keep him safe. She said the frantic prayer in her head as the sporadic shooting continued. Then silence, soon followed by a car firing in the distance. Tires protesting on gravel as the vehicle flew down a road.
She turned and ran back into the woods at a frantic pace and almost slammed into Kyle.
Relief threatened to buckle her knees. Without thinking, she threw her arms around him and held on tight.
“I heard shots. Are you okay?” she asked when her heartbeat slowed and she could actually manage words.
Kyle stiffened for a second then gathered her close. “I’m okay. He got away, but he’s injured.”
If Duncan really was the American, would he follow through with his threat against Joseph? The thought was terrifying.
“We can’t go back to the lake house,” Kyle told her in a terse voice. “We need help, Ella. Duncan could have called in backup. We’re at a disadvantage. You have to let me call in—”
“No.” She didn’t let him finish. “You can’t call in the Scorpions. He’ll kill Joseph.” She pulled away and put space between them.
He stared at her, his frustration evident. “What are you talking about? Who’s Joseph?” When she didn’t answer, he stepped in front of her and forced her to look at him. “You have to be honest with me, Ella. The time for keeping secrets is over. What haven’t you told me?”
He was trying to save her life. She saw that now. As har
d as it was to trust anyone not to hurt her again, she really believed Kyle was one of the good guys. He’d proven it to her over and over again.
“Joseph is just a little boy,” she said in a strangled voice. “He’s so innocent and I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to him. Kyle, I have to protect him.”
She watched anger flare in his eyes. “A child? How do you know him?”
Ella let out an unsteady breath. “Because he was with me at the prison.”
“The boy was being held as a prisoner?” He couldn’t disguise his disgust. “What about his parents?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know.” She remembered the woman. Alhasan’s bragging.
“Ella, please, I need you to tell me why you don’t want me to call in my team. Is it because of the boy?”
She wanted to trust him with everything, but Joseph’s life was on the line. She shook her head.
“Then at least let me reach out to the chief. Have him pick us up and get us safely out of here. We can’t go back for the car, and Duncan knows we’re here.”
There had been no sign of Joseph at the house, but Duncan had mentioned they’d keep him alive if she followed through with the plan. Was there a way to convince him she would do as he asked? What if the police chief was part of Alhasan’s team? Uncertainty swirled around in her head.
“What if the chief is working for Alhasan?” She voiced her fears aloud. “He has men everywhere.”
“That’s the very reason we can’t keep going alone,” he said calmly. “We’re fighting an enemy who could be right next to us. I trust the chief. You can, too.”
“Okay,” she said at last and hoped she hadn’t sealed Joseph’s fate once and for all.
SEVEN
“With the exception of my wife, no one knows about this place. Not even my men. You should be safe here,” the chief assured Kyle. “Molly and I come here from time to time to get away from things. Mostly when my job gets to be too much.”
“We’re thankful for your help, Chief,” Kyle said with gratitude.
“It’s Henry, and you’re both welcome.”
Kyle glanced curiously at the man seated next to him. He’d told Ella he trusted Henry because he needed to keep her moving, yet with everything that had happened, he was starting to second-guess the wisdom of calling the man. For the moment, his hands were tied. Henry seemed solid enough, but then again, Alhasan had proven he could convince the most dedicated people to do his bidding if he put enough pressure on them or dangled enough money.
In the backseat, Ella was huddled with her arms wrapped tight around her body. The same protective posture he’d seen her in a few times. She trusted no one. Not even him. After what she’d been through, he could certainly understand, but at some point the only way to move forward was to reach out to someone for help.
“I take it your wife isn’t a fan of your job?” Kyle asked Henry, making Ella glance up from her musing. Their gazes tangled. Awareness sparked in hers. She remembered something.
Henry laughed. “You could say that. Molly and I have been married for going on thirty years now and I’ve been on the force through all of them.”
Kyle noticed Ella was listening intently. Something about Henry’s story grabbed her attention.
“That’s an amazing career,” Kyle said. He’d give just about anything to know what had her so curious.
Henry nodded. “But not without its price. I’ve been shot at—” he pointed to his left shoulder “—stabbed and I came close to being blown up once. Still, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.” He spared Kyle a knowing look. “It’s hard on the people we love, though. They have to pay the price in sleepless nights and days spent worrying we won’t come home.”
Like Lena. A lump formed in Kyle’s throat that he couldn’t clear away. He’d gone out of his mind worrying about her on that final mission, and his worst nightmare had become a reality.
He noticed Ella’s eyes filled with tears and she looked away. What was she thinking about?
“Anyway, I promised Molly after I survived the shooting last spring this was it. My last year of wearing a badge, and I aim to keep that vow. I’m retiring at the end of the month. Then we’re going to move to our little cabin and I’m going to do my best to not worry Molly ever again.”
Kyle hadn’t really ever thought about the future until he lost Lena. He’d always assumed they would grow old together.
He’d give just about anything to turn back time. Change the past. Be the man she’d needed him to be.
Henry slowed the car’s speed and then turned onto a gravel drive. After they’d traveled close to a quarter of a mile, he stopped in front of a two-story log cabin tucked deep in the woods. Snow still clung to the eaves and most of the surrounding trees. A perfect hideaway.
“The wife and I come out here most weekends, so there’s food and necessities,” Henry told them as he got out, and Kyle and Ella followed. “We keep some clothes here, as well. Not sure if any of it will fit you, Ella. My wife’s a bit petite, but you’re welcome to try.”
“Thank you,” she said as she stepped inside the cabin, followed by Kyle. Henry flipped on the lights and Kyle got a good look at the place.
It reminded him of the cabin where he and Lena spent their honeymoon in Montana. Memories washed over him. Their time together had been so special. If only he’d known how little of it they had.
Ella made the tiniest of sounds. He turned and realized something was wrong. She looked as if she’d suffered a terrible shock. His heart belted out a crazy tune. Had she remembered something from her past?
“Agent Jennings?” Kyle became aware of Henry saying something to him and he had no idea what.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “I was thinking about something else.”
Henry looked at him funny but let the matter go. “If you need anything, call me and I can be here in ten minutes.”
“I will. Thanks, Henry.” Kyle shook the man’s hand.
“You’re welcome.” He nodded to Ella. “I’ll let you two get settled in. Treat it like you own it,” he said with a final wave.
Before Henry left there was something Kyle needed to ask him in private.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Ella and followed the man outside to his car.
“Something on your mind, Agent Jennings?” Henry asked once they were out of earshot.
Kyle got straight to the point. “There is. I need a favor.”
Henry never wavered. “Name it.”
“I’m having trouble finding something to test Ella’s DNA against. I can’t take Tracy’s word alone. There’s too much at stake. Tracy told me she doesn’t have any of Ella’s belongings.”
“How can I help?” Henry asked.
“I’ve had my people check for any medical or dental records, but we haven’t been able to locate any, so I can’t officially identify her as Ella. I’m wondering if someone from the church or the community might remember some personal details about Ella. Maybe if she was left-handed.”
He knew it was a tall order, but he had to know. The woman waiting for him inside was most assuredly left-handed...just like Lena. But was Ella Weiss?
Henry’s expression remained pensive. “I’ll do what I can. My wife and I aren’t from here originally, otherwise we could help you out. I’m not sure being left-handed is something anyone will remember, but there may be other avenues.”
Some of the weight Kyle carried on his shoulders lifted. “I’d appreciate it. And thanks for the use of the cabin.”
“No problem. I’ll keep an eye on the local hospitals and medical facilities. If Peter Duncan shows his face, we’ll have him.”
As much as Kyle appreciated the watchful eye, he was pretty sure Duncan wouldn’t dare seek medical help.
He clasped Henry’s shoulder. “Thanks. To be on the safe side, the fewer calls made between us, the better.”
Henry nodded. “I’ll bring your car over later today. Molly can follow and drive me home. With that creep running loose and not knowing who all the players are, you’ll need to have a way to escape should it come to that. Maybe I’ll have something on the other matter by then.” Henry got into his car and with one final wave drove away.
As Kyle listened to the vehicle leaving, he still didn’t move. He couldn’t get out of his head the memory of that last time he and Lena had spent together at their cabin. They’d gone there to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. It had been a special time. They’d talked about having children soon. Everything about it had been romantic and he’d been so much in love with her.
He swallowed back those heartbreaking thoughts and headed inside, where he found Ella mesmerized by the snowfall. She appeared worried about something.
“What is it?” he asked.
There were tears in her eyes. For a second he thought she might open up to him fully. Then just as quickly the vulnerability was gone and that stubborn defiance he’d grown to dislike returned. “Nothing. I guess I’m just tired.”
He didn’t challenge her. “After what happened back there, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed myself.”
She seemed relieved that he didn’t push her further.
“Do you want to rest for a bit?”
She shook her head. “Not really. But I am hungry.” She smiled genuinely for the first time and it hit him that he couldn’t remember seeing her smile before. It glued him in place. The way the left side of her mouth lifted just a little more in a lopsided grin. Lena had that same way of smiling, usually whenever she was teasing him.
Letting go of the similarities was hard, but he had to. They had a way of keeping him off balance, and he’d need a clear head to convince Ella to tell him what she hadn’t shared so far.
“Henry said there’s food. Let’s see if there’s something we can throw together for a meal.”