Deadly Memories

by Mary Alford

  She hesitated just a second. She seemed confused by his reaction to seeing her smile and yet he couldn’t begin to explain. “That would be great,” she said.

  Kyle checked the fridge and found eggs and bacon and held them up. Her face lit up and she nodded.

  “Oh, there’s bread for toast,” she said with a whimsical look.

  He chucked and pulled out a frying pan. “Great.” Before long, the savory aroma of frying bacon filled the cabin. It was nice to cook for more than one person. He’d gotten good at making quick meals for himself. After his baby sister, Emily, went away to college, more times than not he ended up pulling something together quickly.

  “Breakfast is my favorite,” she said casually and then stopped, her brows tangling in a frown.

  Kyle tried to keep his feet under him at that revelation. “My wife used to love having breakfast for dinner, or lunch, for that matter. She could have eggs and bacon every day of the week...” He stopped when he got a good look at her expression. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head and forced a hint of a smile. “Nothing.”

  “My wife was with the CIA, as well,” he continued, holding her gaze and watching as she processed the information.

  “What happened to her?” she finally asked, her voice little more than a whisper. She looked as if everything hinged on his answer. He debated how much to give away. If he told her the details, would it be influencing her recollection?

  He chose his words carefully. “She died,” he said quietly.

  Sympathy showed in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine losing someone you love...” She stopped and then shook her head. But she clearly had lost someone, too. Her parents as well as her fiancé.

  “Food’s ready,” he said, changing the subject and setting their plates on the table. “Do you want to say a prayer?”

  She seemed uncertain and they sat in awkward silence. Another curious development.

  Kyle bowed his head and prayed over the meal. “Father, thank You for safe passage today, for providing us food and shelter, and for always watching over us. Please be with Ella. Help her to regain her memories so that she can fully heal. Amen.”

  She didn’t move; she simply stared out the window that reflected the snowy woods outside. Although her hands were at her sides, he could almost imagine them clenched in fists as she fought back tears.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” she said at last. Her forehead scrunched into a thoughtful frown. “It reminds me of...” She shook her head. “I don’t know what it reminds me of.”

  She was so lost. Although it had been a struggle from the beginning, he believed he’d gained just the tiniest bit of her trust. Kyle clasped her hand. Their gazes intertwined. His chest tightened. “It will come back to you, Ella. It’s in there somewhere.”

  She squeezed his hand and then let go. “I hope you’re right,” she said without any real confidence. “I haven’t been able to remember anything for years, so I’m not holding out hope. I sustained a bad injury when I was captured. Those first weeks in captivity, well, it’s pretty much a blur, and I think I may have been drugged.”

  His jaw clenched when he thought about what Alhasan had done to her to ensure her cooperation. He couldn’t imagine not being able to remember the things he took for granted every day—childhood, parents, falling in love, all being just out of your grasp.

  “When I was in prison, all I thought about was surviving, and later on Joseph came.” She paused briefly and studied the outside. “Then nothing else mattered. Just protecting him.” Her face softened with love as she spoke of the boy. “He’s so sweet and innocent. He didn’t deserve what happened to his mother.”

  Kyle stared at her, uncertain he’d heard her correctly. “What happened to his mother?”

  She didn’t look at him. “She died. Alhasan killed her.”

  There had been another woman at the prison?

  “Do you remember how long you were held there?” he asked and hoped she wouldn’t shut him down completely.

  She pushed her plate away. “I’m not sure. It felt like forever.”

  “I know it’s hard thinking about that time,” he said gently. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

  She didn’t answer. She got to her feet and carried her plate over to the sink. “I’m alive, so it doesn’t matter what happened to me back then. I have a second chance.”

  He came over to where she was. “It matters to me. I wish I could take away all your suffering,” he said in earnest and as she stared up at him.

  As he looked into Ella’s eyes, there was no denying she felt the same pull he felt for her. She drew in a shaky breath. He so wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. But was he simply transferring his feelings for Lena onto Ella?

  He kissed her forehead instead. Disappointment etched itself on every inch of her face and she struggled to hide it.

  “Kyle, we have to find Joseph before it’s too late. If Alhasan’s here then he’s done what he said he would. He’ll keep Joseph close to him. He knows how important he is to me. He’ll be expecting me to do my part.”

  Lena had that same protective instinct about her. It helped her excel in her job, but had it also taken her life? If Lena had been there when Ella was captured, she’d have done whatever it took to protect her. Had it been the ultimate cause of her death?

  He pushed Ella for more information. “What’s your part? There’s more that you haven’t told me. I need to know everything.”

  Her gaze dropped to her hands. She twisted them nervously together. “I can’t. He’ll think I’m helping you.” She backed away. “He told me if I did, he’d kill Joseph.”

  “What else does he want you to do?” He watched her shutting down in front of him. Her reaction was proof positive he’d hit it dead-on.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she murmured.

  “You do. You said he wanted me dead, but there’s more that he wants you to do.” When she didn’t answer, he fought to get her to open up. “Ella, let me help you save the boy. You can’t do it alone.”

  She turned and walked back into the living room and stared at the tranquility outside as if trying to find her own calm.

  He understood why she didn’t give her trust easily, but he had to find a way to tear down the wall of doubt she still held on to. “He’s a liar. He’ll tell you what you want to hear and then he’ll break whatever promise he’s made to you. Joseph still has a chance if you trust me.”

  Kyle stood behind her. His hands cupped her shoulders and drew her back against him. It thrilled him when she didn’t pull away. Both their reflections were offered up in the window. He could read all her uncertainties as more of her story finally unfolded.

  “He trained me for what I was to do,” she said almost to herself. “He said as long as I did everything he told me, he’d keep Joseph alive.” She stopped for the longest time. “But I can’t do what he wants. I can’t kill you or the rest of the Scorpions.”

  Kyle’s couldn’t hide his shock. “He wants you to take out the entire team? Why?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. He told me I was to find a way to get you to take me to your headquarters.” She stared into his eyes reflected in the window. “And then kill your entire unit. He showed me photos of each of your team.”

  What could Alhasan possibly be after at their headquarters?

  “There’s something there that he can’t find anywhere else,” he concluded.

  It took a second for what he said to click. “Yes, that makes sense.”

  “What’s he after, Ella?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. He never said why he needed access, only that I had to do my part if I wanted Joseph alive.”

  He thought about Sam and his te
am. They’d been missing for way too long and now Liz and Michael were unaccounted for, as well. “I know this is hard, but I need you to try to think of anything else he might have said to you. Even if it seems insignificant.”

  Her dark eyes turned bleak. “Kyle, Alhasan is moving his entire operation to the US,” she whispered. “And I think it’s somehow connected to what he wants me to do.”

  In shock, he stared at her reflection for the longest time. Alhasan was moving his weapons smuggling operation to the United States? Kyle couldn’t believe it. The probability of being caught moving weapons onto US soil was high. There could be only one reason why Alhasan would take that risk. He was planning something here.

  Kyle decided it was time to tell her everything. “Ella, the people who went missing in Afghanistan the night you were rescued are still unaccounted for. Their time is running out. There may be others, as well. Please, I’m asking you to concentrate. Think. Anything you remember, no matter how small it seems, might help.”

  She shoved her fist against her head. “I’m trying. Don’t you think I want to help?”

  He struggled for calm and managed it. “I know you do,” he said quietly. “Did he ever mention where he was setting up here?”

  “I heard him speaking to someone once. He mentioned a place called Cedar Creek.”

  Kyle repeated the name in his head. He dug out his phone and typed it in. There were half a dozen Cedar Creeks around the country. One sent chills up his spine. It was a small logging town nestled on the southern Pennsylvania border. A little too close to the nation’s capital for comfort.

  If Alhasan was moving his business to the United States, then his new location might be closer than Kyle wanted to believe. Was that why he chose Ella? Because she was from Mountain Song and no one would suspect a missionary of being a terrorist? The insinuation was disturbing.

  He met her gaze once more. There was more to come—he could see it in her troubled eyes. The only question was, which of them was it going to hurt the most?

  * * *

  “There was a man at the prison,” she began slowly. Now that she’d put her trust in him, she knew she had to tell Kyle everything if she had any chance at saving Joseph. “He was an American.”

  “What did you say?” His stunned tone scared her. Did he believe her or would he think she was crazy?

  She faced him knowing she had to look him in the eye. “There was an American man who visited the prison.” She pulled much-needed air into her lungs and then told him what she suspected. “I think he’s the real person in charge.”

  For the longest time, he didn’t say a word, and her doubts rose.

  “What you’re saying is impossible, Ella.” His tone was taut. “We know who’s in charge. We’ve had him under surveillance for over a year now. I had an informant embedded in his operation. Alhasan never once led the informant to believe he answered to anyone. Alhasan is the one in charge.”

  Her thoughts were crystallizing more every second. She was positive of what she’d heard. She just had to find a way to convince Kyle. “You’re wrong,” she said passionately. “He made sure I never saw his face, but I heard him talking to Alhasan. He was an American and he’s definitely the one calling the shots. Alhasan was fearful about angering him. And there’s more. He had blond hair and he was tall...like Duncan.”

  His skepticism was difficult to take. “You’re saying you think Duncan might be the real Fox? That’s hard to believe.”

  She didn’t understand. “Who is the Fox?”

  He ran a hand across the back of his neck. “For the longest time, we didn’t have a name for the terrorist who has been smuggling US military weapons out of Afghanistan. We believe he’s stockpiling them for a future attack and who knows what else. We nicknamed him the Fox because he’s very elusive. He’s been operating in that region for years without being identified. He’s responsible for countless attacks, including one that took the lives of several Scorpion team members. It’s only been recently with the help of my asset that we were able to put a face as well as a name to the real Fox. And that name was Alhasan.”

  He shook his head. “Or so we thought. But if what you’re saying is true, then what we believed we knew about the Fox and his plans are wrong. In other words, we’re back to zero.”

  Suddenly everything she’d been so clear about came into doubt. Had she imagined the American’s authoritative tone and Alhasan’s desire to please him? What if she was wrong? She remembered the receipt she’d found at Duncan’s home.

  Ella pulled it out of her pocket and gave it to Kyle.

  “What’s this?” he asked as he stared into her eyes.

  “With everything that’s happened, I almost forgot. I found this at Duncan’s house. It was stuck in a cookbook. I’m guessing he forgot he left it there.”

  Kyle stared at it and then her.

  “I’m going to have my team take a closer look at Duncan’s travels over the past ten years as well as his business. What else do you remember about the American? It’s very important that you tell me everything about him.”

  She closed her eyes briefly and recalled the handful of times the American had been at the prison.

  “He wasn’t there all that much in the beginning, but when I heard him speak that first time, I knew he was an American.” How had she been able to recognize the accent? She wasn’t sure, but she’d known instinctively he was from the United States. “In the beginning the other woman was still there with me. But Alhasan hurt her badly.” She drew in a breath. Let it go. “The American, he gave up on her. Said they’d never be able to break her. She was too strong.”

  “Who was she?” he asked in a strangled voice. Something was wrong.

  “I’m not sure. She was nice to me. When I was first taken hostage, I was hurt badly.” She touched the scar on her head. “She protected me. Stood between me and Alhasan. Helped me make it through those dark days.” Ella shivered at the memory and looked at Kyle. All the color had left his face.

  She was unaware of Kyle for the moment as she thought back. “Alhasan called her...Lena. She helped me when I first arrived. I was in and out of consciousness. I couldn’t remember anything about my past or who I was.” She shook her head. “The surprising part was how alike we looked. It was almost like seeing my sister... Only that’s not possible,” she said almost to herself. “Lena was kind and sweet and she told me about God. I don’t think I believed in Him before.”

  She struggled to hold on to another devastating memory. “Oh, Kyle. She was pregnant when I met her.” Her gaze shot to his. The look of heartache written on his face made her wonder if she were seeing things that weren’t there. Why had the mention of Lena brought him so much pain? The answer was in the dark edges of her mind but she was afraid to grasp onto it.

  “Then one day, the American took her away. She never came back.” Tears were close. She’d bottled up those dark memories. Now it was as if once they’d finally been freed, she couldn’t hold them back.

  “After a while, Alhasan brought me Joseph, told me he was Lena’s child...” Another memory ripped at her heart, too fleeting to capture. It made her sad.

  “I fought so hard to keep him safe. I named him Joseph because...” Was it a favorite name? The years of being drugged coupled with her head injury made it impossible to call up the memory. “I’m not sure why. Maybe Lena told me it was the name she wished for? Alhasan used my love for the child against me. He knew I’d do anything to protect Joseph, even if it meant losing my own life.” She swallowed hard. “And now he’s out there alone with Alhasan and I can’t stand it. I let Joseph and Lena down.” She brushed rough fingers across her tearstained cheeks. “Please, Kyle. I need your help. For Joseph. For Lena.”

  EIGHT

  He stumbled away from her, the world around him spinning. The walls were closing in
and he couldn’t catch his breath. Ella had dropped a bombshell and he needed to be alone to process it.

  He blindly headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” she implored. She didn’t understand the heartbreaking pain tearing at his gut.

  “Stay here. I’ll only be a moment.” He didn’t wait for her answer.

  The rejection he saw on her face was hard to take. But he couldn’t bear to explain his actions right now.

  He somehow managed to put one foot in front of the other until he reached the edge of the woods near the house. Kyle collapsed to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

  The woman she called Lena had been pregnant. He couldn’t believe it.

  Despair brought tears to his eyes. Impossible, surely? It had to be a mistake. It wasn’t his Lena, because there was no way she had been pregnant when she left on that mission. She would have told him. Even though he couldn’t accept that the woman Ella spoke of might be his wife, the child she’d given birth to was still out there somewhere in the hands of the enemy.

  Rage rose from the dark recess where he’d buried it years ago. He had no doubt that Alhasan was responsible for his wife’s death. Ella was living proof of the cruelty the man was capable of.

  He closed his eyes and prayed with all his heart that God would take away the anger and keep him clearheaded. He needed God to guide his hands. There was still a chance to save the boy. He had to stay resolute.

  Kyle glanced around at the idyllic setting and a sense of peace settled around him. As he went over the things Ella had told him about the woman, too many things about her answers didn’t add up for him to believe she was his wife.

  When Lena went missing, she hadn’t believed in God. When had that changed? Ella’s disappearance had happened a year before Lena’s. How could his wife have been at the compound before Ella?

  Was Ella simply jumbling up memories or repeating lies Alhasan had told her? Was the whole accusation about the Fox being an American simply Alhasan planting doubts? Whatever the answer, it didn’t change the truth in his mind. He’d buried his wife.