Kitabı oku: «Mission: Memory Recall»

One

CIA Analyst Bethany Bryant’s heart raced as she parked her rented SUV in a parking space in front of Milo’s Diner in Little Falls, Texas. Taking out her gun, she checked it then slid it back into the holster beneath her jacket. She hoped she wouldn’t have to use it, but she was ready in case she did. Her pulse was pounding with both excitement and angst.

She stared through the front windows of the diner and braced herself. For two years she’d been stalking a shadow across several countries and most recently to this sleepy little town. Social Security files showed employment activity at this diner on a false identity she’d been tracking as recently as two months ago. Now she was here and this place might finally hold the answers she’d been seeking for so long.

Bethany closed her eyes. She couldn’t handle any more disappointments, any more false hopes. Taking a deep breath, she stared ahead and couldn’t help wondering if her friend Dillon was right. He would tell her to face the facts—Marcus Allen was dead and she was chasing a figment of her imagination.

But it could be him.

Her heart kicked up a notch. She was also anxious about what would happen once she stepped inside the diner. How would she handle it if it was really him? She hoped she could keep her calm and professionalism, but a part of her was afraid she might cry like a little girl if she saw the face of the man who had haunted her dreams for so long. Drawing another deep, bracing breath, she got out of the vehicle, smoothed her long, dark ponytailed hair and her clothes then headed inside. She paused at the door and squared her shoulders before stepping through.

Milo’s was an old-fashioned diner with stools at the counter and booths lining the walls. There was even an opening where one could see into the kitchen. The aroma of bacon and breakfast goods greeted her along with the familiar clanking of dishes and the chatter of conversation by the customers of the nearly full eatery. Bethany found an empty booth with a clear view of the kitchen and strained her head to try to see inside. She saw people, bodies, but no faces.

A pretty middle-aged woman with an apron and notebook approached her table and wiped it down. “Welcome to Milo’s, hon. What can I getcha?”

“Just coffee, please,” she stated, scanning the area behind the counter for a familiar face.

“We have a great breakfast special. Steak and eggs for only $5.99. Sure you’re not hungry?”

“No, thank you. Just the coffee.”

Laughter caught her attention and she gazed past the waitress and through the window into the kitchen. She knew that deep baritone voice. She’d heard it before, reveled in it. Her breath caught and a moment later her world shattered when she spotted the familiar strong jaw, green eyes and wide, bright smile through the opening.

Tears threatened her. He was alive. It was true. It was really true. Marcus Allen was alive. Then, as suddenly as that emotion had hit her, it morphed into anger. Marcus Allen was alive and working as a fry cook in a diner in Texas.

“Are you okay, honey?” the waitress asked. “You look kinda pale. Can I get you some water?”

“No, I’m fine. I was just caught off guard by the laughter. It sounded like someone I used to know.”

The waitress turned and glanced into the kitchen. “You know Marcus?”

Ah, that was the real question, wasn’t it? “I used to know him a long time ago.”

The woman whose name badge read Marie turned and hollered toward the kitchen. “Marcus! This girl claims she knows you. Get out here and say hello.”

Bethany’s heart jerked as the man peered through the open window then waved. She pressed her arm against the gun under the jacket as she debated her own reaction. Her first instinct was to run to him, pull him into her arms and praise God for his safe return. She checked that. After all, she hardly recognized the man approaching her table.

Dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and cowboy boots, he wore a long apron over his clothes and tossed a dish towel over his shoulder as he approached her. His eyes narrowed as he neared and he cocked his head as if trying to place her. Bethany felt herself go on alert. It was him! It was Marcus Allen walking and talking and cooking fried food.

She sucked in a breath and tried to get hold of her tangled emotions. If Marcus was alive, that meant...that meant he’d lied to the entire world. And now he was walking toward her as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He acted as if he didn’t even know her and that made her mad all over again. She gritted her teeth, fury rushing through her. How could he not remember her? And if she shot him, could she really be charged with a crime?

After all, to the rest of the world, Marcus Allen had died two years ago in Afghanistan.

* * *

Excitement burst through Marcus as he approached the table where his boss and Milo’s co-owner, Marie, stood with a pretty brunette. His adrenaline had started pumping the moment she’d called out to say someone knew him. He’d hoped to recognize the woman, but he didn’t. Nothing registered.

He pushed back the disappointment. It didn’t mean anything. He didn’t even know himself these days, much less the beautiful woman with the long, dark hair and riveting blue eyes. He only knew his name was Marcus because the Afghani villagers who rescued him had called him that. He didn’t even know for certain it was his name, but this woman knew. This woman knew him.

He sucked in a breath. Her gaze was hard as he approached, but he didn’t stop. If she really knew who he was and this wasn’t just a case of mistaken identity, then she had answers...answers he’d spent the past two years seeking.

The lovely stranger didn’t flinch as he slid across from her in the booth and removed the wet towel from his shoulder. He eyed her, bracing himself for the unescapable moment when she would declare, “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Hi,” he said, his voice shaky with excitement. “Marie said you recognized me? I’m sorry, I don’t recall your name.”

Her eyes blazed at his words and he could see it made her mad that he didn’t remember. What were the chances that he finally had contact with someone who could give him answers and she turned out to be an angry ex-girlfriend? Was he that kind of guy? The love-’em-and-leave-’em type? He. Just. Didn’t. Know.

“Bethany,” she stated through clenched teeth.

“I’m sorry I can’t place you, Bethany. Something happened to me and I’ve been having a difficult time remembering things. Can I ask how you know me?”

She leaned forward and stared into his eyes, her gaze probing. He let her and didn’t look away. It had to be weird having someone you knew not recognize you.

“Really, Marcus? You’re really going to pretend to have amnesia?”

“I’m not pretending. Why would I make up something like that?”

“Because you’re in a heap of trouble, that’s why.” She pulled out her wallet and opened it, revealing a federal identification badge.

“What does the CIA want with me?” he asked, feeling sweat break out on his forehead. This was what he’d been most afraid of, that if and when he finally discovered the truth about himself, he wouldn’t like it very much. The villagers who’d cared for his wounds in Afghanistan had told him the CIA was hunting him. Her presence cemented that fear.

Just then his ears grabbed onto a familiar sound. He recognized the high-pitched whistling immediately and reacted. “Get down!” he hollered as something exploded through the window above their heads and the air filled with glass and a rush of stifling heat. Marcus hit the floor as bullets whizzed past him and slammed into the metal doors that led into the kitchen. Someone screamed and the panic-stricken patrons started running for the door. Marcus glanced at Bethany. She was crouched beside the table, her gun drawn and ready to return fire.

“Get down! Stay away from the windows!” Bethany screamed at the crowd as the bullets continued flying. She appeared ready to fight back, but it seemed awfully convenient that on the day she’d found him, someone was firing into the crowded diner.

The front doors were shoved open and several people spilled out onto the sidewalk. The shooter didn’t target them as they fled, but who was to say he wouldn’t start? Marcus thought the guy’s intent was probably to create pandemonium and, if it was, he’d been successful.

Moving to the metal doors already riddled with bullet holes, Marcus motioned for the rest of the crowd to rush toward the back. He noticed fear on their faces, yet he remained oddly calm under fire. How had he known that that sound had meant a bullet was headed their way? And why did this all seem second nature to him?

“Stay low and you’ll be safe,” he assured everyone as they began to filter back. Marcus spotted Milo huddled under the counter with Marie. He nodded at them. “Get those people into the freezer.” The large walk-in was solidly built and would withstand the gunfire. He glanced back at the holes in the door and knew instinctively that this wasn’t a random shooting. He was the target.

Milo kept a rifle under the counter in case of trouble. Marcus tore off his apron, crawled across the floor and reached to the back, his hand grabbing metal. He checked the weapon, glad to see it was loaded. Thank you, Milo.

He looked at Bethany. She wasn’t backing down, either. In fact, she was crouched on a leather booth seat, gun by her hand and using a mirrored compact to try to get a better look at the shooter.

Marcus joined her at the booth. “See anything?”

“Only one shooter. Looks like he’s perched on the top of the bank building across the street.”

“That’s a perfect vantage point for a sniper. He fired a lot of shots but didn’t hit anyone in the crowd. He must have been trying to create panic. Any chance he’s one of yours?”

“You mean CIA? No. No one from the Agency knew I was coming. I’ve been tracking you off the books.” She pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. “Someone is shooting into Milo’s Diner on Main Street. We need police and ambulance response pronto.”

He jumped up, pushed the shotgun through the window and fired. Bethany fired, too, and the sniper stopped shooting for only a moment before Marcus spotted the red laser that indicated the assailant had turned on his targeting gear. It swept the area, trying to find its mark as Marcus and Bethany crept out of its range.

“We’re not going to stop him from here,” he stated. This all felt so natural and, once again, that struck him as odd. He’d done this sort of thing before. He was certain of it. He grimaced. If this sniper hadn’t showed up, he would already have the answers he needed from the pretty brunette. He clutched his gun. She knew him. She knew him. The idea both baffled and amazed him.

“We’ve got to go out there and stop him. We can go out the back then circle around the hardware store and climb up the back of the building.”

She nodded, agreeing, and he was glad because he was going to make sure they didn’t get separated. This Fed had the answers to the questions he’d been seeking. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight.

Bethany followed him into the kitchen. The freezer door opened and Milo peeked out.

“Is it safe?” he asked. “It’s cold in here.”

Marcus waved him away. “Get back inside. Better to be cold than dead. The police are on the way.”

“And what are you two doing?”

“We’re going after the sniper. Keep everyone inside until they arrive.”

While some people had gotten away and he’d noticed the shooter hadn’t targeted them, it was too dangerous to allow anyone else out. They were better off staying in the freezer for now until the police arrived.

Marcus went out the back door and, crouching against the wall, followed the building to the front. He was hyperaware that Bethany was right behind him.

He cautiously glanced out and the sniper fired. He jumped back. “He’s got us pinned down. How many bullets do you have left in that gun?”

She pulled it to her in a protective manner. “Enough. Why?”

“You draw his fire. I’ll circle around the back of the hardware store and confront him.”

She frowned and he could see she didn’t like the thought of letting him out of her sight, but what choice did she really have?

Finally, after several long moments, she reluctantly nodded, but then obviously felt the need to clarify something. “You’d better not disappear again, Marcus. I found you once. I’ll find you again.”

He was certain she could but her worry was in vain. “I’m not going anywhere.” He’d come here to find answers and she was the first clue to his identity. He wasn’t going to run from her now.

She braced herself then started firing at the building. Marcus took off running, crossing the street then ducking into the hardware store. Mr. Bennett, the store’s owner, was hunkered down behind the counter.

Shouldering his rifle, Marcus told him to stay low as he hurried to the back, swooping up a rope from a shelf before exiting through the door. He quickly knotted the rope and then tossed it up the side of the building until it caught. He scaled the side of the building, all the while conscious of Bethany’s firing to keep the sniper engaged.

Good girl. Keep him occupied.

The rope burned into his hands but he didn’t stop. Hefting himself over the top of the roof, once again he was acutely aware of the fact that he’d done this before.

The scream of sirens wailed in the distance and Marcus knew the police would arrive soon enough, more likely new targets of the sniper’s aim. He needed to get over there and find out just who was shooting at them before further chaos erupted.

But he also needed to get back to the woman who held the answers to all his questions. You’ve brought me this far, Lord. You sent this Federal Agent with knowledge of my past to find me. Please don’t let anything happen before I can hear what she has to say.

He drew his gun and moved across the rooftop, every muscle on alert as he ran to the edge.

He scanned the rooftop quickly, spotting a rifle leaning against the wall, but the shooter was gone.

Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind, pulling something hard and tight against him. Marcus caught it with his hand, knowing that if the attacker managed to get this around his neck, he was done for. And everyone else down there would have to deal with this guy alone. He couldn’t allow that.

Marcus summoned more strength than he knew he had, reached back to grab the guy and then slung him across his shoulder. He hit the ground with a thud and a groan while Marcus scrambled to stay on his feet at the near loss of air supply.

Air Supply. He loved the band Air Supply.

He shook his head. Stop it and focus. Fight now. Answers later.

His attacker was dressed all in black, his face hidden by goggles and a sand scarf. It was a look familiar to Marcus; the guy resembled a bandit from the Old West. Marcus himself had dressed like that before for undercover work.

Unfortunately, his attacker didn’t stay down. He leaped to his feet, ready to attack again.

Marcus faced him, unable to shake the familiar look of him. He couldn’t see his face because of the sand scarf and goggles, but he knew the look, the stance, even the weapon of choice—a .300 Win Mag sniper rifle. Powerful and precise enough to shoot across a long distance. In other words, the perfect sniper’s rifle.

The masked figure lunged and Marcus engaged him, surprised to find he matched him move for move. He acted on instinct, the efforts coming naturally to him. He didn’t even have to think which move to make because his muscles seemed to know before his mind did. Finally, the assailant drop-kicked him and Marcus hit the ground and rolled. When he turned over to get to his feet, his attacker lowered his gun and held it to his head.

“You should have stayed dead, Marcus,” the clad figure stated.

But before he could shoot, another gun fired, this time from behind him. The bullet didn’t hit him but he jerked and spun around to face the new shooter from his spot on the ground.

Marcus spotted striking blue eyes belonging to none other than Bethany, the CIA agent, her weapon raised and firing. Man, she was gorgeous. The attacker hopped over the side of the building and vanished. She raced to the edge and looked over as Marcus crawled to his feet.

She turned back to him, irritation glowering on her face. “He’s gone.”

“Apparently so.” Marcus walked to the perch where the sniper had left his weapon and gear. He glanced through the scope. The diner had indeed been the target. But why and who had targeted them?

He heard the click of a gun safety releasing behind him. “Get away from that.”

He glanced back and saw Bethany with her gun now aimed at him.

“I’m just checking it out.”

“I said move away from it,” she insisted, so he did. If she wanted to play things her way then he would let her for now.

Lowering her weapon, she picked up the sniper rifle and glanced through the scope.

“The diner was the target. Or rather, someone inside the diner.” She picked up the gear bag and dug through it. “There’s no identification.”

“He wouldn’t have any,” Marcus offered and she glanced up at him with those probing eyes. “Despite what people commonly believe, snipers don’t work alone. They need someone to watch the wind and environment as well as, in this case, people coming to intercept them. In this case, if he hadn’t been working alone, he never would have left his stuff behind. We’re looking for a single sniper.”

“I’m familiar with sniper protocols,” she snapped, a comment that made him wonder why he was familiar with them. Had he been a sniper?

The person to ask was standing in front of him and there was no time like the present. After all, he’d made this journey to find answers.

“Back at the diner, you told Marie you knew me. Was that true? Do you know who I am?”

She looked up at him, surprise shining in her eyes. He held his breath. This was the moment he’d waited for, prayed for, even trekked across the Middle East for.

She straightened and raised her gun at him again, this time startling him enough to cause him to take several steps back.

“I do know you. You’re Marcus Allen. And you’re under arrest for treason and desertion.”

* * *

Bethany saw surprise color his face and felt more vindicated than she had since she’d first realized he hadn’t died that night in Afghanistan.

“I think you’re making a mistake,” he stated. “You’re seriously arresting me?”

Technically, she didn’t have the authority to arrest him, but she could and would detain him until he could be placed in custody. And, officially, she knew there were no active arrest warrants for Marcus Allen because as far as the US government was concerned, he’d died in Afghanistan two years ago.

“I know exactly who you are. I’ve been tracking you for the past two years.” She took out her CIA credentials and flashed them once again. “You’re on the government’s radar.” Maybe she was overstepping her bounds here. Technically, he was only on her radar, but he didn’t need to know that.

He looked downtrodden. “I’m a criminal? I thought when you told Marie you knew me, that you actually knew me.” He glanced at her derisively. “You’re nothing but an agent looking for her next prey.”

She sighed and lowered the gun. “You’re being a little melodramatic, aren’t you, Marcus? Of course I know you.” He’d made certain he’d be remembered when he’d made her fall in love with him then run out on her and everyone else.

The bitterness of realizing she’d been duped still stung Bethany because she had fallen for Marcus. She’d fallen hard for the handsome soldier with the broad smile and easygoing manner. The few weeks they’d spent together before the ambush had been the best of her life and she’d been just as devastated when she’d thought he’d died only to discover she’d been used as a means to an end.

Her face radiated heat at the reminder of the fool she’d been for him. She’d cried for this man when she’d thought he died! Then to discover he’d not only survived but had had a hand in the ambush had nearly done her in. Only her anger and quest for revenge had kept her going. Now he was standing in front of her and, more than wanting to know why he’d betrayed his country, she wanted to demand to know why he’d betrayed her. But she couldn’t focus on that now. That wasn’t the important part of why she’d tracked him down. Betraying his country was by far the more critical issue.

“What have I done that the CIA is hunting me?”

“You’re a US soldier who went missing and was presumed killed in action. I have a duty to bring you in through the proper channels. Everyone is going to want to talk to you, to hear your story.”

“But I don’t know my story.” He grunted and spun away from her, his shoulders tense. “How can I tell anyone what happened when I don’t know myself what went down?” He turned back, looked at her and shook his head. “But you don’t believe me, do you?”

“That you have amnesia?” she scoffed. “Come on, Marcus, drop the act. We both know you’ve been in hiding for nearly two years.”

“I wasn’t hiding.”

“Whatever it was, I’m taking you in. The only question is how we’re going to do this.”

He saw her clutch the gun then hung his head and sighed. “You won’t need that.” He held out the rifle in his hand to her, butt first. “I’m not a fugitive and I’m certainly not dangerous.”

“But you are under arrest. Let’s go. You’ll pay for the crimes you’ve committed against your country.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I—I don’t even know—”

His lack of recognition hurt more than she cared to admit, but she didn’t let it show. “What? You don’t recognize me? That’s fine, Marcus, but I certainly remember you.”

“All I know is I woke up injured, with no memory of how it happened or who I was. The only reason I know my name is because the people who cared for me told me they overheard others calling me Marcus.” Exhaling roughly, he rubbed a hand across his face. “They told me the CIA was after me, so I went into hiding, but I couldn’t stand the hiding anymore. I came here trying to find answers to who I am and what happened to me. Then you showed up and the shooting started.”

Bethany was about to call him out on his fanciful tale, but the sincerity in his face stopped her again. Before she had a moment to steel herself from his eyes, the rooftop door burst open and six men dressed in local police attire, with weapons raised, stormed onto the roof.

“Stop right there,” one of them called. “Drop your weapon and step away from it.”

She did as the officer commanded and sank to the ground, carefully placing her gun on the rooftop. It was better to cooperate with the authorities because she knew they would eventually get everything sorted out. Marcus, too, raised his hands over his head and followed the officer’s instructions.

“My name is Bethany Bryant,” she called out. “I’m an agent with the CIA. If you’ll look in my jacket pocket, you’ll find my credentials and identification.” She’d given up field work for a desk job after the ambush in which she’d thought Marcus had died, but still maintained her field agent status.

The officer who searched her glanced at her CIA credentials then passed them along to his boss, who nodded and ordered her released. “We were responding to shots fired into the diner. Can you tell us what happened here?”

“I’ve been tracking this man on charges of treason and terrorist activities. I’d just made contact when the shooting started. It looks like someone was trying to take him out before he could talk to me. I’d like to have him placed in a jail cell and under close guard to await the arrival of Federal Marshals to transport him to Langley to stand trial. And, be careful, he’s highly trained and skilled in matters of combat.”

Bethany watched his face as the officers led him away. He looked resigned to being arrested. He didn’t struggle when they cuffed him or moved him along.

She was right beside him when the local police walked him through town and the man and woman from the diner approached, expressions of worry lining their faces. “Marcus? What’s going on? What’s happening? Why are they arresting you?”

“It’s okay, Milo. It’s all a big mistake.”

Marie approached Bethany and grabbed her arm. “Why are you arresting Marcus? You saw, he was the one who was helping get people to safety when the shots started. He’s a good guy.”

Bethany pulled her arm away. “I’m sorry, but you have no idea what kind of man Marcus Allen really is.”

She saw the looks of doubt on their faces. They didn’t believe her, but she didn’t hold it against them. She knew personally how easy it was to be fooled into thinking Marcus Allen was one of the good guys.