Cold Day In Hell (29 page)

Marcus pulled her into his arms, squeezing the air from her lungs. "Don't be an idiot," he whispered. "See you."

He retrieved the dog, squatted down, and ruffled his fur. With a wave to Ana, he and his new friend jogged down the drive and into the house. She understood his actions. He was affording a measure of privacy to her and Ty.

"Walk out to the airstrip with us." Ty's hand slid around her waist.

So he wasn't going to try to talk her into going. Part of her ached for him to beg her to get on that plane, while part of her felt relief that he wasn't going to pressure her. Ty was a smart man. Smart enough to know together wasn't an option.

"I'll head on back. I want to see Lina and Pablo, make sure they're getting better."

He spun her into his arms, crushing her into his body. She clung tightly, doing her best to absorb his essence. Imprinting his touch in her mind and tucking the memory deep inside her heart for safe keeping.

"There's so much I need to say." He spoke softly, his breath ruffling her hair.

The roar of an airplane engine meant the pilot was readying the plane. She caught his hand and walked to the car. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him. "
Cuídate mi amor
."

He slid his index finger down her cheek. His eyes traversed her face, giving her the impression he was committing her to memory. The weight of a large boulder settled on her lungs. Why must the people she loved always leave her?

"Ana," he whispered her name. "My little warrior. You'll do wonderful things for your country."

Her throat closed. Tears rushed to brim in her eyes. "I hope so."

"We both knew this moment would come." His head lowered, and his lips pressed to her forehead. Then he stepped back and opened the car door for her.

Ana's hands trembled as she buckled the seat belt. Gathering every ounce of strength and willpower she had left, she started the car. Tears crept to the surface, blurring the road, but she sped away. Glancing in her rearview, she took one last look.

His image would forever be burned into her soul. When she reached the highway, she stopped, draped her arms over the steering wheel, and then sobbed until the deafening sound of the small jet drew her attention. She jumped from the car, ran into the road, and watched until all she could see was a splinter in the sky.

****

Ty drained the bottle, allowing the cool water to quench his thirst. He'd polished off the sandwich and chips, bragging they tasted better than a filet. If his hands hadn't been filthy, he'd have licked off any remnants of nutrition.

He stared at the mess of plastic and paper. How long had Ana gone without something to eat?

"She had water, and I'm guessing she's eaten by now." Marcus answered the unasked question. He idly stroked the dog's head resting in his lap. Except for a brown and white mane, the mutt was jet black. His brown eyes followed every move his new master made.

"You really think that animal is redeemable?" Ty ignored the reference to Ana. Reading minds was a secret Marcus had kept well hidden.

"I wouldn't have brought him if I thought otherwise. You gonna keep changing the subject every time she comes up?"

"Only if you keep bringing her up. As private as you are about your personal life, I'm surprised you don't get that I don't want to talk about her."

"On what planet can you compare Lynne's death with you being an idiot?"

"What? I didn't say anything about your wife." Marcus talking about her was a shocker. Nate had warned to expect a rash of shit for even mentioning her name.

"Bullshit. The reference to me being a private person was a direct hit. At least I recognized how much I loved her and had the good sense to marry her. Ana surprised me when she mentioned my wife. Kind of let out all that stale air I'd been holding inside."

"I'm glad you two talked out your feelings. I, on the other hand, have no intention of doing a Dear Abby with you."

"Asshole," Marcus grumbled. "We didn't have a heart-to-heart, and I don't like talking that crap either. Take this for what it's worth. I know you, and finding anyone else who'll love you as much as Ana does ain't gonna happen."

Ty opened his mouth to say shut up, but closed it. Marcus had read his thoughts perfectly. Had he also seen the hole in Ty's heart? The one big enough to drive a freight train through?

Before he could speak, Marcus waved him off.

"I'm done. Subject is closed." The quiet man returned to silent mode by biting off half of his sandwich.

Ty wadded his trash into a ball and tossed it toward the galley. The dog eyed the sack, maybe considering going to investigate. Instead, he took the piece of bread Marcus offered and laid his head back down.

"If you're finished, you need to scrub that cut clean. I'll be happy to help." Ty joked in an effort to lighten the tense air between them. He went to the small cabinet over the sink, rummaged around until he found a first aid kit. He carried it back and started laying out bandages and ointment.

Marcus pushed the dog's head off his lap and stood. "Stay." The dog jumped to the floor. "Stay," he said more firmly before turning his back and taking a step, which the dog did, too. He took the dog by its collar and led him back to the seat. "
Parar
."

The mutt didn't move a hair, his tongue hanging out in anticipation of his new friend's return.

"Well, of course. The mutt speaks Spanish," Ty said. "What are you going to call him?"

"He answers to Diablo. I'll probably go with that. First thing is to teach him English." Marcus stripped his shirt and started cleaning his wound. "The cut looks fine. Ana washed it off before we came back to help you."

The pilot interrupted the ensuing argument, preventing Ty from again telling Marcus to drop the subject. Ana had killed for him. Again. And hadn't received a word of thanks.

"Nate's waiting at the airstrip. Said to tell you Dalton Murphy is with him. He expects a full debriefing."

"I expected the FBI would want details." Still stooped in the small plane, Marcus returned to his seat, patted the empty one next to him, and rewarded the dog with a good ear-scratching for staying put.

Ty's palms itched to smack Marcus upside his head. He was too fucking happy. Happy to be going home. Happy to have a dog to pet. And apparently happy he had found a peace that had long been missing.

Marcus might never get past the guilt of not being there when his wife had died, but his recovery and healing had apparently begun. Ty clenched his teeth. At the moment, cheerful only served to piss him off.

"They'd better ask their questions fast." Ty shifted in his seat, searching for a way to straighten his legs. "Because I 'm taking some time off. In fact, I'm going fishing."

"You've never been fishing in your life." Marcus looked at the dog and shook his head as if the mutt understood.

"It's never too late to start."

"You know the cabins I rent on Falcon Lake. I'll give you the number if you're serious. You can hire a guide and use his boat. A vacation might help clear your head."

"You boys will be home in thirty minutes," the pilot called out.

Ty buckled his seat belt, leaned back, and watched the clouds fly past as they began their descent. For the first time in years, he felt like a man without a purpose, adrift without a rudder.

Damn it, he loved her. Missed having her near. Missed her scent, her touch, her ability to make him crazy. Should he have begged her to come with him? Would she have given in only to resent him later? He couldn't have done that to her.

Wheels down, the copilot opened the door and dropped a step stool for Ty and Marcus to use. Warm air rushed him. Not the wet, humid air of the jungle, but the Texas heat of a dying summer.

"Tyrell, Marcus," Kay squealed, rushing ahead of Nate, waving her arms in the air.

"She's never gonna call you Ty. You might as well get used to it."

They both braced for her landing in their arms. Typical Kay, she was all smiles, touching and feeling them to ensure they'd returned in one piece, while Nate stood by patiently. The expression on his face, the adoration he had for his wife, sent a zing of loneliness straight through Ty.

She ignored that they smelled like days of dead goat, got between them, slipped her arms through theirs, and headed toward the hangar.

"I'm glad the op is over. I don't like overseas assignments. Don't be rolling your eyes behind my back," she said, glancing over her shoulder at Nate.

Her retired SEAL husband who took orders from no one rolled them anyway. "They pay the bills."

"Don't you love this time of year?" Kay never broke stride. "The weather's perfect. Kids can go to the park. There's not a cloud in the sky. Even the birds are singing."

Ty scanned the area. What was she seeing that he couldn't? The world looked gray to him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ty exited the Boeing 727, walked straight to the exit, and pushed through the doors. He used to like traveling. Since leaving Colombia, even overnight away from home was too long. He crossed the street to the parking garage, unlocked his pickup, and tossed his overnight bag in the passenger seat.

Before getting behind the wheel, he rolled up his sleeves, thinking how Virginia's weather had been crisp and cool, and how different the climate was from the warm fall he and his fellow Texans were experiencing.

Why he'd refused Kay's request to visit Jake the first time she'd asked was a mystery. Nate never refused her anything, so why should Ty have tried? She hadn't been as sly as she'd thought. Sending him out of the city in an attempt to keep his mind off Ana had failed miserably. Nothing except holding her in his arms would stop the ache that crushed his chest twenty-four fucking hours a day.

Wasting his time visiting with Jake Donovan hadn't been on his bucket list. The last time he'd laid eyes on Jake, he'd been positive his name was Johnny Darling and hadn't recognized Kay, Nate, Ty or Marcus.

In less than an hour, he'd report to work and, if pressed, would have to admit her request had been a good idea. The removal of Jake's tumor had impaired his speech, but his memory seemed to be returning, albeit in small chunks. He'd lit up, grinning like a kid the minute Ty had walked into the hospital room. His first questions had been about Holly and, unless Ty was imagining things, Jake was crushing big time.

He called Marcus, who'd been lucky enough to get an assignment and was searching for a missing boy, and thanked him again for the recommendation of a lake resort. He left out the part that staying out in the boonies had only given him more time to think about Ana, which had left Ty feeling even more alone. He chuckled after he hung up. That crafty bastard probably had known that if Ty had spent time in solitude, his mind would have turned to her.

What had made him think he could sit all day and wait for a fish to bite? He'd parked his butt in the lawn chair and blamed himself for the vacancy sign hanging from his heart. He'd sat for three days before deciding he had to do something about her. Now if he could figure out what.

The still, clear water hadn't churned up any answers. Yet he'd stared into its depths for hours. All he'd seen was a stubborn black man who needed to shave his head and his face.

There had been times late at night he'd have sworn Ana's warm body lay next to him. The air conditioner would kick on, stirring the air, and her scent would infiltrate his senses. He'd doze and feel her small hands stroking his skin. The light of day always proved he'd been dreaming.

Pathetic—a one-word description of his life.

The call from Kay just might have saved him from diving into the lake head first.

He parked in front of the Lost and Found office, gearing up for a barrage of questions. He shoved open the door, and decided he was in no mood to call out his usual, "Honey, I'm home."

He tossed his keys onto the desk and dropped into his chair.

"Be there in a second." Kay's chipper voice came from the direction of the break room. The aroma of coffee accompanied her welcoming tone.

"Good to know," he grunted. He usually got a kick out of her upbeat attitude, but not today. He opened his laptop and moved on to his e-mail, praying for an assignment. Anything to keep his mind off Ana.

The office was outfitted for people who weren't there often. A side room for private meetings with potential clients, the closet used for a break room, and one open area with gray metal file cabinets separating four desks. Nate and Kay were the owners, but everything was shared after the bills were paid. So far, the venture was paying well.

Kay stepped into the open. Her eyebrows were pulled together like a pissed-off librarian's. "Aren't we cheery today?"

She disappeared before he could tell her to mind her own business. He loved her like a sister, but even family should be able to take a hint.

She breezed into the outer area, carrying two cups of steaming coffee. Studying his face with the gaze of a mother hen, she handed him a cup.

"Thanks," he said, trying to sound pleasant.

She pushed her chair toward his desk, the wheels squeaking with each revolution. No way could he be rude to her. Damn, she was so happy in love, she wouldn't take exception to his insults.

"Where's your other half?"

"You probably passed him on the way out." She sipped her coffee, studying him over the rim of the cup. "Our missing boy isn't just missing. He's dead. The family is sure they know who killed him. They want us to find the proof."

"That's tough." Marcus would be upset not to have found the kid alive. "Where's the dog?"

"With Marcus. He wouldn't leave him, said it was too soon."

"Why didn't Nate just send me?" He kicked out of his chair, walked past Nate's desk stacked high with folders, and circled the room. Damn it, an assignment would've been just the thing Ty needed to keep his mind busy, and Nate hadn't called.

"I think you know why."

Anger churned like a boiling cauldron. "If he thinks I can't cut it, why didn't he stick around and say it to my face? It's not like him to have a woman do his job."