The Soldier's Mission (9 page)

T
he next morning, Paco stood at the window once again, coffee cup in hand as he thought about their next move. And the next move of the apparent madman after Laura.

She'd slept much of the night in the tiny bedroom just off the den while he'd kept watch on the couch, guns all around him, a trip wire set up on the front and back doors.

He'd dosed now and then, but since he was used to surviving on very little sleep, he'd never fallen completely to sleep. Too on edge. Too many images of death all around him. He'd sleep again one day. Maybe.

Right now, he had to map a way out of this desert and on to Texas. His gut told him the only safe place for Laura right now was Eagle Rock. And Warwick and the rest of the team agreed. His four team members— Devon Malone, Eli Trudeau, Brice Whelan and Shane Warwick had gone ahead of their families to Eagle Rock to go over the annual updates required by CHAIM. They'd also tested the overhaul on the security system, something that happened on an annual basis to protect those who came and went in the big security complex. Everything from iris and fingerprint scanners to updated
digital equipment and big-brained computers had been tested and retested. But certain people knew how to overcome all of those things. Was Lawrence Henner one of those certain people?

“She should be safe here, Warrior,” Eli had assured him on the phone earlier. “I'm bringing Gena and Scotty here in two days, so that should tell you something.”

That did tell him everything. Eli Trudeau wouldn't put his new wife or his child in jeopardy. Nor would Devon, Brice or Shane, all so lovesick they'd protect those they held dear at all costs. Devon's wife, Lydia, was expecting their first child in a few weeks but she'd be at Eagle Rock, too. And Brice and his wife, Selena, would be together at Eagle Rock next week. Selena's father was a superior in CHAIM. Shane Warwick had married Katherine Atkins in England but he'd be remarrying Katherine, the daughter of CHAIM founding member Gerald Barton, again here in the States. They planned to repeat their vows sometime in the spring. But for the next week, they'd all be gathered there in the huge private complex, happy and secure while they celebrated Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving.

It sounded like a good place to leave Laura. Especially since she'd gone from broken and afraid to determined and mad. Not good in a woman even on the best of days.

“I need you to take her in then,” he'd told Eli and Shane in a conference call. “I'll get her there but I'm not staying.”

“Mandatory,” Eli interjected.

That, coming from the original rogue agent.

Paco quickly retorted, “I didn't sign up. I don't have a family so I don't need a retreat or a self-imposed
vacation. I need to work. That's what I need to do. I have to get to the bottom of what's going on with Laura Walton. Don't you think that overrides a retreat at Eagle Rock?”

“Hmm. Maybe,” Warwick the Brit quipped. “The man does have a point, Eli.”

“
Oui,
he does at that, my friend,” the Cajun said in a low growl. “We'll protect the woman and let the Warrior do the hard work. Sounds like a solid plan to me.”

So that was the plan for now. Paco would get Laura to the safe house and he'd get to the work at hand. Starting with tracking down Lawrence Henner. The man was as slippery as a desert snake. But like any snake in the grass, he'd strike again. And sooner than later, Paco figured.

If they had the right man, of course.

He heard a door opening and turned to find Laura dressed, but bleary eyed. Thinking about how she'd fit so nicely in his arms there on the couch, Paco did a mental shrug to let go of that notion. He didn't get involved. Ever.

Just find out who's after the woman, he reminded himself. All that touchy-feely stuff last night has to be left behind this morning. You offered her some comfort on the worst day of her life.

“Good morning,” she said as she headed to the coffee pot. “Have you heard anything from your grandfather this morning?”

“Yes. He had a good night. The doctors believe he'll be okay. Buddy is going to hang around near the hospital to make sure.”

She drank a sip of the rich coffee. “This is good.”

“Grandfather's special blend. He orders it for the restaurant from a friend in Columbia.”

“That explains why the café's coffee is so strong.”

“But good for you,” he said with a smile.

“Right now, I agree.” She sipped it again, her hands clutching the heavy brown mug. “I'll need the jolt.”

“You need to eat,” he said, moving toward the tiny kitchen, the scent of the spicy shampoo she'd used to wash her hair surrounding him. “I made toast and bacon.”

She watched him, her gaze weary and almost shy. Was she thinking about last night, too? Did she regret turning to him?

“Thanks.” She picked up a crispy strip of bacon and nibbled at it. “What do we do now?”

Paco managed to look at her, trying to gauge whether she was travel-ready or not. “We're going to hike out of here and find the vehicle CHAIM is leaving for us at a gas station near a back road out of the state.”

“Hike? But why?”

“Well, for starters, we don't have a car. Besides, our pursuers might be able to track us easier in a vehicle. And because I can track them better if they try following us through the desert.”

“Won't that be dangerous?”

“Not any more dangerous than driving out of here. The desert protects its own. And I was born and raised here.”

She shot him a look that indicated he was just that wild, too. “If you say so.”

“I do.” He had to be curt with her to regain control of oh-so-many emotions. “You need to follow my directions, no matter what.”

“Even if I don't agree with your directions?”

“Even so. You're still alive, right?”

She shuddered, her fingers tightening on her coffee mug. “Yes, thank you.”

Paco hated the hurt in her expression but he had to protect her, not make nice with her. Today would be hard on both of them. But he had to keep her enclosed in the landscape so they could get out of here alive.

“They found us yesterday,” she said by way of an argument.

“Yes, but we were on a familiar trail. And the man they sent didn't succeed in killing either of us, in spite of that.”

“Good point.”

“Are you up to this then?”

“You mean walking around in the hot, dry, scary desert? I guess I don't have a choice.”

“We can sit here and get caught or we leave,” he retorted, grumpy with trying to focus on the work and not her pretty eyes. “My mission is to get you to Texas, sweetheart.” He held up a hand. “I know you don't like that idea, but we're going there first.”

“And then what?”

He took her mug and put it in the sink. “And then, I go to work to put a stop to this, one way or another.”

 

Laura wondered about that one-way-or-another stuff.

She knew how CHAIM operated. The secretive security organization had agents scattered all over the world and for the most part, the agency went by its own code. Try to keep people alive, if possible. Don't break the law. Report to and hand over information, informants
or suspects to the local, national or world authorities as needed. And always, always protect the subject, no matter what.

She'd never dreamed she'd be one of those subjects. She'd helped heal agents, victims, family members and innocent bystanders. Now she could wind up trying to heal herself instead of Luke Martinez. What a strange twist on her mission of mercy.

She didn't want him to be her protector.

But she sure felt safe knowing that he was.

Even if her protector was in one of his bad moods. Maybe he wasn't a morning person. Or maybe he was distancing himself after witnessing her humiliation as she fell apart right there in his arms last night.

The ugly truth looked so harsh in the glaring light of morning. And Luke Martinez was a harsh, tormented man. He'd only been kind to her so she could get through her own terrors from the day before. This was a new day and the man was on a new mission. She'd become his unwelcome burden. Now he had to deal with her and get on with things.

“I can help you with that,” she said now as he moved with lightning fast efficiency around the house, gathering supplies for another trek through the heat and dust and prickly bushes and crawling critters of the unforgiving desert.

“Good. Look in that tall cabinet by the stove. That's the pantry. Look for disinfecting wipes, bandages and a box of energy bars. There should be a bottle of water purification tablets in there. Buddy keeps hiking supplies.”

“Buddy? I thought he was in a wheelchair.”

“He is. But he has a fancy motorized contraption.
Takes it out for day hikes.” He shrugged. “He'd need supplies if something happened.”

“Oh.” Laura rummaged through the overstuffed pantry, finding most of what he'd asked for. “Do you want me to put these in one of the backpacks?”

“Set it all on the counter. I'll have to pack tight.”

“I can carry my own.”

“You'll have a smaller one.” He must have seen her frown. “Look, you're not acclimated to this type of hike. We'll have to keep moving as much as possible.”

She couldn't argue with that. “You're right. I've only gone on casual day hikes with friends. And usually on well-traveled paths.” She fully expected him to take her off the beaten path. In oh-so-many ways.

Wanting to get to know him better, she asked, “Are you and your brother close?”

“Not every day.”

She smiled at that. “I used to fight with my brother and sister all the time.”

He grunted a reply of sorts.

“What do you do around here? I mean, since you got home?”

Another grunt, then a direct stare. “Well, up until yesterday, I didn't do much of anything. Just helped Grandfather around the café and stayed to myself.”

Laura could almost feel the pointed emphasis of that statement. “I guess I messed up your sabbatical from CHAIM.”

“I guess you did.”

“How far do we have to go today?”

He stopped packing, his expression as blank as the rocks and dirt outside the door. “As far as we need to, sweetheart, to keep you alive.”

Laura fell silent, wondering when this would end. Wondering why it was happening in the first place. Did Lawrence Henner have her on some sort of hit list? Thinking back to her counseling sessions with his son Kyle, Laura wished she could have done more for the boy. But then, Kyle was so afraid of his father he refused to open up to her no matter how much she pushed. Did she push too far?

Her guilt regarding Kyle Henner had tripled since coming here. And so had her feelings of stupidity regarding Alex Whitmyer. How could she have believed his pretty lies? She should have seen the truth sooner. So much for trying to heal herself. Had her actions brought this on Luke?

Lost in her dark thoughts, she didn't notice Luke standing there beside her until his hand touched hers. “Let me get you packed so we can go.”

She looked up at him, all of her questions hushed for now. For just a minute, he looked so primal and hard-edged in his camo pants and green T-shirt, she almost stepped back.

“Here, put this on,” he said, handing her a green canvas hat and a dark khaki long-sleeved shirt. “To hide you and to keep you from getting sunburned.”

Laura took the garments, her breath hitching against her ribcage.

Luke Paco Martinez was in full combat mode.

And she pitied anyone who tried to get in his way.

T
he man was loaded for bear.

Laura stumbled but regained her footing as they moved over the rocky terrain, her sturdy boots no match for the red sand and craggy rocks of the desert. Luke didn't seem to have the same problem. He moved like a shadow through the shrub brush and cacti, at times blending in so well with the land she found it hard to see him a foot ahead of her. And all of this with a heavy pack on his back.

“Need a break?” he asked, lifting his binoculars to take yet another panoramic scan of the land. They'd hiked up onto an outcropping of jagged rock that formed a wide mesa, giving them a clear view of the surrounding desert.

“I could use a drink of water,” Laura replied, thinking silence with this man was just about as uncomfortable as a shouting match with her siblings. His silence shouted out at her with every twist and turn.

Taking a long swig of water from the canteen he shoved at her, Laura decided he had gone all non-communicative today because she'd gone all dramatic and hysterical last night. So much for finding a chink in
his solid armor. Some men couldn't handle feminine theatrics.

Or maybe that was the problem. Maybe she had found the chink and he didn't like her seeing that side of him. If that was true, then at least she was on the right path. She'd just have to keep trying to get him to open up.

But how? It was like talking to a stone-faced mountain. This desert was easier to read than the man standing like an ancient chief in front of her.

“Are we still alone?” she asked then quickly amended. “I mean, besides the lizards, buzzards, chipmunks, snakes, spiders and scorpions?”

“No other humans,” he said, dropping the binoculars back around his neck. Reaching for the canteen, he took a long drink.

That allowed Laura time to have a concentrated look at him. He lived up to his code name. He was a warrior, so fierce and so focused, she was afraid to sneeze.

“How far do we have to go?”

“About fifteen miles. It's not a long hike.”

“Maybe not for you,” she said, her tone mustering up an attitude. “Haven't we gone that far already?”

Paco turned to give her a once-over. “Are you faint? Do you feel light-headed?”

Only when I look at you, she wanted to retort.

“No, I'm fine. Just hot. You'd think with the temperatures in the sixties, it would be nice and pleasant.”

“Not when you're moving and not with the sun shining on this dry land. So let me know if you feel a heat stroke coming on.”

Did she detect a bit of condescension in that tone?

“I'm fine. Let's go,” she shot back, determined to show him she could handle a mere fifteen more miles.

A few saguaros later, Laura decided to pass the time analysis style. “So you've lived here all your life?”

“Yep.”

“Tell me about your dad?”

She saw him stiffen. “He died in Vietnam. My mom was pregnant with me.”

“So you never even knew him.”

“No. Just from pictures and memories. Only, she didn't like to talk about him much.”

Laura let that soak in. “But you and Buddy, you seem to be close. I mean, do you two talk about things?”

He pivoted, his dark eyes hitting her like a sandstorm, all brittle and biting. “If you mean, do we share war stories, the answer is no. Soldiers don't like to talk about such things.”

“Really,” she said on a sarcastic note that she instantly regretted. “I know it's difficult, Paco. But since we don't have anything else to do—”

“I have something to do. I'm trying to get you to safety.”

“Oh, so that means you can't be distracted, right?”

“That's right.”

His dark frown ended that conversation.

They stomped on for a while. Laura scooted around another scorpion, groaning as the spindly creature lifted up from the dark shade of a prickly pear cactus and hurried across the desert floor.

“What?” Paco said, glancing over at her. He's insisted she try to stay beside him instead of behind him.

“A scorpion. He went the other way.”

“Maybe he's afraid you'd analyze him, too.”

Laura shot him a glaring look then saw the tilt
of his lips. “Are you actually making a joke at my expense?”

“I guess I am at that.”

“Well, don't bust a gut laughing.”

“I'm not laughing—on the outside.”

This time, he actually smiled. It was such a pretty sight, Laura wanted to grab him and hug him tight. Or at least grab on to something as that light-headedness he's mentioned seemed to hit her. But she refrained from that since everything out here in the desert was prickly. Including the man.

“I'm glad I can at least make you smile,” she said.

“I don't have anything better to do.”

“Except protect me as you've reminded me over and over. I mean, that is why you're being so surly, right? I interrupted your quiet self-imposed isolation and you're not very happy about that. And I guess you're not happy about getting shot at and about your truck getting messed up and especially about your grandfather being hurt.”

“Nope. Not happy about any of that.” He stopped, put his hands on his hips and leveled her with one of his fierce looks. “But I am happy that scorpion went the other way because I don't have time to nurse you if you get bitten.”

“I'm so touched by your consideration.”

“Don't mention it.”

“How do you know which way to go?” she asked, fascinated by how he would take a turn without even missing a step.

“I do have a compass,” he pointed out, showing her one of many cords around his neck. “And I watch the barrel cactus. If you notice, they tend to tilt toward the south.”

She hadn't noticed. Now Laura had something to concentrate on, at least. So she started watching for any barrel cacti, noting that some of them grew to four feet tall. “So we're going south?”

“Bingo.”

She let out a sigh, wishing the man liked to chatter as much as she did. Then something up in the sky caught her attention. “Oh, look.”

Paco glanced up to where she pointed. A lone hawk spiraled through the clouds like a dancing warrior.

“He's so beautiful,” Laura said, shading her eyes even though her hat provided a little shade.

Paco didn't say anything. He nodded and moved on.

And then the hawk swooped down and went in for the kill. When he lifted up, he had a fat desert rat in his talons.

“Beautiful and deadly,” Laura said, her enthusiasm and interest taking a dark turn. “I need to remember it's survival of the fittest out here.”

Paco didn't respond. But she did see him glance over at her, a look of apology on his face.

 

“We're here,” Paco told Laura a couple of hours later. Thankfully, she'd become quiet the last few miles of this trek. She had to be exhausted, but she'd been a trooper. He admired her determination.

“I see civilization,” she said, happiness shining in her eyes. “I can't wait to have a nice long shower.”

“That might be a while. This is just the first part of our journey.”

He ignored her groan and instead concentrated on scoping the tiny village where Shane told him a used
pickup from a local dealer would be waiting. Shane had arranged that over the Internet and phone, so Paco trusted their mode of transportation would indeed be here.

He stopped Laura before they emerged onto the lonely road cutting a patchy gray ribbon through the craggy hills.

“Okay, here's the deal. See that gas station over there.”

She nodded. “The one with the red stripes.”

“The only one in town, sweetheart.”

“Got it. Gas station.”

“See the blue truck parked by the road?”

“Yes. Is that our truck?”

“Should be. Let me see if I can get a line out to Eagle Rock.” He pulled out his phone and hit an app. “Signal looks good.”

While he waited for Shane to answer, he said, “Drink,” and shoved the canteen at her. Then he motioned toward her small backpack. “Eat a power bar.”

Laura rolled her eyes, but did as he asked.

The Knight answered on the first ring. “Warwick.”

“We've made it. Blue truck?”

“That's the one. The keys are under the seat.”

“How high-tech of you.”

“It's the middle of nowhere, old boy. And it was the best deal I could make over the net.”

“Looks like a keeper.”

“Did anyone follow you?”

“Not that I can tell. Everything's cool right now.”

“Good. But, Warrior, I need to tell you something. You might want to keep this information from Laura. I'll let you decide.”

“Shoot.”

“We think we've located Laura's missing laptop. Kissie zoomed in on the tracking device.”

“You can do that?”

“Kissie can, yes. She found a weak signal. And that's the odd part.”

“Keep talking.”

“The signal is nowhere near the desert, Paco. The laptop seems to be in Texas now.”

Paco glanced over at Laura. She was stubbornly chewing on her power bar. “I understand.”

“Didn't you say Henner owns an estate in Texas?”

“Affirmative.”

“Interesting, don't you think?”

“Extremely. I'll bear that in mind.”

“Right. And we'll keep trying to get to the bottom of this, maybe scout out his property here. The signal comes and goes which means he's still on the move. If he tries to break into any files, Kissie might be able to check the IP addresses to get the local network topology. She can encrypt the data, possibly.”

“That Kissie is amazing.”

“That she is. You take care. ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.'”

“Proverbs,” Paco said, understanding his friend wanted him to use his own eyes for Laura's safety. “I hear you, Knight.” Then he asked, low, so Laura wouldn't pick up on it, “And what about Alex Whitmyer?”

“Interesting about that one,” Warwick replied. “We got a hit on his fingerprints because he works in security, and possibly because he was booked a few years ago for harassment charges. They were dropped, apparently.
He does indeed work for Lawrence Henner. He's one of Henner's top men. In fact, he's the one in charge while Henner is out of the country. Did subject happen to mention that?”

“I don't think subject knows that.”

He heard Warwick let out a long sigh. “This is a very odd case, Paco. Too many variables and way too much coincidence.”

“There are no coincidences,” Paco retorted.

He put the phone away and wondered if he should tell Laura about this latest development. Why was her laptop coming onto the radar in Texas? And exactly when did the man who'd stalked her start working for Lawrence Henner?

What was so important about her files that someone would take her laptop across the Southwest and into another state?

And was the threat to her now over?

So many questions and each one holding some sort of danger for Laura.

“Is everything all right?” Laura asked, her eyes holding his.

“Everything is just fine,” Paco retorted. He'd get her in the truck and on the road and then maybe he'd tell her about the missing laptop's whereabouts.

And about her ex-boyfriend's brush with the law and his interesting employment record.