Читать книгу Hard Target - Barb Han - Страница 9

Chapter Two

The trouble Emily was in hit with the force of a tsunami. “I’m broke. I’m exhausted. And they promised to hunt me down and kill me if I crossed them.”

A strong hand pulled her to her feet.

“You can lean on me,” he said before turning his head and shouting for someone to bring water.

The agent’s gaze skimmed her face one more time, pausing at her busted lip. His brilliant brown eyes searched for the truth. A thousand butterflies released in her stomach with him so close.

Emily hadn’t seen a mirror, but based on her amount of pain she had to be a total mess. The only good news was that he seemed to be considering what she was saying. Please. Please. Please. Believe me.

Another bottle of water arrived. The agent twisted off the cap and handed it to her. His broad cheekbones and rich timbre set off a sparkler inside her.

The glorious water cooled her still-parched throat. She downed most of the contents, using the leftovers to splash more water on her face. “Thank you.”

Her stomach growled. “Any chance you have a hamburger hidden somewhere?”

He shot her a look full of pity. Something else flashed behind his brown eyes when he said, “We can stop and pick something up on the way.”

“Please don’t turn me in. I can prove I’m American if I can get to my belongings.” She took a step forward, and her knees buckled.

The agent caught her before she hit the ground. “Let’s get something in your stomach first.”

He helped her across the loading dock to his Jeep parked in the lot.

She eased onto the passenger seat.

“You’re welcome to my extra shirt.” He produced a white button-down from the back. “And I have a couple extra bottles of water and a towel.”

A spark of hope lit inside her. Was he going to help? She thanked him for the supplies, pouring the opened bottle of water onto the towel first. The wet cloth felt cool on her skin. She dabbed her face before wiping her neck, chest and arms.

Pulling on the shirt required a little more finesse. She winced as she stretched out her arms. The agent immediately made a move to help. He eased one of her hands in the sleeve, and then the other. She managed the buttons on her own. Taking in a breath, the smell of his shirt reminded her of campfires lit outdoors and clean spring air.

“I have a power bar. Keep a few in a cooler in back for those long stretches of nothingness when I’m patrolling fence.” He held out the wrapped bar and another water.

She took both, placed the water in her lap and tried to steady her hands enough to open the wrapper.

The protein bar tasted better than steak. She drained the water bottle in less than a minute. “I’ve already thanked you, but I’d like to repay you somehow.”

His gaze locked onto hers. “Tell me the truth about what happened to you. I can’t stop these men from hurting other women without information.”

Was he saying what she thought? The men who’d abducted her belonged to a kidnapping ring? Of course they did. She hadn’t even considered it before, she’d been too concerned about her own life, but they seemed practiced and professional. If she could stop them, she had to try.

She nodded.

He climbed into the driver’s side, put the key in the ignition and then waited.

“At first, I couldn’t believe what was happening to me. I just kept thinking this couldn’t be real.” She looked over at him, hating that she was trembling with fear. “I was dragged through the jungle for hours, starved and then stuck in a hole with no food or water.” Tears welled. She would hold back the information about knowing she’d been a target until she was certain she could trust him. As it was, maybe he’d let her go.

“Do you know how long you were there?”

“What day is it?”

He glanced at his watch. “Monday.”

“My flight arrived in Mexico last Monday.”

“A week ago.”

“The sky was clear blue, the most beautiful shade I’ve ever seen. I’d stayed up late at a welcome party, so I didn’t get outside until noon or so the next day. Took a kayak out, and that’s when they grabbed me.”

Compassion warmed his stern features. “Now we’re getting somewhere. How many men were there?”

“Half a dozen.”

“Can you give a description?”

“They wore bandannas to cover their faces. Other than that, they were a little taller than me.” She was five foot seven. “They had to be five-eight or five-nine. Black hair and eyes.”

His face muscles tensed.

“I just described half of the country, didn’t I?”

He nodded, his expression radiating a sense of calm. “Dark skin or light?”

“Dark. Definitely dark.”

“Can you describe their clothing?”

“Most of them wore old jeans and faded T-shirts. Looked like secondhand stuff. They were dirty.”

“Some guerrilla groups live in the jungle,” he agreed.

Did he believe her? He’d stopped looking at her as if she belonged in the mental ward, so that had to be a good sign.

“If they abducted you for extortion, they would’ve contacted your family. Can I call someone? A spouse?”

“I’m not married.” An emotion she couldn’t identify flashed behind the agent’s brown eyes. “As for the rest of my family... There’s not really... It’s complicated.”

“Mother? Father?”

“I don’t know where he is. My mom isn’t reachable. She’s sick.” Why was she suddenly embarrassed by her dysfunctional family?

The better question might be when had she not been?

Emily remembered being scared to death she wouldn’t pass the background check required to work in her job for a major computer company. She’d had to get clearance since she entered data for various banks, some of which came from foreign interests. With a mom living in basically a cult and a dad who was MIA, Emily had feared she wouldn’t get through the first round with her prospective employer. Emily had always been responsible. She hadn’t even sampled marijuana in college as so many of her friends had. While all her classmates were “experimenting” and partying, she’d been working two jobs to pay tuition and make rent. Not that she was a saint. She just didn’t have spare time or energy to do anything besides work, study and sleep.

She had to keep a decent GPA, which didn’t leave a lot of time for anything else.

Heck, her college boyfriend had left her because she’d been too serious. He’d walked out, saying he wanted to be with someone more fun.

What was that?

Life hadn’t handed Emily “fun.” It had given her a deserter for a dad and a mom who was as sweet as she was lost.

Fun?

Emily clamped down a bitter laugh.

She’d had fun about as often as she’d had sex in the past year. And that really was a sad statement. Getting away, going to the beach, was supposed to represent a big step toward claiming her future and starting a new life.

“There’s no one we can call?” The agent’s voice brought her back to the present.

She shook her head. There was one name she could give him, her boss. She hated to do it. The last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize her job, but Jared could corroborate her story and then the agent would believe her. Possibly even let her go?

With the information she’d given the agent so far, she had a feeling she was going to need all the help she could get. “My boss.”

Agent Campbell pulled his cell from his pocket.

She gave him Jared’s number and took a deep breath.

* * *

REED PUNCHED IN the number the witness had given while he kept one eye on her.

She was still desperate, and there was an off chance she’d do something stupid, like run. He didn’t feel like chasing after her. He’d catch her. And then they’d be having a whole different conversation about her immediate future.

As it was, he figured a quick trip to Homeland Security would be all that was required. Minimal paperwork. Let them sort out the rest.

His years on the job told him she wasn’t a hard-core criminal. There was something about her situation, her, that ate at his insides. God help him.

“This is Jared,” came through the cell. His voice was crisp, and he sounded young. Early thirties.

Reed identified himself as a Border Patrol agent. “I’m calling to verify employment.”

“Then you’ll want to speak to HR.”

“I’d rather talk to you if it’s possible,” Reed interjected.

“That’s against policy—”

“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t a matter of national security. You can clear something up for me. Save me a lot of time going through rigmarole, sir.” Reed listened for the telltale signs he’d convinced Jared.

A deep sigh came across the line.

Bingo. “Does Emily Baker work for you?”

“Yes, she does. Why? Is she all right?”

Reed picked up on the uncomfortable note in Jared’s voice. Was it curiosity or something more? “Is she there today?”

“No. She’s on vacation. Mexico, I think.”

Part of her story matched up. The woman sitting beside him could be anyone, though. He’d already caught her glimpsing his gun. Logic told him she was debating whether or not to make a run for it.

“Can you give me a description of Miss Baker?”

“Why? Did something happen to her?” Panic raised his tone an octave. Something told Reed the guy on the phone was interested in more than her work performance. Wasn’t he the caring boss? A twinge of jealousy shot through him. What was that all about?

She was vulnerable. Reed’s protective instincts jumped into overdrive. He was reacting as he would if this was one of his sisters, he told himself.

“No. Nothing to worry about, sir. Routine questions.” Reed hadn’t exactly lied. She was a witness.

“Okay. Good. Um, let’s see. She’s medium height, thin, light brown hair. She’s a runner, so, um, she has the build for it, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I get the reference.” How nice that her boss paid attention to her workout routine. Clearly, there was more to this story. An office affair? Disappointment settled over Reed for reasons he couldn’t explain. Why did he care whom she dated?

He reminded himself to focus on the case. This woman fit two-thirds of the description. It was obvious her hair had been bleached. The dye job was bad, and so was the cut. Her hair had been chopped off. Even so, she was beautiful.

And her legs were long and toned. She could be a runner. He made a mental note of the fact, in case she decided to bolt. It was easy to see she was in good physical condition, aside from events of the past few days.

She glanced around, antsy. Her expression set, determined, as she skimmed the docks. Was she working with someone? For someone?

Or was she just a few grains of sand short of a castle?

The tougher job was to assess her mental fitness. If she wasn’t involved in bringing guns into the country, and, really and truly, she would’ve been smart enough to have one loaded at the ready if she was, he had to consider the possibility she might be a danger to herself or others.

He’d witnessed all kinds of crazy.

In fact, in six years with Border Patrol, he’d seen just about everything. And a whole lot of nothing, too, especially when he was a rookie.

“Eye color?”

“Green, I think.”

They were hazel, but lots of people confused hazel with green or blue. The description was close enough. “Thank you, sir. That clears everything up.”

“She’ll be back to work next Monday, right?”

Reed figured the boss wanted the answer to his question more for personal reasons than anything else. “I don’t see why not.”

“And she’s okay? You’re sure?”

Another sprig of jealousy sprouted. “She is. That’s all the information I need. Have a nice—”

“I don’t want to ask anything inappropriate, but our job requires a certain level of security clearance. She hasn’t gone and done anything that might jeopardize her position at work, has she?”

“Why would she do that?” Reed knew she wasn’t telling him something, but he doubted she was involved in criminal activity. Couldn’t rule it out yet. Even though his instincts never lied, he preferred logic and evidence. Did this whole episode have to do with her job? What would she have to gain?

A relieved sigh came across the line. “She wouldn’t. At least, I don’t think she would. I guess you can never really tell about people, but I don’t have to tell you that. Not in your line of work.”

The man finally said something smart. “Desperate people can do all kinds of interesting things.”

“I’m sure. I already asked, but she’s okay, right?”

“Yeah. She’ll be back to work next week, and I’m sure she’ll explain everything then.” Reed ended the call.

“I lost my job, didn’t I?” She sounded defeated. “It doesn’t matter.”

“You didn’t tell me everything,” he hedged.

She repositioned in her seat.

“You’re tired and hungry, so I’m afraid you’re going to make a bad choice. Whatever you’re running from, I can help you.”

She deadpanned him. “No. You can’t.”

“Not if you don’t tell me what it is.”

“I won’t run. Please don’t take me in.” Her wide hazel eyes pleaded.

“There’s protocol for situations like these. You came into the country in a shipment full of guns. Who do they belong to?”

“I’d tell you if I knew.” Tears welled in her eyes.

“I need a name. They’ll take it easy on you if you cooperate.”

“Are you arresting me?” She glanced toward the field to her right.

Was she getting ready to make her move?

He started the engine, determined to keep her from making another mistake she’d regret. “Buckle up. We can finish this conversation over a burger.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Are you going to arrest me?” she repeated slowly, as if he was dim.

“No. Why? Do you plan on giving me a reason to?”

The drive to the nearest fast-food burger place was quiet. His passenger closed her eyes and laid her head back.

She didn’t open them when he pulled into the drive-through lane and ordered two burgers, two fries and two milkshakes at the speaker box.

Reed gripped the steering wheel tighter, thinking about what she’d been through in the past few days. He also realized she was keeping secrets. Professional curiosity had him wanting to find out what they were. Or was it something else?

He dismissed the idea as standing in the sun too long back at the docks. His interest in Emily Baker was purely professional.

At this point, he’d classify her as a witness. However, she was walking a fine line of being moved into another category—suspect—and she didn’t want to be there. He should probably haul her up to Homeland Security and be done.

But he couldn’t.

Something in those hazel eyes told him there was a bigger story, one that frightened her to the point of almost becoming mute.

If she talked, he might be able to track down gun runners, or get the connection he needed to stop another coyote from dumping illegals across the border. Heck, most died of dehydration before they ever reached their desired location. She was weak. No way was she illegal, but they used the same paths for everything from human trafficking to gun running. Besides, maybe she had information that could help him make a bust. The innocence and desperation in her voice had drawn him in. He needed to make sure she’d be okay.

He couldn’t turn his back on her any more than he could walk away from one of his sisters. Something about Emily brought out a similar protective instinct, but that’s where the similarities ended. Nothing else about her reminded him of his siblings.

After paying at the window, he accepted the food. There was a shady spot in the parking lot across the street. He pulled into it and parked.

She blinked her eyes open when he cut off the engine.

He unwrapped a burger and handed it to her. “It’s not steak, but it should help with your hunger.”

Her eyes lit up as she took the offering. “That smells nothing short of amazing.”

A few bites into her meal, she set her burger down. “I don’t understand. I’m famished but I can’t finish it.”

Poor thing was starving. Another fact in this case that made Reed want to punch something.

It was one thing for traffickers and drug pushers to maim and kill each other, but to drag women and children into their web made his fists clench and his jaw muscle tick. Five minutes alone with any one of them, and he’d leave his badge and gun outside the door.

“That was the best food I’ve ever had,” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Ouch. Sorry. I’m bleeding again.” She searched the empty food bag and seemed to fight back tears. “You’ve been really nice to me and I don’t want to get blood on your clean white shirt.”

“Nothing to worry about.” Reed handed her his napkin. “It’s an old shirt. A little blood won’t hurt anything.”

Her back was ramrod. He wasn’t any closer to getting her to trust him.

Maybe softening his approach would work. “Believe me when I say I’ve had to clean up worse than that. The shirt’s yours. Keep it.”

She apologized again. Her bottom lip quivered, indicating she was probably on the brink of losing it. Who could blame her? She’d been amazingly strong so far.

For now, the person of interest in his passenger seat was safe and calm. She’d had a few minutes to think about where she might end up if she didn’t give him something to work with. “Why’d they really hit you?”

She searched nearby shrubs and buildings as if expecting the men who’d hurt her to jump out from behind one.

Fear was a powerful tool.

Whoever hurt her did a good job of making her believe he’d come back for more if she gave him up. “I know this is tough. Believe me. But it’s the only way I can help you.”

She brought her hands up to rub her temples and trained her gaze on the patch of cement in front of the Jeep. She was teetering on the edge.

He was getting close to a breakthrough. “They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this. I don’t care what they threatened. The US government is bigger than whoever did this to you.”

A few tears fell, streaking her cheeks.

“Whatever they said, don’t believe them.”

She dropped her hands to her lap, and then turned toward him. Her hazel eyes pierced right through him. “You give me your personal promise to protect me?”