Midnight Action (34 page)

Goddamn woman. She never listened to a word he said, never followed a single fucking order. What had she been thinking, going out there alone?

Christ, he was going to throttle her when he saw her.

But first, he had to save her ass.

He’d just reached the last gate when a gunshot cracked through the air.

The terrifying sound didn’t slow him down. He kept going, ignoring the fear squeezing his heart, the adrenaline coursing through his blood.

Through the iron bars of the gate, he caught a glimpse of blond hair. His gaze registered a male body toppling to the pavement, another man raising a handgun. A slender arm whipped up in the direction of the armed man, but not fast enough.

A second shot rang out, and this time Morgan couldn’t ignore the paralyzing terror as he watched Noelle go down.

Morgan’s heart stopped, then pounded with rage when his gaze collided with the triumphant look on Nikolaus Bauer’s face. The man’s head swiveled in Morgan’s direction. When their eyes locked, the same horror and fury that he was feeling reflected back at him.

From the corner of his eye he saw Noelle lying on the gravel. He wanted to go to her, but he didn’t get the chance because Bauer’s weapon was now trained on him. But the man had no time to pull the trigger, because Morgan had hurled himself forward and proceeded to tackle Bauer to the ground.

The gun slipped from Bauer’s hand, sliding underneath the Jeep behind them. Morgan lost his own weapon, watching it fall from his grip and skitter across the pavement.

It didn’t matter. His fists were all the weapons he needed. He straddled Bauer’s body and pummeled the man’s face with everything he had. The caged rage inside him had been set free, and his pulse drummed in his ears as he pounded his fists into Bauer’s face, the satisfying sound of flesh slapping flesh ringing in the air.

But Bauer wasn’t an old man like Dietrich. He was a strong, fit male in his midthirties, and he wasted no time fighting back. His hand sliced up to jam into Morgan’s throat, making him gag as his head was thrown back.

And clearly he’d underestimated the extent of Bauer’s anger—suddenly the man was flipping him over in a feat of superhuman strength. Breathing hard, Morgan deflected the blows that came at his face, and managed to roll them over again. They slammed into the side of the Jeep, where Bauer yet again gained the upper hand, straddling Morgan’s chest as he went on the attack.

A fist crashed into his jaw, reopening the cut Noelle had inflicted on his lip not too long ago. He spit out the blood that filled his mouth, then clocked Bauer right in the eye.

The man reeled back, growling in pain, and giving Morgan just enough time to roll out from under him and get the other man in a headlock. He squeezed hard, ignoring the arms that were swinging at him as Bauer tried to land another punch. Satisfaction sizzled in his blood when he tightened the hold and felt the other man begin to go slack.

But a pained groan suddenly captured his attention, distracting him for a second. He glanced over and saw Noelle stirring, and the split second of distraction was all it took for Bauer to wiggle out of the submission hold.

Morgan found himself on his back with the wind knocked right out of him, Bauer’s heavy body yet again crushing his chest. He struck out, but not fast enough. A pair of strong hands wrapped around his neck, spittle splashing his face as Bauer hissed in triumph.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been dreaming of this moment.” The man’s eyes were wild, his cheeks flushed with pleasure. “I’ve dreamed of it since the day you walked into my life.”

Morgan curled his fingers around the guy’s forearms and tried to pry him off, but Bauer’s grip was too strong. Stars danced in front of his eyes as his windpipe started to ache, protesting against the lack of air.

“You stole the woman I loved,” Bauer muttered. “Not once, but twice. You took her away from me seventeen years ago, and then you did it again when you pulled that plug.”

Black dots flashed across his vision now. Fuck, he couldn’t breathe. He felt himself starting to lose consciousness and he fought the darkness that was trying to envelop him.

“You’re going to rot in hell for what you’ve done, James Morgan.”

“He didn’t do it.”

Another voice penetrated the fog, a female one, but it sounded so far away. It sounded like Cate. But that couldn’t be right. He’d told Ash to keep her safe. Hadn’t he? He couldn’t remember anymore.

The claws around his throat loosened. Just slightly. But not enough. He still couldn’t draw in a single burst of air. His eyes started to water, wetness sliding down his face. Bauer’s head was a shadowy blur over him.

“Catarina!” the man shouted.

He hadn’t imagined it. She was actually here. But no, she couldn’t be. She had to go. She had to be safe.

Morgan’s arms felt like lead pipes as he tried to hit Bauer again, but he didn’t have an ounce of strength left. Christ, he was perilously close to passing out.

“He didn’t unplug
Maman
’s breathing tube,” he heard her say. “I did it.”

“You...you...”

The blackness continued to devour him, and then, in the blink of an eye, a crack boomed in the air. Thunder? No, that wasn’t right.

But something had happened. And there was water on his face. A lot of it. Was it raining?

Suddenly the hands squeezing his throat were gone.

Gasping for air, Morgan tried to sit up, but he was too dizzy and his limbs refused to cooperate. He couldn’t seem to make them function. And a heavy weight was still crushing his chest. Bauer’s body, he realized. The man was lying on top of him.

Morgan sucked in gulps of air. His throat burned, and when he tried to talk, he couldn’t make a single sound. He managed to let out a groan, hoarse and pained, as he tried to move Bauer’s deadweight off him.

And then the load seemed to lift on its own, and he saw two shadowy faces peering down at him.

“You okay, boss?” Ash’s voice.

Morgan blinked rapidly, his vision coming into focus. “Fine,” he wheezed out. “Cate...?”

“I’m right here,” came her soft voice.

“I’m sorry, boss. She kneed me in the balls and took off.” Ash sounded furious. “Are you a fucking track star or something? I’ve never seen anyone run that fast.”

“They needed help!”

“I ordered you to stay put!”

“I won’t apologize for saving my dad’s life!”

Morgan sat up with another groan, trying to clear the fog from his head. “Noelle,” he choked out. “Where’s Noelle?”

Ash disappeared from his view. A moment later, Morgan heard a soft curse cut through the air.

“Let me see your throat.”

Warm hands touched his sore flesh, and he realized Cate had knelt down beside him. His neck throbbed with pain, and he knew it was probably redder than a fire engine, but he didn’t care about himself at the moment. Where was Noelle?

His eyes strayed to Bauer’s body, focusing on the puddle of blood pooling around the man’s head.

Cate’s breath hitched as she followed his gaze. “I shot him,” she said flatly.

“I know.” Morgan slowly got to his feet, swaying like a tree in a windstorm the moment his body went vertical.

“You shouldn’t be walking!” Cate protested. “Sit down!”

He ignored her and stumbled toward the gate. Ash was kneeling on the ground, leaning over Noelle’s body. A metallic hiss rang out. The rookie was unzipping Noelle’s sweatshirt, Morgan realized. And he could hear soft gasps now. Was Ash panting?

No, the sounds were coming from Noelle.

As alarm rippled through him, Morgan dropped down beside them, just as Ash touched his earpiece.

“Kane, we need you ASAP. Bring the field med kit.”

“What’s going on?” Morgan wheezed, his vocal cords still too tender to function properly.

His gaze lowered to Noelle, registered the black Kevlar strapped to her chest, and overwhelming relief crashed into him. She’d donned a vest. Thank God.

So why did Ash look so worried?

It took a second for it to dawn on him. Noelle’s pale face, her unfocused blue eyes. The breathless sounds shuddering out of her throat. Gasping like she couldn’t get any air.

“Fluke shot,” Ash muttered, looking over at Morgan. “Got her right under the arm through the side of the vest. Hit her lung.”

Morgan ignored the rush of terror that filled his chest, forcing himself to focus on Noelle.

She was coughing now, her eyes beginning to glaze over.

“Don’t pass out on me,” he mumbled. “You hear me, babe? Stay with me.”

The wheezing seemed to get worse. “Can’t...breathe.”

He and Ash quickly removed her vest, undoing the Velcro snaps to find a dark red bloodstain on her white tank top, right beneath her arm. Morgan lifted her up slightly so he could search for an exit wound, and his heart jumped in relief when he spotted the puckered hole. The bullet wasn’t lodged inside her.

But it had still done its intended damage, and her shortness of breath had become so severe that he and Ash exchanged a worried look.

“Is she going to be okay?” Cate blurted out.

“Her pleural cavity is filling with fluid,” Morgan muttered, his voice starting to come back to him. “We need to drain it or she’ll drown in her own blood.”

“Pleural cavity?”

“The space around the lungs,” Ash explained, then clicked his earpiece again as his sharp gaze moved beyond the gate and focused on the house. “Damn it, Kane, move your ass.”

Morgan cupped Noelle’s cheeks and studied her face, but he saw no fear in her eyes. Just sheer calm, intermingled with flashes of pain.

“You’re going to be just fine,” he said firmly.

She continued to release fast, shallow breaths, but he knew that no air was getting in, and her pale face worried him.

Luckily, Kane chose that moment to dive through the gate. “What the hell happ—” He stopped midsentence when his gaze registered the scene before him.

“We need to drain the lung cavity or she won’t make it,” Ash told the new arrival.

Kane was already unzipping the bulky canvas medical kit and rummaging around inside. When his hand emerged with a massive syringe, Cate gasped.

“What are you going to do?” she said uneasily.

“You heard the rookie,” Kane replied, his tone ringing with self-assurance. “We’re draining the blood. Get out of the way, Jim. Unless you want to do the honors?”

Since his hand was shaking way too hard to hold a syringe, Morgan reluctantly moved aside and allowed Kane to take his place.

“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Ash asked warily.

“Easy peasy. Just like Nicaragua. Remember? When Castle took two to the chest?”

Morgan felt sick as he watched Kane lean over Noelle’s body. A second later, the needle disappeared in her flesh, and the syringe immediately began to fill up with a pinkish fluid.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Cate mumbled.

From the corner of his eye he glimpsed his daughter stumble off, but he didn’t tear his gaze off Noelle’s face. “It’ll be okay, baby. Kane is going to help you breathe, and then we’ll take you to the hospital to get you patched you up.”

As her gasps grew more violent, her expression got hazier and hazier.

“Stay with me,” he pleaded with her.

But she’d already lost consciousness.

“Morgan? You want anything from the cafeteria?”

Morgan lifted his head to find Cate in the doorway. He met her eyes, then glanced back at the beautiful blonde lying in the hospital bed next to his chair.

“Nah, I’m good. But thanks, sweetheart.” Christ, it still hurt like a bitch to talk, but the doctors had assured him there would be no permanent damage to his windpipe.

She ignored his response. “I’ll bring you back a sandwich.”

Once she was gone, he couldn’t stop the smile that tugged on his mouth. Truth was, the only reason he’d eaten a bite these last few days was because his daughter had practically force-fed him. Cate had flipped out when she’d shown up the morning after Noelle’s surgery to discover he hadn’t eaten a thing all day, and she’d been fussing over him ever since.

He had to admit he kind of liked it. He’d thought he’d be the one taking care of her, considering everything she’d been through—losing her mother, her best friend, her grandfather, killing Bauer. But Cate was the most resilient girl he’d ever met. Ash kept calling to report that she was fitting right in at the compound. Enjoying target practice, diligently doing her schoolwork despite the fact that nobody was forcing her to. She was disciplined as hell. Just like he’d been when he was younger.

Morgan hadn’t been home since the night all hell broke loose, but Kane had also been calling in with reports. After Dietrich and Bauer were killed, the Serbian mercenaries staked out in the jungle had simply gotten up and left; with their bosses dead, they had no beef with the compound. And courtesy of Morgan’s friends in the CIA, a cleanup crew had been happy to take care of Dietrich’s and Bauer’s bodies. Dietrich had been a wanted man for more than four decades, and the US government was thrilled that he was finally out of commission.

With Dietrich out of the picture, Cate was officially safe, much to Morgan’s relief.

Noelle was another story. She’d been unconscious for three days, but the doctors didn’t seem worried about it. The surgery had gone well, and thanks to Kane’s and Ash’s quick work in the field, she’d suffer no permanent damage either.

But she still refused to wake up, and Morgan refused to go anywhere until she opened her damn eyes.

“Oh brother. Are you seriously sitting vigil at my bedside?”

Her husky voice startled the shit out of him. When he saw those incredible blue eyes peering up at him, the joy that exploded in his chest was so strong he almost fell out of his chair.

“You’re awake.” He dove out of the chair and went to sit at the edge of the bed, gently touching her cheek. Her skin was cold, but the color was slowly returning to her face.

“How are you feeling?” he said hoarsely.

“Like I got shot.” Groaning, she tried to sit up.

He quickly moved in to help her, and once he’d gotten her settled, he tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ears.

“You okay? Do you want some ice chips?”

She harrumphed. “No. I want whiskey.”

A crooked grin lifted the corner of his mouth. “You’re going to be one of those difficult patients, aren’t you?”

“Patient? Yeah right. I’ve already discharged myself in my head. I’ll be out of here before the nurses even know I woke up.”

He couldn’t help but frown at her. “What the hell were you thinking, facing off with Dietrich and Bauer by yourself?”

She scowled. “I was thinking I couldn’t let your dumb ass do it.”

Surprise washed over him. “You were trying to protect me?”

“Hardly,” she scoffed. “I was trying to protect your daughter, you moron. You’re the one who gave me that whole speech about kids needing their fathers, and yet you were willing to abandon your kid all over again by going after Dietrich?”

His chest tightened with emotion. “You went out there so Cate could have me around?”

Noelle sounded defensive now. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I did something heroic.” She shifted in discomfort. “I just wanted to give the girl a fighting chance, okay? So she wouldn’t end up like me.”

Tenderness softened his gaze. “Wouldn’t be the worst thing if she did.”

She laughed weakly, and he realized she thought he was kidding. Then she shifted again, trying to slide up higher, and a wince creased her face.

“Quit moving around,” he grumbled. “You’re recovering from surgery.”

Sighing, she leaned her head back against the plastic edge of the bed. “What happened to Bauer?”

“Dead.”

“Dietrich?”

“Dead. Nice shot, by the way. You got him right between the eyes.”

She looked pleased. “Thanks. I would’ve gotten Bauer too, but the asshole got a lucky shot off. Total fluke that his bullet missed the vest. Just my luck, huh?”

To his amusement, she yanked the IV right out of her wrist without so much as flinching. “There, that’s better,” she said with a happy purr.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Your sarcasm isn’t appreciated right now, Jim.”

“I wasn’t being sarcastic. You really are unbelievable. You’re incredible.”

She must have picked up on the emotion thickening his throat, because an awkward glint entered her eyes. “Jim...”

His voice went croaky again. “I have to ask you something.”

Her expression became downright wary. “What is it?”

“I was seeing someone in Costa Rica. It’s over now—well, it never really began, if I’m being honest. But anyway, she asked me about the woman I lost, and...” His voice cracked. “I told her about you. Not a lot, just a few things. She asked if you were dead...And I said yes.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“That’s what I used to believe,” he admitted. “I believed that you were dead—not literally, I mean. But figuratively. I couldn’t imagine that the girl I’d loved in Paris was still alive. But now I know she is.”

Noelle shook her head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but that girl doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Bullshit.” Swallowing, he reached out and placed his palm right above her left breast. “I
know
she’s in there somewhere. You just have to open your heart to me again and let me see her.”

“God, Jim.” She looked flustered. “Why are you acting like a sappy fool?”

“Because...” His throat ached again, and not because he’d nearly been choked to death. “Because I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay. With me.”

“Why?” Now she seemed even more agitated.

“Because I love you, damn it.”

He held his breath, waiting for her to say something, anything, but her expression had become veiled, and not a single word escaped her mouth.

“Noelle?” he murmured.

“You should find the nurse. Tell her I’m awake.”

The dismissal sliced into his heart like a hot blade.

“No,” he burst out. “You don’t get to fucking ignore this. You’re going to sit there and listen to every word I have to say.”

“Jim—”

“I fell in love with you the moment I met you at that café in Paris. I know you think I faked it, but damn it, I didn’t.” Frustration jammed inside him. “And there’s been a gaping hole in my heart ever since. Goddamn it, I’m
empty
without you. I tried to fill that void—believe me, I tried. I fucked other women, saved lives, took lives. But nothing worked. Nothing fucking worked.”

He was embarrassed to feel the sting of tears in his eyes. “I know we can never have it back. We can’t be what we once were. But even though we’ve changed, one thing hasn’t. You’re the only woman for me. The only woman I’ve ever wanted.”

She opened her mouth, but he wasn’t done. He wasn’t even close to done.

“I’ve missed you every day for the last nineteen years. There was never any hope of getting you out of my system—because you’re part of me, baby. There’s nobody for me but you. Only you.” He blinked through the tears swimming in his vision. “I can’t lose you again. I need you...God, I just need you to forgive me.”

She still didn’t speak, and he fought a jolt of desperation.

“I used you,” he choked out. “I used you and I lied to you. But I never lied about the way I felt. I loved you then, and I love you now.”

There was no response. Nothing but silence. He felt like he was talking to the damn air.

“Please,” he begged. “Just fucking say something.”

He waited. Implored her with his eyes.

And then she finally spoke.

“Can you go find the surgeon who operated on me? I want him to talk me through the surgery.”

The agony was so great, it felt like his chest had been ripped open with a pair of rusty pliers. “That’s it? Nothing else?”

Her blue eyes met his. “That’s it.”

Somehow he managed to stand up.

Somehow he managed to make it all the way to the door.

Once he got there, he halted. Swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to look at her again. “Think about it,” he mumbled. “Maybe you’ll have something different to say when I get back.”

Ten minutes later, after he’d tracked down her surgeon and returned to her room, he discovered that she still had nothing to say.

Because she wasn’t there.

Noelle was gone.