Sudden Recall (14 page)

“Phone.” She held up her good hand. That was what she called Nina, because of her brand-new pixie haircut. How had she not remembered that about her friend?

Sienna wanted to cry all over again. Instead, she pulled up her internet search app and typed in all the keywords that she could remember to get her to that awful man who had yelled in her face.

“Bingo.”

Parker shifted closer. “What is it?”

“Amand Timenez.” A Middle Eastern man was pictured on the screen at a horse race in England.

“Who is that?”

She knew the open question was meant to let her think. She had to give him the answer instead of him pulling it from her, in case he affected her recall of information. “That's the man who drowned me. The man Thomas Loughton was going to sell the flash drives to.”

Parker stared at her. “You remember?”

She sifted through her memory. “It's cloudy. I think some of it came back, but not all. Only the big pieces.”

Like Parker.

His face fell. “Okay.” He took the phone. “Is it okay if I borrow this? I need to send the information to my team.”

Sienna nodded.

Parker stopped at the door. “I'll be back in a minute.”

She hoped it was a long one. She'd successfully killed whatever was between them, and it was going to hurt as much to walk away again.

Parker shut the door behind him. Sienna gritted her teeth and sat up. Time would run out for Nina, and there was no way she was going to let her friend die.

She pushed back the covers.

No way.

FOURTEEN

P
arker sent a link to the webpage in an email to Jonah. His boss would find out everything they needed to know about Amand Timenez. Parker didn't even want to look at the picture, knowing what that man had done to Sienna. It must have been awful enough to have made her relive her brother's drowning and lapse into a coma. All for two flash drives that would make him money and get a lot of American intelligence agents killed.

Whoever got their hands on the flash drive in Parker's pocket and the one they had yet to find, would have access to the government's database of every covert agency hidden in every country in the world. It would be open season on agents and foreign assets alike. A bloodbath the like of which had never been seen in American history.

And Parker had no intention of letting that happen.

He checked his watch as he strode back to Sienna's room. It was approaching evening, with every minute ticking on Sienna's friend's life. He couldn't imagine how Sienna was feeling, knowing a friend she loved but had never met was in danger. Parker was determined to safeguard Nina's life about as much as he wanted to retrieve the flash drives and get them into the right hands—or destroy them.

Parker jogged the last few steps to Sienna's room and let himself in. “What are you doing out of bed?”

She turned slowly, but her face said it all. She held her injured arm with the other, and her face was pale. Damp lined her hairline. How long until she passed out?

“What do you think I'm doing? Going after the second flash drive. I'm not just going to let Nina die because I'm lying here doing nothing.”

He folded his arms. “Recovering from a gunshot wound is hardly doing nothing.”

She straightened her shoulders.

Parker stared but knew there was no way she would back down. When Sienna had it in her head to do something, she did it. That much had become clear in planning that first mission with his team the week they'd met. When she wanted something, she figured out how to get it. And—amnesia or not—Nina's safety meant everything.

“Okay, fine.” Parker pulled off his jacket, walked over and helped her put her good arm into it. The other side he put on her shoulder. “I'll find you a sling for your arm.”

He could see she was going to leave whether he helped her or not. Since he fully intended to help her, he had to make this as easy on her as possible.

To that end, he lifted her into his arms.

Sienna let out a little mew of surprise. “I have legs.”

“I know that. But mine are faster right now.”

She didn't say anything more.

Parker hit the door handle with his elbow and let them out. He tried not to think too much about what he was doing, or about that lost look in Sienna's eyes. She'd remembered the buyer Thomas Loughton had been intending to sell the flash drives to, called that the “big stuff.” But apparently Parker hadn't been an important enough part of her past to be one of the first things her mind recalled.

Not that Parker wasn't glad she'd given him something to go on about who was chasing them. But his heart questioned how important he'd been to her. She'd certainly acted like what they'd had was big—up until she left him standing, alone.

“Are you okay?”

He glanced down at her as he walked past the nurse's desk. He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off.

“Sir! Sir!” The nurse skidded to a halt in front of them. “What do you think you are doing? That patient should be in bed.”

Thankfully, Sienna answered so he didn't look like a kidnapper.

“I'm leaving.” The nurse started to object, but Sienna cut her off. “I am leaving. I'll sign whatever I need to sign, but someone's life is in danger and I'm not going to sit around when I'm the only one who can save her.”

The nurse had seen his badge. She knew who Parker was, but he hadn't explained Sienna's credentials. The nurse probably figured she was a witness just because he was a marshal, which was fine by him. They needed to stay as low on the radar as possible.

Sienna said, “I'm checking out.”

“This isn't a hotel.” Still, the nurse bit her lip. “I'll call the doctor.”

“Find us a sling, too,” Parker said.

He held Sienna while the nurse called the doctor on a cordless phone and brought them the sling at the same time. When she explained to the doctor what they were doing, Parker glanced down at Sienna. Her lips curled up in a smile.

The smile dropped, and she stiffened in his arms.

He turned to look at what had stolen her moment of joy. The elevator was open and three men, followed by Karen, exited. The CIA handler stepped out of the elevator on her feet and not in a wheelchair. The limp in her stride was pronounced, and Parker would guess she couldn't run, but she was walking.

Karen looked both ways. “Find them.”

Parker took a step back. Sienna took the sling from the nurse with her good hand, and he said to the woman, “You have my number. The doctor can call me, but we've gotta go.”

He turned and strode as fast as he could toward the stair exit.

* * *

Sienna gritted her teeth as Parker took the stairs two at a time. He was being careful with her, and it was slowing them down.
God, why did I have to get shot?
She didn't always agree with His plan, but she chose to follow Him, anyway. God knew what He was doing.
Help me save Nina.

Parker turned the corner at the last set of stairs before the basement. “Sorry.”

She didn't say anything. It was obvious enough he was concerned over her injuries. She wasn't going to fault him for it, even though her shoulder burned.

“Almost there.”

He grabbed the door handle to the basement parking lot, but hesitated. “Can you shoot?”

With her left hand? “Yes.”

He dropped her feet to the floor, gave her his gun and lifted her again. Sienna held it up as he stepped into the basement and looked around for any sign of a threat. She could see the concentration in his eyes and the set of his jaw. There was nothing in the world like watching a highly trained soldier—or agent of some kind—doing what they did best. It had a rush to it, and that was plain to see in Parker. He loved his job. He'd told her as much.

“Why did you leave the SEALs?”

He didn't look down at her. He kept walking, headed for his car presumably, as he scanned the area with every step. “I loved the job, but it takes a toll. I was with the team ten years, hurt my knee. Never did heal right. So I came home and applied for the Marshals. The commute is a lot shorter, and the pay covers all the physical therapy I need.”

Sienna smiled, but more out of commiseration than humor. “And here we are. Two aging, on-the-shelf operators.”

Parker's chest rumbled with his laughter. He shifted her again and clicked the locks on a new car he'd gotten from somewhere. “Didn't figure you'd want to sit on broken glass. And yes, here we are.” He set her feet on the concrete and opened the car door. “Over the hill. Past our prime.”

She chuckled at the look on his face. “Okay, so that doesn't quite describe you.”

“Or you.” He motioned to the car. “Get in. We don't know where Karen or her cronies are. They could be here any second.”

Parker helped her settle in the car. Sienna bit her lip. Thankfully, by the time he got in, the dizzy, sick feeling was actually starting to dissipate. Was it going to be like this every time she moved? “Maybe leaving wasn't such a good idea. What if Karen just wanted to talk?”

Parker pulled out of the space and headed for the exit. “There was nothing about her that said ‘talk.' She had her war face on, and those men with her weren't your average agents sent to interview the next of kin. Those were trained people.”

“So she wants to kill me?” Sienna's stomach would not settle. She glanced around, careful not to shift her shoulder.

Parker lifted a lukewarm water bottle from the cup holder and cracked the seal before giving it to her. “Here.”

She sipped the liquid as she spoke. “Or Karen wants to take the flash drive, and we know retrieving Nina alive isn't her highest priority. But it makes no sense that the CIA's agenda is to retrieve the flash drives for themselves and let Nina be burned. It doesn't keep the problem under wraps.”

“We don't even know if Karen is working for them for sure, or if she's doing this on her own. She could have hidden you from them after you were injured.” Parker hit his turn signal. “Until she does what she intends to do, I'm not sure we'll know. Unless you have some way of calling the CIA and checking in? But that in and of itself will expose you.”

Sienna scoured her memories. “I think there is a way to call in, but I can't remember what it is.”

“I'd also like to know why suddenly she can walk.”

“Not totally.”

He nodded. “The limp. I saw that, too. I'm guessing she was injured, maybe even in a car accident, but nowhere near as badly as she made it out to be.”

“Because I'll accept a woman in a wheelchair more easily, since she clearly needs her ‘niece' in her life.” Sienna clenched her good fist. “The amount of times I wanted nothing more than to drive away and never look back, but her ‘health problems' prevented me from leaving. It was all a ploy to keep me there.”

Parker's hand covered her fist. She loosened her grip and he laced his fingers with hers. “Where do you want to look for the flash drive first?”

Sienna barely knew where to begin. “I still think the ranch has something to do with this, whether it's where I hid the flash drive or not.”

“You sleep. I'll drive. We'll be there in no time, and then we'll get Nina back.” Parker pulled the ringing phone from his pocket.

“That's my phone.”

He handed it over. “It says ‘Nina.'”

* * *

Sienna hit the button to put the call on speaker before she had time to overthink it. “Hello?”

“Have you found my property yet?”

Amand Timenez's voice was as cold as she remembered. Sienna could picture his face in her head, twisted with rage that she would dare keep the flash drives from him. His pride was such that any attempt made to thwart what he wanted to do was met with nothing less than undiluted rage. She'd met men like that before, but never as bad as him.

Parker held her hand again, and she realized she was shaking.

“We have one of the flash drives.”

“And the other?” His voice betrayed no emotion, but she didn't think he had much patience left. Sienna just prayed he hadn't hurt Nina in a way she would never come back from.

She gritted her teeth. It was like she was right back at that moment when he ordered her head held under water and forced her to relive her brother's drowning. A sob worked its way up her throat. “I think I know where it is.”

“Every minute it takes you to locate my property is another minute less your friend will be alive.”

“Nina isn't part of this. It's between you and me, not her. Let her go. I'll get you the flash drive and you can do whatever you want with it, or me. Just don't hurt her.”

She knew it was a bad idea. The more she showed him she cared for Nina, the more leverage Amand had over her actions. With each word, Amand was learning precisely where to put the pressure on Sienna. And how to make it as painful as possible.

“Your friend's life is entirely in your hands.” There was a rustle, and then he said, “Tell her.”

“Sienna.” Nina's voice was a broken sob.

She squeezed her eyes shut and hung her head. “Nina, I'm going to come get you.”

Parker's hand squeezed the back of her neck. Nina didn't answer.

“Everything's going to be...”

A scream emerged from the phone. Sienna looked up at Parker as horror swelled in her. What was Amand doing that would make Nina sound like that? Parker grabbed her face, gentle but still hard enough that she focused on him—and only him. His jaw was set, his eyes hard. Imploring her to stick with him, for Nina's sake. It was strength and a promise all wrapped up in one gaze. He would stick with her.

Nina's scream broke off and she started to cry.

Amand said, “You have four hours.”

He hung up.

Parker glanced at the dash. “That's eight o'clock tonight. We should be able to reach the ranch and still have time to search before then.”

The compassion and solidarity she'd seen in him had disappeared, replaced with a cool efficiency that made Sienna want to cry even as she said, “Okay.”

She stared out the window, and Parker left her to her thoughts. Did he think there was nothing to say?

A distant phone started to ring. She didn't turn but heard Parker say, “Yeah, I'll take you up on that offer. Where's the chopper at?” Pause. “Okay. The closest gas station. Sienna and I need a ride back to the ranch.”

A helicopter ride would cut their journey down significantly, giving them more time to search outlying areas of the ranch and still get to Nina before the four-hour deadline—wherever Amand was keeping her.

Lord, don't let her get too badly hurt. She'll let go of trusting You if she thinks that You allowed this to happen to her. Keep her strong. Help her remember You're with her, even in this.

Parker hung up the phone.

Sienna turned to him. “Thank you.”

He squeezed her hand again, and she almost smiled. It was his way, using a simple touch to communicate instead of flowery words. And it was more effective than any speech could be. She could trust honest, heartfelt actions far easier than words, which could be deceptive.

He pulled into a gas station and parked at the far end of the forecourt. “They should be here in fifteen. You need anything?”

The pain wasn't excruciating so long as she didn't move her shoulder at all. “Maybe a soda.” Eventually, she would need to get out of the hospital gown, but she'd at least managed to pull on a pair of her pajama pants one-handed at the hospital. She'd assumed Parker had brought them for her because they'd been packed in her bag.