The Defender (The Carrier Series Book 2) (16 page)

A knock at the door woke me up and I opened my eyes quickly.
Where was I?

“Hill, you up?” Drew was knocking at the hotel room door. “We’ve
gotta get going!” he sang loudly in a girly opera voice.

Right—hotel room in Stevens Point. I crawled out of bed and peered
through the peephole. Drew was standing in the hallway dressed in his work
suit, checking out a painting in the hallway and holding two disposable cups of
coffee. He was a little over six feet tall with a ruggedly handsome face. A
goatee and sideburns stood proudly beneath his stylish light brown hair. Drew’s
slim, yet muscular figure, white smile, and tanned skin had to be a magnet for
women everywhere.

Drew turned around and saw me standing in the doorway in my
pajamas. “Cripes, kid! You’re not up yet? You better drop trou and hop in that
shower if we’re going to go find your girl.” He plowed through the door and
walked right into the bathroom, turning on the water in the shower. He stood by
the door holding out a towel for me. “Hustle up, buddy. I’ll watch Sports
Center while you scrub down.”

“Yeah, thanks.” I took the towel, walked into the bathroom, shut
the door, and quickly undressed. Drew was right: I needed to hurry if I wanted
to see Ava after her biology lecture.

I let my mind wander as I showered. There were so many sweet
memories of this summer with Ava I couldn’t bear to forget anytime soon. My
heart ached when I thought about the fact that the agency had wiped those same
memories right out of Ava’s mind, possibly never to be restored. What would my
life be like if I had never met Ava? I didn’t even want to consider it.

When I emerged from the bathroom, Drew stood up from the bed and
turned the TV off with the remote. He took one look at me and said, “You ready
for this, buddy?”

I let out a deep breath. “Let’s go.” The truth was I was
extremely nervous about seeing Ava again. It was hard for me to consider a
version of Ava without a thought of me in her memory. We left the hotel room
and headed down to the car waiting for us at the front door. I called Adam
again on the way to campus.

“Good morning, Agent Hill, how are you?” His voice was
annoyingly light and bubbly. What was he so happy about?

“Fine,” I said, disgruntled. “Be advised Agent Smith and I are
on campus this morning.”

His tone changed suddenly. “Which campus? UWSP? Why are you in
Steven’s Point?”  

“Bowman is sending us to Ireland and I need to see Ava once
before I leave. I just need to know she’s okay.”

There were a few seconds of silence before he answered. “Agent
Hill, you are not to let her see you.” He was bothered. “Seeing a vision of you
even from across a room could seriously undermine her brain’s prospects of
healing correctly!”

“Cut the psychobabble. I just need to see her once.”

“It’s out of the question. You’ve got to trust me, Agent Hill. I
will take good care of her without her ever knowing my true intentions.”

What did that mean?

“That may be, but I’m not changing my plans. I need to see her
once more.” I inhaled loudly. “But I’ll try my best to stay out of her view.” I
hit
end
and shoved my phone back into my pocket.

Drew had me calmed down by the time he parked the car in the lot
adjacent to the student center. We got out and walked around to some benches
outside of the library. This spot was directly on the path from the science
building to Ava’s house on College Avenue, and we were sure she’d have to cross
through any minute.  

“She really must be special.” Drew tapped his fingernails on the
top of his coffee cup while staring out over the sidewalk.

I looked at him, “You have no idea.” I scanned the sidewalks as
several twenty-somethings strolled by wearing backpacks. “She’s the most
amazing woman I’ve ever met. I think the phrase “head over heels”
would
cover it.”

“You’re a lucky man, Nolan. We don’t all get to meet the woman
of our dreams.”

“What? No lovely lady in your life?”

Drew half-smiled out of the corner of his mouth. “No, I couldn’t
say there was. Not today anyway.” He drummed on his cup again and started
singing, “You shift my heart into four-wheel drive.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry, song lyrics. They just roll around my noggin all day
long.”

“You write songs?” A trait I completely didn’t see coming.

“Absolutely, and not just any songs, country songs. Oh, and I
write the music, too. I’ll play my guitar for you sometime. I’m waiting for the
right words to spin together and I’ll have a number one hit. You’ll see.”

Confidence was not something Drew lacked.

I looked over the scene before me as Drew hummed a melody and
then I saw her. I sat up from my slouched position and watched Ava walk toward
the student center. “There she is,” I whispered to Drew. My heart stopped for
several seconds as I observed her beautiful brown hair bounce with each step
she took.

Drew let out a down falling whistle. “That’s her?” he asked,
hushed.

I nodded but he didn’t see me because his eyes were stuck on
Ava.

“Like I said, you are a lucky man, Agent Hill. A lucky man.”
Drew got up off the bench. “Come on, Nolan.”

We crossed the street, carefully following Ava into the student
center.

From a corner by the front doors she took the stairs to the
second floor and wandered into the student lounge. Drew’s phone rang just as we
were about to climb the stairs, so he turned and took the call in the lobby. He
motioned for me to go on, so I continued to the lounge and took a seat on a
leather bench butted up to the wall near the exit. I had to watch her a few moments
to convince myself she was fine.

From my perch in the corner she looked like normal Ava in every
way I could tell. She had found a seat on a couch, people-watched for a while
and then, before I could duck out of the way, she looked directly at me.  

Crap
!

In that split second I couldn’t help but smile as I felt myself
connect with her gorgeous brown eyes. But she wasn’t smiling—she cocked her
head and wrinkled up her nose.

It was true then. She had no idea who I was. My heart sunk with
a thud.

Ava bent down to get something out of her backpack, and I dodged
for the exit. Once out of the room I peered back in through the long window
next to the closed door. Adam was there sitting on the couch next to her. Where
did he come from? He was smiling and talking with her and then she put her head
on his shoulder!

What the hell was going on here?

That rat.

I turned away quickly—suddenly my head was spinning and my
stomach started to turn sour.

“Nolan!” Drew called from the bottom of the steps. I turned
around. “Come here,” he called.

I took one last look into the room. She was standing now, Adam
still on the couch. At least they weren’t touching anymore. I reluctantly
walked down a few steps toward Drew. I’d much rather be monitoring what Adam
was doing with my girl.

I reminded myself Adam was an expert on what Ava had been
through and, as hard as it was to admit, she needed him right now, not me.

“Did you get a gander at your lovely lady? ‘Cause we have a
schedule to follow. Gotta get a move on.”

“Hold on a sec.” I quickly hopped back up the stairs and looked
into the window one more time. Adam was gone, and Ava was standing up in the
middle of the room looking puzzled. I wanted desperately to go in there and
wrap my arms around her and kiss her before I had to fly off to Ireland.

My heart ached horribly for her. I had a long journey ahead of
me.

With sorrow in my voice I turned back toward Drew. “Let’s go.” I
started walking down the stairs when I heard my name again, this time from
behind me.

Adam emerged from the door at the top of the stairs and quickly
descended. “Nolan! What in the hell were you doing in there?” He came to stop
only a foot from where I was standing. He was pissed.

“It’s fine,” I said, backing up a little. “Ava only saw me for a
split second.”

“That’s because I plowed into her to distract her!” He was
inching closer to my face and I started to feel a little territorial. “You’re
lucky I was here or she could have gone into serious shock! I told you—”

But Drew cut him off before he could finish. “Hey, hey there ol’
pal!” he said, stepping in between Adam and me, trying to prevent a fight.
“Listen, buddy. No harm done. She’s fine. We need to jet, anyway.”

Adam was acting a little too protective for my comfort and I
knew exactly where this was going. I angrily stared at Adam for a few seconds.

“Don’t you dare fall for her.”

“You’re being completely ridiculous, mate.” He held my gaze for
a few more moments, and then I turned and walked right out the front door of
the building.

Once outside, I turned to Drew, “Why do I get the feeling that
guy’s a complete jerk?”

“Oh, I don’t know. He seems okay to me. A little high strung,
but okay.” He clicked the car locks open, we hopped in, and headed out of town
toward the airport.

It killed me to leave her behind with that guy. There was no way
I could be there with her, but something about Greene rubbed me the wrong way.
I felt completely trapped. I guess I’d have to believe that Agent Greene was
the best person to watch over Ava for these few weeks until we could get enough
info to truly take down Myers.

Tuesday, October 14th

The FBI used a private wing of O’Hare International Airport in
Chicago. It was early evening once we arrived from north central Wisconsin, got
our bags checked through security, and boarded the plane. The eight-hour flight
to Dublin did not feel that lengthy probably due to the fact that they flew us
out of the Midwest in one of the agency private jets. Drew and I took advantage
of the space, spreading our files out and discussing the mission at hand in
comfort and peace.

An hour into the flight Drew was staring into his tablet looking
confused. “I’m having trouble downloading the data packet to my computer.
Bowman filled me in briefly, but I’ll need some more information.” Then he
looked up at me, “I guess you’ll have to give me the skinny, kid. Why exactly
are we off to the magical country of leprechauns and whisky?”

“We have been sent to Ireland to track down the family history
of Mr. Ethan Myers.”

“YES!”

Drew looked up from his tablet. “I got the downlink,” he said
matter-of-factly. I watched him scroll down through the document. “Alrighty, we
are looking for any and all info on Mr. evil Myers.”

Drew leaned forward, picked up his coffee cup, and took a long
drink, thinking. “Not that I want to complain, because I’m pretty stoked we are
heading to Ireland, but why don’t we just get the geniuses over in Info Tech to
scour the Internet or something? You can Google anything these days, you know.”

“Of course Info Tech has been digging deep on this one, but
somehow Myers has either blocked or pulled all records of his family from all
public and private archives.”

“Ah yes. Nowadays it’s possible to wipe yourself from the
inter-workings of the web. Sounds like Myers is hiding something, Mr. Hill.”
Drew scrolled through a few more pages on his tablet, smiling widely, as if
this was very exciting for him. “Although I have to admit it sort of sounds
like finding a needle in a pineapple field.”

“Pineapple field? It’s haystack.”

“Needle in a haystack? Maybe where you come from.”

“And where do you come from?”

“I hale from the beautiful white-sand beaches of Hawaii.”

“Really?”

“Born and raised Honoluluan! You should come back with me
sometime. You’ll never see more gorgeous half-naked women on the beach anywhere
else in the world.”

I smiled at him, letting my mind wander to a tropical scene
enhanced with bikini-clad babes.

“You’ll also see ridiculously overweight half-naked women on the
beach, but I usually try to avert the ol’ peepers.”

Laughing, I let my daydream go and scrolled through my tablet
until I found the document I remembered Bowman showing me a few days ago. I ran
my finger down the page. “Here’s what we know—Myers’s grandparents were living
in Ireland between 1899 and 1950 and his grandfather, Alec, was a local
physician.”

“I assume the agency wants to get into Myers’s head. I’ve seen
it before.” Then Drew put on a deep and official voice, as if he was reciting
something he’d heard a million times. “If we ascertain his past we are well on
our way to deeply understanding what makes Myers tick, in turn we can deduce
what he’s planning next.” Then his voice returned to normal. “At least that’s
the plan.” There was something condescending about the way Drew said that last
part.

“Bowman is confident the solution is in Ireland,” I offered. Was
I a fool to believe what Bowman had said? I started to feel anxious, and Ava’s
beautiful face popped into my mind.

My heart interrupted,
You need to find a way to ensure Myers
will never hurt Ava again.

“We’ve got to figure this out, Drew,” I said out loud.

Drew noticed the agony on my face. “Hey, Nol, don’t stress.”
Then he put on his best superhero voice and raised one hand into the air. “We
shall succeed!”

No matter how goofy he was, I knew I was happy to have Drew on
this assignment with me. “Thanks buddy, I hope we will.”

“So where does Agent Bowman suggest we start?”

“Bowman thinks we should begin by physically looking through the
historical records at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the oldest and largest
churches in Dublin.”

“Sounds like a great place to start.” We had a rather large job
in front of us.

I spent the rest of the plane ride reading the documents,
surfing the web, napping, and listening to Drew play the guitar. He wasn’t half
bad at playing and singing, but his lyrics definitely needed some help.
   

We arrived at Dublin airport at three a.m. Wisconsin time, nine
a.m. local Dublin time. We deboarded the plane, and then were taken to a bare
and cold room to wait to meet our foreign agency contact. I checked my email
and Drew played on his tablet while we waited.

“Who is the contact?” I asked Drew. “Do you know the guy?”

“Nope.” Drew replied, not looking up from his tablet.

A second later the door opened and a rather tall, attractive
woman walked in. She had a slender nose centered between two sharp, yet kind
blue eyes, and long, silky-smooth, strawberry-blond hair. She wore a low-cut
navy blazer, a short navy skirt, and matching high heels. She somehow managed
to appear very professional and very sexy at the same time. Drew was just about
drooling onto the table.

“Hello, agents. I’m Agent Darcy McCombe.” She flashed a badge
and then continued in her local Irish accent. “I am a liaison with the Irish
Intelligence Agency. My job will be to provide any local intelligence you may
need while on assignment here in Ireland.”

“Wonderful. Thank you very much, Agent McCombe. I am FBI Agent
Drew Smith and this is FBI Agent Nolan Hill.”

I almost busted out laughing as Drew introduced us so seriously.
An obvious departure from his typical jocularity.

I jumped in with some additional information. “Our mission is to
retrieve records belonging to the ancestors of a US citizen who is wanted by
the FBI.”

“Thank you, Agent Hill. I’ve been briefed. I have collected a list
of places you may want to begin your search. But first, you must be exhausted
from your travels. Let me take you to your hotel which will be your home away
from home during the duration of your stay here in Dublin.”

Agent McCombe stood up from the table and clicked her heels out
the door.

I could barely stand up before Drew leaned across the table and
whispered in my ear. “Damn! Did you see the ass on that one?”

“Yeah. Pretty nice.” I hadn’t actually noticed, there were other
things on my mind.

Agent McCombe expertly walked us through a series of deserted
hallways in the airport until we emerged into what seemed like a back alley. A
car with dark windows was waiting patiently for our arrival. We all climbed in,
Drew eagerly taking the seat next to Agent McCombe. I shook my head, hoping
that Drew’s libido wouldn’t get in the way of our finding Myers’s info fast and
getting back home to Ava.

The car drove us down the M1 highway from the airport into
downtown Dublin. Drew could barely keep his eyes off Agent McCombe, but my
interests laid in the scenery passing by my window. The morning sun was well
over the horizon as we entered the city’s center, casting glorious rays of
light onto the beautiful cream and red brick buildings that oozed the flavor of
an era long ago. Intricate designs had been applied to several of the
structures, and the blue street signs were posted not on poles like in the US,
but at the top of each corner building.

We had been assigned two rooms at the Arlington Hotel right on
the River Liffey. The car drove around the front of the cream building, past
beautiful white window boxes overflowing with pink and orange flowers on each
windowsill. A dark brick facade separated the front entrance from The
Knightsbridge Bar, which occupied part of the lobby. A small convenience store
held the rest of the space.  

The car stopped near the alley entrance and Agent McCombe got
out. “Stay here while I check you in,” she said.

As soon as she got out, Drew leaned right into my personal
bubble and whispered, “Dibs!”

I laughed—he knew darn well that I had no interest in Agent
McCombe. “Fine, but no hanky-panky until we get some info on Myers.”

Drew smiled widely. “I can’t promise that, my friend.” Still in
my space, he held up his phone with a newly added contact—Agent McCombe.

“Dude! How did you do that?”

“Have you no faith?”

“Come on! We have a job to do! Besides, she’s all business, I
can tell. I doubt she has any time for an American intelligence agent.”

Drew scoffed. “You’ll be eating your words, young man. You just
wait and see.”

The door to the car opened quickly and Agent McCombe stuck her
head in. “Agents, follow me. The doorman will bring your bags up.” She took us
up the elevator and escorted us to our fourth floor rooms. She kept a solemn
demeanor the whole way, and I felt certain Drew would not be successful in his
personal mission.

Agent McCombe stopped right in front of Drew’s door. “I
recommend you take a short nap and then try to stay awake until tonight. The
quicker you adjust to the time change the quicker you can achieve your mission.
There is a card on the table inside your room with my agency’s contact
information. I will check in with you in twenty-four hours if I don’t hear from
you before then.”

“Thank you, Agent McCombe. We appreciate your hospitality.” Drew
stuck out his hand and she shook it. He smiled deeply, and I swore I saw a hint
of a smile behind her sober face.

Maybe I was wrong. Could he crack this girl?

“Yes, thank you.” They were still holding each other’s hands and
gaze.

I cleared my throat after a few seconds. “We’ll be in touch,
right, Drew?”

“Ah, right…yes. We will certainly be in touch, Agent McCombe.”

“Farewell, agents.” Agent McCombe walked down the hall and into
the elevator, and Drew turned toward me with lights in his eyes.

“Try to get some sleep, Drew.” I patted him firmly on the back
as I opened the door to my room. Drew laughed and shook his head.

*     *
    *     *

The next morning Drew and I took a cab over to St. Patrick’s
Cathedral. We paid the tourist’s fee and entered the historic church. I was
immediately overwhelmed by the size of the enormous building. Immense arches of
stone supported a vast ceiling that must have been at least a hundred feet
tall. Handsome, polished wooden pews proudly stood atop colorful mosaic tile
floors. The grey block walls boasted bright flags and placards displaying the
bios of past church leaders.

I wandered away from Drew and read a sign indicating that the
original part of the present-day Cathedral was first built as early as 1259.

Incredible! The year 1259!

Our country is so young—only a few hundred years. There is no
standing structure in America even close to as old as this beautiful cathedral.
This place was dripping Irish history from its seams, and I suddenly felt privileged
to be standing in it.

Drew startled me when he snuck up and said my name. “Nolan, this
is Mrs. Quinn, head of the ancestry department at the cathedral.” There was a
little old lady at his side. “She’s graciously agreed to lead us to the record
room in the basement.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Quinn,” I said, noticing an annoyed look on her
face.

“I’m very busy, young lads.” Using a cane, Mrs. Quinn slowly
lead us down a broad staircase underneath the cathedral. “I’ve only a few
minutes.”

Drew buzzed in my ear. “At this rate we’ll have to leave as soon
as we get to the basement.”

I snickered as we followed the elderly-pace of Mrs. Quinn. At
the foot of the stairs stood a row of life-size stone statues depicting
Catholic saints. Each was up-lit by a dim spotlight, and they were downright
creepy gatekeepers to the crypt. The old woman said nothing as she expertly led
us through a hallway framed with four-foot columns supporting ancient brick
arches every six feet. We continued past poorly lit graves built into the walls
and massive stone tombs tucked into corners. An eerie feeling crept across my
skin as we walked by the catacombs—a very different feeling from that of
upstairs. The long hallway descended deeper and deeper underneath the
cathedral.  

At the very end of the dark hallway, Mrs. Quinn stopped at a
small wooden door bearing a sign that read,
Record Room
. She pulled a
thin blue rope out of the neckline of her shirt revealing an old key on the
end. Mrs. Quinn unlocked the door and pushed it open with a creek. A cold and
uninviting room complete with stone walls and a dirt floor lay in front of us.
A dehumidifier hummed in the corner of the room, and an ancient rectangular
wooden table sat in the middle.

“You have been granted thirty minutes. The records are to be
kept in perfect order. Use the gloves.” Mrs. Quinn pointed to a box in the
corner of the room. “I’m very sorry to leave you, but I’m just so busy.” Then
she turned and slowly retreated back down the hallway, leaving us alone with
hundreds of years of information. It was slightly odd that we were allowed to
peruse these priceless records without a chaperone. My heart leapt
slightly—somewhere in this room was very important morsels of information.
Something perhaps Myers didn’t want us to discover.