One had a buzz-cut, his inky-black hair like stubble on the top of his head. He extended his hand, his gaze a vivid green. “The name’s Gene Gilchrist. My pilot and partner is Haden Gunnar. You can call him Gunnar.”
Her hand shook as she took his. “I’d like to say it’s nice to meet you both.” Even though this was what she wanted, it completely tore her world apart. Her life from this moment would never be the same.
Gunnar dipped his navy cap low on his head, a few locks of blond peeking from underneath. “Re-identification is never an easy alternative.” He motioned toward the chopper. “In the back seat is a sealed bag containing your prerequisite clothing. You’ll need to remove every item you’re wearing and store it in the bag after changing. Take as long as you need.”
This was real. This was happening now.
She teetered forward, pushing her legs toward the chopper. Gunnar opened the cab’s back door and helped her in. “The glass is darkened. We’ll wait outside.”
“Okay.” The clear sealed bag seemed to pulse with a life of its own. With numb fingers, she withdrew a black t-shirt, black drawstring pants, underwear and a black cap. All were cotton, all nondescript.
She changed and folded up her bikini then placed it in the bag. Bringing Tyler’s white shirt to her nose, she drew in a deep breath, wishing she could keep at least this one thing of his. Goodness, he never let her wear a swimsuit without one of his shirts as a cover-up.
Her tears dripped onto the fabric. She was strong. She could do this. She shoved it into the bag.
Once out of the chopper, she handed the bag to Gilchrist who did a quick check and passed it to Brigs. “Dispose of these and the rest of her possessions in a timely manner. We’ll provide all she needs, and once we’re airborne, I’ll send a message to Hammers informing him the handover is done.”
Her chest pounded. She wouldn’t get another chance to speak to Saria and her family, even Ben. Certainly not Tyler. This was it.
Brigs engulfed her in his arms. “I’ll let them know you wished for more. All of them.”
“Tell Saria I love her. Tell my family too. Tell–”
The pain of losing Tyler ripped her heart in two. She wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Tell Tyler I want him to be happy, and no matter where I am in the world, I’ll always have him close.”
She backed up then clambered into the rear as Gunnar took the front seat and negotiated the controls. He pointed to a set of headgear on the hook in front of her. She grasped the earmuffs and stuffed them on.
Out the window, Brigs jogged back to the others. Luke raised a hand to her, and Dylan kicked at the sand underfoot. Nico was in Liam’s arms, his head burrowed into his father’s shoulder, his back bumping up and down. Liam scowled.
As the chopper lifted higher, she craned her head back until they became specks in the distance.
“Did you catch that?”
“What?” She jumped as Gilchrist spoke through the headset.
“I’ll begin again. I understand this is difficult.” He nodded. “We have a private jet waiting to dispatch at Nadi airport. In the black pouch at the base of your seat is your new birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, credit card and bank account details. There’s a folder with other relevant information. Take this flight time to become familiar with your new identity, and your history. Any questions so far?”
“No.” Wringing her hands together, she tried to restore some feeling to her fingers. Too cold.
Gilchrist reached across and squeezed her hands. “It’s all right. It’s quite normal to go into shock. The black pouch is at the base of your seat. When you’re ready, take a look through it. You’ll see I’m your primary handler, and my details are in your pack. To begin with, employment and a new family member are provided within the environment Gunnar and I’ll take you to. That family member will be Mr. Ronson Brown, retired ex-Force. You are now his niece, Miss Jenna Winton.”
“Jenna Winton.” She forced her new name from her lips then stared out the window. On one side, the bush was thick and green, and on the other, the ocean was a deep crystalline blue and touched with the foam of white caps. No Tyler though. Not anywhere.
“Jenna, you should be aware that due to the circumstances of your open case, we’re relocating you to Mr. Brown’s high country station in Marlborough. His homestead will be your base, but not your confined lodgings. You will have the freedom of movement, provided you abide by the rules and regulations of the re-identification program, of which all points are fully outlined in your manual. Please be aware that with the remoteness of the station, Ronson has provided both employment and accommodations, and you should allow two to four weeks for initial settlement.”
“Marlborough? Hold on. I’ll be in the South Island of New Zealand?” Her heartbeat raced. They could have sent her anywhere in the world, but she would still be on home soil? Really? She scrambled to work out how many hours of travel Marlborough was from Saria in Auckland. It was still some distance since the Cook Strait flowed between the two islands, although less than a day’s travel by road, even with the ferry crossing involved. Auckland was where Tyler would be too. So close, yet so far away.
“That’s right, and Ronson is a man you can trust. So should you need to, you can converse with him as necessary. As ex-Force, he can reach me at any time.”
“Okay.” She searched out the window, not wanting to miss the resort where Tyler should be as they flew overhead.
“You’ll be his housekeeper and cook.”
“Right.” She could do that. “Are there any children?” She desperately hoped so. Children would help her settle.
“There’s a station manager who lives on the property and he and his wife have two small children, but you’re not responsible for them. There’re also three eighteen-year-old boys who live on site in the staff barracks, but your duties again don’t extend to them. As Ronson’s niece, you’ll live at the homestead, one which he’s confirmed as a safe environment. You’ll do well.” He inclined his head toward her pack. “Open it. Try and make a start.”
“What of Saria? Is she still with Ben?” She unzipped the pack and gripped the pages within.
“Of course. We’re aware she wishes to go through re-identification as you have, but not until she sits her finals. We’re happy to allow for this, and until then, Ben Hammers will guard her. Ben will continue his investigation into the newspaper leak and follow through on any other subsequent links. I’ll take over your case from this point, but he’ll remain on the issues he began with. He and I will work together to ensure a smooth transition for both you and your sister.”
“Where will she go?”
“I can’t disclose that information, only I can and will keep you apprised of her well-being as necessary. Why don’t you familiarize yourself with your pack’s information. This is a short flight to the mainland, and you should be prepared before we get there.”
Again, she searched the island. There it was. The resort. She gripped her seat, but it was so far below, the people mere dots along the beach. Indistinguishable.
Closing her eyes, she stored the sight.
* * * *
At the resort’s reception, Tyler signed for his long-awaited package. He raced past the indoor shops along the central walkway and to the beach. He had to get back. He’d already been gone too long.
He pulled his sunglasses from his top pocket and slid them on as he made the wharf. Within minutes, he’d powered away, his journey as swift as he could manage, except the cove’s beach was deserted as he rounded the corner. Why? Everyone should still be there.
He sped toward the ship, pulled up to the side, roped the inflatable at the rear then climbed on board. In the lounge, Liam fidgeted on one of the couches while Nico cuddled into him. Luke rubbed Nico’s back, and Dylan stood staring out the windows.
Brigs rose from a corner chair and raked a hand through his hair. “I’ve got bad news.”
“Where is she?” Tyler’s heartbeat thumped. He stepped toward Brigs, his fists clenched. She was gone. The knowledge raced like a firestorm through his blood.
Nico lifted his head and with reddened eyes cried, “Bad men. They took her.”
His nephew’s distress clawed at his gut, and he swung back to Brigs. “I was only gone a damn hour.”
“Not bad men, but the extraction team.” Brigs gritted his teeth. “You knew this would happen.”
His heart dislodged, and the package in his hands fell and landed with a thunk on the ground. “She’s alone, without me.” And he had no way in hell of finding her.
“It was fast, but you know she chose this.” Brigs held out a plastic bag containing her purple bikini and his white t-shirt.
He stared at it, his vision blurring, his mind shredding as every molecule in his body aggressively resisted the truth. He grabbed for air, his stomach heaving as a tidal wave of emotion rushed through him.
His mind filled with images, his blood on Lydia’s hands as she clung to him, and another of bark on the trunk of an oak tree. It scraped into his hands as he gripped it. His back throbbed with each breath he dragged in. So much pain, and Lydia and Jay screaming from where he had them squished between him and the tree. He had to keep them safe.
He bundled her closer. “Shh, Brigs will come.”
From across Lawntree’s yard, Brigs shouted. Help was on the way.
His legs buckled and he fell to his knees. He dragged Lydia and Jay with him, and as he did, a man in camouflage gear slid over the high wooden-slatted fence and slunk away.
The threat to Lydia was gone.
“You stay with me, Tyler.” She clasped his face, dragging his gaze back to hers. He stared into the eyes of an angel. “You’re not going to die.”
“No, not when I haven’t yet kissed you.” He wouldn’t leave her, not like this, except his eyelids drooped, the weight too heavy to hold. “I-I.” His heartbeat stuttered within his chest and the dark descended, taking her from him.
10
Fingers pried at his right eyelid. He groaned, his mind slumping about within his head, and a piercing light flickered.
“Wake up, Mr. Whitehall. Your family is here and most anxious to see you. I’m Dr. Hardeef.”
He shoved the doctor’s hand away then rubbed his jaw and found a sharp growth of stubble. Why was he in a hospital?
The doctor’s annoying voice droned on. “That’s it. Open your eyes, sir.”
Cranking his lids up, he stared at the man in the white coat, and jerked back as another beam of light hit his sensitive retinas. “Hey, I’m not blind.”
“Uncle Tyler.” His nephew scaled his metal-railed bed and bounced onto his chest.
“Oomph.” Rolling onto his side, he slid Nico to the stiff hospital mattress, holding him close. Why were Nico’s eyes all red and blotchy?
“We’ve been trying to wake you for a whole day.” Nico clung to him.
“Um, maybe I was really tired.” He frowned. No, that didn’t sound right.
“You’re in so much trouble with Daddy.”
“He’s in more than just trouble.” Liam cut a path across the room, Dylan, Luke and Brigs storming in behind him.
The dark-skinned doctor backed away. “I’ll return on my next round. It appears your family would like a word.”
“Did someone slug me?” Tyler glanced upward as an oscillating fan pushed humid air down on him. “What am I doing here?”
“The answer starts and ends with one person.” Brigs’s jaw worked from side to side as he edged in front. “Do you remember why I came?”
“No.”
Brigs planted his hands flat on his mattress. “You will be peeved at me if you don’t remember. What’s the last thing you recall?”
“Ah, weren’t we at the cove?” There’d been a white sandy beach and Nico collecting shells with…
Brigs clicked his fingers in front of his face. “Come on. Get with the program.” He turned and motioned to Luke. “Give Tyler the clothing.”
Luke dumped a bundle in his hands. It was his white t-shirt, and…was that a purple bikini? “Yeah, thanks, but I prefer shorts.” Still, he stared at the bikini, fingering the shiny fabric. “Is this supposed to mean something to me?”
“Okay, enough with the fooling around. Tell me who last wore this clothing, and make it snappy.”
Examining the clothing, he brought the t-shirt to his nose and inhaled. Ah, the scent of the sea and the sand, and yes, just beneath was the trace of a woman’s perfume. Damn, it smelt good. Like the sweetest white roses. Every cell in his body stirred to life.
He wanted, and with his senses on overload, he scrutinized his brothers. “Who the hell’s worn my shirt?”
* * * *
“Jenna, is Colt back?” Nine days in at Ronson Brown’s high country station and Lydia was just getting used to Ronson calling her new name.
She climbed the four raggedy steps to the wide wraparound porch of the homestead and dropped into the creaky wooden chair next to his. Flapping her Stetson in front of her face, she tried to cool down from her long walk. “I didn’t see him at the feed sheds.”
Ronson kicked his feet up on a wooden crate and rocked his chair back on its hind legs. Her new uncle might be ex-Force, but he was a young fifty-five, with only a sprinkling of gray at the sides of his dark hair.
“What did Marianne say?”
Colt’s wife, the other half of the Australian couple who oversaw Ronson’s station, Marianne, was so sweet. “After she cleaned up the boys, she said she’d radio him.” The boys were wee Ethan and Eli, Marianne and Colt’s adorable four-year-old twins. Those two scamps had stained their clothes and hands green sliding down the hill. Boy, Nico would’ve loved to have joined them in their fun. No. That couldn’t happen. Her heart pulsed with pain.
Turning, she looked out over the rolling green hills that sloped down toward the beautiful Awatere Valley and the deep blue waters of the winding river nestled below. Nico’s fifth birthday would come in a few days, which returned her thoughts with haunting force to Tyler. Her gut churned with how much she missed them all, Tyler’s family and hers.
She sat forward and her glasses slid to the tip of her nose. “Ronson, these glasses truly suck.” She shoved them back again.
He clasped his hands behind his head and stretched out even further. “The key for the truck is hanging in the mudroom on the hook by the door. Go and get them adjusted. You don’t have to ask permission.”
“I know. It’s hard to get used to though.” She surely loved heading into town. The hour-long drive and the freedom of traveling through the countryside eased the hurt in her heart. Ronson understood. “I’ll go tomorrow. The shops will be closing soon and I won’t get there in time if I leave now.”
Blenheim, a town of thirty-thousand, sat at the top of the South Island. Perfectly remote, yet it still thrived with community.
“What am I cooking my favorite uncle for dinner?” She scuffed the soles of her leather boots against the dusty wooden deck.
He let out a chuckle. “Well, Jenna, until we can get you past burning everything, it all tastes the same. It’s like you have no sense of smell.”
“Usually I do.” Although, when she tried to cook anything, she cried. When she cried, her nose stuffed up and she couldn’t smell. “Saria loves to cook, and I love to eat what she makes. Cooking reminds me of all the times we shared.”
“Jenna.” Ronson’s tone was soft. “Thoughts of your sister are good. Enjoy them, but don’t get lost within them.”
“I can’t help it.”
“You wanna talk? You know I have big ears. I understand you miss your sister and your family, just don’t bottle it in.”
She sucked in a breath. Ronson had a way of getting straight to the point. “I’ve spent months on end away from my family in the past, but never more than a few weeks from Saria. Usually I only have to pick up the phone and hear her–” Her heart ached with
a depth that could barely be explained. “Then there’s Tyler. He’s gone from me in a way that feels like death.”
“He’s not dead.” The crinkles around his eyes deepened as he frowned.
“I know, and Saria will always be my sister, but Tyler, well, he’ll…move on.”
“You love him?”
“I wish I could say no. It would make my life easier.”
“Jenna, give yourself a break. Gilchrist said he’s hard at work on your case. Keep the faith that one day Johnny Taita’s killer will be found.”
“It’s been thirteen months. That’s why I chose this.”
“No. You chose this to protect your sister and the man you just told me you loved.” He gently rubbed her arm. “One of the reasons I offered to provide sanctuary for you was because I took one look at your file and couldn’t say no. I’ve told you Drake’s story. He’s six months out of juvie and doing incredibly well. We’re a family here, and you’re now our newest member. We look after our own.”
She held onto his words, taking them deep into her heart. She could do this, still, no matter her new family on this station, her thoughts returned to Tyler. Always to him.
* * * *
Tyler’s family had gawked, their expressions shattered as he’d stroked the purple bikini and white t-shirt bundled in his hands. Then all hell had broken loose as a razz of broken images flooded his mind from before he’d blacked out. He recalled his time on board The Idle Dream with Lydia, but more than that, the specific moment of the shooting a year past, small shards where he’d held onto Lydia and Jay before he’d slumped to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Hell, he remembered the shooting. Nothing more of the ten days he’d guarded her, but at least that fateful moment was back in his mind.
He’d told Brigs, and within minutes, he’d seen to his release. They’d boarded the ship and cut their holiday short, and returned across the Pacific to Auckland.
Nine days had passed, and he paced the confines of Ben’s downtown city office. His need for Lydia stretched every nerve in his body to breaking point. He wrenched at the neck of his white button-down shirt. “I can’t stand this.”
Witness Pursuit Page 9
