by Mary Wine
Grace jerked and stumbled back into the wall behind her. Jacobs had her biceps hooked before she finished moving. Garrick had also responded, reaching out to steady her.
“You could have waited to mention the civilian until he wasn’t linked with me,” Grace growled and reached up to rub her forehead. “He’s pissed.”
A hard sound vibrated through the office as Devon slammed his palm into the wall. People jumped but he was aiming all of his aggression toward the office Grace and Sonya were in. Sonya jerked, sidestepping as the wave of anger hit her.
“Shit, yeah, he’s pissed.” She narrowed her eyes and a crease formed on her forehead. “I think…he’s planning on hurting anyone that gets between her and him.”
“So you’re not going near him, Grace,” Major Jacobs confirmed.
“But she’s still the best bet we have to unlocking his memory loss,” Garrick argued and tugged on Grace’s biceps.
Jacobs responded instantly, stepping forward and pushing Grace behind him. The tension level in the office suddenly shot off the scale. Even Devon felt something and pressed both hands and his forehead against the glass wall.
“Stand down,” the general ordered. “Both of you.”
Neither Garrick nor Jacobs was in the mood to obey. They took a single step away from one another, but Jacobs made sure he blocked Grace. She was back in the corner again because the alternative was to be flattened by her huge C.O.
“I understand your position, Major Jacobs, but your Operative has already been compromised. At this point, the best call is to see if she loosens Major Gennaro’s Operative’s memory.”
Grace moved around her C.O. Garrick stepped forward, earning a growl from Jason Jacobs.
“My Operative, Gennaro. So I’ll be backing her up.”
Grace hesitated at the doorway of the office. Everyone had cleared a path for her, but Devon was focused on her, even though he couldn’t see her.
It didn’t matter. They were linked. His empathic sense was stronger than her own, making it possible for him to sink into her mind. Her instinct was to block him out. It was a natural response, an urge to shield herself from being exposed.
Devon was furious and hell-bent on ripping through anything he perceived as an obstacle between him and Kalin. But the need to reach him was almost as strong as her instinct to shut him out.
Sonya reached out and caught Grace’s arm. “He’s going to explode.”
Devon needed to hit something.
The urge was building inside him, logic melting away as he felt Grace.
Felt her being held away from him. She was the only solid thing he remembered, the only thing he could grab to keep himself from drowning in a sea of uncertainty.
He slammed his hand into the wall, not really sure when his mental need manifested into a physical outburst. He was focused on the link between Grace and himself. Irritated by the distance between them and the way he couldn’t seem to recall much more than the fact that he knew who she was.
He needed to know more. Needed to understand their relationship so he could recall his own identity.
That was the key to getting back to Kalin.
And he would rip down every wall he had to.
Sonya was locked into the link with Grace. Devon felt her and instantly directed his full attention to her. She staggered back, losing her balance as Devon’s rage overwhelmed her. The general stepped up and caught her.
Slynn cussed before his knees buckled. He dropped to the floor and Sonya landed on top of him.
“Enough of this,” Grace snapped and propelled herself through the doorway. Jacobs reached out and cupped her shoulder.
“He’s pissed because he’s locked in that room while we talk about him.” She cut the link long enough to lock gazes with her C.O. “You would be too and I wouldn’t stand by while you were treated that way.”
Jacobs rarely touched her when she was linked because he would get caught up in it too. The general was fighting to make it to his knees while Sonya stared at Devon, linked with his mind and indifferent to the fact that she was sprawled on the floor. Devon was superior to them both when it came to empathy. This close, he dominated completely.
Major Jason Jacobs was no match. His pupils dilated and his hand began to close tighter and tighter on Grace’s shoulder. She twisted away, turning back to face Devon. Their gazes met in spite of the one way glass, and she felt his rage hit her full on. It was white hot and built around his desire to find Kalin. He was reaching out, determined to dig the information he wanted out of her mind. Grace shoved him back, enraging him with her ability to block him.
He slammed both hands into the glass as he tried to reestablish his hold on her. She felt the wave collide with her as the wall in front of him shattered.
Devon didn’t move but he looked down, distracted by the shower of glass covering his boots. His palms stung and he turned his hands over to inspect them. Blood was seeping out of a hundred puncture wounds.
The world around him was moving in slow motion. While his mind was engaged, the rest of time slowed down. He watched the beads of safety glass bounce across the tile floor like water drops on a hot pan. People responded, some recoiling while the guards posted in front of the door of his cubicle came around with their weapons leveled at him.
But it was Grace he wanted to find. He cut his connection with Sonya and searched for Grace. She was watching him with emerald-green eyes as her C.O. fought to stay on his feet by sagging against a doorframe. Grace relaxed her guard enough to let him connect with her mind. She didn’t let him dominate but moved toward him. The armed Rangers in front of him didn’t see her coming. She was focused on him and moved on a steady course toward him. By the time the Rangers noticed her, she was too close. They responded to what they perceived as a threat.
The man who had refused to tell Devon his name lunged forward, shielding Grace with his own body as one of the guards sent a hard swing at her head. His fellow psychic only noticed after seeing it happen through his eyes. She turned her head in time to see the man using a practiced martial arts motion to send the guard stumbling back.
Garrick Gennaro.
The name came from Grace’s mind and it sent Devon back a step. Memories surfaced from behind the gray mist, recollections of missions and times Garrick and he had been comrades. His eyes closed as the memories took precedence. It was like he could feel the dam making ready to burst. There was a trickle of memories escaping, but what he craved was a full collapse.
He wanted it to swamp him. He let down his guard, standing in submission and giving himself up to it.
It was coming, he could feel it—
The second guard tackled him before it happened, shoving him to the floor and shattering his concentration.
“Don’t touch him—” Grace’s warning came too late. She jerked back, recoiling from the shock wave of Devon being thrown to the floor. She felt the jarring impact through their linked minds, her back registering the agony before she thrust up a wall to shield herself.
Garrick yanked the guard off Devon, twisting the man’s arm until he yielded. “Don’t touch my Operative.”
“Or mine,” Jason Jacobs added.
“Thanks, Gennaro,” Devon said. He rolled over and squeezed the bridge of his nose before getting to his feet. Garrick Gennaro froze, looking at Devon.
“You remember me?”
“He started to,” Grace spoke up. “Until the link was broken.”
Devon stared at Garrick but finally shook his head. “Pieces. Only damned pieces.” He locked gazes with Grace. “Link with me again.”
Major Jason Jacobs stepped in front of Grace. She ran right into him because she was already responding to Devon’s demand. Major Gennaro slid in front of Jacobs, looking like he was ready to fight to the death. The tension was thick enough to cut.
�
�Hold it, gentlemen,” Slynn’s voice cut through. “Let’s take this down a notch.”
General Slynn sat in his office, trying not to rub his temples. “I don’t give you three enough credit.”
On the other side of his desk were his three commanding officers for his psychic units.
“Touching them pulls you into the link,” Major Jason Jacobs confirmed.
“It burns like hell,” Major Lorance added.
“What I care about is the fact that Devon was remembering while linked with Grace.”
“Grace isn’t in any condition to be in contact with Devon Ross. The man is unstable,” Jason Jacobs said, making his position clear.
“Grace Campbell has proven herself capable, Major Jacobs,” the general argued. “Devon was reaching out to her and still is. We can’t turn our back on the opportunity to return him to full capacity.”
“According to the doctor, she needs to stay pregnant for a few more weeks if you don’t want complications with her baby. Pregnant women don’t bounce well.”
The general drew himself up and considered Jason Jacobs’s warning. “Her first son is already a proven tracker like his mother, and I sure as hell won’t risk losing her. That puts us in a hell of a conflicting situation.”
“Let him return to her mountain-top home with her,” Garrick Gennaro suggested.
“Not a chance,” Jason Jacobs argued. “Devon is intent on seeking her out.”
“One of the doctors believes the only way for Devon to regain his memory is to let him follow the path he was on,” Garrick Gennaro insisted. “That means returning him to Benton.”
“And the civilian?” Lorance spoke up. “Don’t forget that part of the puzzle. According to my Operative, Devon’s rage was built on his need to recover that civilian.”
“I never knew having a KIA return to the living might prove such a mess,” General Slynn announced. “The dedication you all show is exemplary and I understand the conflict, but we need to make some effort to restore Devon Ross to full Operative status. The medical doctors haven’t any ideas, which leaves me with allowing Devon to be healed by his own kind.”
The general aimed a hard look at Jason Jacobs. “I understand this decision is going to open your compound up to risk. If it wasn’t the only option, I wouldn’t put you under such a strain.”
“Yes, sir.” Jason Jacobs’s words were clipped, but he hid his emotions behind a hard mask.
“Major Lorance, you will remove your Operative from this situation. I’ve already got two Operatives on the line.”
“And the civilian?” Garrick Gennaro asked.
“She goes too. According to Major Lorance, the civilian already has full knowledge of Devon Ross’s abilities. We’ll deal with her when we’ve done everything possible to restore Devon to full memory recollection. But make sure you keep her in your custody.”
The general knocked his fist against the surface of his desk. “I expect you both to keep a handle on your Operatives. I realize that’s a tall order, gentlemen, but you are the best at what you do.”
“Who is responsible for the civilian?” Jason Jacobs asked.
“Major Gennaro,” the general said. “For the moment, she is connected to Devon Ross. You’ll have twenty-four hours before Major Gennaro arrives.” The general sent a hard look toward Garrick. “You’ll need that time to choose a new unit.”
I need to get a grip.
Get a grip…wasn’t that why she’d gone to the mountains?
Well, she’d certainly managed to put things in perspective. What were nightmares compared to real threats?
She sat up. Her head ached but she still wasn’t able to sleep. The nameless woman had shown her to a shower and given her clean clothing as promised, but the moment she’d finished cleaning up, she’d found herself back behind a locked door.
At least the room had a narrow cot-like bed. There was even a pillow and blanket, but Kalin wasn’t finding it simple to fall asleep.
Every time she did, Devon interrupted.
She missed him. Actually noticed the lack of him inside her thoughts. She should have been relieved to have her privacy back, but instead, she ended up only half-asleep because it felt like something was off. She couldn’t relax.
So she got up and paced around the room. It was tiny and didn’t give her enough space to really work out any of her tension. The doorknob teased her with the possibility of finding something to eat, but a test of it only confirmed that she was locked in.
The only other thing in the room was a small end table. She went to it and opened the drawer.
“A Bible. Perfect.”
She stared at the black-bound book, a memory of her fallen colleagues flashing through her mind. She’d turned to her Miwok heritage to avoid anything that reminded her of the incident at the hospital.
Even avoided God.
“Guess that’s a kick to the rump from above.” She lifted the book and sat down on the cot to read.
“Where is Kalin?”
Devon didn’t let Garrick even get through the door before he fired off the demand. It wasn’t really a question, not in the tone Devon used.
“Secure.” Garrick closed the door, frustrating Devon but at the same time offering a sense of peace that he desperately needed. Devon was able to relax his guard, because if Garrick said she was secure, she was. It was a welcome relief.
“Do I work around here or what?”
Garrick faced off with him. “At the moment, it’s undecided.”
“I need to see Grace.”
“Only if you control your frustration. She’s expecting a baby and doesn’t need to have you tossing her around like a rag doll.”
Devon reined in his irritation. “My apologies.” But he slowly grinned as a memory surfaced. “I might just tell her you said that though.”
Garrick rolled his eyes. “She’s someone else’s responsibility.”
“Jacobs.”
Garrick’s eyes lit with approval.
Devon found himself unsure. It was still just another piece of information floating around inside his head. It felt like his thoughts were floating in a huge bowl of gumbo. There was a lot of stuff in there that he recognized, but it was all jumbled. He knew Garrick, maybe even trusted the man, but it was all hidden behind the gray wall holding back his memories. Only Kalin was familiar.
Still, he found himself reaching toward Garrick, seeking something familiar. What he found was resistance. The other man was on guard and trying to keep him out. Devon could press through but hesitated. Something inside him resisted the pain he’d cause the other man.
“You don’t want me in your head, so I’ll stay out,” Devon stated. “Now I want to see Kalin.”
“How did you break down the wall?”
Devon looked across the way to where a team was still cleaning up the shattered glass. A nurse had insisted on bandaging his hands but he’d peeled the gauze pads off the moment he’d been left alone.
“I don’t know.” His eyes narrowed as something surfaced. “But…Grace did something…similar.”
Garrick’s rigid posture softened. “She did.”
“But you’re not going to give me any details?”
Garrick shook his head.
Devon snorted. “You know, I’m getting the feeling you’re going to owe me a beer when I get my memory back.”
Garrick’s lips twitched. Just an instant, emotional reaction that slipped through the man’s iron control.
Devon felt something drift through his thoughts. “I hate beer?”
Garrick realized he’d let his guard down and his expression hardened.
“Is the fact that I don’t like beer really a classified piece of intel?” Devon asked, exasperated.
“Actually, yes.” But Garrick’s expression relaxed. “Personal trai
ts can be used to track and fake familiarity.”
Devon felt the change in his emotions and sank into his head. The man stiffened.
“Sorry.” Devon offered. “Kalin got pissy with me for just sifting through her thoughts too.”
“You do it a lot.” Garrick realized his slip instantly, but he looked relived for a moment before he reached for the security pad. “I’m your C.O. I run your unit.”
Devon was already following Garrick when he froze, a memory tearing through him and leaving a red-hot trail, ripping off the layer of blackness that had hidden it. The wall of emotion sucked the breath out of him, leaving him frozen in place as he relived the moment his unit had gone down.
“They’re dead.” His throat constricted.
Garrick flinched, but Devon was watching it all happen again. His pupils dilated as the memory took full command of his mind, rising up like a specter. Garrick reached out and cupped his shoulder, needing to see what had happened to his men.
“The major is going to approve my leave next.”
Devon listened to the sound of one of the Rangers boasting over the comm link. He wore a set of earphones that covered his ears completely to protect his hearing from the sound of the rotors. It was still there, a dull roar in the background. A microphone was positioned in front of his lips as he sat in the shotgun seat. On either side, he could see the other two helicopters that made up his unit. The pilot held the controls with a steady hand.
It was like any other flight. No hint of danger until something came sailing into his peripheral vision. He turned to look at it, getting only a glimpse at the missile. The helicopter on his right turned at a crazy angle before one of the rotor blades broke free. It went catapulting across the sky in front of him.
“Pull up!” he yelled at the pilot.
The man pulled back on the controls and the bird rose, nose first into the dark sky. Behind them, a fireball flashed.
“Shit!” someone yelled. The pilot angled the bird in a wide arc that would bring them back around to face the crash site. A second fireball took out the helicopter on their left.
