Covert Christmas

by Hope White

  Bree’s beautiful green eyes stared at him. She wore a confused and desperate frown.

  “Bree?” he said.

  The siren grew louder, the sound making his eyes water with pain. Then Breanna blinked twice and her eyes stayed open with the blank stare of a corpse.

  “No!”

  * * *

  Scott sat up, gasping for breath. Searching his surroundings, he struggled to figure out where he was and what just happened. He was damp with sweat and his head pounded. That’s when he realized the phone was ringing on the nightstand beside his bed.

  Sitting up, he grabbed the receiver. “Yeah?”

  “Amnesia? Really?” his ex-partner said.

  “Joe?”

  “I spoke with the Echo Mountain police chief. So, you’re working an undercover gig? For who? I thought you were off the payroll.”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I get it. Need to know stuff. It’s cool. I’ll stop by your sister’s this afternoon.”

  “Thanks man, thanks,” Scott said with as much gratitude as he could muster.

  “You think her accident is related to what you’re working on out there?”

  “It’s possible, I’m not sure. My head’s still foggy from the assault, and then some guy came after me this morning and whacked me pretty hard.”

  “Good thing you’ve got a head like a rock.”

  “Yeah.”

  “About before, that stuff I said about abandoning the job—”

  “It’s fine,” Scott interrupted, because he wasn’t so sure he hadn’t done just that. Scott was confused about some things, but he didn’t think his current investigation was part of an undercover assignment.

  “Gotta run,” Joe said.

  “Thanks for calling, Joey.”

  “Yep.”

  Scott hung up and stretched out his neck. The headache wasn’t as bad as it was earlier thanks to Bree stroking his head with a cool cloth.

  Bree. The nightmare.

  Panic clenched his gut. He glanced around the room and spotted a note on his laptop. A room service cart was positioned next to the table.

  He wondered where she’d gone, but he had no right to expect her to stay close, to continue sitting beside him and stroking his forehead, humming “Silent Night.” Yet anxiety tangled his insides whenever she was gone.

  He had to figure out how to stop that; stop being so dependent on this woman.

  He went to the table and read the note. She was helping an employee with Christmas lights and would be back shortly. Scott downed a few aspirin that she’d left for him. Curious, he took the metal cover off the room service plate to reveal a turkey sandwich. He checked the other one, as well, also turkey. So, she’d left without eating?

  The phone rang again. He went to answer it, hoping it was Bree. “I have to let go of this,” he muttered, then ripped the phone off the cradle. “Hello?”

  Silence answered him.

  “Hello?” he tried again.

  “You know what we want,” a deep voice said. “You’ve got twenty-four hours.”

  He gripped the phone. “I can’t help you. I can’t remember—”

  “Figure it out or we’ll end that pretty blonde nurse of yours.”

  Click.

  Scott had to get to Bree, warn her and protect her. But how when he didn’t even know where she’d gone? She could be stringing lights anywhere on the property.

  He called the front desk and asked to be put through to security, hoping Harvey would know her location, but his voice mail picked up.

  He grabbed his jacket and a key card off the table and rushed out.

  Heart racing, Scott sprinted to the nearest exit and shoved open the door. A cool blast of winter air shocked him fully awake. He glanced up at the gray sky: it looked like snow was about to fall.

  Scott scanned the property and noticed an employee stringing lights along a wooden fence. Jogging toward her, Scott’s eyes kept moving, seeking out Bree, hoping he’d find her safe and unharmed.

  “Good afternoon!” he called out.

  The young woman turned to him. She was in her twenties with fair skin and red hair. Her name tag read Ruby.

  “Can I help you?” Ruby asked with a smile.

  “I’m looking for Bree.”

  “She was here a minute ago. I think she went to find replacement bulbs for the ones that burned out.”

  “Where would she have gone to get replacement bulbs?”

  “Either the barn, or in the storage locker by the security office.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “Inside the south entrance.” She pointed.

  “Thanks.” Scott headed toward the building, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets, focused on finding Bree and making sure she was okay.

  She had to be okay.

  As he approached the door, Harvey came outside.

  “Hey, have you seen Bree?” Scott asked.

  “Not since yesterday, why?”

  The sound of a woman’s scream echoed across the property.

  ELEVEN

  Chills shot down Scott’s spine.

  “Help, somebody help me!” Breanna cried.

  “The barn!” Harvey said.

  Scott took off in a full-blown sprint.

  “Wait,” Harvey said.

  Scott wasn’t waiting for Harvey or anyone else. With every pump of his arms, Scott’s bullet wound ached.

  His heart ached more. He did this. He put Bree in the line of fire.

  He got to the barn and slid into the doorway. “Breanna!”

  “Up here!”

  He snapped his attention toward the second level storage area but didn’t see her. Did her attacker have her pinned up there behind the stacks of boxes ?

  Harvey came up beside him. “Where is she?”

  “Up there. Let her go!” Scott ordered.

  “I can’t let go, I’m stuck!” Bree called down to them.

  Scott and Harvey rushed to the far side of the barn and looked up. She was hanging from the ceiling by her ankle.

  “How did you—”

  “Please get me down,” she interrupted Harvey.

  Concerned, yet relieved, Scott finally took a breath. She had a mishap, an accident. No one was threatening her with a gun. They hadn’t followed through on their threat. Yet.

  Scott studied the rope attached to her leg and noticed the other end tied around a cast iron decorative fountain.

  “Come on,” he said to Harvey.

  Scott went to the fountain to untie the rope.

  “Here.” Harvey pulled out a knife.

  “No, then you won’t be able to lower her down easy,” Scott said. “By untying it we’ve got all this slack to work with.”

  “Thanks for not taking any pictures,” Bree joked.

  Scott looked up at her in question.

  “Ya’ know, to totally embarrass me on Facebook.”

  She was being awfully calm considering her position dangling upside down like a turkey ready to be plucked. Then again, maybe the lightheartedness was a cover for the fear that had to be coursing through her body.

  It must be terrifying to be strung up in such a vulnerable way. Scott couldn’t help but wonder if this was a mere accident or if it was a calculated threat to drive home the caller’s message.

  Figure it out or we’ll end that pretty blonde nurse of yours.

  “Almost done,” Scott said, loosening the knot. “Harvey, grab hold of the rope and we’ll let her down easy.”

  “Try not to drop me on my head,” Bree said.

  Harvey grabbed the rope and Scott completely loosened the knot, reaching the rope, as well.

&
nbsp; “I can manage her weight,” Harvey said. “You get beneath her and cushion her landing.”

  “My landing? Oh, boy,” Bree said.

  Scott nodded at Harvey and let go. The older man had a solid grip of the rope and didn’t seem to strain against Bree’s weight. Although why would he? The petite Bree probably didn’t weight much more than a hundred pounds.

  “Okay, nice and easy.” Scott positioned himself beneath her. Keeping eye contact, he forced a gentle smile to let her know everything was going to be okay.

  She jerked down a few inches and flailed her arms. “Yikes!”

  “Sorry,” Harvey said. “It’s like driving a new car. Have to get used to the brakes.”

  As Harvey lowered her a little more, Scott could tell her eyes were watering. The pain must be worse than she let on. Or was it the fear?

  “A little faster.” Scott reached out to catch her.

  “Yep,” Harvey said.

  He lowered her in jerky movements, probably trying to balance her weight against his own, until she was only inches from Scott’s outstretched arms.

  “Catch me,” she whispered.

  “You know I will,” Scott said.

  Another jerk and Scott got a hold of her shoulders. He turned her so she was facing him and as her tethered leg lowered to the ground, he pulled her firmly against his chest.

  “Okay, I got her,” Scott said.

  Harvey released the rope. Scott slid his good arm beneath her knees and scooped her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder.

  “Go ahead and cut the rope off her ankle,” Scott said.

  “Yep.” Harvey cut the rope.

  With a shudder, Bree leaned back and looked into Scott’s eyes. A part of him never wanted to let her go.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Scott kneeled and lowered her onto an overturned crate. “Tell me what happened.” He didn’t let go of her hand.

  “I was looking for replacement lightbulbs, but it’s a mess back there with garland and lights scattered all over. Then I heard a scuffling sound and thought it was Ruby so I went to call out to her, tripped and went flying up to the rafters.”

  Harvey analyzed the rope he’d cut off her ankle. “Slip knot. Awfully neat, as if...” he glanced at Scott.

  “Someone intended to string her up.”

  “Why would anyone...” She paused. “Oh.”

  “This was intentional? To harm Breanna?” Harvey said in a worried tone.

  “Could be.” Scott pulled his hand away from Bree’s and stood. “A man called my room and said if I didn’t give them what they wanted they’d go after Bree.”

  “Then give them what they want,” Harvey snapped.

  “Harvey,” Bree said in a scolding tone.

  “What? He gives them what they want and they go away.” He nodded at Bree. “They’ll leave you alone.”

  “Problem is, I think I know what they want, but haven’t a clue where it is,” Scott said. “I’ll figure it out. Harvey, you take care of Bree.”

  “Where are you going?” Bree said, rubbing her ankle.

  “I have to leave.”

  “You mean run away?”

  “I mean leave this resort, and you, behind. That way—”

  “No.” Bree stood and wavered.

  When Scott offered his hand to steady her, she pulled away to prove she didn’t need his help.

  “It won’t matter, Scott,” she said. “They already have me on their radar. If you’re here or not here, I’m still a target.”

  “Because of me. And that drives me crazy,” he said.

  She gripped his jacket and looked up into his eyes. “Then fix it. End this thing before something even worse happens.”

  “But—”

  “They’re bullies, Scott. As long as you let them stomp all over you they’ll keep on stompin’. They’ll threaten you and terrorize you and control your life if you let them.”

  From the expression in her eyes, Scott sensed she was speaking from her heart, from personal—and painful—experience.

  “I want you to go away somewhere, for your own safety,” he said.

  “What will that prove? If they think I’m leverage over you they’ll find me. I won’t be safe until you find answers and we resolve this situation.” She let go of his jacket and stepped around him. “Did you save me anything for lunch, because I think I’ve earned a turkey sandwich.”

  He didn’t know how to respond to her casual remark. As she headed across the barn, he noticed her limping and rushed to her side.

  Bree put up her hand. “Do not pick me up.”

  “I want to help you,” Scott said.

  She looked up at him with those expressive and pleading green eyes. “Then stand up to them. Fight them with everything you’ve got.”

  * * *

  Bree thought she did a pretty good job of not letting on how terrified she was when she’d been strung up in the barn; but she guessed Scott knew the truth. She didn’t seem to be able to keep anything from him.

  Over the course of the next few hours he was attentive to her every need, from offering aspirin for her muscle pain, to heating water for her tea. He didn’t even have to ask what she needed; he did what was necessary.

  Now if he’d only puzzle through this mystery and put an end to the hidden threat stalking them from the shadows.

  At least he’d given up trying to get rid of her. Boy, that sounded pathetic, she thought, eyeing him as he studied the computer screen.

  She wasn’t leaving his side until they made some headway on this case. The whole bully thing made her crazy in ways that left her speechless. She’d spent months after her break-up analyzing her relationship with Thomas, beating herself up for not standing firm. Whenever she noticed that same bullying behavior in someone else, her anger at the injustice would practically consume her.

  That’s what these men were doing to Scott. They were threatening him, this guy who was functioning with a head injury, gunshot wound and bruised ribs. She wasn’t going to stand for it. No, sir.

  As she sipped her tea, she wondered if Harvey had told her brother about what happened in the barn. Probably not or else Aiden would have pounded on the door two hours ago. So Harvey had kept her business private. Either that, or he hadn’t run into Aiden this afternoon. Knowing Harvey, it would be a casual conversation, not a specific phone call to tattle on Bree. Harvey was cool that way.

  “Bree?” Scott said, studying her.

  “Yeah?”

  “You okay?”

  “Sure, why?”

  “You looked worried.”

  “I was wondering what my brother will do when he finds out about the barn incident.”

  “You mean, besides kick me out of his resort?” he said. “I’m surprised I haven’t received the bill under my door by now.”

  “Talk about the biggest bully of them all,” she muttered.

  He took her hand. “Aiden is not a bully. He’s a loving brother. You’re lucky to have him.”

  “I guess. Did you find anything in your files?”

  “Yes.” He released her hand and refocused on the screen. “My phone calendar was synced up to my laptop so I can see what I did the week before I came to Washington, and then once I got here. I was working security for Mr. Oppenheimer, owner of GRI, in Hawaii for a week prior to my trip. Nothing remarkable there. When I got to Washington I had an appointment with someone named C.J. the day after my plane landed.”

  “Was there a location?”

  “Healthy Eats Restaurant. I don’t remember if we actually met or not.”

  “Oh, the new organic place.”

  “I’d like to take a ride over there to see if anyone reme
mbers me.”

  “I’ve been wanting to try their soups.” She grabbed her purse and stood.

  “What about the Christmas decorations?”

  “Ruby’s got it covered.” She smiled. “Hey, let’s bring something home to reheat for dinner later so you don’t have to order room service.”

  “Sounds like a plan. But if we’re going out in public I’m going to need your help.” He motioned her toward the door.

  “With what?”

  “Your instincts. Listen to them, trust them. If something seems off or suspicious, let me know, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m not so sure my instincts are a hundred percent.”

  She paused and touched his arm. “It will come back to you, your memory, your instincts.”

  “You always sound so confident when you say stuff like that.”

  “You have to have faith.” She smiled and they left his room.

  * * *

  Bree suggested they stop at her place first to let Fiona out and throw the ball to burn off some of her pup’s energy. When they got to her cottage and opened the back door, Fiona bounded outside. Bree shoved a tennis ball in the stick launcher and offered it to Scott.

  “Whenever I’m in a bad mood this always helps,” she said. “Well, this and baking.”

  Fiona rushed him as he let the ball fly.

  “An important characteristic for rescue dogs is the high play factor,” Bree said. “And their endurance level.”

  Fiona rushed back to Scott and dropped the ball at his feet, wagging her tail.

  “This one can go on for hours, right baby girl?” Bree said.

  Scott tossed the ball again and Fiona took off. A warm smile eased across his face. The Fiona mood enhancer was working for him, too.

  Bree noted his look of abandon: he was totally lost in the moment playing with her dog. Watching Fiona chase the ball with such joy always brought a smile to Bree’s face.

  Scott glanced over his shoulder at Bree’s home. “Why aren’t your Christmas lights up?”

  “Aiden’s supposed to help but he’s been slammed at work, plus helping Mom with some house projects.”

  “I could help,” he offered, and glanced at her, then back at the dog, “if you want.”