Christmas Witness Pursuit

by Lisa Harris

  Tory lowered her head. “I can’t remember.”

  “What do you mean you can’t remember?”

  “In the crash... I lost my memories. I have amnesia.”

  “Amnesia.” Max’s hand dropped to his side. “Are you kidding me?”

  She kept her eyes trained on a row of blue pipes laid out on a wooden shelf and tried to stay calm. “The memories should come back, but for now... I don’t remember that day. Don’t remember what I saw.”

  “You’re lying.”

  She was uncertain if she’d played the right card, but there was no going back now. “I’m not lying. My memories are there, I just can’t access them.”

  Max’s frown deepened. “She’s stalling, Jimmy—”

  “I’m not. It’s the truth. My memories are slowly returning, but I can’t force them. It’s going to take time.”

  “Unfortunately, time is something we don’t have.” Jimmy blew out a sharp breath. “You need to stop playing games and tell me who was there. Because if you try to protect them, someone’s going to get hurt. Starting with the deputy.”

  “She’s telling the truth.” Griffin caught her gaze. “She can’t remember.”

  Jimmy shifted his gun back to Griffin. “And I’m supposed to believe that she conveniently forgot who was with her that day? I’m not stupid.”

  Her head pounded. She had to find a way to convince them. All they needed was time for Griffin’s brothers and the others to find them. Despite the storm, they couldn’t be that far behind.

  Please God...there has to be a way out of this...

  “In the accident, I hit my head,” she said. “My memories are coming back slowly, but for the most part they’re hazy. For now, I can’t remember that day.”

  Jimmy leaned back against a stack of boxes. “Some witness you’re going to make for the prosecution. So, they will come back. When it’s...convenient for you. Like, when you’re on that witness stand?”

  “I don’t know when they’ll come back.”

  Her panic shifted between not telling them what they wanted and what would happen if she did remember and told them. More than likely, they’d kill her and Griffin either way.

  But who was the witness she was protecting? There had to be a way to remember.

  “What do you remember?” Jimmy asked.

  “The two of you killed the agents. I recognize your clothes.” She was surprised by her bold response but she was too tired to play games.

  “And before that?”

  She pressed her lips together. Her headache was getting worse. Trying to force her to remember wasn’t going to help.

  “Why do you believe there was a second witness?” she asked. “There wasn’t one in the files we saw.”

  “I was there,” Jimmy said. “I saw you and another woman on the rise above us.”

  “But you don’t know who it was.”

  “You’re catching on. And our boss—Jinx—let’s just say he doesn’t like to leave loose ends.”

  Tory tried to search her memories—the few she had—for any mention of a second witness in the FBI report, but she knew it wasn’t there. Why? According to the file, she didn’t have any living family. No parents or siblings. So that left a friend. That made sense. It was unlikely she would have gone hiking alone.

  Who was she trying to protect? And why wasn’t there any mention of it in the files?

  Unless... Griffin believed there was a leak. That leak had to be the person who’d divulged the route her escort had taken. Had the FBI feared there was a mole? Someone under the influence of Jinx in the FBI? If so, it might make sense that they’d left out information in the file to protect that person. But who?

  There was one other option. What if she’d never told the FBI about a second witness?

  “How did you know about my detail?” she asked. “Seems like if you have that kind of inside information, you’d also know who the second witness is.”

  “Jinx has his...inside sources, but even that has limits.”

  So there was a leak. Someone who, apparently, Jinx was paying to get his information. Had she made some kind of deal with the FBI, so that information had been scrubbed?

  “What do you want me to do?” she asked.

  Max leaned forward, close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek, and she fought the desire to gag. “I want you to tell me the truth.”

  “Give her some time,” Griffin interrupted. “Her memories are coming back slowly, but if you try to force her to remember, it will only make it harder. You need to give her some time.”

  Jimmy took a step back and nodded at Max. “We need to talk.”

  The men stepped into the small, adjacent room, keeping the door cracked and leaving her alone with Griffin for the first time.

  “I’m so sorry.” Anxiety grew as the reality of the situation seeped through her. “This wasn’t supposed to have happened and now—”

  “Stop.” He angled his body toward her as much as he could. “You have nothing to be sorry about. And maybe this is better. They need to know who was there with you, but once you tell them, they won’t need either of us anymore. So you’ve bought us some time.”

  “And if they’re not willing to wait? There’s no telling what they’ll do to you.” Tory glanced toward the door, trying not to hyperventilate. “We need to get out of here, because even if I do remember who was with me, I can’t tell them.”

  She kept working on undoing the binding holding her hands together behind her, but instead of loosening, they were rubbing her wrists raw. What other option did they have? The only way she could see them getting out of this was to escape. But how were they going to do that against two armed men and a storm raging in the background? Somehow they needed to find a way.

  She tried to swallow the lump in her throat but couldn’t. “They’re going to kill us, Griffin.”

  “They seem pretty desperate to find the other witness. I don’t think they’ll do anything rash, and that should be enough to give us a chance to get out of here.”

  “I want to remember and yet, if I do, I put someone else’s life in danger.” She drew in a slow breath, wishing there was an out. “How can I do that again? It would be a death sentence. The FBI agents...you...whoever the second witness is—”

  “Stop. We’re going to find a way out of this.”

  “How?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force her mind to remember. It had to have been someone she was close to. Someone she cared about and wanted to protect. Someone she had intended to ensure stayed safe. But what about Griffin? She couldn’t sacrifice his life to protect someone else.

  The picture of the agent’s face as he died in the front seat of the car surfaced again, cemented in her mind unlike all the other memories she couldn’t access. She couldn’t shake his image or his dying words.

  They’re after you.

  Go...

  And now they had her.

  * * *

  Griffin worked to undo the cord binding his hands, wishing he had answers to her questions. He was responsible for her, but somehow he’d failed to keep her safe. The rough cord dug into his skin, leaving his wrists raw, but he barely felt it. He wasn’t worried what they’d do to him. He was worried about her.

  His own memories rushed to the surface. Memories of Lilly’s face... The last time he’d seen her... And the funeral. Memories he’d tried for a decade to forget that were now propelling him to the one place he didn’t want to go. He’d told Caden that he wasn’t the one to be giving relationship advice, but if Griffin were honest, he was the one who had let the past keep him from moving forward. It hadn’t just been the reality of losing Lilly that had paralyzed him. It was the fact that he hadn’t been able to save her. And the ensuing guilt he’d never been able to get rid of.

  His gaze
shifted to Tory, helping to pull him back into the present. This might be a different situation, but he still felt responsible and needed to focus on getting them out of there. Because as much as he trusted that his brothers and the ranch hands were doing everything they could do to track them down, he knew he couldn’t wait for them. His only option was to get loose and take the men down.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah. Just formulating a plan.”

  “What do you think they’re going to do?”

  “I’m not sure they know what to do right now. You’ve thrown them for a loop in telling them you can’t remember who was there.”

  “I hope that ends up being a good thing.” She drew in a deep breath. “Can I ask you something?”

  He nodded, wishing they were talking under different circumstances. That they were sitting back at the ranch house in front of the fireplace with her head on his shoulder...

  He shoved away the thought.

  “In your job,” she began, “have you ever been afraid for your life or the lives of people you loved?”

  “Yeah...a couple times.”

  Tory caught his gaze and frowned, making him wonder if his face revealed too much. “If my question was too personal...”

  “It’s fine.”

  “I just... I know that I’m here because I was trying to protect someone, someone I cared about, and now, even though I don’t know who it is, I’m terrified they’re going to find her. And I have no idea how to stop them.”

  He watched a silent tear slide down her face and felt his heart break. She didn’t deserve to be in a situation like this. She’d tried to do the right thing and now faced losing everything.

  “Can I ask what happened when someone you loved was in danger?” she asked.

  He worked his way back to her question. “I was the mediator for a hostage situation a few months ago that involved my brother and Gabby, the woman who’s now his wife. Long story short, someone kidnapped her little girl to use her as leverage. Thankfully, they made it out safely, but it was a terrifying situation for all of us.”

  He should tell her about Lilly. She had been his real reason for becoming who he was today, but that was a story for another day. It had changed him. Made him stronger on the one hand, more vulnerable on the other.

  “That’s horrible and so personal,” she said. “I can’t imagine how you deal with life-and-death situations day after day. I admire your dedication.”

  He brushed off the compliment. “You do the same thing. Saving people. Bringing life into the world.”

  “Yes, but it’s different. Most of the time it’s a medical emergency, not someone trying to kill them. This...” She looked toward the door where the men were still talking. “I don’t know how to deal with this.”

  “If I’m honest, most of the time my work is boring stuff. Routine traffic violations and parking tickets. Dealing with a few tourists who’re being too rowdy.” He needed to shift the conversation. He kept working to loosen the cords so he could move, then he glanced at the door, thankful the men were still talking—more than likely to Jinx. “And I don’t normally get kidnapped and stuck in a room with a beautiful woman.”

  “Very funny.”

  “I was actually being serious, but as long as you think I’m funny, I have a short repertoire of jokes if you’d like to hear them.”

  He caught a hint of smile from her lips, which was exactly what he’d been going for.

  “Something tells me you’re a glass-half-full kind of guy,” she said.

  “It’s usually better than the alternative.”

  At least he sounded more positive than he felt. The men’s voices had risen and he assumed they were asking Jinx what they should do.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m not trying to make light of this.”

  He was doing what he always did. Using humor to avoid the harsh reality. What would she think if she knew the truth about him? That one of his looming failures in life had been not saving the woman he’d once loved.

  “I never thought you were,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “You said this wasn’t my fault. Well, it isn’t your fault, either.”

  He let out a low chuckle. “Maybe we need to stop blaming ourselves then, and instead find a way out of this. You’re a resourceful woman. You’ve proven that. And I know this terrain...far better than they do. If we can untie ourselves and get out of this storage shed, we’ll have a chance.”

  “Okay.” His words seemed to put determination back in her eyes. “Where would we go in this storm? The wind’s still howling, it’s probably snowing, and there’s way over a foot of snow out there. What are our options?”

  “There are snowmobiles out there and the men can’t stay awake forever.”

  He caught the look of fear in her eyes. “You’re going to try to take them down?”

  “That’s the only way out of this. There’s a chance Caden will find us, but if he doesn’t—”

  “I know, but still... How are we supposed to do that?”

  Griffin knew what she was thinking. The men were armed and he had no way to defend himself. But neither did he think that he had a choice. He might die trying, but if he did nothing, he’d probably end up dead anyway.

  “Okay, but we still need to be practical.” She inhaled a deep breath then slowly released it. “If we do make it out of here, where do we go? Neither of us is dressed for a blizzard. And these men? What if they follow us?”

  “I need you to trust me, Tory. We’ll deal with one problem at a time.”

  She nodded but he could tell by the fear in her eyes that she wasn’t convinced.

  “I spent my life here, which gives me the advantage.” He shot her a smile. “And on top of that, I’ve got a pretty good left hook.”

  “I’ve seen that, but I think you’re going to need a lot more than a left hook to take those men out.”

  He tried to downplay her comment. “I might have a few more tricks up my sleeve.”

  “Well then, it sounds as if I have nothing to worry about.”

  “I don’t want you to worry, but I am going to need you to be a part of my plan.” He could tell from her face that he hadn’t completely convinced her. He knew it wasn’t going to be without risk. The men had taken his gun out of his holster and patted him down for weapons, but they hadn’t checked everywhere.

  That was going to be their downfall.

  SEVEN

  She hated Griffin’s plan. It was far too risky, but she knew that the alternative—sitting here and playing things out on their captors’ terms—wasn’t exactly an option, either. Her loss of memory had clearly thrown them off, which might be to her advantage, but that wasn’t going to be enough. Because no matter what the men demanded from her, they weren’t going to get the answers they wanted. At least not now.

  Tory watched Griffin pull a knife out of his boot then shifted her gaze to the door in case the men decided to come back. The first step was to get loose. Then they’d worry about what happened next.

  She leaned forward. “How much longer till you’re free?”

  “A minute...maybe two. I finally got loose enough to get to the knife, but now I need to cut the rope.”

  Ten seconds later the men stepped into the room and slammed the door behind them.

  They didn’t have a few more minutes.

  Griffin pulled his hands back up where they’d been, giving no indication he had a knife. Her heart raced faster. Now they were going to have to wait. And, in the meantime, deal once again with the men who’d grabbed them.

  Jimmy shoved his cell phone into his pocket as he stepped up in front of her. “Jinx isn’t happy with your answers.”

  She stared at the man. What did he want her to say? Even if she did remember, did he really think she was just going to reveal the truth? It was a
standoff she knew she couldn’t win.

  “Did you tell anyone at the FBI who was with you that day?” Jimmy asked. “Because either you lied to them, or you made a deal to keep the second witness out of the file.”

  She met his gaze, praying he didn’t tear into Griffin again. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, you might need to think about it then, because Jinx doesn’t believe you.”

  She let out a soft gasp. “I don’t care what he believes, I’m telling the truth. I don’t remember.”

  “And you’re sure that’s what you want to tell Jinx?”

  She nodded.

  “Unfortunately, you’re going to end up regretting your decision. Since you refuse to be cooperative, there’s a new plan. Jinx is coming here.”

  “In this storm?”

  “Think about it... Jinx needs somewhere to lay low and this is the last place anyone would look because of the storm. Max here tells me that there’s a trail that comes in from the north side of the property that leads here and should be passable with snowmobiles.” Jimmy glanced at the door. “And it’s as good a place as any to hole up till this crazy storm passes. Our tracks are long covered up and they’d never think of looking for us here, right under their noses. They’re going to expect him to get as far away as possible.”

  Tory tried to keep her expression neutral but was sure she was failing. She was terrified.

  “In the meantime...” he said. “You better hope and pray your memory comes back. Because when he arrives, he’s going to expect an answer. And if you don’t give him one...your friend will die.”

  “No—”

  “This isn’t a game. If I were you, I’d think about cooperating, and the sooner, the better.”

  And if she still couldn’t remember? She might have bought them some time, but was it going to be enough? She had no idea how long it would take for Jinx to show up. She glanced at Griffin. One thing was clear. They had no choice now. They needed to get out before Jinx arrived. Unfortunately it looked like Jimmy and Max were prepared to wait it out.

  The men settled in the corner of the room at an old table, drinking coffee out of a thermos and playing cards. Her back ached and her wrists felt raw from being tied behind her, but as much as she worked at the cords, she couldn’t get them loose. Even if Griffin did manage to undo his bindings, she was worried about him. If he had any broken ribs from the beating he’d taken, their escape was going to be more complicated.