by Kim McMahill
Morgan tried to unroll herself from the constricting blanket, but soon bumped into a cardboard box. Despite the aches and pains emanating throughout her body, she bounced her body back toward her starting place, trying not to rewrap herself in the blanket, which would negate any progress. She unrolled herself again and repeated the process until she was free from the blanket.
Her body throbbed nearly everywhere, but being free of the wrap felt liberating. She wasn’t sure what to do next. She didn’t know if the driver of the vehicle was working with the woman who abducted her, or if he or she would be surprised to find her in his or her truck.
Morgan wasn’t sure how long she lay there in the dark when the truck finally slowed. She listened to the loud staccato noise of its Jake brake, and eventually, the rig came to a stop. It was now or never. When the truck got back on the road, the driver would not be able to hear her.
She scooted around until her back was braced solidly against a large cardboard box. Once the truck motor silenced and she heard the door slam shut, Morgan kicked at the back door with all her might.
After several moments, she heard the lock and then the latch being opened. Light flooded the interior, blinding her. As her eyes adjusted, she found herself staring into the startled eyes of a man in a faded t-shirt.
The man grabbed her feet and pulled her out of the truck. Setting her on the ground and propping her up against the rig, he ripped the tape off her mouth. Morgan gasped for breath, unable to speak, her throat dry and hoarse.
Fishing a pocketknife out of his front pocket, the man sawed through the tough plastic binding at her ankles and then freed her hands. “Are you okay, lady?”
Morgan nodded, still struggling to fill her lungs. “Phone?”
The man left her standing as he disappeared for a moment and then returned with a cell phone he had retrieved from the cab of his truck.
Her eyes filled with tears as she punched in Nick’s number. “Nick?”
“Morgan, where are you?”
“Where am I?” she asked the stunned trucker. The man quickly explained where they were. “I’m at a truck stop about seventy miles south of Phoenix on I-10. I woke up bound and gagged in the back of a semi-trailer. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when this truck driver opened the door and it wasn’t that horrible woman who forced me from the hospital.”
“Are you okay? Do you know where she went?”
“I’ll live, and I don’t know where she went or when she transferred me to the truck. All I know is that I need you now. How soon can you be here?”
“I’m on my way. Put the trucker on.”
Morgan listened as the man gave Nick his name and told him which exit to take. The conversation was short, but it gave Morgan a minute to get her bearings.
“The FBI guy said to take you inside and get you something to eat and drink and wait with you until he arrives.”
“Thank you. Please call me Morgan.”
“Fred,” the man said as he extended his hand.
Morgan took it and winced in pain.
“Sorry. Wait here a minute, we need to get you cleaned up before we go into the diner. Looking like that, I’ll probably get arrested or beat up for mistreating a woman.”
“That bad?”
“Just wait.” Fred returned from the cab with what Morgan assumed was his shaving kit, a bottle of water, and a roll of paper towels. He set the items on the open end of the truck and dug a small mirror out of the shaving kit.
She took the mirror and looked at her face. “Well, that explains why I feel like I’ve been in a wreck or on the losing end of a boxing match.” Morgan took a long drink from the bottle before she poured some water onto a paper towel. The amount of pressure needed to remove the dried blood hurt, but she was still relieved to be rid of it. By the time she was finished, Fred had retrieved a pair of sunglasses. She put them on and looked in the mirror again. She had a few scratches, but most of the black eye was hidden behind the dark glasses.
“Ready to go get something to eat?”
“Sure, thank you.” Morgan took a step and her knees buckled. She grabbed the truck to keep from falling.
“Here, let me help you,” Fred said as he put a strong, beefy arm around her waist.
By the time they reached the diner, Morgan felt strength return to her legs. Fred removed his arm and opened the door for her. She made her way to an empty table in the corner where she could keep her back to the other patrons and an eye on the parking lot.
She listened as Fred ordered for her, not caring what she ate but desperately needing more water. She looked up at him once the waitress left and could see true concern in his eyes. The sentiment from the rough trucker touched her, and she felt bad about dragging a stranger into her mess.
“Can you tell me what happened after some woman took you from a hospital?”
“I have no idea how I got into your truck or where I was put on board, if that’s what you want to know. I remember blacking out and then waking up in your trailer some time before you pulled over.”
“Is that guy you called really FBI or do we need to call 911?”
“He is, and he’s my husband.”
Morgan wasn’t entirely sure why she lied. Maybe she wanted Nick to be her husband again, but mostly, she wanted to ease the lines of worry in the kind trucker’s face.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
Devyn wanted to go with Nick to pick up Morgan, but she could sense this was something he needed to do alone. Besides, she didn’t know if he was mad and blaming her for Morgan’s abduction. It was her fault. There was no denying it.
She had also promised Tanner she’d help him scale down the building-to-building search and finish going through the security footage at the hospital. She needed to check in with the crime scene investigation unit to see if they found anything interesting in Aaron’s hospital room, continue the search for Candace, and call Conroy and give him a briefing.
“How are you holding up?” Tanner asked as he and Devyn drove back to the hospital.
“Now that Morgan has been found alive, the adrenaline is subsiding and the pain is returning in spades,” Devyn replied. “And I don’t know if Nick will forgive me for letting Morgan out of the house.”
“Maybe we can get the hospital to give you something for the pain. As far as Nick is concerned, normally, he’s a forgiving guy, but this is Morgan we’re talking about here, so your guess is as good as mine.”
“I’m already on so many pain meds that it’s probably a good thing you’re driving, not me. In fact, I wouldn’t hold it against you if you wanted to confiscate my gun until morning.”
Bob chuckled. Devyn had a reputation of bulldozing her way through assignments, poaching on other agent’s territory, and telling other agents just what she thought of their abilities. But she also had a track record of getting the job done, which was probably what bothered most of the male agents the most. That, along with the fact that she wouldn’t give any of them the time of day on a personal level, hadn’t endeared her to her colleagues. If she dated, she had kept it out of the office.
“Glad you’re enjoying my misery,” Devyn mumbled as she leaned her head back against the rest and closed her eyes.
“Not at all. Actually you’ve taken all the fun out of tormenting you.”
“Sorry to ruin the party.”
“So, is Nick tougher than most or are you mellowing in your old age? You’ve only told me a couple times in the past twenty-four hours how to do my job.”
“If I didn’t feel so darn old right now, I’d punch you for that comment. Honestly, though, probably a little of both. Conroy said if I run Nick off I’m relegated to solo desk duty.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?”
“Devyn mellowing? Never thought I’d see that day. Could there possibly be a man in your life?”
Devyn opened one eye and focused it on Bob. “You just earned a rain check on that punch, and if you heard that from Nick, he
gets one too.”
Bob smiled and shook his head. She’d practically admitted she had a man in her life. No one they’d ever worked with was going to believe him, and he had every intention of telling them all at the first opportunity he got.
“What are you smiling about?”
“A man in Devyn’s life—I would have been less floored if you would have told me you were from another planet.”
Devyn ignored the comment and closed her eye. She didn’t even waste her time begging him to keep his assumption to himself. There was no faster way to spread personal gossip than to let Bob Tanner know. She wondered if word would get back to the office before she did.
Gage, you better not be stringing me along, or I’m going to look like a real fool.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
Nick kept the speedometer pegged at eighty-five all the way. He hoped he didn’t encounter any highway patrol because he didn’t have the patience to stop and explain. All he wanted to do was get to Morgan and verify for himself that she was okay. She didn’t sound good on the phone.
He took the exit as fast as he dared and swung the rental car into the parking lot of the truck stop in front of the diner. He slammed the car into park and bolted out the door. He strode into the diner, his eyes scanning the place.
A trucker at the corner table looked up as he entered. Their eyes met, and he knew by the serious expression and concern on the man’s face that this was Fred Simms. The woman with her back to him had to be Morgan.
The trucker nodded to the woman and she rose slowly from her chair, turning to face him. She smiled, and his heart clenched. Nick closed the distance and pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him in return and held on tight.
“Thank God, you’re okay,” he whispered into her ear. “I couldn’t have survived if anything had happened to you.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m way behind schedule.”
“Thanks for everything,” Nick said as he extended his hand to Fred. “We won’t keep you any longer.”
Fred shook Nick’s hand but hesitated. Nick pulled out his wallet, thinking Fred expected something for his trouble, and for being put behind schedule for delivering his load.
“No money,” Fred stated as he realized Nick’s intent. “After everything this lady has been through, I’d just feel better leaving her here with you if you could, um, prove you’re really FBI.”
Nick smiled and showed the trucker his badge.
Fred studied it for a minute. “Best of luck to you, Morgan. And you, Agent Melonis, need to take better care of this woman.”
The comment struck Nick hard in the gut. The realization that Morgan had been in the grasp of a killer terrified him. Nick slid the glasses off of Morgan’s face and ran a finger gently down her cheek. “How could anyone do this to you? Why?”
“When I accused Candace of killing Aaron, she didn’t react like I had expected. I saw pain in her expression, right before she caused me a great deal of physical pain.”
If Morgan was correct, there was a connection. Even though Aaron was dead, maybe that connection could lead him and Devyn to Candace.
He pushed the case and the woman from his mind and focused on Morgan. “Do we need to get you to a hospital? Where do you hurt?”
“Most of the pain is in my jaw and eye. My wrists are raw, and I have a few body aches and pains from where I hit the concrete, but I’ll be fine.”
Nick’s eyes gazed down at her. His lips descended to hers. Her immediate response and passion fueled his sense of urgency and desperation to make up for lost time. He hoped she could feel the love he held for her and never lost, and he didn’t care if everyone in the diner watched.
“I was so scared,” he whispered in her ear when the kiss finally ended.
“Let’s go home,” Morgan said as she slowly regained her senses, took his hand and led him out the door into the sunshine.
On the way back to Phoenix, Nick explained what they knew about Candace Rogers, a.k.a. Janice Green. He could tell Morgan was a little shaken to learn that she had been at the mercy of this deadly woman. For some reason, Candace had chosen to spare her life and he was grateful, but he was even more committed than ever to bringing Coterie’s members to justice.
“I realize this isn’t the best time to bring this up,” Morgan said, “but I’ve been given another chance at life and I want you to know how I feel before I chicken out. When you don’t know if you’ll live to see another sunrise, a person tends to really look at their life and reassess their priorities. I don’t want any regrets.”
“I know,” Nick said as he reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m tired of regrets.”
Morgan smiled. “It’s not just what happened today. I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching ever since I moved here. I thought about what’s truly important in life, and had already begun readjusting my priorities.”
“And where in your list of priorities do I fall?”
“Solely and firmly at the top. I don’t know what I was thinking. I had this inexplicable drive to succeed. I wanted to make my family proud. I finally realized that except for a few aunts, uncles, and cousins, you were my only family, and I pushed you away.”
“I should have pushed back even harder. You’ve always been worth fighting for. I was just too proud to show you.”
“So does this mean you’ll give us another chance?”
“I’ll turn in my resignation right now if we can try,” Nick stated as he pulled out his phone.
Morgan smiled, her eyes brimming with tears. “No, this time we try things your way. I wanted everything my way and look where it got us—two miserable, lonely people full of regrets. I never stopped loving you, Nick.”
The cell phone, still in Nick’s hand, vibrated. “Sorry, I gotta get this.”
“I know.” Morgan smiled.
“Devyn, this better be important.”
Nick listened as Devyn explained that the highway patrol had found Morgan’s abandoned car, and they had no idea where Candace had gone from there. They would keep looking, but didn’t sound too optimistic.
“I can’t believe she slipped through our fingers again. We definitely know a lot more about Coterie than we did a week ago, learned the truth about Dexter Fowler’s death, and ferreted out that weasel of a mole in Sacramento, thanks to Morgan calling her ex, but we’re no closer to bringing this sick group down,” Devyn ranted.
Nick heard and shared Devyn’s frustration. They had to figure out who Candace Rogers and Coterie really were before they struck again, but how? Five, possibly more, horrific crimes had been committed in scattered areas across the country, with only a fine thread connecting them all.
He and Devyn had been looking at pharmaceutical and nutritional research and development companies until Morgan called. Now, it seemed like any industry with a tenuous link to weight loss or even health and fitness could be involved or the next target.
“What’s your plan? I imagine Bob and the Phoenix field office want us to get out of their backyard and let them do their jobs.”
“If you’d bring my bag from Morgan’s guest room, I’ll catch a flight out tonight. Bob doesn’t need anything else from us, and eagerly offered to help me make flight arrangements and drive me to the airport. We’ve struck a bit of a truce. I think he feels sorry for me, and I don’t want to blow it by overstaying my welcome. I’ll deny this if you bring it up at work, but I’m getting too old for this. I hurt in places I didn’t know possible. I probably do need to see another doctor and I’d rather see my own. Besides, I hate to push my luck with Conroy. He’s losing his patience with me always stepping on jurisdictional toes.”
“Will do. Take care of those injuries and I’ll see you in a few days as soon as I tie up a few things here.”
“With Agent Bob or Morgan?”
“Both.”
“Well, tell Morgan thanks for the hospitality and the wardrobe loan. I’ll return everything or pay her back. And do
n’t be a schmuck. Bury your pride and do whatever it takes to get her back. I’m tired of watching you pretend to be interested in women at work when clearly you were still pining away for her.”
“I’ll take that advice since you’re such an expert on relationships.”
“Very funny. I’d laugh but my ribs hurt too much. Goodbye.”
Nick ended the call and stowed the phone in his pocket. He reached over and took Morgan’s hand. “Where do we go from here?”
“While you tie things up with Agent Tanner, I’ll get a hold of my realtor and list my duplex and pack enough things to get by in Salt Lake until we can make a trip back for the rest. We can’t make this work long distance, and I don’t want to be without you ever again. Besides, I’m unemployed at the moment anyway.”
Nick couldn’t believe the change in Morgan. It was everything he dreamed of, but more than he ever expected. “Are you sure? Salt Lake isn’t as big of a city as you’re used to. I’m sure you can find a job, but I doubt it will pay what you’re accustomed to earning.”
“I’ve never been surer about anything in my life. Our relationship is my number one priority. I haven’t decided if I’ll ever go back to work. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to paint.”
“I didn’t know you painted.”
“It was just another one of those things I loved when I was younger that I gave up because it wasn’t practical, didn’t fit into the family tradition of business success.”
“What about the place in Sedona?”
“I hope you’ll want to keep it so we can build our own family memories there.” Morgan leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I hope I didn’t hit you with too much too fast, but I don’t want to squander our second chance or waste any more time apart,” she whispered in his ear.
“Nor do I,” Nick replied as he exited the interstate, anxious to get home and show Morgan just how much he missed her.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
