THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY

by Robin Perini

  Raven’s eyelids fluttered open, then her eyes widened. “Daniel.”

  He scarcely recognized the raw, hoarse voice she used.

  “Daniel, you’re here.” She clasped hold of his hand. “Don’t leave me, please. He almost killed me.”

  “I won’t,” he promised. “Not until you’re safe.” Whoever had attacked her had come too close to cracking her voice box. “I’ll be right by your side.”

  He glared at Sheriff Galloway, daring him to challenge Daniel’s vow.

  The man gave a slight nod and stepped behind the curtain.

  “Thank you. I’m sorry about before.” She closed her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here...” Her voice trailed off in sleep.

  Daniel positioned himself as best he could to watch over her until the shuddering left her and her breathing steadied into the rhythm of sleep. He eased the still-tight grip of her hand, then stalked to just beyond the curtain to where the sheriff stood checking his notes.

  Daniel crossed his arms, struggling to stay civil. “Well?”

  “No one saw him come in. From what Raven relayed to the staff, someone dressed as a doctor tried to choke her. He appeared to be acting alone. She fought back and must have hit him just right. She probably broke his nose, and he ran out. Nearly took out the doc and the crash cart.”

  “You get samples of his blood?” Daniel asked.

  “Yes, and I can send them to Midland for forensics, but unless the guy is in one of the government databases, we’re not going to be able to identify him. As it is, it’s gonna take a while for the results.”

  Daniel gave the sheriff a sidelong glance. “What if I told you I had contacts with serious forensic resources? Would you give me a blood specimen?”

  “These ‘contacts’ of yours could fast-track it?” Galloway’s brow arched.

  Daniel nodded. “They can hit all the federal databases a hell of a lot faster than your lab. And they’re certified. You can use the results for the court case.”

  The sheriff paused for a moment, his gaze settling on Raven’s bruised throat and head wound. “I’ll get you a second sample. We keep this between us.”

  Daniel agreed, then studied the small emergency department. Double doors leading to hospital rooms, a few cabinets and a second triage area. Only two or three staff members that he could see. “How’d the perp know Raven was here?”

  The sheriff grimaced. “Local news picked up the story after I called into the clinic to say we were on our way. We don’t get that many emergency calls around here. A few illegals who chose a bad stretch of border to cross, some domestic disturbances and the occasional drunk driver. Can’t sneeze in this town without someone knowing about it.”

  “Great.” Daniel swore again silently. “If this story has hit the news, you’ll need a guard on her 24/7. Right now whoever attacked her has all the advantages.”

  “I know you’re right, but no can do,” Galloway said. “I’m down one man already, with half the damn county to cover. That’s nearly two thousand square miles. Even if I could spare the deputy I have left, he can’t watch her nonstop.”

  “I wouldn’t let you put that prepubescent kid on her, anyway. He couldn’t protect her from a puppy, much less a killer.”

  Galloway crossed his arms. “I can stick her in jail for her own protection.”

  Daniel’s entire body tensed at the idea of Raven surrounded by bars. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “At least she’d be safe.”

  “How do you know?” Daniel challenged. “If you can’t guard her in the clinic, how can you guard her in the jail? Someone wants her dead. All he’d have to do is create a diversion pulling you two away from the station, and you’d be leaving her vulnerable.”

  Galloway tilted his head. “So we’re at an impasse. I don’t have the manpower. I don’t have the money. Unless...” He stared at Daniel for a long moment.

  “Unless what?”

  “Unless you really are some whizbang hotshot military type. Sheriff Redmond said you’re handy with tools a lot more lethal than a hammer and nails. And you’re one of the best trackers and investigators money can buy.”

  “Blake Redmond should learn to keep his mouth shut.”

  “He was trying to save your butt from an attempted murder charge. Kissing his feet is the least you could do.” Galloway paused. “Seriously, as you so delicately pointed out, I could use the help on this one. The doctor said Raven has traumatic amnesia. Her memory may or may not return. Until we know better, we have nothing else to go on except whatever clues come out of that mine.”

  “And the blood sample from her attacker,” Daniel pointed out.

  “That, too,” the sheriff agreed. “But, like you said, she needs someone protecting her 24/7. How about it? I could deputize you.”

  “That’s a switch. An hour ago, you were running me out of town.”

  “Yeah, well, things change. I just need your signature on a form, and you have to take a quick oath.”

  Daniel looked back at the curtain behind which Raven slept. He’d promised he wouldn’t leave her until she was safe. He couldn’t let her fight this alone. Someone had tried to kill her twice. Daniel didn’t have a choice, and Galloway knew it. “I have your resources available to me?”

  “Whatever you need, though you may have more than I do.”

  “Your name makes the request more...official. And just so we’re clear, this isn’t a permanent assignment, Sheriff. You understand that? Once I find out who’s after Raven, I’m back on the road.”

  “You won’t hear me complaining. I want my quiet town back.”

  “If I need more help—more manpower from my contacts—can I make a few calls?”

  “Exactly what are you saying?”

  “I won’t get any flack for bringing outsiders into your county?”

  The sheriff shot him a speculative glance. “Does Sheriff Redmond also know these mysterious resources?”

  “Most definitely. Feel free to call him to check them out.”

  “Just what are these ‘outsiders’ going to do?”

  “I know people who can look in a lot of gray areas with finesse and speed,” Daniel replied easily. “Their only goal is justice.”

  The men’s gazes met. They understood each other.

  “I won’t look the other way, Adams, if you go beyond the law...that is, if I know about it,” Galloway said.

  Daniel rolled the sheriff’s comments around in his mind. So Galloway believed in justice more than rules. Daniel’s kind of law enforcement. “Understood.”

  Galloway signaled his deputy, who had brought Daniel’s duffel into the clinic. “I left your Glock in there. I imagine you know how to use it. You require anything else?”

  Daniel shook his head at the dig. “I have what I need.”

  “Then I’ll set up the paperwork for you to sign.”

  Daniel gave Galloway a nod, then eased aside the curtain and walked over to Raven’s bed. After setting down his pack, he unzipped the duffel, pulled his Glock from its case and checked the magazine. Everything seemed set. With calm precision, he tucked the weapon in the back of his jeans, then yanked his knife and ankle sheath from the duffel’s side pocket. After one quick buckle of the sheath’s strap around his leg, Daniel was able to slip in his knife. Relieved at having his two primary weapons within easy reach, he settled down to wait.

  It was odd that being in the tight enclosure in the examining room didn’t seem as bad now. Almost as if the fact that he was officially guarding someone nullified some of the usual discomforts of small places. Of course, it helped that the walls were made of cotton, not stone.

  The next two hours sitting on a hard wooden chair didn’t help Daniel’s leg. He adjusted his position, but he couldn’t get comfortable. At
least the twinges kept him awake.

  Not that he hadn’t been mesmerized by the rise and fall of Raven’s chest or the temptation of her full lips as they parted with each breath, but the shadows under her eyes reminded him of the danger stalking her and exactly why he was here.

  The curtain at the end of her bed shifted slightly. Daniel tensed. He palmed the Glock and held it at his side.

  The fabric parted. A woman in pink scrubs stepped through. Daniel hid the weapon from her sight as the nurse checked Raven’s vital signs.

  “How is she doing?” Daniel whispered.

  “Everything seems normal.”

  “What about her memory?”

  The woman’s sympathetic look evoked an ache deep in Daniel’s chest. He didn’t want his concern for Raven to be so obvious. He was just worried about her safety.

  None of this was personal.

  It couldn’t be.

  His recent stint in the jail cell had shown him just how messed up he truly was. He wouldn’t saddle anyone with that crap to deal with for life. Been there. Done that. Had his father’s spent bullet casing from his suicide to show for it. Daniel wouldn’t put anyone through that.

  The nurse checked the IV needle before turning back to Daniel. “The doctor said her memory could come back anytime—or not at all,” she said. “She has a concussion, and he wants to keep her for observation.”

  “Isn’t there a quieter location we could stay? A private room maybe? Away from everyone else?” Especially murdering psychos.

  “I’m sorry. The clinic only has a dozen beds. They’re all taken,” she said. “This will have to do until something comes available.”

  Not good enough. Daniel wanted security, minimal entrances and exits. And distance. As it was, three-quarters of this room could be moved with a harsh breath to the fabric curtain. Besides, the perp knew her location. Nowhere in this clinic was safe.

  “Does she have to stay in the hospital tonight? I’ve had enough concussions to know the drill. I’ll check her status every hour, and I can bring her back if there are changes, but I need to take her somewhere more secure.”

  The nurse frowned. “I’ll contact her physician. After what happened earlier, I understand your concern.”

  “Is there a hotel nearby?”

  “There’s a motel, the Copper Mine, just at the edge of town. Run by a bit of a character, but Hondo keeps a clean place.”

  Daniel chewed on his lip, not liking the idea of sleeping indoors, but at least in a motel room he had a chance to protect Raven. One entrance and solid walls. “Thanks for the tip.”

  The nurse left, and he pulled out his cell phone, powering the thing on for the first time since leaving the mine. He still had battery life—and twenty-four messages, since he hadn’t bothered to listen to them in the past month.

  He ignored the voice mails and stared once more at Raven lying on the bed. Who was she really? What was her name? Who wanted her dead?

  He put in a call to Galloway’s office requesting a list of missing persons reported in Texas and New Mexico. Galloway, apparently a man of his word, sent Daniel the information quickly to his phone. After a quick review of the small number of cases and watching the room’s TV for any updates, he let out a sigh.

  Nothing. The local television story on Raven hadn’t hit the national news or even the big affiliates. At this point Daniel wished it had. Since the person who had buried Raven in that mine knew she was still alive, they were playing against time. More extensive news coverage might give them her name.

  His gaze swept Raven’s still body. How could no one be missing her? Then again, maybe she was a loner. Some people didn’t reach out, didn’t create spheres of friends. Some people were totally on their own. Might be nice on occasion. Daniel had tried to disappear, and no one would let him.

  A glint of gold around Raven’s neck flickered under the fluorescent light. Daniel leaned forward in his chair and tugged on the chain, pulling the heart-shaped locket free of her hospital johnny.

  He shifted closer in his seat and palmed the locket, the necklace she had clutched with such desperation. Maybe there were clues inside. His fingernail pressed the latch and opened the heart.

  “What are you doing?” she asked groggily, her voice still raspy.

  Her cinnamon-colored eyes opened, and he nearly drowned in them.

  He gave her a small smile, relieved she’d regained consciousness. “Checking out your necklace.” He ran a gentle finger down the smooth skin at her temple. “Trying to find out who you are,” Daniel said softly.

  She glanced at the small heart locket he’d opened. “Is that a picture inside?”

  “Yes, of a raven-haired baby, and a lock of hair tied with a pink ribbon,” Daniel said. “Recognize her?”

  Raven sat up, her hand trembling as she studied the picture.

  “Do you think it’s me as a baby? It’s my hair. Or could my dream be real?” she whispered. “What if that pink blanket and that poor baby’s cry are memories?”

  She rubbed her upper arms with her hands as if warding off a chill; then she stared at him, dread lacing her gaze. “Could the person who tried to kill me have taken my baby girl?”

  * * *

  NIGHT IN TROUBLE, Texas, hid a man and his bloody nose well. A few streetlights, a few houselights, but Christopher could disappear in this small town. He was good at disappearing and not being seen as he went about his business.

  His footsteps pounded the pavement, the rhythm a little slower now. He sucked in a few breaths. He could do this. The run wasn’t nearly as tough as in boot camp. In fact, he’d feel great if it weren’t for his broken nose.

  God, he wanted that woman dead. He couldn’t believe she’d done this to him. She barely weighed as much as his duffel bag from Afghanistan, but she packed a helluva punch. He hadn’t expected that, and now he was on the run, covered with blood, wearing stolen clothes and stealing down dark streets to get back to his car.

  All because of that bitch.

  He heard the sound of not-so-distant laughter and took off again. Alley after alley, corner after corner on foot.

  He rounded another dark turn, leaned back against a cinder-block wall and tilted his head to hold his nose at the bridge, knowing it was a bad bone break, and he’d have to be careful until it healed.

  If the woman had known a little bit more about what she was doing, he’d be dead. Apparently she’d taken enough self-defense training to do damage. A little harder, a slightly different angle and shards of bone would have sliced up into his brain. He’d have dropped on the spot. The fact that he was in a medical clinic at the time wouldn’t have saved him.

  Two sets of sirens blasted into the night. Christopher shrank into the blackness. They wouldn’t find him.

  This whole situation pissed him off. This was not how he’d planned his welcome home.

  His mom had panicked when that news report had come on. His emotions had taken over. He knew better. He never should have let his mother influence his plans.

  Yeah, he liked killing, but he hadn’t taken the time to study the layout. He’d be lucky if that fiasco at the clinic didn’t put his butt in a sling. They probably had security cameras. He’d screwed up and given too much away about himself. He rubbed his thumb along the barrel of his HK, almost wishing he’d used the gun instead of trying to strangle her.

  He wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

  But they’d be watching her now, closely. He needed the element of surprise and a bit of help. Someone who understood the stakes and the joys of a good kill.

  Christopher untucked his cell phone from his pocket and dialed his buddy’s number. “Pick up, you loser.”

  Ring after ring. Just as he was about to give up, Tad answered.

  “This better be good, or you�
��re in a serious world of hurt,” the voice at the other end muttered, sleep clogging the words.

  “Wake up, you lazy slug. Wanna go hunting?”

  Christopher could almost see his ex-platoon-mate’s face perk up in interest. “I’m listening and assuming you’re not talking about quail.”

  “I have a woman who needs to disappear. For good. Get my drift?”

  “Chelsea?”

  “No, I haven’t even seen her yet. It’s someone you don’t know.”

  “No rules?”

  “Just help me make her go away.”

  “What’s the lucky lady’s name?”

  “That’s the best part. She hasn’t got one, and I’d kinda like to keep it that way.”

  Chapter Four

  Daniel didn’t know how long he had waited for Raven’s breathing to even out in deep sleep. He eased the curtain closed and walked across the room. Sheriff Galloway stood whispering with the doctor.

  “You checking up on me, Sheriff?”

  “Always.”

  “You know I can handle this. Or are you here to kick me out of town again for some reason?”

  “I have an investigation to follow up.” Galloway gave Daniel an irritated glance. “You have your job. How’s she doing?”

  “She finally fell asleep. Raven can’t remember anything, but she thinks she might have a baby out there.”

  Galloway stilled. “What the hell... We have a missing baby on top of everything else?”

  “I don’t know.” Daniel described the locket. “The truth is, I have no idea if she’s remembering something or not. She doesn’t know, either. All I can tell you is that her only memories are of a pink blanket and hearing a baby cry.”

  The sheriff thrust his hand through his hair. “Nothing’s hit my radar. Damn it.” Galloway looked at the doctor. “Has she had a baby? Can we tell?”

  The doctor shifted uncomfortably under the sheriff’s gaze.

  “Could Raven have a baby out there?” Daniel glared. “The attacker may have her.”

  The man cleared his throat and shifted his feet, then finally let out a long breath. “Since Raven doesn’t have a memory, and there might be a child at risk...I can reveal that she has given birth. I can’t tell you when. Only that it wasn’t recent.”