Hidden Prey

by Cheyenne McCray

  Pablo pressed his gun against Gregory’s temple. “I said, drive.”

  Gregory started the car, backed it out of its parking spot, and drove.

  Chapter 7

  Fog swirled around Tori as she walked up a steep hill. She couldn’t see anything around her, but she knew she had to climb. And climb. And climb.

  Someone appeared directly in front of her, causing her to stumble back in surprise and almost fall back down the hill. She regained her balance and tried to catch her breath.

  A white light glimmered around a woman wearing a white lace mantilla. Tori couldn’t see the woman’s face, but she seemed somehow familiar.

  Tori blinked. She stood in the depths of a church. A sacred place she had not been to in a very long time.

  She looked up at the altar and the statue of the Virgin Mary. Blood-red tears rolled from Mary’s eyes and Tori felt her great sadness.

  The woman in the mantilla turned, catching Tori’s attention again. The woman walked toward the red jarred candles in the front of the church and Tori followed. While she watched, the woman lit a candle…next to the one her mother had lit for Brian when he’d died.

  Tori’s heart pounded and her mouth grew dry. She recognized the woman in the mantilla. Her mother…lighting a candle for Tori.

  Her mother was crying.

  The statue of Mary cried.

  Tears rolled down Tori’s cheeks.

  “I’m not dead, Mom.” Tori tried to say the words but they wouldn’t come out. “I’m not dead!”

  Her mother turned and walked toward the church entrance. The huge double doors parted and her mother stepped through the doorway.

  Tori tried to run after her. She walked as if through hip-deep mud and she couldn’t get to the doorway fast enough.

  When she finally made it outside, her mother had vanished.

  The next thing she knew she stood in total and complete darkness. The church had disappeared.

  She looked up into the crushing darkness, seeing the black night shrouded the moon and stars. A box surrounded her, all four sides closing in, squeezing the breath from her. Heart nearly stopping from fear, she held her arms out to either side of her to push walls away, but her hands touched nothing but air.

  A man stepped toward her from out of the inky black night, startling a cry from her.

  She could see the man, yet she didn’t know how with no light, only pure darkness.

  Her heart started pounding, hard thumps against her ribs as she stared at him. Shadows obscured his vaguely familiar face. Who was he?

  Sweat broke out on her skin as she watched the man slowly raise his arm. A flash of something dark on his wrist and a glimpse of gunmetal gray in the overwhelming darkness.

  He pointed a gun at her, ripping terror through her. She screamed.

  Dear God, she had to get away.

  She tried to turn and run, but her shoes were glued to the asphalt. Her leg muscles ached, straining and struggling to pick up one foot then the other. She couldn’t move, couldn’t save her own life.

  Her entire body trembled as the man stepped closer. Then closer yet. His eyes burned red, his teeth white and pointed when he smiled. Horns sprouted from his head, pushing through his dark hair. Short red horns.

  The devil. She would die at the hand of the devil himself.

  The gun never wavered. The barrel grew bigger. So big she now could see nothing but the opening. A bullet would be fired through the hole. The bullet would slam into her brain and end her life, just like that man in Bisbee.

  I’m going to die.

  The devil’s image wavered and he began to fade.

  “You will never get away from me.” The devil’s icy voice sent chills through her. Even as he disappeared, like wisps of smoke through a keyhole, she still heard him clearly. “I will find you and you will die.”

  * * *

  Tori woke and let loose a scream. She clamped one hand over her mouth as she sat up in bed. Perspiration coated her skin while her other fist gripped the damp sheets. Every breath came short and fast as if she’d been running up that hill in Bisbee again.

  The sheets were twisted from tossing and turning. Had she dreamed of the devil all night long?

  She wrapped her arms around her bent knees and pressed her face against them, her eyes shut. But she couldn’t shut out the images of the dream, no matter how she tried.

  The truth kept going through her mind, the truth.

  “The truth,” she mumbled. “The truth.”

  “Tori?” A man’s voice came from far away, echoing in her head. She recognized the voice from somewhere and somehow she knew not to be afraid.

  The bed dipped beside her. “Are you all right?”

  She kept her face hard to her knees and tried to breathe as a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders.

  “You had a nightmare,” the man’s voice soothed her. “You had a nightmare. I’m right here with you.”

  Slowly she worked to process where she was, what had happened to her and the identity of the man with her now.

  It gradually came to her—she sat in bed in a safe house and Special Agent Landon Walker had saved her life. Two other agents were there as well, O’Donnell and Johnson.

  Landon had wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He smelled good and somehow his scent, his touch, his presence and his low voice calmed her.

  “You’re all right, honey.” He squeezed her with his arm. “You’re all right.”

  Her skin prickled and she felt sticky from sweat, her hair damp from it. She didn’t look at him, raising her head and trying to breathe slowly, in and out. In. Out. In. Out.

  When she felt a little more composed, she turned to look at him. “Thank you.”

  His eyes focused on hers as his thumb stroked her shoulder while he still held her. “You want me to stay a little longer?”

  “I’ll be fine.” She shook her head. “I had a dream. A stupid nightmare.”

  “It’s not stupid.” He patted her shoulders. “After the day you had, I’m not surprised you had a nightmare.”

  “Do you have them?” Why did she even ask him the question?

  For a moment he didn’t say anything, but then he gave a nod. “I have a recurring nightmare about…something bad that happened.”

  “I’m sorry.” She felt as if she’d touched a spot she shouldn’t have, as though she’d asked him something far too personal.

  “Don’t be.” He rubbed her shoulder with his palm. “Are you going to be okay now?”

  “Yes.” She took another deep breath and slowly let it out. She didn’t feel as sweaty but her hair was still damp. “I think I can go back to sleep now.”

  He moved his arm from around her shoulders. “If you need me, just call.”

  “Thank you.” She watched as he left the bedroom.

  He looked over his shoulder one last time before stepping out and leaving the door ajar so a slice of light cut across the floor in the room.

  She faced the light as she slid back down and rested her head on her pillow. With the image of the nightmare devil still in her mind, would she ever be able to fall asleep again?

  Tori wandered out of the bedroom, unable to find Landon. O’Donnell lay on the couch in the living room and Johnson sat at the kitchen table. She said good morning to each of them.

  The nightmare hadn’t returned, but she still felt remnants of it in the back of her consciousness.

  She’d just taken a shower and put on the same clothes she’d worn yesterday since she didn’t have anything else with her. She couldn’t very well walk around in her panties and the T-shirt Landon had loaned her last night.

  A chill traveled through her, goosebumps rising on her skin while her thoughts turned to yesterday and seeing Mateo, or rather Miguel, murdered.

  Scenes flashed through her mind. The man against the car—Miguel. Two men with their guns trained on Miguel. A third man shooting him. Miguel’s body slumping to the ground, lifeless.

&n
bsp; She could almost feel the burn in her lungs and muscles from how she’d run from the men. If she hadn’t run regularly to keep in shape and didn’t know the area so well, the men would have caught her. Killed her.

  Landon had saved her life.

  Everything looked different in the light of day, even though the blinds were closed. The kitchen had a window over the sink she hadn’t noticed last night.

  After seeing someone murdered, it seemed too bright today. But the sun rose and the sun went down, no matter who lived and who died.

  Trying to get her mind off the trauma she’d been through, she put her hands on her hips and looked around the neat kitchen. This house needed some serious dusting.

  After Johnson had said good morning, he’d gone back to reading on a tablet and she wondered if he was reading an e-book or e-news.

  What could she fix for breakfast? She peered inside the pantry and frowned. Nothing she could use to make anything from scratch. She found pancake mix. No flour or baking powder to make homemade pancakes. Someone needed to go shopping.

  She settled on the pancake mix. She found a plastic bottle of syrup along with a box of instant mashed potatoes in the pantry. The almost-empty freezer yielded nothing but a bag of crushed ice and a package of peas.

  Several minutes later, potato patties sizzled in a frying pan, the syrup heating in a small pot on a burner, and she was pouring pancake batter onto a griddle. Soon she had a rhythm going and she hummed to herself, trying not to think about yesterday and the horrors she faced.

  And the dream. The nightmare. She had a hell of a time not thinking about it, the oppressive darkness and the man pointing his gun at her.

  The devil.

  “I doubt this kitchen has ever smelled this good,” came Landon’s voice from behind her.

  Tori started and looked over her shoulder at him. With his intense expression and the power that radiated from him, he appeared rough and rugged. He was so very sexy in a dark blue T-shirt and faded jeans. She could just about eat him up.

  Memories of last night and how he’d held her after her nightmare made her feel warm inside.

  “Hi,” she managed to get out, realizing she realized she’d been looking him over for far too long.

  She turned back to her task and flipped a pancake so that the browned side was up. “You need to do some serious grocery shopping.”

  He leaned against a counter and folded his arms across his chest, causing his muscular arms to look even more defined. “How did you sleep the rest of the night?”

  A shiver trailed her spine as she remembered the nightmare. She shrugged, not wanting him to know just how shaken she still was. “I slept fine.” She hadn’t dreamed about the devil again, but she’d tossed and turned.

  He studied her in his intense way, as if he thought she wasn’t being truthful.

  “This is the last pancake and then breakfast is ready.” She forced a smile.

  Landon pushed away from the counter and got out the dishes and silverware and Tori took the food off the heat and put it all onto plates to serve. She and Landon set the plates of potato patties and pancakes on the counter, along with the pot of heated syrup on a hot pad. Landon took O’Donnell a plate after giving one to Johnson.

  She was surprised at how hungry she was considering everything that had happened. It had all started with Gregory and her need to flee Tucson. The memory of what he’d done the night before she’d taken off for Bisbee left her skin ice-cold. What he’d done to her had been horrible and inexcusable.

  When they’d finished breakfast, Tori and the men went into the living room, preparing to leave for the DHS’s ICE office.

  All she had to her name at this moment were the clothes she’d been wearing when the whole mess had started. She wished for clean clothes and some toiletries before they left, but wishing didn’t make it so. Landon loaned her his overshirt and his ball cap again.

  The moment Tori and the men stepped outside the house, wind almost knocked off the hat and a few strands of hair got loose. She pulled the hat down tighter and brushed the strands away with her fingers.

  She walked at Landon’s side toward the charcoal-gray SUV he’d driven last night. She hadn’t been able to see it well in the dark. The newer model Ford Explorer had sleek, modern lines, yet clearly served as a utility vehicle. He opened the passenger side and she stepped up on the running board as he took her hand and helped her up into the vehicle.

  * * *

  Landon’s phone vibrated in its holster and he dragged his attention from Tori. He started the vehicle and pulled out his phone to see his mother’s number on the screen.

  “Just a moment.” He held up his finger to Tori before taking the call. “Hi, Mom.”

  “You haven’t called in two weeks.” Even as Valerie Walker admonished him, she had a smile in her voice. “Two weeks is too long.”

  “You’re right.” Landon sighed. “You know how work is.”

  “I do know.” She spoke softly. “But you still need to take care of you. Are you coming to Sunday dinner?”

  He thought about everything happening. “I do want to, Mom. But I’ve got a case that will probably keep me away this weekend.”

  She sounded disappointed. “I’ll set the table for you, just in case.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” He paused. “I have a favor to ask.”

  “Of course.” Her disappointment seemed to vanish. “Anything for my only son.”

  He told her he needed women’s clothing, preferably functional jeans and tops, as well as toiletries. He couldn’t give her any details, except that the agency had no available agents at this time to purchase the needed items. Then he turned and asked Tori for her sizes.

  Tori shook her head. “I don’t have access to my bank accounts or my credit cards.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Landon spoke firmly. “You can pay me back once you can. For now, let’s get you what you need.”

  She clenched her hands together, clearly hating the fact she had to borrow money, but gave her sizes to him. She also told him what toiletries she needed when he asked.

  “I’ll head to town now.” His mom sounded pleased. “You know how I love to shop.”

  “Yes, Mom, I know.” The corner of Landon’s mouth curved. He arranged a time to meet her in the evening. At least asking his mom to do this would give him an excuse to see her while on the job.

  * * *

  It took half an hour to drive to the agency office. Douglas was right on the Mexican border, adjacent to Agua Prieta, located on the Mexico side. Along the way, from Bisbee to Douglas, Tori saw Border Patrol vehicles everywhere she looked.

  She’d grown up in Bisbee but hadn’t been to Douglas too often. A lot of people didn’t feel safe enough to drive across the border due to drug trafficking and the presence of the cartels.

  Josie, her mother, had traveled to Arizona from Mexico City as a teen and had eventually become a U.S. citizen. These days she traveled less and less to the country of her birth.

  When she’d been young, Tori’s parents had taken her across the border several times. She remembered the colorful displays of wares sold by stores and street vendors. Some of the things she’d liked to look at the most had been small statues made of glass and marble, colorful clay pots, rugs, serapes, and sombreros.

  Her favorite part of going across the border had been the ice cream carts with paletas, Mexican frozen treats. She’d loved the coconut paletas more than anything, although the strawberry ice cream bars were good too. Now the same brand was sold in some stores in the States, but standing and eating the paletas on a street in Mexico couldn’t be beat.

  Landon parked in front of a nondescript office building and they climbed out. It surprised her how she’d already come to expect him to open her door and assist her in stepping down from the vehicle. Of course she didn’t need the help, but the gentlemanly gesture touched her.

  His gaze held hers for a long moment. His eyes were close to the color of per
idot, a little darker than the gemstone’s natural shade of green. Her lips parted as she realized he hadn’t let go of her hand. Warmth traveled between them and she bit the inside of her lip.

  He released her and gestured toward the building. “Come on in.”

  She fell into step beside him. On the front of the building, Department of Homeland Security appeared in silver lettering. Under that was U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

  Landon held the glass door open for her and she walked into the lobby. He let the door fall shut behind them, touched her elbow, and indicated down a hallway.

  She walked beside him but moved to the side when a man approached them.

  “You’re late.” The man jerked his head toward an open door. “The briefing is about to start.”

  Landon gave a nod toward Tori. “Dylan, this is Tori Cox. She witnessed Miguel’s murder last night.”

  At the words, Tori shuddered. She was a murder witness.

  Landon turned to her. “Tori, this is Special Agent Dylan Curtis.”

  Dylan held out his hand and Tori took it. She liked his grasp, warm and firm. “Thanks for coming forward, Tori.”

  She gripped his hand in return. “It’s nice to meet you, Special Agent Curtis.”

  “My pleasure.” Dylan released her hand and spoke to Landon. “You need to get your ass in here.”

  Landon dragged his hand down his face. “I’ll get Tori settled and be right in.”

  Dylan nodded to Tori before he went through the doorway. Landon escorted Tori into a room with a desk and three chairs, and mirrored glass in one wall.

  She looked at him. “Is this an interrogation room?”

  He nodded. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes or so.”

  “Okay.” She sat in the chair across the table from the other two chairs arranged side by side. “I’m not going anywhere.”