by Aimée Thurlo
“They undermined my search from the start.” Tony’s voice mirrored the savage and lethal anger boiling up inside him.
“It’s not all bad news, buddy,” Raymond said. “Think about it. If they went through all this trouble to keep area residents from identifying your daughter, I’d say there’s a very good chance Carmen is still around Santa Fe somewhere.”
Tony considered Raymond’s conclusion. “It’s a thought.”
The technician glanced up at them. “If you have another photo, a clear one we haven’t used before with this software, I can run it through under a different name. We’ll have the genuine image then.”
“I do have one, but not on me.”
“Okay. In that case, give me a day to run a file-by-file check on the program. Maybe I can find where it’s been altered and correct it. I’d rather not run anything else through it until I’m sure to what extent it’s been tampered with.”
Tony left the Bureau offices with Amanda, clearly discouraged. “I’m beginning to think that the people who’ve been pulling our strings don’t really know where Carmen is, at least not currently. They were even ready to make me believe, by using forged documents, that Hope was really my daughter, just to keep me spinning in circles while I did their dirty work. In the light of this new discovery, I’m beginning to think that they lost track of my child a long time ago—if she ever survived the accident.”
“You’re exhausted and in no shape to think anymore. You need some rest, Tony. How long has it been since you had a full eight hours?”
“About three years,” he admitted slowly.
“We both need some sleep. I’m past thinking rationally at this point myself.” The thought of returning to her empty house sent a chill through her. “Problem is, as tired as I feel, I don’t want to go home,” she admitted. “Not with Hope still away.”
“I know what you’re feeling. Even the thought of being home when the house is totally empty makes your insides knot up. I went through that, only it was a lot worse after Lynn and Carmen were...gone.”
“I don’t think I could have survived what you did.”
“You would have. You’re very strong. But the pain stays, no matter what you do from then on. It puts a shadow over everything in your life after that.”
“Time didn’t ease your pain, because the matter was never resolved. You knew Lynn was gone, but Carmen’s fate was and still is a big question mark.”
“What’s eating me is that I still have to consider the possibility that my child is gone forever. All these years I’ve purposely blocked that from my mind. I just couldn’t deal with it.”
Amanda reached for his hand and covered it with hers. “Don’t give up yet. It’s too soon.”
“Or way too late,” he finished, turning onto her street. Tony pulled into her driveway and parked. “I’ll walk you to the door, then you go get some rest.”
“I don’t want to be alone again tonight,” Amanda whispered, her voice raw.
His gaze locked with hers. “Neither do I,” he said, his voice a husky murmur in the confines of the car.
“Then stay.”
“Yes.”
Tony’s body shook as he walked to the front door with her. He needed to touch her, to lose himself in her warmth and softness, to feel her naked and vulnerable beneath him. Fires danced through him as vivid images formed in his mind.
As Amanda unlocked the door, his eyes strayed to her silky hair and the way it drifted against the curve of her neck. He thought of brushing it aside and raining kisses on the soft flesh, then lower, down her body, until she writhed wildly in his arms.
The fire in him grew hotter. When she closed the door behind them and turned, he saw the same vulnerability and need mirrored in her eyes. Her nipples had tightened into hardness, and the light bra she wore under her cotton top did nothing to hide them.
Sensing the passion within him, Amanda wound her arms around him, nestling her head on his shoudler. He shuddered, desperate now for the warmth inside her.
When he felt her lips nuzzling his neck, a charge of electricity surged through him. He tilted her chin upward and bent down to take her mouth. His lips pressed against hers, his mouth widening to take more, needing her sweetness. Her soft sighs drove him crazy. He wanted more; closeness wasn’t enough. He had to possess her.
Amanda wriggled against him, pressing the lower part of her body against his stiffened manhood. The movements drove him mad. “We won’t make it to the bedroom at this rate,” he said in a raw whisper.
She continued to rub against him. “I need...so much.”
Tony lifted her skirt and felt the soft skin beneath her panties. Sinking to his knees before her, he guided her undergarments downward, exposing her to him. “Lean on my shoulders,” he said, his voice a jagged groan in the night.
He brought her to his lips and kissed her deeply, savoring her sweetness as she cried out his name. Passion ruled him, and he knew he would possess her tonight. She was his, body and soul.
When Tony sensed that Amanda could take no more, he lifted her easily into his arms, carrying her to the bedroom. He placed her gently on her bed, the banked fires in him gathering force. He wouldn’t take her quickly. This was the time to show her his love, to make her feel cherished and desired. Every time she lay down in her soft bed from this moment on, he wanted her to remember this night—the fires and the ecstasy.
He unbuttoned her cotton top, then unfastened the front hook of her bra. Her clothing lay spread around her like flower petals unfurled. He lifted her skirt, allowing its fullness to drape to the side, while revealing all the intimate places that still glistened with his love.
Amanda looked exquisitely vulnerable and beautiful. The thought formed and vanished as he surrendered to one driving force, the desire to be one with her.
He stripped off his own clothing and settled himself gently over her. Tony felt her readiness as her hips moved upward, seeking him. The tip of his shaft touched her opening, yet he forced himself not to enter her.
“Say it, Mandy. Tell me you love me.”
The words frightened her. She didn’t want to say them out loud. “I need you, Tony, with all my heart.”
“No, Mandy. Tell me you love me. You feel it, I know. It’s there in your heart. Say it.” An urgency he couldn’t contain impelled him to sink a little deeper into her body, though he still did not penetrate her fully. “Tell me,” he repeated. She tried to arch against him to draw him farther in, but he slipped one hand to her hips and held her steady. “Are you mine, Mandy?” He shuddered with the effort his restraint was taking, but made no move to complete their union.
“I love you, Tony. I’m yours.” She arched her body again as he drove down. “Just as you are mine,” she murmured.
He felt a shock of pleasure jolt through him as her body pressed hotly to his. His nerves were on fire, the flames centering in his groin.
Her body was open to him, and he plunged into its warm depths over and over again. Clasped tightly inside the velvet walls, he was consumed by raw and desperate pleasures.
A flood of release lifted them high, then relief allowed their spirits to flutter gently downward. In that shining aftermath, there was only one truth. They loved each other, and no matter what life held for them, nothing would ever erase what they’d shared.
He held her long after her breathing had evened and her body relaxed with the peace that came with sleep. He didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to enjoy the warmth of her body against his. Yet exhaustion took its toll, and soon he drifted into the yawning darkness that reached out to him.
* * *
FROM THE DARKNESS that encompassed her, Amanda heard a familiar voice calling. She turned around to see the woman who’d visited her before.
“Your heart has shown you the truth. Now follow the path carved out for you. Your happiness lies there.”
“All I’ll find through my love for Tony is a broken heart. He’s used to making his own rules, t
o getting whatever he wants at any cost. I need a man who’ll want more children, who’ll teach them about honesty and love through example, not just words.”
“The answers you need lie just ahead. Don’t give in to despair.”
The vision vanished, though Amanda tried to call out to the woman to wait.
“Wake up, Mandy!”
Startled, Amanda’s eyes flew open. She saw Tony’s face and relaxed back into his arms. “These dreams...”
“Nightmares?”
“No, not exactly. I keep having these dreams about a woman telling me that everything is okay. But I don’t understand any of them.”
“Dreams can be confusing. The subconscious mind sometimes jumbles everything together,” Tony murmured soothingly, holding her close.
“The strange part is that the woman who speaks to me seems just as real as you or me!”
“Hush.” He brushed her forehead with a kiss. “No more dreams. This is our time.” He touched her lips with his own.
Amanda shut her eyes. If the present was all they were destined to share, then she’d treasure each precious second. She snuggled deeper into his arms. Tony was solid and so very real. She gave herself over to the love he offered and felt his body harden. The fever of wanting returned and, gathering strength from life, they found each other again.
Hours later, the ringing of the phone awakened them with a jolt. Amanda reached for it, instantly alert when she heard Raymond’s voice. She handed the receiver to Tony.
“Something break on the case?” Tony asked quickly.
“We analyzed phone records and something curious turned up. Sierra never called Ron Vila’s office, but half a dozen calls this past month went from Sierra to Katrina Clark’s private number. Do you know who the woman is?”
“Ron Vila’s paralegal and secretary.”
“Correct. We’re doing a background check on her now. I’ll let you know what we turn up.”
Tony hung up and gave Amanda the details as he dressed. “How long has Katrina been working for your ex-husband?”
“Since before he and I were married. That’s part of the reason why she’s always hated me, I think. She had her own designs on him, and I got in the way. I always thought Katrina was much more his type. Now maybe it turns out I was right.”
“I’m going to check with Wally. Let’s see what that bug of yours turned up.”
“Am I reading you right? Do you think Katrina’s that heavily involved?”
“You tell me. How much influence does she have over your ex-husband?”
“I’ve never really known that. I’ve never been able to read anything from her but resentment, especially since I came back to Santa Fe and Ron also decided to return here with her and open an office in town.”
Amanda dressed quickly, following Tony. As she hurried out the bedroom door, she glanced back. Many things had been said between them in the heat of passion, things that might never be said again. An overwhelming sadness filled her as she realized the pain of relinquishing a love never meant to be.
“You ready?” Tony asked, interrupting her musings.
Amanda nodded and hurried after him to the front door. They were just about to step outside when the phone rang. She ran to pick it up and froze as she heard the electronically altered voice.
“We’re ready to turn over the information on the Ramos kid. Can you pick it up?” the voice asked.
Amanda motioned Tony to the extension. “Where and when?”
“It will be waiting just outside the Rancho del Sol when you arrive if you leave right now. Do you know the dude ranch I’m talking about?”
“Sure. It’s south of Santa Fe, off State Route 14.” Amanda saw Tony pick up the extension carefully.
“Right. Look for a packet on the large boulder that marks the turnoff to the ranch.”
Hearing the dial tone, Amanda replaced the receiver and repeated the portion of conversation Tony hadn’t heard. “It looks like they’re going to keep their word after all.”
“I doubt it. They could have mailed us the stuff. This has all the earmarks of an ambush, but I’ve got to play it out. This time, though, I don’t want you with me. It’s going to be extremely dangerous.”
“We could call Raymond.”
“He’ll want to take over, get a tactical team together and cover all the bases. I don’t want to wait that long.”
“Well, you’re not pushing me out of the way. There’s been danger all along. I’m going, even if I have to follow you in my own car. I want whoever threatened my little girl thrown in jail just as badly as you want whoever took Carmen.” She picked up her purse from the sofa. “Let’s go.”
They drove south out of the city. In the early morning hours, most people were heading toward Santa Fe, not out of it, and they had almost no traffic to contend with.
Tony made the turnoff the freeway onto the almost deserted state road, heading to the landmark the kidnappers had mentioned. They spotted the large boulder near the intersection of the pavement and a long gravel road. A thin piñon forest began less than a hundred yards away.
“There!” Amanda pointed. “But I don’t see anything that looks like a package on it.”
“Maybe it’s on the other side.” He slowed the vehicle down, glancing around. “Stay in the car. With all the brush and piñons for cover, this is a great place for a sniper. Get behind the wheel, keep the engine running, and wait for me.”
Amanda’s gaze drifted slowly over the tree-dotted foothills to the east, to the small mountain range beyond. It was a beautiful summer morning, the air still cool, and the sun shining from a clear sky. Everything was quiet and peaceful. Maybe they’d finally reached the end of the line. She prayed for Tony, hoping he’d find the news he’d been searching for for so long. As she glanced over at him, she saw Tony edging closer to the boulder in a crouch, his hand on the butt of the pistol at his waist.
She looked around, unable to see any cause for alarm. Then, the loud crack of a rifle shattered the serenity surrounding them.
Chapter Fourteen
Tony dived to the ground, rolling behind the boulder as another bullet ricocheted harmlessly off the limestone. He couldn’t see the sniper, but from the trajectory of the bullets, he had a good idea of where he was.
Amanda stepped on the gas and pulled up next to him, shielding Tony from the gunman’s view with the car. As she reached over and threw the passenger door open, he jumped inside instantly. “Go!” he shouted.
Amanda floored the accelerator. The wheels spun on the gravel, spewing clouds of dust and stones behind them as they sped back onto the highway. “Did you find the information?”
“There wasn’t anything there. It was a setup. But it’s a good sign. This means we’re getting close, and they’re running scared.”
“Can’t Raymond arrest Ron and Katrina with what he’s got now?”
“No way. There’s not any physical evidence leading to them. Besides, if Raymond makes a move on Katrina, Ron and the others before I get whatever information they have on Carmen, I’ll never find my daughter. I have no other leads. And they do know something. They had the bracelet.”
Amanda drove quickly home, hoping the kidnappers would try to contact her again. They found Raymond waiting for them in his car as they pulled up.
“What are you doing here? Has something happened?” Amanda asked, looking around quickly.
“I came by to talk to your neighbor, Ricky Biddle, but he wasn’t there,” Raymond said, walking inside the house with them. “I never stopped digging into his background, you know. Well, I finally uncovered something. About eighteen months ago, Biddle was accused of stalking an old girlfriend of his. The charges were dropped. That’s why I didn’t find out sooner. But this made the guy interesting to me, so I took a hard look at everything he’s told you.” He glanced at Tony and rubbed the back of his neck. “His alibi for the time of the fire in Amanda’s garage is bogus.”
“He wasn’t really on t
he phone?” Tony asked.
“No. He was transferring a computer file via modem, and that whole operation can be made totally automatic. He could have been anywhere at the time.”
“You said you just came from his place?” Seeing Raymond nod, Amanda continued. “Are you sure he heard your knock?” Amanda asked. “He’s usually there this time of day.”
“The house was silent, except for a barking dog in the back. The curtains were drawn and there were no lights on. I can only go by that if he doesn’t answer the door. I don’t have enough for a search warrant. Not yet anyway.”
“I’ll pay him a visit later on today,” Tony said. “Maybe he’ll decide to talk to me.”
“Go by the book, Tony. Don’t muddy the water, or it’ll get thrown out of court.”
“Wait a second,” Amanda interrupted. “Do you guys think Ricky is the kidnapper, or that he’s involved with them in any way?”
“One or the other,” Raymond answered calmly. “We know Jeremy Purcell altered the program, but he may have had help. Biddle’s a good candidate for that. He’s paid to write computer programs, and let’s face it, the guy always shows up when there’s trouble.”
Amanda shook her head. “I’ve always thought of Ricky as obnoxious but harmless. I never dreamed he’d turn out to be so twisted. I’ll tell you one thing. I’m never again taking people at face value. Those days are over!”
* * *
AFTER RAYMOND LEFT, Amanda walked over to the phone. “I can’t stand it anymore. I’m going to call Hope.”
“Don’t use your home phone. Use my cellular. If they’re trying to find Hope in order to get more leverage, they may be accessing the numbers you dial. Considering the computer hackers we’ve linked to the kidnappers, that’s not such a reach. At least with the cellular, you’ll cut down on the chances of their tracking her down. They wouldn’t be expecting me to call your daughter.”
Amanda walked outside to his car and dialed Miriam’s number. After talking to Miriam and learning that Hope was outside brushing the horses with Dean, Miriam’s husband, Amanda relaxed. Her daughter hadn’t been touched by the confusion surrounding them here.
