Warrior's Second Chance

by Nancy Gideon

  “Take him to the sheriff’s station,” Jack ordered as he came up behind Kelly. Kelly turned to him in surprise, not expecting to have his authority usurped. But then Chaney caught his wrist, snapping on a cuff and then quickly securing the other wrist, as well.

  “What is this?”

  “Justice,” Chaney told him.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Kelly sputtered as he was handed up to the men who’d been waiting, freezing when he saw they weren’t his men at all. “What’s going on here? There’s been a mistake.”

  “No mistake,” came a quiet female voice from out of the fog. Slowly, Kelly’s wife stepped forward to regard him with loathing in her eyes. Behind her stood a man and a woman. Tag recognized the journalist from outside the Kennedy Center. He didn’t understand.

  As they were dragging Kelly down the dock, a gurney was hurried to the boat and the EMTs were quick to lift McGee onto it. As Jack was helping Barbara out of the boat, she saw the younger of the two Asian women approach the prone man to lift his hand and press it to her cheek.

  “Thank you,” she cried softly. “Thank you for what you did.” She relinquished his hand reluctantly so they could rush him to the waiting ambulance.

  Barbara looked to Jack for answers. But it was Su Quan Kelly who supplied them.

  “Mrs. D’Angelo, these are my children.”

  She simply stared. She didn’t understand, either. “I—I thought they were dead.”

  “So did I all these long years until my son saw the man who rescued them.”

  Jack cleared his throat and began to explain. “Mr. Quan found me when I was asking questions down in Little Saigon. He remembered McGee from the night his father was killed and his mother taken. McGee was supposed to have killed them, too, while Allen took their mother to where Kelly could stage a heroic rescue. The plan was for him to live happily ever after with a dead man’s wife. Only McGee couldn’t go through with it. He fired two shots so Allen would think he’d followed through on his orders. He wrapped the kids up in a rug as if he was disposing of the bodies only he took them to a neighboring village and left them with a nun in charge of the orphanage there. He gave her false names so Kelly wouldn’t find them. He planned to come back for them to reunite them with their mother. Only—”

  “Only Frye took his memory,” Barbara concluded. “And no one, not even him, knew that they were alive or where he’d put them.”

  “It took us a long time to get out of the country after the Americans left,” the journalist began. “Kelly took our mother with him as a war bride. It was years before we had the resources to look for her. Records were gone. Names were lost. But we remembered the soldier who saved our lives and when I saw him with the rifle Kelly planted in his hands after the shooting, I knew we had to do something to save his life, as he saved ours.”

  “Then Kelly shot Frye. How? How did Tag end up with the murder weapon?”

  Jack supplied the answer once again. “Frye used a phrase to trigger them, to make them instantly open to suggestion. Frye thought Kelly was bringing McGee there to take out Allen, but he was the target all along. A falling-out of thieves, so to speak. Frye had become a liability to Kelly. He was going too public, bringing too much attention to himself and the past he shared with Kelly. Kelly got impatient waiting for Allen to act and figured he’d shut Frye up and get rid of McGee at the same time.”

  Jack caught Barbara’s puzzled stare and said, “I found the right names in the notes your mother put together during the hypnosis thing. McGee gave them to her while he was under. Quan found me and after a few dozen phone calls, we put together this little farewell reunion tour for Allen and Kelly.”

  “Chet?”

  “They’ll make sure nobody gets to him before he has a chance to sing a pretty tune. And Kelly will be going away for a long, long time. After that…” He shrugged. He couldn’t vouch for the government’s plans for one of its best assassins.

  “He killed my husband,” Su Quan Kelly murmured. “I spent the last thirty years thinking my children had died with him. All those years, living a lie.” Her voice was so low and raw with pain that Barbara couldn’t help but go to her and offer an empathetic embrace. The two grown children came to take the weeping woman from her and they walked toward the shore, comforting one another. A family back together.

  Jack put his arm about her shoulders, drawing her in tight. She glanced up at him with tears in her eyes.

  “Thank you, Jack.”

  “Just seeing to my own.”

  She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. Now to make Tag McGee a part of that intimate circle.

  Chapter 15

  The changing of shifts brought renewed activity to the hospital halls. Barbara straightened on the waiting-room couch, clutching the warmth of Tag’s leather jacket to keep it from sliding off her shoulders. Her thoughts gathered slowly as she stretched and gave her head a roll to loosen the kinks. Jack had done everything he could to get her to go home, but she refused. She’d wanted to be here when Tag woke up.

  The events of the previous day were still a blur. Because of the severity of his injury, Tag had been airlifted to a downstate hospital as soon as he was stabilized. She and Jack had followed in the car. Even with her son-in-law behind the wheel breaking the speed laws and sometimes, she felt, the laws of gravity, it was after six in the evening by the time she rushed up to the information desk. The news wasn’t good. Tag was still in surgery.

  During the drive, Jack had filled her in on the details he’d discovered, but most of the information zipped by as fast and inconsequentially as the scenery. She didn’t care about the then as much as she cared about the urgent now. Jack stayed with her long enough to see her situated at the hospital, but she could tell he was anxious to drive to a certain gym in a northern Detroit suburb to see what Chet Allen had left behind. Tag had passed him the key during the boat ride from the island with instructions to go there himself. He wasn’t to trust anyone, either military or government. Jack had given his word that he’d see the evidence safely tucked away.

  After learning of Tag’s status, which was no news, Barbara shooed Jack on his way and then took her travel bag into the hospital bathroom to freshen up as best she could before beginning the all-night vigil. The surgery concluded after ten. The results were guarded, but she was given a promise by a compassionate nurse that they would have a better idea by morning. She couldn’t see him until then.

  So with her travel bag as a pillow and Tag’s coat, which still carried his scent, as a comforter, she managed to snatch a few hours of rest. And between those brief restorative breaks, she thought long and hard about Taggert McGee.

  She couldn’t let him go again.

  The moment they’d shared as teens was a wild, sweet affair, testing the parameters of an adult love during a chaotic time. The promises they’d made to one another had been impossible to keep because of outside circumstances, because of their lack of maturity to handle an incredibly difficult situation. Their faith in one another hadn’t survived the betrayals all around them. But that was the past.

  She’d drifted through the years, comfortable yet not content. The something missing from her life was the spark Tag had ignited within a young girl’s heart. She couldn’t love Robert, not with that same deep passion, and he knew it. She hadn’t blamed him for resenting that fact and she suffered for it, knowing he’d taken in the child of another man to raise as his own, knowing how hard he worked toward securing the future he’d vowed they’d share. Because she couldn’t open her heart and soul to him, she gave him all her time, all her energy, so he might realize that dream of success.

  Then Chet Allen’s return snatched Robert’s life and brought Tag back into hers. Tag McGee, with his spooky history of violence and fragmented memory. Tag McGee, with his tender touch, awakening her long dormant desires like a wildfire. Loving him had taught her about need and the heartbreaking pain of unexplained loss. Her willingness to make wh
atever sacrifices had been demanded to keep their child re-surfaced now in her refusal to let him walk out of her life. He saw himself as a bad bet, as the trouble her family had warned of. Having Tag McGee was not going to be easy. There was plenty of work ahead to repair the fracture of faith between them. There was the damage done to his soul and psyche at the hands of those he’d entrusted with their care. She was no fool. Those gaps in his past couldn’t be patched like potholes in a road. They’d require major reconstruction for that surface to be smooth again. But she wasn’t afraid.

  The only thing that scared her, the only thing that disturbed her rest, was the worry that Tag McGee would be unwilling to take the risk of loving her again. She’d failed him before, altering the direction their paths would take. They’d lived separate adult lives as strangers to one another. They’d reunited dragging along more baggage than a simple carry-on could contain.

  What if he decided the effort to start over again was just too great this late in their lives?

  She didn’t know if her heart could stand it. But a deeper, stronger part of her knew she would. She’d survive. She’d go on for the sake of her family, working for Jack, spoiling her grandchild, doing her charity work while she put her emotions back in storage until the time Tag McGee was ready to confront what was between them. She could wait. She’d learned infinite patience. And she’d also discovered exactly what she wanted in life.

  “Mom?”

  She glanced up to see Tessa and her husband in the doorway. For once, there was no hesitation. Her daughter rushed across the room, bending to embrace her.

  “Are you all right? How could all of this have been going on and no one said a word to me?”

  Barbara smiled at the scolding and hugged her daughter tight. “It’s over now,” she promised wearily, then looked over her shoulder to Jack. “Isn’t it?”

  Jack’s smile was thin and grim. “Allen may have been certifiable, but he sure knew how to keep records. Nothing wrong with his memory. Dates, places, amounts. Audio and videotape. A prosecutor’s dream come true. Kelly’s going down and he’ll most likely take a few higher-ups with him.”

  “Good. You’ll see to that, then?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Then his smile took a funny quirk. “He’s my father-in-law, you know,” he said, referring to McGee.

  Barbara slowly pushed Tessa back from her so she could meet her daughter’s gaze. “And how do you feel about that?”

  Tessa was a deep-thinking woman who hid her feelings well. Having spent a lifetime trying to earn the love of the man she thought was her father and never quite winning the acceptance she craved had put a strain on the relationship between mother and daughter. When Chet Allen had spilled Barbara’s secrets on his way to jail the first time, Tessa had reeled away from the truth but had slowly come to an understanding of it. Forgiveness hadn’t come quickly, although a new respect had been built between the two women. And now Barbara was asking her to open her heart to a stranger who’d shared a brief past and DNA with her mother thirty years ago.

  “I’m not sure,” was Tessa’s painfully honest reply.

  Barbara knew she couldn’t ask for more than that but tried anyway. “Will you give him a chance, Tessa? A chance to know you and Jack and Rose?”

  “Is that what he wants?” So guarded, so accustomed to disappointment.

  Barbara touched her cheek. “I’ll ask him.”

  “I can, if he can,” Tessa decided. Then she covered her mother’s hand with her own, adding softly, “I can, if you can.” Then she grinned unexpectedly. “And he’ll be getting to know a new grandchild, as well.”

  Her startled gaze jumped between daughter and son-in-law. Jack’s expression was impassive as he shrugged.

  “I was just helping her get into some legal briefs and she took advantage of me.” His dark eyes twinkled mischievously before settling on Tessa. Then his gaze positively glowed with love.

  She hugged her daughter, murmuring tearful congratulations, at the same time thinking the last of her children had just grown up and away from her, starting a life separate from her own. As it should be. Her heart swelled with a poignant happiness for the journey Tessa and Jack were about to embark upon.

  And Barbara wanted that same satisfying destination for herself.

  It was like coming up from under water. Struggling against the pull and the desire to just drift upon the surrounding numbness for a while longer, Tag forced his eyes open and the first thing he saw was Barbara D’Angelo’s tender smile.

  “Welcome back.”

  “How—” He wet his lips and tried again. “How long have I been under?”

  “Long enough to get a good night’s sleep.”

  He took in her rumpled clothing and absence of makeup. “Doesn’t look like you can say the same.”

  Barbara brushed her baby-fine hair back in a self-conscious gesture, a flush coming up her neck. She started to reach for her purse, for the repair kit of gloss and spray and concealer she kept there in case of emergencies.

  “I must look a mess,” she muttered anxiously.

  “Considering what we’ve been through,” he continued in the same gravelly voice, “you’ve got no right to look so damned good.”

  All the worries gusted from her on a single breath. She dropped her handbag and offered a weak smile. It was going to take some time to get used to being good enough as is. But she was looking forward to it.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  To her thinking, even with his hospital pallor and the bulky wrappings around his foot, he was fit and lean and the most desirable sight she’d ever beheld. No, he wasn’t that tanned athletic youth with the shy smile and poetic soul. What he’d become was so much better. Deeper, more complex, confident. In all but one area.

  He looked away from her adoring gaze, suddenly uncomfortable with her presence. What was she doing here? Come to say goodbye now that her family was safe and the threat over? He wouldn’t blame her if she issued a cheery adios and a vow to exchange Christmas cards. After all she’d been through—the fear, the disappointment, the disillusionment—she shouldn’t have to put up with his ghosts. But if she could…if she wanted to…

  Barbara waited for his attention to turn back to her. He had that same guarded look she’d seen so often in her daughter’s face. It had taken her far too long to deal with Tessa’s uncertainties because of her own doubts and worries about rejection. She didn’t have that kind of time where Tag was concerned.

  Ticktock.

  “The surgeon tells me everything went well,” she began in a neutral tone. “You’re going to have an extensive course of physical therapy to look forward to. Since there’s no facility up in Copper Harbor, Jack was thinking that maybe you’d could stay at his compound and have a therapist visit you there.”

  “That’s what Jack was thinking?” he echoed quietly. But what was she thinking? He waited, trying to suppress the very bad feeling that she was easing back out of his life.

  “While you’re there, you can get to know Tessa and Rose. You’ll love Rose. She’s such a dear. And Tessa. You won’t believe how much the two of you have in common. You can field dress your handguns over coffee every morning.”

  He smiled narrowly, trying to whip up some enthusiasm. Though he wanted to get to know his daughter and her family, there was a more immediate situation he was interested in confronting first.

  “Jack said since you’ll most likely be bored after a week or two of getting soft watching daytime soaps with their housekeeper, he’s got a group of would-be bodyguards he’s training that you could pass a thing or two along to. If you want.” Jack had looked at his dossier and had pronounced him a couple of rungs up the spook ladder over his head. Anything McGee had to teach was something worth knowing, he’d confessed.

  “Sounds like you’ve got my plans all made for me.”

  She hesitated, not knowing how to read his impassive expression. His quiet statement gave nothing away. She took a br
eath and plunged on recklessly.

  “Jack’s been in contact with some government agencies regarding your…the other rehabilitation you need.”

  A cold, like freezing waters threatening to close over his head, seeped into Tag’s spirit. He kept all signs of emotion from his face, but his eyes reflected that increasing chill.

  “A handy guy to have around.”

  Seeing the distrust, the fear, shadowing his gaze, Barbara reached out to slip her hand over his, mindful of the IV tubes. His fingers remained still beneath hers. And cold.

  “He spoke with my mom and had her check references on her end. These are top-notch professionals. They can help you sort things out. And they have security clearance…”

  “So they can clean up the mess Frye made of my mind. And what’s going to be left of me after that? Anything useful or functional? Or will they just get in there and scramble things up to the point where I won’t even know what the truth is? That Chet and I were windup killers? So that they can put me away someplace safe on the shelf next to Chet, along with all their other mistakes? To be locked away and forgotten?”

  Her hand closed tight about his. “No. That’s not what’s going to happen.”

  “Barb, I know how these people work.” He shut his eyes for a long moment and when he opened them, there was something else in the pale depths. A scary resignation. From someplace far away, he was hearing a soft sinister whisper. Kingdom come. Now he understood. Thy will be done. Not his will, but theirs. There was no use trying to fight them. Not if Barbara didn’t want him to. “It’s all right. They’ll take care of me. I’m not your concern.”

  He was pushing her away, letting her make a graceful retreat. But that was the last thing Barbara wanted.

  “The hell you aren’t!”