Sworn to Protect

by Susanne Matthews

  Shoulders slumped, exhaustion taking its toll, Neil returned to his chair beside the bed. Sending the nurse into WITSEC was the only way to protect her since she knew so much. The placement was temporary, but if she liked it, the new identity was hers to keep. Nancy breathed deeply and evenly. He bent over and kissed her cheek. It was warm beneath his lips.

  “I know you don’t remember us, Nancy, and that grieves me, but you’re alive, sweetheart, and that’s what really matters.”

  He reached for her hand. As always, it was small and delicate in his. Tonight, it was cool, but not cold like it had been before. It had to be a good sign. He yawned.

  How long had it been since he’d had a proper night’s rest? If he were honest with himself, he hadn’t slept well since the last time he’d held her in his arms before the accident changed everything. Part of him hoped the last six years would never come back to her. If she didn’t remember any of it, she wouldn’t recall the good times they’d had, but she wouldn’t remember the many times he’d let her down, the many promises he’d broken because of his job, either. While he couldn’t regret everything he’d done since lives had been saved, he could rue the way he’d hurt her, especially after her mother and their son had died. She’d wanted a divorce, hadn’t she? If she didn’t remember their marriage, wasn’t this the next best thing?

  Neil leaned back in the chair, holding onto her hand, his thumb rubbing small circles onto the back of it. His mind drifted back six years. He could hear her laughter, see her sparkling eyes. If he had to pick a time to remember, that weekend would have been his choice, too. His heavy eyelids closed as sleep and the memories claimed him.

  Fresh snow covered the Green Mountains, and Nancy was like a kid in a candy store. How did he ever get so lucky? His heart was bursting. He mentioned he could ski when they played Twenty Questions on their first date. For a Carolina girl with limited exposure to snow, the topic captivated her. That’s why he decided to invite her up here to spend the long weekend. He didn’t want to lose her.

  As they approached the ski lodge, her head swiveled from side to side as she tried to take in everything at once. Her gorgeous hazel eyes were the size of quarters.

  “Did you see that?” she asked excitedly, as one experienced skier came to a stop, a rooster tail of snow in his wake.

  “I did. You’ll be doing the same in no time.” He guided her inside.

  “How do I look?” she asked in her rental boots, holding her skis and poles, imitating those around her. She spun around in her scarlet ski suit, almost tripping over her own feet, and he reached out to steady her. He shook his head. The woman could walk without a wobble in five-inch heels, but she stumbled in ski boots. How was that even possible?

  “Well?” she asked. Looking so sweet in her knitted cap, her helmet hanging purse-like from her hand, she embedded herself deeper into his heart. He had to capture the moment.

  “Stand still,” he said, and snapped a half dozen pictures of her alone and then a selfie of the two of them. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It was well below zero, and her cheeks and nose were cold, but her lips were warm, and she responded shyly. He released her mouth and looked down at her.

  “You taste like peanut butter and are the most beautiful ski bunny around.”

  “Sure I am, Pinocchio.” She laughed and scanned the area outside the ski lodge, packed with skiers of all shapes and sizes. “Maybe you need to have your eyes checked.” She frowned and watched another couple of skiers arrive at the bottom of the hill. “That’s a long way up,” she mused.

  He laughed. “Don’t worry. We’ll start with something smaller. You aren’t quite ready for Black Diamond runs, but you’ll get the hang of it in no time. You’ll love the exhilaration. A rollercoaster maniac like you will find skiing a rush.”

  The scene dissolved, and she lay at his feet at the bottom of the bunny hill. This must be their fifteenth attempted run down the easiest slope, and she just can’t get it. She hasn’t complained, but she can’t be having a good time. He’s stayed with her, despite her protests that he go off and have fun. This relationship is in its infancy, but for him, she’s the one. He bent down to help her up. No one willingly put themselves through this kind of punishment. She had to be stiff, sore, and pretty near frozen. He pulled up her helmet visor, expecting to see an angry scowl, and she surprised him once more. She was laughing.

  “That’s it.” She shook her head. “I’m officially the world’s worst skier. If they ever add ‘falling down a mountain’ as an Olympic sport, I’m your girl.”

  He loved the way she could laugh at herself. She was sweet and sarcastic, and always made him smile.

  “It takes time. You’ll get better with practice. Rome wasn’t built in a day. How about we pack it in for now and do a little lodge skiing?”

  “Lodge skiing—when you get to sit by the fire and drink hot cocoa?”

  He nodded.

  “I’ll ace that event,” she said, removing her helmet and letting him take off the skis. “I’m definitely up for that, but can we go do it back at the chalet? I’d like to get out of this and slip into something more comfortable, like that hot tub, and maybe add some booze to that cocoa.”

  He laughed. “Sounds good to me. Let’s get rid of this gear, and it’ll be hot, laced cocoa and a soak on the deck in the spa. Come on.” He took her skis and poles and walked toward the lodge.

  The mountains faded, and he was standing in the room by the door. The woman was holding the pillow over Nancy’s face. He gasped.

  Neil jumped up, his gun in his hand, as the vision of the assassin startled him awake. He looked down and saw Nancy had curled her fingers around his, and still clung to his hand despite the fact he stood. He swallowed and resumed his seat. He holstered the pistol, amazed he’d unsheathed it. This was the second time he’d unconsciously pulled his weapon. Not good. Doing so could be incredibly dangerous. What if he’d fired it? He shuddered.

  Nancy moved slightly in the bed, her head turned toward him as if she knew he was still there with her, her fingers grasping his. Never again would anyone hurt hurt—at least, not as long as he could draw a breath.

  * * *

  It was just before four in the morning, when Neil stood nervously in the ambulance bay, looking out at the landing pad. He glanced up as the whoop-whoop sound of the helicopter grew louder and the colored navigation lights appeared in the night sky. The landing wouldn’t garner any additional interest from those who lived nearby, but the SWAT team, fully armed, wearing infrared goggles in the early morning darkness, watched for signs of intruders.

  Nancy, prepped for the journey, lay on a stretcher on the other side of the doorway, Lynn by her side. No sooner had the chopper landed, then its doors slid open. Two men exited, unloaded a stretcher, and pushed it toward the hospital doors. Todd was the first one inside, pulling the front of the gurney. He stepped away and two FBI agents Neil didn’t recognize replaced him and the man with him.

  “You look awful, but it’s nice to see you,” Todd said, giving him a brotherly hug. “Anderson told me Doris is out of danger.”

  Neil nodded. “She saved our lives.”

  His partner pursed his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I heard. I should’ve been there to have your back. How’s Nancy?”

  “She woke up around seven.” Grim-faced, his mouth a straight line, he fought to hide how upset he was. “The doctor says she’s going to be okay—”

  Todd interrupted. “I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

  Neil exhaled heavily. “She’s got retrograde amnesia.”

  “Shit! Does she remember you?” Todd rubbed the top of his head, something he did frequently when he was at a loss for words.

  “Yeah,” Neil answered, feeling the despair fill him anew, “and to make matters even more complicated, she’s stuck on a skiing holiday we took in January six years ago, a few months after we met.”

  “You mean she doesn’t recall marrying you?” His
eyes bulged in surprise.

  “Hell, I doubt she even sees us as a couple.” Neil pursed his lips. “I was head over heels by then, but I invited her up there because I was afraid she was going to dump me. We’d only started dating, and I was working that case in Maine.”

  “And we were short-staffed, so breaks were few and far between.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Neil. Does the boss know?”

  Neil rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yes, he’s upset, but what can I do? Mahoney is livid.” He fisted his hands. “To hear him complain, you would think she’d done this just to complicate his life and ruin his case. I can understand how disappointed he is—I am, too—but damn it, does he have to be such a jerk about it? He had the nerve to imply this was somehow her fault, and she was responsible for everything that had happened. It’s a good thing I wasn’t standing toe to toe with him. If I were, he’d be chewing his food on its way out. He’s really pissed now.”

  “I would actually have paid to see that,” Todd said, giving him a good-natured punch on the arm. “Mahoney’s an ass, from a long line of assholes according to his partner. I wouldn’t let anything he says bother me. I know we’re supposed to have confidence in those guys, but back when we had the mole, I was ready to bet the farm he was involved somehow. Right now, he’s bucking for promotion, and that makes him twice the jerk he normally is. Be right back.”

  Neil’s gaze fell on the man who’d arrived with Todd, standing with Doctor Howard, obviously discussing Nancy’s case. Easing closer, he eavesdropped on the conversation.

  “Your biggest problem will be the feds who need answers only she can provide,” Doctor Howard said, obviously finishing his briefing. “Pushing her too hard, too fast, could lead to an emotional breakdown, but be prepared for one. She has a lot of bad news coming her way.”

  “I’ll look after her, sir. You have my word on it,” the young man said, tucking the clipboard under his arm.

  “I’ll hold you to that. I’m her husband.”

  “Lieutenant Dan Martinez, U.S. Navy.” The officer shifted the bag to his left hand and held out his right.

  “Neil Copeland. Call me Neil.” He reached for the extended hand.

  The lieutenant nodded. “Dan. We’ve got a Navy nurse waiting in the chopper, too.”

  “I see they’re ready to leave,” Doctor Howard said, interrupting them. “Goodbye, inspector.” He shook Neil’s hand. “Take care of yourself. You are the single, most important person in her life right now. I know you’ll take care of her. It’s been a pleasure to meet you, in spite of the circumstances.”

  “Thank you for everything you did for her. I can never repay you,” Neil said gravely, releasing the doctor’s hand.

  He waved at Lynn and watched the vehicles depart for Martin State Airport. Turning back, he noticed the two FBI agents were wheeling the gurney Todd had brought in earlier out of the room.

  “Who’s that?” Neil asked Anderson who’d stepped over to him. He indicated the stretcher.

  “We’re crossing all the t’s and doting all the i’s on this one,” Anderson answered, his gaze following Neil’s. “That’s a Jane Doe from upstate New York. They’ll register her in the hospital morgue as Nancy Frost, but before anyone can look at her, they’ll take her back to Quantico. The ambulance is waiting over there. She’ll be cremated, and her ashes returned to Crystal Beach for burial. I know it seems harsh to put a stranger in the family plot, but safety, as you know, is in the details.”

  Neil nodded, his stomach doing familiar flip flops at the implications. “I understand.” He just hoped Nancy would.

  “The FBI is calling a press conference later this morning. They’ll say Nancy Frost succumbed to her injuries. There won’t be any mention of anything else. It’s as tight a story as we can make it. Here.” Anderson handed him Nancy’s purse. “There’s nothing in it to point to her identity, but she might want some of the personal items.” He sighed and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat. “I sent a team in to have a look at your place. Someone’s gone through there with a fine-toothed comb. They did a thorough job of taking any electronics and jewelry, and tried to throw us off by doing the same to a couple of houses nearby, but they were looking for something specific.” He shook his head. “I might not have thought anymore about it, but two days ago, the bodies of an elderly couple across the street were discovered by their daughter. They were both executed, which tells me they saw something they shouldn’t have. Damn shame. One of the other burgled neighbors claims there was a dark SUV in the driveway for a few days, but didn’t notice anything special about it.”

  “That must’ve been the Hendersons. They were so good to Nancy after ... you know...” Neil shook his head. Nancy wouldn’t remember them, and unless she did, he could spare her this. “The bastards behind this don’t seem to care who or how many they kill to get what they want.”

  “While they were in the house, one of our agents packed up some of the new clothes they found there. Is there anything else she’d want? I know her memory isn’t 100 percent, but ... Something she’d be heartbroken to leave behind? It can’t be much. They’re using a cleaning service as a cover. I assume you’ll want to sell the place.”

  Neil swallowed, his gut wrenching with pain, his hands opening and closing at his sides. “You’re putting her straight into the program?”

  Anderson sighed. “Unless she remembers something the next time she wakes up, we don’t really have a choice. I can’t see any way around it, especially when she can’t tell the feds what she knows, and we don’t know who wants her dead. The lawyer may have to go, too.”

  He nodded, his heart aching at this latest blow. While she might not have died, if she went into WITSEC, she would be as lost to him as if she had. But she would be safe, and that was the only thing that really mattered.

  Digging deep for the courage he needed, he exhaled. “There should be a handmade lap quilt in her bedroom, probably on the rocking chair. It’s pale green with hummingbirds embossed on it. Her mother gave it to her just before ... Will I be able to go to the house after the funeral?”

  Anderson placed his hand on Neil’s shoulder, the second time he’d done so today.

  “It’s expected.” He paused. “Before I knew about the amnesia, I got the green light to let you go with her. I realize things are different, but the offer’s still there. She’s going to need a marshal for some time to come, and you’re the best man for the job.”

  Neil let out the breath he’d been holding, his knees almost buckling in his relief, and he leaned against Anderson for support.

  “Thank you.” The words were inadequate, but they were all he had at the moment.

  “Todd advocated on your behalf, and I agreed with him. You and Nancy have had enough grief to last a lifetime. You’ll be off the books. We can’t chance someone finding you through payroll, but we’ll set you up as well as we can.”

  Considering the circumstances, Neil couldn’t expect Nancy to agree to go into the program as his wife, but in the short term, she would need a friend and a bodyguard. It might kill him to see her create a new life with another man, but that would be his cross to bear. She was entitled to a happily ever after.

  “There’s a small ceramic angel in the backyard she might want. She made it herself after our son died.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Anderson said, his face filled with sympathy and concern. “You have to go deep, Neil, completely off the grid. We may not have a mole this time, but we don’t know who the enemy is, and until she can tell us—if she ever can—we’re blind. There are so many loose ends to this case, I’m waiting for the thing to start unravelling before my eyes. I’ll have new identifications and the necessary paperwork for you as soon as possible. Todd can help you in the short term, and we’ll probably have to shuffle you around awhile until we can find a secure location. It may not even be possible to keep you in this country, but we’ll do our best.”

  “I know.” Neil held out his
hand and Anderson took it. “Do what you have to do.”

  “One last thing,” Anderson said, lowering his voice and using the handshake to pull Neil closer. “Mahoney’s partner was approached by a representative from Nancy’s old firm, Olsen, Jensen, and Merriweather. He was quite interested in knowing if she’d regained consciousness. That’s set off a few alarms, so Grant decided to have a look at their public records. It’s almost impossible to get any details on their client list, but it appears they do a sizeable amount of business with Claymore Investments, too. Nancy found something when she looked at Paxton’s records, and I’m convinced it has to do with that damn investment company. I’ve called in a few favors. Homeland Security’s working with us on this one. Mahoney isn’t happy about that, but I’ve had enough of that little pissant getting in my face. The IRS has borrowed some think-tank’s computer geek who’s the best hacker in the country, and he’s having a look at all of the Claymore Investments and Paxton Construction books again, as is someone from HS. The answer’s there, I know it is. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Before Neil could answer, Todd stepped over to him.

  “We’re ready to board, Neil. We’ve got a two hour flight ahead of us. We have to be in and out before sunrise.”

  Mahoney hurried across the ambulance bay.

  “I’m glad I caught you. I know you’ve requested assistance from HS, but I’ve been authorized to give you whatever help I can. What do you need?”

  Anderson turned to the FBI agent, his face stern. “Nothing. Thank the director for the offer, but we’ve got this. She’s one of our own.”

  Mahoney nodded, his lips compressed, obviously annoyed at being brushed off this way. “Where are you taking her?”

  Todd looked around. “Better for all of us if no one here knows that answer.”