by Lucy Clark
She couldn’t think about her other life—the life she wasn’t sure she wanted to unlock. Here, in Halls Gap, she was happy. She felt strong. Logan helped her to feel strong and he’d helped give that new-found strength wings. Charli felt as though she could soar like an eagle, that the world was her oyster, and that, with him by her side, anything was possible.
She believed in herself.
Was this how Clara had felt at the end of the Nutcracker? The ballet took on a whole new meaning for her and she couldn’t wait to get back to Logan’s house and enjoy watching it with Trinity.
He was looking at her now, his expression intense. She still wondered whether he would desire her as much once she’d regained her memories. Would he think she wouldn’t need him then? If he did, he was wrong. She needed him now more than she’d ever needed anyone else—at least, that was the way she felt.
The overwhelming and encompassing feeling of love swelled within her and choked off the words she wanted to say to him. She needed to show him, to show him how much he meant to her.
Her fingers went around to the back of his neck and she urged his head down, impatient for their lips to meet. When they were finally pressed together, Charli was swamped with the feeling of coming home. Regardless of what might happen as she slowly unlocked her memories, she knew this love was for ever and put everything she had into the kiss, wanting Logan to know how she felt.
She was a little surprised when he put his hands on her arms and gently pulled away. His eyes were glazed with desire but there was caution in his every breath. Charli wondered whether his feelings were as deep as hers and instantly put her guard up.
‘Don’t kiss me like that out here, Charli.’ He glanced around at their surroundings. ‘It’s not fair…to either of us.’
She let out the breath she’d been unconsciously holding and gave him a little smile. ‘For a moment there, I thought you didn’t want to kiss me.’
‘You’re insane, then.’ He took her hand and continued towards the road. ‘Let’s get some ice cream. Nice and…cold! Hopefully, that will sort us both out.’
Charli laughed as they walked across the road to the ice-cream shop. The kids had already chosen their flavours and were anxiously waiting for the treat to be handed over so they could eat it. Logan smiled as Charli declared she wanted vanilla and, as he’d predicted, protests came from both children. He caught sight of Wil’s police car driving down the street and thought he’d better fill him in on Charli’s recent breakthrough.
‘Put it on the account, Mrs Blackwell,’ he told the woman behind the counter. ‘I’ll be back in a moment,’ he said to Charli. ‘Just going to catch Wil.’ He gave her hand a little squeeze before letting go and heading outside.
The kids went outside to sit in the small rotunda to eat their ice creams as Charli waited for hers. She’d just accepted her cone with thanks when she stepped back and bumped into someone. ‘Oh, sorry,’ she said, turning to apologise to the person. She looked directly into a pair of steel-grey eyes and her throat closed.
‘Don’t make any sudden moves.’ The man nudged her with a small, black gun. His American accent penetrated her mind and she knew she knew him. ‘Smile and don’t let anyone know anything is wrong and you’ll be fine. Go outside.’ The fear she’d been intuitively feeling since her arrival here came surging up, clouding her thinking. ‘I don’t know why you bothered running from me, Charlotte.’ He shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. ‘Not a good move.’ He removed the ice cream from her hand and tossed it carelessly into a bin.
‘Chuck!’ The strangled word hardly made it past her throat as she walked with him.
He grinned at her, a smooth smile that would charm any woman—any woman who didn’t know the true personality behind it. ‘And here I’d heard you’d lost your memory. Looks as though you’ve done a good job of fooling everyone, honey, but not me.’ He nudged her again. ‘Let’s go. The car’s over there.’
Charli glanced over to where Trinity and Owen were sitting, eating their ice creams and waiting for her. Please, she prayed, don’t let them look over. The thought that something might happen to them was paramount in her mind—which was slowly beginning to function again.
She looked towards the BMW convertible Chuck was steering her towards, his fierce grip on her arm hurting badly. She glanced around and it was then she saw Logan coming out of the police station with Wil beside him, both men laughing.
‘Don’t go getting any ideas, Charli. Lover-boy will be fine so long as you do as you’re told.’
No sooner were the words out of Chuck’s mouth than Logan looked over and saw her. She watched the confusion cross his face and then she dipped her head, her hair falling across her eyes, blocking out the sight of him.
‘Almost there. You’re doing just fine.’
‘Charli? Where ya going?’ The call came from behind her and she recognised Owen’s voice.
‘Don’t do anything stupid.’ Chuck’s voice was gruff and held a thread of desperation. Charli wouldn’t put it past him to do anything which he thought necessary to save his precious reputation. Flashes of memory were coming back to her in pieces but not enough to make a whole picture.
Chuck, touching the gold necklace around her throat.
Chuck, driving her out to a university where she was giving a lecture and telling her once more she would do as she was told.
Chuck, threatening to hurt her mother.
Chuck, chasing after her as she raced through the university to the gold hire car they’d driven in. She’d climbed frantically behind the wheel, fumbling with the keys she’d managed to snatch from his hand, desperate to get them into the ignition.
Chuck, picking up a rock and throwing it at the car as she drove away.
Charli tried to push the thoughts away. She needed to concentrate now. Her head was pounding but she worked through the pain. She needed to make sure that Logan and the children remained safe. It was the least she could do for the people she loved.
‘Charli?’ Now it was Logan who called out, and she glanced over to see him talking to Wil, his gaze firmly on her.
It happened as though in slow motion. She watched as Wil put his hand on his gun and unclipped it, although it remained in the holster, and started walking in their direction. He was talking to her, calling out to her and the man she was with, but Charli couldn’t make out what he was saying. All she knew was that he was getting closer and she had to keep him away.
‘No!’ She yelled. ‘Go back. He’s got a gun!’
Logan froze where he was, his heart hammering with fear for Charli. He glanced over to where his kids were. Trinity was standing up, watching intently. Owen was starting to walk away from the rotunda.
He was on one side, the kids were on the other and Charli was in the middle. Charli! His Charli. Logan’s heart constricted and he had to remind himself to breathe, to keep a clear head. Mrs Blackwell came out of the shop and thankfully shepherded his kids back inside where they were safe.
One obstacle down.
Logan focused his attention on the woman who meant the world to him. What was going on? He squinted, looking closely at the man.
‘Chuck!’ The word was barely audible. Logan had seen him somewhere before and in an instant he recalled Chuck as the man who’d been speaking on his cellphone at the conference. Parts of the conversation Logan had overheard returned with clarity.
She’ll play ball. I know her mother. I’ll switch to more drastic measures. I’ll take care of it.
Logan swallowed over the lump in his throat as the realisation hit—Charli’s past had just caught up with her.
‘Don’t come any closer!’ Chuck called, stopping both Logan and Wil in their tracks.
‘Easy, mate.’ Wil held up both hands. Logan wished for camouflage, for something to hide behind, but it was impossible. They were all exposed in the middle of the street and if it had been summer, the place would have been crowded with tourists.
�
��I mean it!’ The man yelled. He held firmly onto Charli, drawing her back so she was in a head lock before he pointed his gun at Logan.
‘No!’ The word was wrenched from Charli. She forced herself to breathe, to work through this logically. She needed to remain calm. Calm, calm. ‘Leave them, Chuck. It’s me you want and you have me. They’re nothing to do with this.’
He was still edging towards the car. ‘You should have thought of that before you started making eyes at lover-boy over there.’
‘I’d lost my memory, Chuck. They were helping me find out who I was.’
‘Sure, honey.’ He didn’t believe her and kept his gun pointed at Logan, who was standing rooted to the spot. ‘Stay back.’
Logan couldn’t look at the gunman. His eyes were intent on Charli, wishing he’d had the opportunity to say all the things he’d wanted to say. To tell her how much she meant to him and how he felt about her. To tell her that he loved her.
Wil was slowly advancing, talking to the man, trying to get him to see reason, but Logan knew it wouldn’t work. Wil was good at his job, but for the moment the bad guy was going to win. A surge of desperation rose within him, knowing Charli was in danger and there was nothing he could do about it.
Once they were in the car and had driven away, Logan would be able to get into his own car and head after them. Although chasing them might not be the best option as the idiot with the gun might crash the car and then how could he help Charli? His mind raced, wanting it to be over, trying to figure out his best course of action in a variety of scenarios.
They were at the car now and Logan felt the life drain out of him as he watched the gunman shove Charli across the seat from the driver’s side.
The crack of a whip—or a sound like it—punctured the air and Logan watched as the gunman fired at Wil. Another crack pierced the air and he turned to see Wil standing there, his gun drawn. The gunman cried out in pain, his body jerking backwards momentarily. Charli was pushed roughly and fell across the seat.
‘Get up. Get up, Charli. Now’s your chance.’ He said the words, hoping she’d reappear, but she didn’t.
Two more shots were fired by the gunman and he heard himself yell ‘No!’ as he watched Wil crumple to the ground. A squeal of tyres and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air and within another second it was over.
Charli was gone.
CHAPTER NINE
LOGAN forced his legs to move and raced to Wil’s side. Next, he forced his brain to work.
‘Wil! Wil!’ Logan felt for Wil’s carotid pulse and thanked God it was there. He looked into his friend’s eyes and almost gave in to the sick feeling rising inside him.
‘I got shot.’ Those three words, mumbled from Wil, were enough to snap Logan out of the entire mind-numbing experience.
‘Yes, you did, mate.’ He located the area, a few centimetres below the heart, and started unbuttoning his own shirt. He pulled it off and made a pressure pad, holding it down firmly as he wrenched his cellphone from his waistband and dialled Stawell Hospital.
‘It’s Logan. Wil’s been shot in the abdomen. Get an ambulance here, stat. Also, contact Ararat and Stawell police and tell them Dr Charli Summerfield has been kidnapped by an American named Chuck. He’s the guy who shot Wil. They left here only a few minutes ago in a dark green BMW convertible, licence plate PSD 888.’
Logan disconnected the call and contacted his mother. ‘Go to the surgery and get my emergency medical bag. Wil’s been shot.’
‘Oh, my word. Is that what that sound was? I thought it was a car backfiring.’
‘Well, it wasn’t. It was a gun.’
‘The kids?’
‘They’re fine. No doubt shaken, but fine. They’re in the store with Mrs Blackwell.’ Logan paused, knowing what his mother’s next question would be and not wanting her to ask it. She did.
‘And Charli? Is she all right?’
‘No. He took her, Mum. I don’t know what’s going to happen.’ Logan could feel the panic starting to rise and crushed it immediately. He wouldn’t do anyone any good, especially Wil, if he wasn’t concentrating. ‘I can’t think about it now, Mum. I need my emergency bag, oxygen cylinder and a bag of Haemacell, stat.’ He disconnected the call and looked down at his friend.
‘You hang in there, you hear? Wil?’ No response. ‘Come on, buddy, open your eyes.’ Logan tapped his cheeks. ‘William Cecil Fitzgerald—wake up!’
Wil opened his eyes immediately and glared at his friend. ‘Don’t you ever tell anyone my middle name.’
‘Then don’t doze off or I won’t be responsible for who I tell. The cavalry are on their way, mate. Hang in there.’
His mother brought his emergency bag and the other things he’d asked for. Logan quickly pulled on a pair of gloves. ‘Let’s get you stabilised, mate.’
Logan set up the IV line to get the Haemacell started. ‘How’s your pain?’
‘It’s OK. I can’t feel much of anything.’ Wil glanced at him. ‘Is that normal?’
Logan nodded. ‘Adrenaline’s kicked in.’
‘Mrs Blackwell’s taking the kids to your father.’ Rose pulled on a pair of gloves and reached for the sphygmomanometer. ‘Hi, there, Wil. How are you doing, love?’
‘Not bad, Mrs H.,’ Wil said in a strangled voice.
Rose laughed. ‘That’s the boy I remember. Always making the best of a bad situation. Once we’ve got you sorted out, I’ll give your mum a call to let her know what’s happening.’
‘Thanks,’ Wil said.
‘BP’s down, respiration and pulse are up,’ she announced a little later.
‘Keep a close eye on that BP.’ Logan pulled a gauze pad from his bag and removed his stained shirt which he’d used earlier. ‘The dry-cleaners are going to have fun, getting this out,’ he joked, trying to keep the atmosphere light. Wil gave him a weak smile but that was all.
‘Where are your kids?’
‘They’re with my dad. Just relax, mate.’
‘And Charli?’
‘Let’s just concentrate on you for the moment, shall we?’ Wil started to close his eyes again and Logan called to him. ‘I’ll start calling you by your middle name,’ he warned, and Wil immediately opened his eyes. ‘That’s better. Stay with me, mate.’ While Logan spoke, he continued to work, ensuring Wil had the best chance of survival.
A group of people had gathered but thankfully Arnold Blackwell was there and was keeping everyone under control and away from what was happening.
‘Won’t be long now, mate,’ Logan said. ‘Ambulance is on its way. How’s the pain? Feel any pain?’
‘Nah. She’s right.’
‘Good.’
‘What about the other guy? What about Charli?’
Logan realised he wasn’t going to let it go. ‘She’s gone.’
‘No.’ Wil’s eyes were wide with confusion. ‘But I shot him.’
‘From what I could see, I think you got him in the shoulder.’
‘He drove off!’ Wil’s tone hit fever pitch and Rose took his pulse, giving Logan a warning look.
‘She’ll be fine. The hospital will contact the police in surrounding districts and, I tell you, mate, once they hear that one of their own has been shot, well, you know what you police boys are like. They’ll stop at nothing until he’s found.’
This news seemed to relax Wil. ‘She’ll be fine, then.’
‘She’ll be fine.’ Logan repeated the words, hoping that the more he said them, the more he would believe them. He was going out of his mind with worry for Charli, feeling constrained because he couldn’t go after them, desperate for his friend as they waited for the ambulance and concerned that his children were all right.
He pigeonholed his thoughts and focused his attention on Wil. Finally, they heard the sound of the ambulance siren. ‘Hear that, mate? That’s your ride coming.’
‘Yeah.’ Wil was alert but exhausted and Logan didn’t blame him one bit. A minute later, Bruce pulled up and climbed from the amb
ulance.
‘Hey, Wil,’ Bruce called as he headed over. ‘Looks like you’ve been having a lot of fun.’
Wil forced a smile. ‘Yeah. Logan’s been keeping me conscious by blackmailing me.’
Bruce laughed. ‘That’s what friends are for!’
They transferred Wil to the stretcher and got him into the ambulance. ‘How’s your pain?’ Logan asked.
‘Starting to feel it now.’
‘Let’s give you some morphine to help you out.’ Logan looked at his mother as he found what he needed to draw up the pain relief.
‘You’ll be fine, won’t you?’ Rose asked.
‘Yes. Go and see to the kids. Tell them I love them.’
‘I will. What about Charli? What should I tell them?’
Logan looked at his mother. ‘Tell them the truth, Mum.’
‘But, Logan, they’ve already been through so much trauma in their young lives.’
‘They saw what happened today. Brushing it under the carpet isn’t going to do them any favours. They’ve both developed feelings for Charli and they have the right to know what’s going on. Just keep it straightforward and answer their questions in the most direct and easy manner possible.’
Rose nodded. ‘All right.’ She didn’t sound too sure of herself.
‘You can do this, Mum. You’re a nurse. You’ve told people bad news time and time again over the years.’
‘Yes, but not my own grandchildren!’
Logan smiled. ‘You’ll do fine. You always do.’ He leaned down and kissed her cheek. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you, too, son.’ Tears welled in Rose’s eyes as she stepped aside so Bruce could shut the doors.
‘Touching,’ Wil mumbled. ‘Very touching.’
‘Keep quiet,’ Logan told his friend. ‘Just you wait. Within twelve hours—maybe less—your own mother’s going to be here, crying over you and kissing you just like she used to when you were little.’ Logan administered the morphine and within seconds Wil relaxed.
