Marcus saw the sorrow in his friend’s face and couldn’t help feeling responsible. “I’m sorry for the role I played in all this.”
Colton waved him away. “It wasn’t your fault, Marcus. One thing I’ve learned recently is that God works things out in ways we don’t always understand.”
Marcus glanced at Bethany and knew that was true. They’d spent nearly two years apart and he was still struggling to wrap his brain around why that had been necessary.
Colton pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. “I can’t stay, but I wanted to give you this. I wrote all our phone numbers and addresses down for you. In case you need anything, you’ll know who to call. And once Bethany is up and better, we’d like you both to come back to the ranch for a get-together. The fellas will all bring their wives and you can get to know the whole crew again.”
Marcus nodded, liking that idea. New old friends.
He shook Colton’s hand and wished him well. He and the others had really come through for them and he owed them a deep gratitude. If not for them, he and Bethany would both likely be dead.
He glanced at her, unmoving and still, and the pain shook him again—the terror he’d felt at the thought of losing her. It had nearly done him in when he’d seen Dillon dig that knife into her throat. Marcus had truly believed that was the end for them.
He slipped back into the recliner, picked up his Bible and got back to his prayers, thankful that God seemed to have other plans for them.
* * *
Bethany opened her eyes. Her gaze roamed over the room, noticing the hanging curtain, the TV mounted on the wall and a light coming from the bathroom. She turned to glance at it and saw Marcus sitting in a chair by the bed. He was hunched over and whispering a prayer.
She tried to speak to him, to get his attention, but all she managed to do was to make a gurgling sound and even that hurt her throat. But it was enough. He heard her and glanced up, a smile breaking across his face as he moved closer to her side and reached for her hand.
“Welcome back,” he said, squeezing her hand.
“What happened?” she asked, trying again to speak. This time it came out but as a squeak instead of the determined tone she’d meant to portray.
“You’re safe,” he told her. “Dillon cut your throat. Do you remember that?”
She tried to nod then realized that hurt just as much. “Hard to forget.” She would always remember the feeling of that knife slicing into her. She’d tried to be brave and tried to make her escape.
“He can’t hurt you anymore,” Marcus reassured her. “He and Levi have both been turned over to the authorities. Your supervisor, Rick, sent the Marshals to take them back to Langley. He also called to congratulate you on a job well done and to tell you they followed up on Bill Donahue checking out your phone records and determined it was Dillon using his identification number. It’s one more charge to add to his growing list of crimes.”
She was glad to hear that both Dillon and Levi had been exposed and were no longer a threat to anyone.
“He wanted me to come in, too, but I told him I would only allow you to bring me in.” He gave her a smile then kissed her hand. The truth was he wasn’t going anywhere until he knew Bethany was on her way to recovery. “I guess he could tell I was serious because he backed down and gave the okay for me to stay here with you.”
She smiled then grimaced as she moved. “It still hurts.”
“You were crying out in your sleep a while ago so I buzzed the nurse. She should be bringing you more pain medicine soon.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Two days.”
Two days! She didn’t remember anything since being in the woods and discovering Marcus was still alive. Suddenly the moment she’d heard Levi proclaim he was dead came rushing back.
“What happened?” She wanted to know. “I thought—” She choked over the words but it had nothing to do with her injuries. “I thought you were dead. I heard Levi say that you were dead.”
His face flushed with embarrassment. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. Levi did tackle me in the woods. I thought he was going to kill me. I was terrified because I thought I would never get to see you again.”
“What happened?” she repeated.
“The rangers showed up. They shot him before he shot me. Seeing him that way with a gun to my head, well, it wasn’t difficult for them to believe what I’d told them about him working with Dillon. Just as I thought, he tried to talk his way out of it, but they’ve all separately told me they don’t believe him. But we still needed to get you out before Dillon harmed you, so Josh disguised his voice and made the call saying he’d shot me. I had no idea you would hear that message. I can’t image how that must have felt.”
“It devastated me, Marcus. I thought I’d lost you again.”
“I know. I’m sorry. When I saw him cut you, Bethany, I nearly died myself. I was so afraid I was going to lose you. I don’t think I’ve had a moment of peace about that until just now when you awoke. When I think how you must have felt for two years believing I was dead...” He shook his head and his voice cracked. “I’m so sorry I ever put you through that. I made you a promise that I would come back and I didn’t keep it.”
She looked at him. “You said you remembered everything. Didn’t you tell me that?”
“Yes, I do. I remember it all. I remember you and me and the most amazing two weeks of my life.” His eyes grew serious. “I also remember that I asked you a question that night before I left for the ambush. Do you remember that?”
Tears filled her eyes and she nodded. She knew exactly what question he was referring to.
“I asked you to marry me, Bethany.”
Tears streamed down her face. “And I said no because it was too fast.”
He chuckled ruefully. “Yes, you did tell me no.”
“What you don’t know, Marcus, what I never got an opportunity to tell you, was that I changed my mind. The moment that truck rolled away, I knew I never wanted to be separated from you. I know it was fast and it made no sense, but it was real. I think that’s why it hit me so hard when I thought you’d lied about loving me.” She reached out, caressed his face and drew in a choked breath. “But it was true. Wasn’t it? Everything you told me was true.”
“Well, not everything.”
She gave him a quizzical look. What did he mean? Had he lied to her about his feelings, after all?
“When you rejected my proposal, I told you I understood and that I was okay with waiting.” He laughed. “That was such a lie.”
She laughed, too, at the absurdity of the moment. Why hadn’t she just followed her heart right then and there?
“I was devastated. I went into that mission rocked and ready for a fight. I was stupid and I was reckless. I should have called my commander the moment I heard Dillon and Levi talking, but instead I tried to confront them. We all know how that worked out.”
But it had worked out for them in the end. Bethany squeezed his hand then closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. God, it seemed, had been on her side, after all.
She stroked his face. “I love you, Marcus Allen.”
He took in a sharp breath then smiled and leaned into her touch. “I love you, too, Bethany Bryant, and I’m never letting you go again.”
He kissed her and she took comfort in his promise. It was one she would make sure he kept.
Epilogue
Bethany stood at attention as the director of the CIA pinned a medal to her chest and handed her a plaque in recognition of her achievement in bringing down Dillon and other traitorous agents. It held only her name and no specifics of the case, but it meant a lot to have the Agency approve her involvement. Dillon had hoped to disgrace her and cause her to slink away in embarrassment. Now he was the one sitting in a jail cell and facing the humiliation of his crimes.
As the director finished and the crowd clapped, she glanced around at the small group that had been allowed to attend the ceremony. She smiled when she spotted Marcus, standing and clapping for her. When the ceremony ended, she headed for him but was stopped before she reached him by well-wishers who wanted to congratulate her. Rick was one of them.
“You did it, Bethany. You actually did it. I’m very proud of you.”
“Thank you, Rick.”
“You really proved yourself with all this, Bethany. You took action when you had to. I hope this means you’ve overcome your reluctance with field work. You always were one of my best agents. We need you out there.”
She glanced at Marcus, uncertain what her future held. All she knew was that she wanted it to be with him. But how would he feel about her going back into action? “Can I let you know?” she asked.
Rick followed her gaze to where Marcus stood then turned back to her and nodded. “Of course. The job is yours if you want it.”
She headed for Marcus and wished for nothing more at the moment than to fall into his arms, but she knew it wouldn’t be appropriate since she was surrounded by her coworkers and government officials.
“You looked amazing up there,” he told her gruffly. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Marcus.” She laughed, realizing just how true that statement was.
She glanced at his hand still sporting a bandage. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. I’ve got several more days of debriefing, but my mom and Shannon are flying up for a few days so that’ll be nice. I promised them no one would be shooting at them this time.” He gave a little chuckle then shook his head “It’s amazing the amount of paperwork it takes to come back to life. I’ve got meetings with lawyers, generals, accountants. The list goes on. Apparently, the government wants to capitalize on my apparent resurrection.”
She glanced around the ceremony room. It seemed odd that the army wanted to publicize the story while the CIA wanted to bury it. Were they even working for the same government?
“Rick just offered to put me back in the field.”
“That’s great news. You deserve it.”
“I’m not sure I’m going to take it. I just don’t know if that’s the right course of action for me now.” She hesitated before continuing. They’d both declared their love for one another during a moment of distress, but since their return to Virginia they hadn’t discussed any future together. “How can I make a decision like that when I don’t even know what my future holds?”
He gave her a look of understanding then looked away, his face reddening.
She nearly kicked herself. Why could she be so fearless in the field but act like a little girl when faced with matters of love? Was it possible he didn’t see the same future for them together that she did?
“I want to be with you, Bethany, more than anything. Even though I know I don’t deserve you.”
She reached for his hand, rules of decorum forgotten. “You’ve been exonerated, Marcus. You’ve done nothing to be ashamed of. I’m the one who should be begging your forgiveness. I doubted you. I believed the worst about you. That you could lie and betray, but mostly that you would try to manipulate my heart for your own purpose. I should have never doubted you.”
He smiled and put his hands on her face, tilting her chin up to stare into her eyes. “Honey, if you hadn’t doubted me, would you have come looking for me?”
She gasped. She hadn’t even thought of that. What if she had never suspected Marcus of being a liar and a traitor? She imagined she would have gone about her life, allowing time to heal her grief over her lost love. Perhaps she even would have told herself she’d imagined how passionately she’d fallen for Marcus and downplayed the truth about their love for one another. He was right, of course. Still, how could she have doubted him?
“In truth, we’d only known each other a short time. Two weeks is hardly enough time to get to know another person so completely.”
“Maybe. After all, I don’t even know what your favorite color is.”
He looked at her and smiled. “It’s blue, of course, like the color of your eyes. They had me captivated from the first moment I saw them, from the first moment I saw you, Bethany.”
She stroked his chin, loving the feel of his stubble against the softness of her hand then tears pooled in her eyes. “I don’t understand why this happened. Why did God have to take you away from me for so long? Why did He have to put us through this?”
“I don’t know the answer to that. But I think maybe He wants us to seek Him as hard and determinedly as you sought after me. I wouldn’t be here if God hadn’t been with me, watching over me, leading me back to my life.” He smiled. “Back to you. If you’ll have me.”
Her heart soared. “I absolutely will. I love you so much, Marcus. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“Then you don’t have to. But you have to make me a promise. I want you to take that field job. It’s what you love and you’re good at your job.”
“Okay. I’ll tell Rick tomorrow. But what about you? What are your career plans now that you’ve gotten your life back?”
“Back to the rangers, I suppose. Technically, I never left the service.” He stroked her face softly. “Do you think you could handle being married to someone with such a dangerous job?”
She smiled up at him and caught her breath. Had he just said he wanted to be with her forever? “I can if you can.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “I can’t promise you I’ll always come home.”
She leaned into him and smiled, feeling everything in her life finally settling into place. The best job, the best love and even a new relationship with the Lord. No matter what happened between them now, she would always trust in their love and trust that God was on their side.
“That’s okay,” she whispered. “I will always find you.”
* * * * *
Don’t miss these other RANGERS UNDER FIRE books by Virginia Vaughan:
YULETIDE ABDUCTION
REUNION MISSION
RANCH REFUGE
MISTLETOE REUNION THREAT
MISSION UNDERCOVER
Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!
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Keep reading for an excerpt from MOJAVE RESCUE by Tanya Stowe.
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Dear Reader,
Fun fact: Marcus Allen was never supposed to be a hero. When I started my Rangers Under Fire series, this character wasn’t even a blip on my radar. He didn’t show up in the series until book four and even then it was only a paragraph or two about his being killed in the ambush and how his body was never recovered. He was a side note, a character meant to explore the depths of one of my other rangers...until he became so much more. Those few mentions captured the hearts and minds of my readers, my editor and even my mom. They all were hoping they would see Marcus Allen again at some point.
So Marcus began to grow in my imagination and eventually became everything I expected my final ranger to be. This character was the perfect hero to end the series and I couldn’t be more pleased with how his story turned out. I hope you are, too.
Thank you for joining me and my Rangers Under Fire for this thrilling journey.
Blessings,
Virginia
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Mojave Rescue
by Tanya Stowe
ONE
“Bill, I did it!” Drina Gallagher almost dropped her cell phone in her excitement.
“Did what?” Bill Carlisle’s sleepy voice rolled across her senses, setting off a faint thread of regret for waking her boss in the middle of the night. Excitement quickly overrode the flash of remorse.
“I did it, Bill. I fixed the problem.”
“Drina? Do you have any idea what time it is?”
She didn’t. Secluded in a small office at the desert test facility, her focus had been completely fixed on the data that had turned up in today’s field test. Not only had she lost track of time, but Drina was at Edwards Air Force Base on the West Coast for the test. Bill was at the company headquarters on the East Coast...where it was three in the morning.
Mission--Memory Recall Page 17
