Deadly Memories

by Mary Alford

  As much as he hated working in the dark, right now she was the only lead he had to capturing Alhasan. He had to think about what was best for Sam and his men and let go of his personal feelings.

  She shook her head. “If you call them in, I’m done cooperating. I’m serious, Kyle. I’ll walk away and you’ll never see me again.”

  “All right,” he said at last and prayed his decision wouldn’t cost more lives.

  * * *

  While Ella wanted to believe Kyle was one of the good guys, the stakes were too high for her to let down her guard even for a second.

  Joseph was all she could think of. She was so afraid for the boy’s safety. Why hadn’t she just done what Alhasan wanted? Kyle had all but told her he would take her someplace safe, which could only mean the Scorpions’ headquarters. She still had time to fulfill her mission.

  Ella shook her head. The idea of taking Kyle’s life filled her with sadness. She stuffed her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t do it, because she felt something for him that was unexplainable.

  She watched him squint through the falling snow as the path they were taking curved along the shores of Mountain Song Lake. For the moment, his full attention was on maneuvering the slick road and she could relax a little.

  Once they reached the lake house, he’d be expecting more answers, and she had no idea what she was going to tell him. She struggled to come up with a plan. Was there still a chance she could convince Alhasan she would cooperate long enough to find out where he was holding Joseph?

  With a drained sigh, she glanced out her window. There were only a handful of homes along this side of the lake. The road dead-ended past the last property. The lake house itself was secluded by trees and almost indiscernible from the road.

  Kyle stopped the car out front. “This should be it,” he said and surveyed the surrounding area with a frown. He was uneasy about the isolation. There would be limited means of escape should the enemy attack. How did she know that?

  “If nothing else, there should be no reason for anyone to come this way by chance. I guess that’s something.” He turned to look at her. “Ready to go inside?”

  Ella tried not to show her misgivings. She wasn’t anywhere close to being ready. She was terrified of what she’d find. Or wouldn’t. What if nothing about the place sparked a memory? Where did that leave her?

  Kyle seemed to read all her uncertainties. “You’ll know. One way or another, you’ll know.”

  She smiled her gratitude and slowly nodded. “Yes, you’re right.”

  He was being so protective of her even though she’d given him little to go on and no reason to believe her.

  When he returned her smile, she found the confidence she needed to face what lay ahead.

  “Good.” He got out and came round to open her door.

  Ella tried to control her fear-fueled breathing as they stepped up on the porch together. Kyle slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. Once he went inside, he glanced back to her. It was her turn. She said a quick prayer for answers and then stepped over the threshold into a world she didn’t know.

  Kyle closed the door and dropped the bag containing her meager possessions—a change of clothes and some toiletries provided by the military—next to it.

  Her hands actually shook. She was now only vaguely aware of Kyle as she moved to the compact living room and slowly looked around.

  There were a couple of windows that would allow for a breathtaking view of the lake. A stone fireplace in the corner rose up to meet the ceiling. Wood was stacked on the floor next to it. The only pieces of furniture in the room were a worn caramel-colored leather sofa and an easy chair tucked close to the windows with a Bible lying open on the table close by.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to imagine the people who had once lived here. Her parents. Shouldn’t she remember something about them by now? This was the house she’d grown up in. Surely she would recognize it if she really was who Alhasan told her she was.

  Ella sensed Kyle watching her, waiting for some sign her memories had returned. How could she tell him nothing was farther from the truth?

  She went over to the fireplace, where half a dozen pictures decorated the mantle. She recognized most of the people in them from the photo Tracy had given her. Moments in time captured at various stages of life. Marriage. The birth of their daughter. Ella as she grew into adulthood. Her high school and college graduations. Other pictures showed Ella with friends. Her years of captivity had changed her appearance drastically. She’d been through so much. She was drawn, her cheekbones hollow. Scarred physically and emotionally. She didn’t even recognize that happy girl in the photos.

  She glanced around the room. The people who once lived here didn’t care much for material things. The heart of this house was the precious memoires captured in those photos.

  Ella could no longer keep back her despair. Those memories were no clearer to her now than when she’d first looked at the photo. She dropped to her knees right there in front of the fireplace and covered her eyes with her hands. She hadn’t felt this lost even in her prison cell. Part of her had always believed that once she and Joseph were free and safe, everything would fall into place. That, along with Joseph, had kept her fighting all these years.

  Where did that leave her now?

  Kyle knelt down beside her and gathered her in his arms. Her usual tense reaction to his closeness was there, but for once she needed the human contact to keep the darkness at bay. She clung to him and he held her tight.

  “This isn’t my life, Kyle. I’m not this person,” she sobbed in a broken tone.

  It was a long time before he answered, and during that space she wondered what he was thinking. “I know it’s hard,” he said quietly. “But you have to be patient. You’ve undergone years of brainwashing and pain. You’ve only been home for a day. It could take weeks if not longer before your memories fully return.”

  He was trying so hard to be strong for her, and yet there was something in his tone. Did he believe what he said? Fear crept up. What if she was a sleeper agent Alhasan had brainwashed into thinking she was Ella? What if the real Ella was dead?

  “And if I never remember?” she asked in a shaken tone. The idea was terrifying. What if she had to live in this limbo for the rest of her life? How could she possibly exist?

  Kyle stroked a thumb across her cheek and she glanced up at him. The strength she saw in his eyes reached down deep inside her and chipped away at the distrust that had become part of her.

  “You will. All you need is time and rest. Once you’ve healed physically and emotionally, your memories will return. I’m positive of it,” he said with a tender smile.

  She wished she could be so certain, but Kyle had enough faith for the both of them. He was a good man. She touched a strand of his chestnut-brown hair and a sense of recognition shot through her. He wore it longer now.

  How would she know that?

  Ella sucked in a breath and scanned his handsome face as if searching for answers. Why did Kyle seem so familiar? It didn’t make sense. They’d never met before. Was it just her mind latching onto the details Alhasan had told her about Kyle?

  His smile suddenly evaporated, his eyes clouding with some unknown emotion. As they continued to stare at each other, just the faintest of recollections tormented her with uncertainty. He’d looked at her with that same expression once before. Her brows knit together, trying to understand what she was remembering.

  “What is it?” he asked when she couldn’t cover her perplexity. She couldn’t begin to explain why he was the only familiar thing in her world.

  “Ella?” he prompted when she didn’t answer.

  She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m just tired, I guess.”

  Sadness replaced the curiosity she’d seen in him
moments earlier. She wasn’t being truthful and he knew it.

  “Why don’t you stretch out for a bit?” he said and let her go.

  This wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted...well, she wasn’t really sure what she wanted, only that being with Kyle made her wish for things she couldn’t remember thinking about in the past. If she were truly Ella Weiss, then she had been in love once. Her fiancé, David, had proposed to her and they’d been engaged to be married. What had she felt back then? Had she been excited for their future together?

  “You’re right. I think I will lie down,” she managed.

  Kyle got to his feet and drew her up, as well. “I’m not sure which room was yours before, but the one just down the hall and on the ground floor is the safest.” She knew what he meant. It would be easy to escape should someone come after them.

  He grabbed her bag and headed that way. She slowly followed like a robot empty of emotion.

  Kyle deposited her bag next to the door and faced her. “Try to sleep, Ella. You’ll be surprised how much clearer things will appear once you’re rested.” He looked deep into her eyes and soon the tenderness she saw in him shifted to other wishes. He stepped closer, a mere whisper away, and she shuddered. She’d endured years of being hurt. She’d forgotten what it felt like to be handled tenderly like Kyle was doing now.

  Her eyes drifted closed. Seconds ticked by and then he brushed her hair from her face and pressed his lips against her forehead. Her eyes flew open. She recognized the gesture. She remembered it from... She couldn’t grasp the memory, and she’d never felt so frustrated.

  “I’m going to take a look around the area. Check things out. I’ll lock the door behind me just to be careful. Good night, Ella,” he said and turned and left before she could answer.

  Was it just her imagination or was there just a touch of regret in his tone?

  FIVE

  Kyle walked out the door like a man who had suffered a tremendous jolt. His intentions had started out good. She was upset; he wanted to comfort her. Yet the result had been unplanned and had ended in a kiss. He’d let his emotions win out. He couldn’t afford to do that if he wanted to keep her safe.

  Ella had been distraught. Confused by what was happening. He was positive she hadn’t recognized anything about the house or the family photos, and it didn’t make sense. He’d thought once she was in her childhood home, some of her past would return.

  She was so much like Lena. Their voices were almost identical, and every second he spent with Ella reinforced the likeness. Yet there were differences beyond the length of her hair. Emotional differences he couldn’t relate to his wife. Ella was filled with fear and distrust. Her insecurities evident. Lena never doubted herself.

  Still, he wondered what Lena would be like if she’d suffered the things Ella had.

  Kyle recalled his earlier conversation with Tracy, the outcome of which had been unexpected. When he’d pressed Tracy for something of Ella’s that might contain DNA evidence for testing, she’d gotten defensive. He partly understood. After all, the woman had just identified Ella and he was demanding more proof. Still, without concrete evidence, the question about her true identity would always haunt him. He couldn’t get the resemblance to his dead wife out of his head and wouldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up without something more solid.

  Now more than ever, he needed grounding. A friendly voice to tell him what he was thinking was way off base. Jase Bradford was one of the best agents Kyle had ever had the privilege of training. They’d grown close through their years of working together. He trusted Jase implicitly and he’d hand picked him to head the Scorpion team.

  Jase was only person he counted on to steer him in the right direction. He’d texted Jase earlier, when they first reached the house, with the license plate number and the information Ella had told Kyle about him being Alhasan’s target.

  This time he’d call.

  “Buddy, I’m glad you called. I have the info on the plate. Looks like it belongs to a man by the name of Peter Duncan. The address is 907 Laurel Lane, right there in Mountain Song.”

  Kyle typed the address into Google Maps. “It’s here on the lake.” An awfully big coincidence.

  “I don’t think I buy this is all just a fluke,” Jase said in an ominous tone. “I’ll do some checking on Duncan. See what I can find out about his past. In the meantime, keep your eyes open for him.”

  “I will. Maybe I’m being paranoid. Seeing problems that don’t exist.”

  “After what happened today at the church, I’d say you have good reason to be cautious,” Jase assured him.

  Kyle managed a laugh. It was good hearing his friend’s voice after everything that happened since the desert. “You’re right. That was a bit hairy.”

  “How are things there? Any progress with Ella?” Jase asked as if sensing he needed to talk. Kyle closed his eyes. So far, nothing that was happening with Ella or the assault in town made sense, and he’d lost his ability to analyze the situation clearly.

  He explained how Ella refused to let him call in the team. Jase’s silence told him that didn’t sit well. “I’d be curious to know why she doesn’t want us involved.”

  “I wish I knew,” Kyle said wearily. He told Jase about Ella not recognizing Tracy or her own family home. “What do you make of it?” he asked, because he needed Jase’s opinion. The man had worked closely with Lena before her death.

  The amount of time it took for Jase to respond promised an unwelcome answer.

  “I know I don’t have to tell you this, but you have to be very careful. I see it, too, Kyle. The photo you sent of her while you were at Bagram, well, her resemblance to Lena is unsettling, to say the least. Which is all the more reason you have to protect yourself. I know how much you hurt when you lost Lena. I don’t want you to have to go through that again.” Jase paused a second longer and then confirmed Kyle’s greatest fears. “You have to accept the fact that she could have been groomed for use by Alhasan simply because she does resemble Lena.”

  Kyle understood exactly what Jase meant. Losing his wife had pretty much crippled him. If he hadn’t turned to God and had his faith to lean on, he wasn’t sure he would have made it through.

  “I know, but it’s so hard. Being near her. Seeing Lena in some of her gestures...” He stopped and glanced around at the moonless night. But she wasn’t Lena and that was the hard part. Everything about her reminded him of what he’d lost.

  As always, Jase had his back. “I can’t even imagine. All the more reason to be cautious.” Jase was only trying to protect him, but following that advice was getting harder to do.

  “I’ve tried contacting Liz, but she’s not answering. Have you heard anything from her yet?” Jase asked.

  As happy as he was to change the subject, it had now been almost forty-eight hours since he’d last spoken to his second in command. He’d talked with Alex Booth, who had filled him in on what happened. She and Michael had been chasing down a location they believed might lead to where the hostages were being held. When they didn’t check in after a few hours, Booth had ordered a search party to be dispatched with him and Dalton leading the team. Kyle told Jase what he’d found out.

  “I don’t like it. It isn’t like Liz not to check in.” Jase said, his fears mirroring Kyle’s.

  “You’re right.” It was as if they’d disappeared into thin air. “Hopefully, we’ll have good news soon,” Kyle said and wished he felt as positive.

  “Let’s hope. I’ll let you know what I find out about Duncan.” Jase paused a second and then added, “I’m praying for you and so is Reyna.”

  Kyle was humbled by his friend’s concern. Although he and Reyna had only known each other for a short time, he felt as if Jase’s wife was a good friend already.

  “Thanks. Tell Reyna the same. In my book you can never h
ave enough prayers.”

  Jase chuckled. “You got that right. ’Night, buddy. Stay safe. If you need our help, don’t hesitate, no matter the time.”

  Kyle ended the call without any real sense of peace and took stock of his surroundings. On the other side of the lake, only a single house was lit up. It had been dark when they’d arrived. He had no idea how many others were across the way.

  They’d passed three homes on the road leading to the lake house. All appeared empty. Tracy had told him there were lots of vacation homes up here so it stood to reason not too many would be occupied full-time.

  Still, his training had him going over an exit strategy in his head. With no other houses past theirs, the only feasible way out without a vehicle would be on foot. If someone ventured this way, there would be no retracing their steps to the main road. The lake appeared to be more than half a mile across. Swimming it would be a near-impossible feat in Ella’s physical condition and with the December cold. Hypothermia would set in within minutes.

  He glanced back at the house. He’d closed all the blinds and had kept the lights off, so it was dark inside. He’d give anything to understand this pull she had on him beyond her physical resemblance to Lena. If felt as if there was a connection between them that defied explanation.

  Had he lied when he told her everything would be better when she was rested? What if she woke up and remembered everything about her life as Ella? What if she didn’t?

  Kyle wasn’t sure which he hoped for anymore. Throughout the long, lonely years while he’d grieved for his wife, he’d also had a sense of something left unfinished with Lena’s death that couldn’t be explained. He’d always assumed it had something to do with the argument they’d had before she left for that final mission. But what if it was more?

  Foolish. He had to let go of those thoughts and stay focused.

  He made his way down the short path to the shore. There was a boat dock close by that he assumed the neighboring houses shared, yet no boats were secured there.