Wade thought his brother was being overly sensitive, given his tumultuous past relationship with Marshs eldest daughter, Rita, but he knew better than to push him. Jesse had his own way of doing things, and arguing made him dig his heels in that much more firmly. I could try calling him myself, he suggested.
Do you think it would get you anywhere?
Wade doubted it. He might not have the baggage of a failed engagement with Rita the way Jesse did, but it wasnt likely the general would talk to him, either. The family lived less than a quarter mile away, along the lakeshore, but they were hardly friendly neighbors.
Still, there were lives at stake, the missing Harlowes included. It was worth a try. I wont know until I give it a go, he answered Jesses question.
Well, dont try it tonight, Jesse warned. The generals one of those early to bed, early to rise types. And New Yorks an hour ahead.
New York?
Oh, right. I didnt mention that. Evie said the general and his wife are in New York City with Rita. Trousseau shopping.
Ouch. Ritas getting married?
Yeah. Some N.Y.U. professor she met when he was doing lectures at Emory. They hit it off and now shes gotten a job as a history lecturer at some high-priced private prep school in Manhattan.
Jesse hid it well, but Wade knew his brother still had some unhealed scars from his broken engagement to Rita Marsh, even though the relationship had ended years ago. Wade supposed Ritas upcoming marriage might make a few of those old scars bleed again.
Poor idiot.
Ill email you the phone number. You can try him in the morning, Jesse said. Ive got to check with everyone else and see where we are on the rest of the caseload. Talk to you later.
Wade hung up and stared at his outstretched leg. It looked almost normal now, only the slightest bulge in the knee joint betraying the grievous injury that had nearly cost him his leg. Several surgeries and a knee replacement had spared him the fate of all too many of his fellow Marines. Though, considering how well some of his old military buddies were doing, artificial limbs and all, he had begun to wonder if the efforts to keep his leg had been a fools errand.
The torn muscles, tendons and ligaments, along with some nerve damage, meant the leg would never be the same. Hed had to leave the Marines, unable to meet the fitness requirements anymore.
Jesse had taken him on at Cooper Security because he was a Cooper, not because there was much he could offer the company in his current state. He wasnt brainy like Isabel or cagey like Rick. He didnt have a special skill set like Shannons computer genius or the analytical skills of his sister Megan. Before his injury, hed been a bear of a man, strong and athletic, able to outrun and outfight anyone who challenged him.
All that was gone now.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
He pushed to his feet, ignoring the pain in his leg, and headed for the back door again. He might not be Super Marine anymore, but he could stop grousing about what he couldnt do and go get a poor, wet old tomcat out of the rain.
The rain had stopped while he was talking to Jesse, but a damp fog remained, curling around his neck like phantom fingers. He shook off a little shiver and called out the door. Ernie!
This time, at the sound of his voice, a gray apparition appeared out of the dark woods, streaking across the backyard and coming to a stop at the edge of the patio. Now sheltered by the metal awning, the cat took his time stalking across the concrete patio, his bushy gray tail twitching in the air.
He came with another gift, Wade saw with dismay. It looked like a red and gray scarf.
It was only when Ernie got closer that Wade saw red splotches on his pale gray muzzle, as well.
Ernie laid the gift at Wades feet and purred softly.
Wade grimaced as he bent to pick up the scarf, his bum knee growling with pain. He let his good leg take most of his weight as he shook out the wet scarf. The drops of water that hit the patio at his feet were stained red.
Lifting the fabric to his nose, he sniffed. The metallic odor of blood hit him hard.
Ernie, are you hurt? Draping the scarf over the back of one of the outdoor chairs, he picked up the cat, even though he knew Ernie didnt like being handled. The cat wriggled but let him examine his red-stained muzzle without scratching or biting. The red came off easily, and Wade could see no sign of any injury to the cat.
But the blood seemed fresh. Had he caught a mouse or a squirrel before he committed his latest act of theft?
Lets get inside, boy. He opened the door, and Ernie scooted inside. The cat waited patiently for him to pour food and settled in front of the water heater, munching the kibble from an old plastic bowl Wade had designated for the cats use.
Wade went back outside and picked up the scarf. Taking another sniff, he caught a whiff of perfume mingled with the blood. The scarf itself was pale gray silk, more decorative than useful.
His gaze drawn to the woods from which Ernie had emerged, Wade started limping across the yard to the edge of the tree line. Hello? he called into the dense darkness beyond.
There was no answer.
As he peered into woods, he felt something rub against his leg. Ernie had rejoined him, staring up at him with luminous green eyes. He must not have pulled the door completely closed.
What did you find out there, boy?
The cat sniffed the air and padded quietly into the woods. He went about five feet and stopped, looking back at Wade.
Was the bloody feline trying to lead him somewhere?
The cat continued forward. Wade followed.
The undergrowth grew more dense, vines and fallen limbs twisting around his ankles, making the trek into the woods unexpectedly perilous. For a man whod grown up in these woods, whod once considered them as much his home as the old brick and clapboard farmhouse where his father still lived, feeling alienated from his old playground was disconcerting.
It was the leg. The weakened muscles, the artificial joint, the constant sensation of feeblenessWade felt as if he were dragging around an alien limb, one that could turn on him in an instant given the opportunity.
Panic rose like cold fingers up his spine. He quelled the feeling with ruthless determination and upped his pace through the woods, ignoring the faint quiver low in his gut.
Ahead, Ernie had stopped near a broad-trunked oak tree. The cat moved cautiously around the tree, his tail flicking with curiosity. Wade caught up and circled the tree, as well.
The first thing he saw was a pale, blood-streaked hand. Small. Female.
Dark hair splayed out across the ground, wet from the rain and, in places, from blood, as well. Her face was half buried in the loamy mixture of old, dead leaves and newly fallen ones that carpeted the forest floor.
Wade started to kneel, grimacing at the sharp pain in his knee. He adjusted position, bending from the waist instead, and felt her throat for a pulse.
The woman moved at his touch, a quick, almost violent recoil. She turned wild, dark eyes toward him, though he didnt think she was actually seeing him. Blood coated one side of her face from a long gash near her hair line that was still oozing blood.
I dont know anything, she gasped, slapping his hands away.
Shh, Wade murmured, reaching into his pocket for his phone. Its okay. Youre going to be okay.
I dont know anything, she gasped, slapping his hands away.
Shh, Wade murmured, reaching into his pocket for his phone. Its okay. Youre going to be okay.
I dont know...anything.... Her eyes rolled back in her head and she was out again. He punched 911 into the phone and checked her pulse again. Steady, if too fast. But her skin was icy to the touch. If she wasnt already going into shock, it wouldnt be long.
Wade shrugged off his jacket and laid it across her, tucking in the edges while he told the 911 dispatcher the situation. The injured woman made a low groaning sound, deep in her chest, but remained utterly still.
He couldnt make out much about her in the dark, other than a general description: female, youngish, dark hair and dark eyes. There was something vaguely familiar about her, though he was pretty sure hed never met her before.
The 911 dispatcher offered to stay on the line with him, but he told her he was going to call his cousin Aaron, a sheriffs deputy. He lived close by and might be able to beat the paramedics there.
Aaron answered on the second ring. Whats up, Wade?
Wade explained what hed stumbled onto. Not sure what happened to her, but I think this could be a crime scene.
On my way, Aaron said.
True to his word, Wades cousin arrived within five minutes, ahead of the paramedics, swinging a bright flashlight as he moved toward Wade through the woods. Wade?
Over here! Wade waved him over.
Aaron hiked through the underbrush with ease, his long legs eating up big chunks of real estate at a time. He carried a large blanket in one arm and had his Smith & Wesson M&P 40 in his weapon hand. Behind him, his wife, Melissa, followed in his wake, struggling to keep up with her big husbands long strides.
Reaching Wades side, Aaron aimed the flashlight beam toward the woman. Her eyelids crinkled when the bright light hit them, and she groaned again as she turned her face toward the ground to block out the light.
Thats a good sign, believe it or not, Melissa said, crouching beside the woman. She checked her carotid pulse, just as Wade had. Maam? I need to take a look at you. Are you awake?
Wade kicked himself. Why hadnt he been checking her over, trying to keep her awake? Had the damned Kaziri rebels shot all his good sense out of him when they nearly took off his knee?
You cant crouch beside her. You cant kneel. Better to let someone able-bodied take over the hero business, right?
Wade?
Wade looked up at his cousin, tamping down his irritation with his own weakness. Yeah?
Take a look at her face. Aaron moved the beam of the flashlight over the womans face again.
She had turned back toward them, some of the blood on the side of her face smeared away by the leaves on the ground, revealing more of her features.
Wades breath caught. Son of a bitch.
Its her, isnt it? Aaron asked.
Wade nodded, gazing at the pale oval face of the woman he and his family had spent the last three weeks trying to find.
Melissa looked up at them. Who?
Annie Harlowe, Wade answered. Daughter of the missing Air Force general.
Aaron looked at Wade, his expression grim. So if shes here, where the hells the general?
Chapter Two
Annie couldnt remember the dream, only that it had left her heart thundering in her chest and her stomach roiling with nausea. She woke to painin her shoulders, her wrists, her knees and especially her head, which felt as if it had been hollowed out and filled with burning agony.
For some reason, she expected to open her eyes to bright lights and chaos, but the room around her was blessedly dark, save for a faint light seeping in from the doorway several feet away. The unfamiliar bed supporting her weakened body was uncomfortable, the gloom-shrouded surroundings dull and sterile.
A shadow moved to her right, and her heart skipped a beat.
Youre awake. The voice was low and soft, broadened by a southern accent.
Who are you? Where am I?
Im Wade Cooper, the shadow answered. And youre on the fourth floor of Chickasaw County Hospital.
The pain made a little more sense. Howd I get here?
I found you semiconscious in the woods near Gossamer Lake.
She narrowed her eyes and instantly regretted it as agony streaked through her forehead. She lifted her hand to the aching spot and found a bandage. What happened to me?
Dont know yet, Wade said. Think you can handle the light?
She wanted to say no, as she was pretty sure the last thing her throbbing brain could handle was anything bright. But she didnt like talking to a shadow, so she said, Yes.
He rose to his feet and turned on a light over the bed. After the initial shock, her eyes adjusted quickly to the mercifully dim light and the headache settled into bearable territory. Her visitor sat down, giving her a better look at him. Early thirties, she guessed. Lean and fit, with broad shoulders and a pugnaciously masculine jaw. In the low light, his eyes looked coal-black and mysterious, but his calm, neutral expression suggested her mind was playing tricks on her.
You okay? he asked.
I think so. She noted his clothingjeans and a green plaid shirt under a faded denim jacket. Youre not a doctor.
He smiled, flashing a set of straight white teeth. No maam, Im not.
Where did you say I am, Chickasaw County? In Georgia? She couldnt remember if there was a Chickasaw County in Georgia. She seemed to have a lot of gaps in her memory all of a sudden.
Chickasaw County, Alabama, he corrected.
Alabama? She frowned, the movement sending another dart of pain through her injured scalp. What the hell was she doing in Alabama?
You dont remember how you got here?
Before she could answer the question, the door to the hospital room opened and a man in green surgical scrubs entered, holding a chart. His eyes widened with surprise when they met hers. Youre awake. He glanced at Wade. And you have a visitor, he added, his tone disapproving. Well past visiting hours.
Wade looked briefly sheepish but didnt move. I didnt want her to wake up in the hospital all alone.
Annie slanted a quick look at him, surprised by the kindness in his voice. She worked in Washington, D.C., where random acts of kindness werent exactly the norm, at least not in the circles in which she ran.
Nice of you, the doctor said without much sincerity in his clipped tone. But I need to examine my patient now.
Wade started moving toward the door. For the first time, Annie saw that he walked with a visible limp.
Wait, she said as he reached the exit.
He turned in the doorway, his powerful shoulders and lean hips silhouetted by the light from the corridor. Built like a cowboy, she thought, her dry lips curving at the notion. Yeah? he said.
Are you leaving? The hospital, I mean. Hating the neediness she heard in her voice, she told herself shed be better off if he said yes.
No, I reckon Ill stick around a bit. His face was in shadow, but she thought she could make out a smile.
Then he was gone, leaving her alone with the doctor.