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She bit back the question on the tip of her tongue.
“Honestly, I have no idea.” She shrugged, unable to avoid his grin or to ignore just how good-looking he was with those dark brown eyes. She shoved the ridiculous thoughts away.
“The good news is that you were right about one thing,” she said. “The bullet skimmed your arm and the blood’s already clotting. You’ll need stiches, but you’ll survive.”
He smiled again. “That’s a relief.”
She looked way, focusing on his arm as she disinfected her hands then started cleaning the wound. The routine seemed familiar. Comfortable. And was the first time she’d felt in control since the accident.
Or at least as much as I can feel in control in a situation like this.
The reminder sent panic flooding through her again. She might not remember why she’d been in that car, but she did know those men were still out there. And something told her that missing spark plug wires weren’t going to slow them down for long.
She opened a butterfly bandage to hold the wound together, trying to stomp out her anxiety at the same time. “They could have flagged down a car to follow us.”
“I know. But there aren’t a lot of cars out on these back roads right now, especially with the storm coming. Besides, backup should be there by now.”
“I hope so.”
“Which means we’re even now,” he said. “I saved your life and now you’ve saved mine.”
She shook her head. “Your life hardly needed saving. Anyone could do this, though it seems...familiar.”
A memory flashed to the forefront. She was running through a long hall with tiled white floors. Someone was calling a name.
Tory.
Her name.
His hand on her shoulder brought her back to the present. “You okay?”
She nodded, her hands shaking as she repacked the first-aid kit. “I remembered something. My name’s Tory.”
He pulled his shirt back on and started buttoning it up. “That’s wonderful. And it means your memory’s coming back.”
“Slowly, but I still feel like I’m fighting my way through this heavy fog.”
He smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you, Tory. I’m Griffin, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you, as well.” His smile managed to erase some of her tension. “So we now know three things. My name’s Tory. I’m a witness in a case. And someone wants me dead.”
“Well, when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound quite so wonderful.”
“I guess there isn’t a nice way to put that, is there?” She laughed. “I’m just finding it kind of ironic that someone’s after me for what I know, but I can’t remember what it is.”
“Don’t worry.” He slammed the trunk shut then headed for the driver’s seat. “We’re going to figure this out, Tory... But for now, we need to get out of here.”
She climbed back into the front passenger seat, knowing he was right. She needed to find a way to fight the panic and stay focused on the fact that at least they were both alive.
Unlike the FBI agents.
“How are you feeling?” Griffin flipped on his blinker then sped back onto the highway.
“Seems like I’m the one who should be asking you that question.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me. I happen to have a really good doctor. In fact, she told me I’m going to live.”
Tory tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you always this funny?”
“My brothers would probably say no. That I’m the serious one of the bunch. But you didn’t answer my question.”
She smiled again, wondering how he kept doing that. Distracting her from the situation. “I’m okay for now. I just wish I could remember something significant.”
“Remembering your name’s pretty significant. That, and I think we might have figured out your profession.”
She leaned back against the seat. “Somewhere I must have picked up some medical experience.”
“I’m thinking a paramedic or maybe an ER doctor.”
“Maybe, but I’d suggest we don’t test that theory.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “I have to agree with you on that one.”
Even his smile couldn’t put her totally at ease. Two men had just died protecting her. She could not let that happen again.
Griffin glanced out his rearview mirror as he sped toward town, glad they’d finally made it onto the main highway.
More often than not, women made him feel nervous. As much as he enjoyed the small talk with the woman sitting next to him, he couldn’t shake the worry that whoever was after her was going to find her. On top of that, his arm felt as if it were on fire. But he couldn’t worry about that now. He was more concerned that the men who’d killed the FBI agents would find a way to pick up his tail despite his attempt to disable their motorcycles.
He was convinced they weren’t dealing with amateurs. The attack against the FBI escort had clearly been strategic. The drivers had known the route and had planned their assault. But at least Tory was safe for the moment. If she hadn’t escaped into the woods when she had, they’d either have her or she’d be dead now.
The other pressing concern was the weather. The news had been reporting for days that a huge storm system was sweeping in from the north. That meant he was going to need to get her somewhere safe before the roads became too dangerous to use.
Tory pressed her hands together in her lap then stared out the window. “It’s starting to snow again. How far out of Timber Falls are we?”
“Just a couple minutes.”
“Good. And it looks like the bleeding from your arm has stopped.”
His phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID. It was the sheriff’s office. He hoped they were calling with an update.
“What’s your ETA?” Sheriff Jackson asked as soon as Griffin answered.
“We’re almost to the Timber Falls exit.”
“Good. Just to be on the safe side, I’ve arranged for Dr. Swanson to meet you at the back entrance of the clinic. You should be able to slip the witness in without being noticed. Someone will also be there to sew you up if needed.”
“Thank you, but please tell me you found the guys who did this?”
“I wish I could say we did, but when backup arrived at the scene, they found the bikes, but no signs of the men. I put out a BOLO from the descriptions you gave us, but it’s not going to be easy to search for them with this storm coming in.”
“What about the accident scene?” Griffin took the exit and headed straight to the clinic located on the edge of the small town. “Was anything found that might give us answers?”
“That’s going to take time. The coroner just arrived to pick up the bodies. They’ve been ID’d as special agents Lincoln and Adler...but that’s really all we know at this point.”
Griffin frowned. He needed some good news. “Have you heard from the FBI yet?”
“I’m still waiting for them to call back. I’ll let you know as soon as they do.”
Frustrated, Griffin hung up then drove through the back of the clinic parking lot. “I know this has got to be unsettling.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I can’t get their faces out of my mind. They died trying to protect me.”
He parked in an empty space near the back door and shut off the engine, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms to tell her everything was going to be okay. Because he knew the truth. Sometimes things didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Sometimes, no matter how hard he tried, everything wouldn’t be okay.
“You know none of this is your fault,” he said finally.
“Really? Because the way I see it, those agents were killed because of me.” She stared straight ahead, that lost look back in her eyes. “It just seems so crazy. All the things I want to remember I can’t, and yet no matter how hard I try, I can’t get the picture out of my mind of that agent being shot and dying in front of me.”
“I’m so sorry you saw what you did. Sorry your being in the wrong place at the wrong time put you in this situation in the first place.”
“I guess as a deputy you would understand death.” She turned and caught his gaze. “Does it ever fade, some of the things you see?”
He looked away, wanting to ignore her question, but knew he couldn’t. “I’ve had to learn to deal with things I’ve seen, but that still doesn’t always make it easy. There are faces and stories I’ll never be able to forget.”
“Thank you for what you’ve done for me.”
He shrugged off the gratitude, ready for a change in subject. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Maybe, but you saved my life.”
Thirty minutes later the nurse had just finished stitching up Griffin’s arm when his phone rang again. He stepped into the small hallway at the back of the clinic for privacy and took the call.
“Deputy O’Callaghan...this is FBI Special Agent Mark Hill. I understand you have one of our witnesses in your custody. Victoria Faraday.”
“I do. We’re at the clinic in Timber Falls and she’s in with the doctor right now.”
“The report I received said she’s suffering from memory loss and you’d been shot.”
“I’m waiting for a report from the doctor about her, but yes. Thankfully the bullet just grazed me.” Griffin took a deep breath before asking, “I’m assuming you’ve received the news that both your agents were killed?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Griffin hesitated. “I’m extremely sorry for your loss.”
“So am I. They were good men that are going to be greatly missed. Jinx Ryder—the man behind this—has been a thorn in the FBI’s side for far too long.”
“What can you tell me about the case?”
“I can send you the file...but, briefly, she was out hiking eight months ago and witnessed the brutal murder of a couple not too far from where you are.”
“I remember that headline.”
“We’d been hunting Jinx for over a year. He’s suspected to be involved in a dozen other felonies, but we’ve never been able to pin anything on the man. Not until Victoria Faraday.”
“And she’s your eye witness.”
“Our only witness. That is why I need your help. The highway north of you was just shut down, which means it’s going to take some time to get anyone to you. They’re calling this the storm of the decade.”
Griffin glanced at the closed door where Tory was still meeting with the doctor. “What do you need me to do?”
“She’s going to need protection until we can get there.”
Griffin frowned. Playing the role of bodyguard wasn’t exactly on his to-do list for the weekend. While he wasn’t keen on babysitting, neither was he willing to leave her stranded.
“Can you get her somewhere safe for the next forty-eight hours or at least until this storm passes? Somewhere out of the way and secure until I can get someone there?”
Griffin mentally flipped through his limited options. “My parents own a ranch not far from here. I suppose I could take her there for a couple of days. It’s unlikely these guys would be able to track her down.”
“Sounds like the perfect plan. And, Deputy O’Callaghan...this needs to stay under the radar. Jinx clearly has a long arm. Someone was able to track down that escort—”
“Exactly, which has me worried.” Griffin vacillated, but he needed to know what was going on. “If you want to ensure her safety, you need to find out where your leak is.”
“I can assure you there is no leak—”
“I’m sorry, Agent Hill, but two of your agents were just murdered and your witness barely escaped with her life.”
“And we are doing everything we can to find out how that happened.”
At the end of the hall, Tory stepped out of the examination room with the doctor.
“I need to go,” the FBI agent said, “but keep me updated.”
Griffin frowned as he hung up. If the FBI didn’t find their leak—or at least admit they had one—keeping Tory safe might prove impossible.
THREE (#uf558d047-b5f5-5e7f-a852-889243c2fef8)
Tory stepped into the clinic hallway with the doctor, wishing he had given her a prescription to restore her memory. Instead he’d told her all she could really do was watch for symptoms and wait for her memories to return. But that was easier said than done. She was tired of fighting to resurrect memories she knew were there but couldn’t find. And scared at how vulnerable that made her feel.
“Deputy O’Callaghan...” The doctor dropped his pen into his front jacket pocket as Griffin walked up to them. “Sorry we took so long, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
“That’s fine,” Griffin said then turned to her. “How are you feeling?”
“While I did hit my head in the accident, the doctor believes my amnesia should resolve itself eventually.”
“That sounds like good news.”
“It is,” Dr. Swanson said. “In the meantime, she’ll feel as if her thoughts and memories are clouded, but clearly they are already slowly returning, which is a good sign. I would, though, like to keep her here overnight for observation—”
