Texas Showdown Page 10

  “That, too,” he said, sounding surprised that she hadn’t caught on. From their conversation so far, she gathered that she’d been through something traumatic. The rancher, her husband, seemed like he wanted to tell her something to stir her memories, but he was afraid to cause more trauma. If she could figure out what happened a year ago, she could possibly unlock her memories.

  A snap, like popping open a Coke can, came from the right followed by a long fizzing sound and so much smoke that Maria couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. Her eyes watered and burned as she tried to push her way out of the heavy fog, desperate to break through and find clean air. She coughed and wheezed, her throat feeling like someone had lit a blaze inside.

  She coughed again and it felt like her throat was closing up on her. She dropped to the cement, banging her knees in the process.

  White smoke was everywhere and it felt like liquid was coming out of every pore...her nose, her eyes. Everywhere but her mouth, which felt like she was chewing on sandpaper. A tacky taste had her gagging as she felt her way around, trying to find something to grab onto that could bring her out of the fog. She tucked her chin to her chest and pulled her shirt up to her eyes, trying to filter the air.

  She tried to scream but ended up in a coughing fit instead, gagging on mucus lodged in the back of her throat. It felt like her tonsils were on fire.

  Strong hands gripped her from the ground where she was on all fours, clawing for purchase on the cement. She was beginning to feel disoriented and nauseous. Her eyes itched and all she could think about was scratching, finding some kind of relief for the intense burn.

  The next thing she knew she was being hauled up to her feet and moved out of the fog. She stumbled, trying to keep pace, but fell to the ground again. Those same familiar hands tugged on her shirt until they took hold of her arms again.

  There was a struggle going on behind her, male voices that she couldn’t quite make out through ears that itched incessantly.

  And then she heard the unmistakable crack of a gun.

  Chapter Nine

  Maria strained to get a visual on the person dragging her out of the smoke. She tried to speak but only coughed more. The next thing she knew she was on the ground alongside the male figure who’d saved her. His hands had felt so familiar and instinct said they belonged to Austin.

  Either way, both of them were gasping for oxygen as the sounds of police sirens pierced the air.

  Within a few seconds, voices surrounded both her and the male figure next to her in a circle. She squinted through blurry eyes well enough to see that it was Austin lying beside her and relief washed over her. They were on their backs and neither seemed able to move.

  “You’re going to be okay. Help is on the way,” one of the voices said as the sirens drew near.

  The city of Austin had a solid police presence and she was never more grateful for that fact than now.

  Maria tried to sit up and get a visual on Cliff. It was no use. Her eyes were too blurry and she couldn’t stop coughing. She’d lost the sound of his voice somewhere in the thick of the struggle.

  The next thing she knew an oxygen mask was being placed over her nose and mouth. She took in a couple of deep breaths before she tried to stand.

  “That’s not a good idea right now.” An EMT’s face blocked her view. She glanced toward Austin who was already pushing to his feet.

  Maria needed to see Cliff. She’d lost all contact inside the smoke bomb and she wanted to make sure he was being attended to.

  “This is Lieutenant Danville of APD and I need all onlookers to clear the area,” came a strong male voice over a PA system. She glanced around through burning eyes and realized a small crowd had gathered.

  She pulled the mask up far enough to ask, “My partner was with us. Is he okay?”

  The EMT immediately repositioned the mouth covering on her face as she coughed.

  “I’m not sure, ma’am. I can ask for you if you’ll keep this on,” he stated.

  She was already nodding and making an effort to speak again.

  “Hold on. Just let me make sure you’re good to go,” he said. The EMT’s shirt had the name Roger embroidered above the pocket.

  Maria lifted the mouthpiece again and coughed. “Roger, my partner might be lying in that fog, taking his last breath. So, I’m not keeping this thing on and sitting here doing nothing until I know that he’s out of there safely.” Her voice was scratchy and sounded like she’d swallowed fire but she didn’t care. At this point, all she cared about was making sure that Cliff had been found and that bullet, meant for her, hadn’t done any damage to her friend. He had a wife and kids to go home to.

  And then she saw the stretcher and an EMT straddled over a lifeless body as he hammered a man’s chest—a man who could only be Cliff—counting beats as he tried to pump air into his lungs. The EMT pinched the bridge of Cliff’s nose and blew measured breaths into his mouth.

  Roger said something to her, something like an affirmation, but his voice was distant as a few memories from the past assaulted Maria. Guilt fisted her chest as she remembered the incident with her training officer, Carl Sullivan, during her rookie year of police work. He’d been the one driving when they’d chased a suspect to the Natural Bridge Caverns north of the city.

  The perp had abandoned this old turquoise blue Chevy with a license plate so bent it had been impossible to read and ran inside the dark cave. It struck her as odd what the mind chose to remember in times like these, she thought.

  The place had been closed to the public but they’d chased the perp into the caverns, believing that he was alone. Two against one were odds that Carl had always bet on. Adrenaline had had Maria’s legs pumping to keep up with her athletic training officer.

  Carl had ordered Maria to call for backup, which forced her to slow down as she radioed in the request. She received confirmation that someone was ten minutes away, possibly eight as she rejoined the chase. Carl had charged ahead, flashlight and weapon leading the way, just as she’d practiced dozens of times in scenarios training.

  She’d followed Carl and the perp into the cavern as her heart pounded against her ribs. There was no way she planned to be the weak link. Being a woman in law enforcement already gave her an uphill battle to win her colleagues’ respect. The men didn’t trust each other easily and she knew going in that she’d have a more difficult time winning their respect as a woman. Maria had been up for the challenge.

  Carl had been ambushed at the same time she caught up with him. The perp had slammed a rock into Carl’s head, the force of the blow killing him instantly, and then used Carl’s service revolver to try to shoot Maria. She’d repositioned behind a large calcium formation and the bullet had pinged past so close to her ear that she swore she could hear the whistle ringing inside her head for weeks afterward. Before she could get a good visual on the perp, she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her. She was essentially sandwiched in between two escaped convicts.

  If backup hadn’t arrived when it had and scared them off, she’d be dead. Her TO Carl Sullivan had been her mentor. He and his wife had been expecting their first child. And murder had followed Maria once again.

  Pain engulfed her, leaving her feeling like she was on fire from the inside out. It was all starting to come back as she breathed into the plastic mask covering her face. There was such a thin piece of material between clean air and more of that fog that made her lungs ache.

  Needless to say, the perps had disappeared from the cavern. She’d discharged her weapon and had been put on desk duty pending internal investigation and psychological evaluation. In the coffee room before her shift, she’d heard another officer make a snide remark about hoping to hell that she wasn’t assigned to him. She’d rounded the corner and brushed past him to make sure he knew she’d heard him. He’d apologized and she acc
epted. She’d never breathed another word about the incident and had shoved down her feelings of how much it had hurt. But she knew that he’d been right about her. She was unlucky to those she cared most about.

  More memories crashed down around her. Memories of her life with Austin at the ranch, of the baby they’d lost. She remembered how she and Austin had drifted apart, the long walks she’d taken, the conversations that had been left on the tip of her tongue but never said.

  She’d been seven months pregnant. They’d picked out a name, Raina. The nursery had been almost finished.

  And then the cramps had come, the blood...the loss.

  More bad luck, people had said. And she’d realized that it wasn’t bad luck at all. It was her luck.

  * * *

  AUSTIN LEANED HIS head back against the headrest of the police cruiser as he went through the events. He, Maria and Cliff had been ambushed by someone using tear gas. Whoever did this had military skills. Things hadn’t gone as the attacker had expected and Austin figured he was at least part of the reason. He’d been hanging back to give Maria and Cliff a chance to talk and the attacker must not have realized that he was with them. An attack in broad daylight with people everywhere meant this guy was escalating.

  Cliff was already at the hospital and, thankfully, not the morgue. He was in great physical shape and that would most likely save his life.

  The officer parked the vehicle and escorted them upstairs to Maria’s loft. Austin figured he could handle everything from here, but the officer would have orders to stay with them and Austin had no plans to make the man’s job more difficult than it already was by arguing.

  “You’re welcome to come inside,” Austin said to the uniformed officer who’d introduced himself as Edward Long.

  “My SO asked me to check the place out,” Officer Long said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go in first.”

  Maria unlocked and opened the door.

  “Be my guest.” Austin held his hand out, palm up after stepping inside. “Let me know if there’s anything you need from us.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d stay near the door until I signal,” Officer Long said.

  “You got it,” Austin agreed. Compliance would go a long way toward gaining cooperation should they need it down the road and with the way the situation was escalating, they just might.

  “I need to call Vic and give him an update,” Maria said, palming her cell as soon as Officer Long gave them the all clear. There was something different about her since the latest attack and Austin wondered if memories were surfacing. She’d been quiet in the back of the cruiser on the way to the loft.

  “That’s a good idea,” Austin agreed. “But I’m taking you to the ranch.” He almost said the word home instead of ranch. He’d caught himself before making the mistake.

  “I’m starting to remember a few things.” She stepped into the kitchen and then spun around to face him. “So, let’s think this through for a minute before I pitch it to my boss. There’s enough security and everything’s already in place.” She glanced up at him. “Overall, it’s a good idea. However—”

  “I know there’s something going on there but that’s about my parents. Whoever is behind it, and believe me when I say we’ll figure it out soon enough, they don’t want anything to do with you,” he said. “Besides, after we found Denali they have to know that we’re onto them. Everyone’s watching and security is even tighter. The place is on lockdown so no one unfamiliar is getting past the gate.”

  “I got so wrapped up in the last couple of hours I forgot to ask about Denali. Has there been any word?” she asked, and her voice was raw and husky from the smoke she’d inhaled.

  “Dallas texted that he’s in bad condition but stable for now. I’d like to be near him...in case—” He couldn’t say the rest, the unthinkable, that anything could happen to the family dog. Denali had been Austin’s near-constant companion, especially during all those late nights after Maria had left.

  “It’ll be easier for you to keep an eye on ranch business, too,” she said. “If you’re sure that you want me around.”

  “I’ve come this far,” he said, not sure how to take that. Had she remembered something? Her eyes said she had. “I have plans to see this through if you’ll allow me.”

  “I’d like that.” She held up her cell. “I’ll just get Vic on the phone and update him on our plans.”

  Vic answered on the first ring. Maria introduced him to Austin after putting the call on speaker. Then, she briefed her boss about the situation with Cliff. Her tone was controlled and intense as she focused on relaying facts. Austin remembered how much he’d admired her dedication to her job, to her cases. He’d always understood on some level that her devotion had come out of her need to give others the justice she never had for her mother. For herself.

  “You’re going into protective custody,” Vic said after a long pause. There was real panic in his voice and Austin could tell that he cared about Maria and his agents. As much as he wanted to point a finger at someone, anyone, for Maria’s late nights at work, he’d heard Vic tell her several times to pull back.

  “That could take time to set up the right place,” Austin said. “I’d rather take her back to the ranch. We have the best security team available and especially given such short notice. I think it’s the safest place for her under the circumstances and it’ll be easier to control the environment around her.”

  This wasn’t the time to bring up the fact that there was a murderer who had access to the ranch. He and his brothers had begun to suspect Uncle Ezra, but he’d been with Aunt Bea the night of their parents’ murders. She’d given him an alibi and thanks to the tension that had always been between the two, her word could be trusted. She wouldn’t take something like that lightly no matter how much she disliked her brother. And the two had been at odds since long before Austin could remember.

  The silence on the other end of the phone hopefully meant that Vic was considering supporting the idea.

  “I’ll send someone as extra help,” Vic said on a sharp sigh.

  “That’s not necessary,” Maria said. She’d started shaking her head the minute her boss started speaking.

  Austin held his hand up and caught her gaze. “I’m fine with it. We can always use more eyes on the situation. Just send me a name and I’ll have him cleared with my security team.”

  “Will do,” Vic said. “I’ll see who I have and send them over. I’ll arrange for Officer Long to escort you to your premises.”

  “The address will be on your phone as soon as we hang up,” Austin said. Cooperating with Vic would help her career in the long run. “Any chance I can run her into the office tomorrow to take a look at her caseload? There might be a direct link between these attacks and her cases.”

  A heavy sigh came through the line.

  “I’ll need her statement anyway. I’ll work something out with Internal Affairs so she can come in,” Vic said. “Take care of her in the meantime.”

  “I can take care of myself,” Maria said, her back stiffening as her stubborn streak kicked into gear.

  Austin couldn’t help but crack a smile.

  “When you’re running at a hundred percent I have no doubt that’s true. Right now, you’re injured and I’m not visiting another agent in the hospital if I have anything to say about it,” Vic said slowly and with authority. “And let me remind you that I’m still your boss.”

  He was right and Maria seemed to know that when she bit her lip instead of putting up more of an argument.

  Austin was glad she didn’t try to push their luck. They’d scored a major victory in getting her boss to agree to the ranch. “We’ll be in constant contact as we work together to figure this out.”

  “Good.” Vic seemed to be relaxing a little. Not much. But a little. “Take c
are of yourself, Maria. You’re one of, if not the best agent I have and I don’t want anything else happening to you.”

  The compliment seemed to catch her off guard. “You got it, chief. No more bad guys catching up to me.”

  She ended the call and set her phone on the counter. “I’ll just pack a few things and we can head out.”

  Her phone buzzed a minute later, indicating that she had a text.

  “Vic is putting Officer Long on the first watch, so he’ll be the one to meet with your security,” she said, and then she pulled out a duffel bag.

  Austin nodded and took in a sharp breath.

  They were going home.

  * * *

  “THIS PLACE IS exactly the same as I remember it,” Maria said somberly as Austin pulled into the garage and parked. There was a flicker of something that looked a lot like hope in her eyes but it disappeared like a star blinking in the night.

  “It hasn’t been that long since you were here,” he said. Something had changed in her and Austin was still trying to pinpoint it as the cruiser parked in front of the house.

  He closed the garage door and led her into the kitchen. Officer Long was already at the front door, so Austin showed him in.

  “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” Austin asked the officer.

  “Yes, sir,” Officer Long said. “Mind if I take a look around?”

  “Be my guest. I’ll put on a fresh pot.” Austin went to the kitchen as the officer moved to the sliding glass door to the patio.

  “I remember where the guest bedroom is. I’ll just put my things in there.” Maria motioned toward the hallway opposite the master.

  “Just set your bag down there,” he said, pointing next to the couch in the living room. She’d have to walk past the nursery to get to the guest room and he didn’t want that to hit her out of the blue, especially since she didn’t seem to remember.

  She paused for a second like she was about to argue but then did as he’d asked.