Living Lies (36 page)

“How very moving, but this is bullshit! Hector, it has been understood from the beginning that I get to pull the trigger.”

“Step back, Agent Parker, or
you
will be Raul’s first hit.”

Not to cause a distraction, Melanie held her breath. Raul’s raised gun was now aimed at Parker. As much as Parker wanted to be the one to kill Melanie, apparently it wasn’t worth his life. He stepped back.

“Wise decision. Well, Agent Ward, it has been a pleasure.”

Hector winked at her then gave a slight nod to Raul. Feeling nothing, Melanie stood and watched the last seconds of her life play out in slow motion: Hector striding away, Adam to her left was watching, Parker seething behind Raul and Raul standing purposefully before her. Melanie drew in a deep breath, smelling and tasting the dusty mold, then she gave her own nod of readiness and closed her eyes.

The explosion echoed in her ears.

She gasped as the first shot rung out, but it was the second that sent bolts of pain through her body. Her face. Like she’d been hit with a brick instead of a bullet.
Shot in the face
, she thought, wheezing in short puffs of air. Coughing out mouthfuls of dust, the pain was excruciating.

Her eyes were clamped shut and her ears rung as she instinctively reached for her face. The shackles were still attached to her wrists, but the chain had been shot clean through, and she was face-down on the ground.

Quickly, she ran her hands along her body. She hadn’t been shot. The pain was from colliding with the floor. Her instincts jumped to survival mode as movement caught her attention. It was Parker crouching low, crawling out the barn door. Raising up on her elbows Melanie turned to see Raul inches away, already dead, his brown eyes frozen in wide shock. Blood had begun to pool in his open mouth.

A sense of hope eased some of the pain as she heard the argument between Hector and Adam. The words were inaudible but Hector was on the wrong end of the barrel and he was enraged. Melanie ignored the two men and focused on building upon the meager amount of strength she had left. Struggling to her feet she fought the ache as another shot rang out.

Fear weakened her knees and her legs buckled under her, bringing her back to the dusty ground.

“Melanie!”

He’s coming
, Melanie’s heart raced in a panic. The adrenaline rushing, coursing, giving energy where a second before there was none, prompted her to stand. Anger gave her strength, and she waited until he was close enough before she pulled back her arm and swung, throwing the force of her entire body at him. Adam was quick – he leaned back, missing her fist, but he hadn’t allowed for the extra expanse of chain that hung from her manacle. A streak of blood cut across his left cheekbone as he caught her in mid stumble.

“Melanie, the place is going to blow!” he shouted, disregarding the slice. “You can kick my ass once we get out of here.”

Easily he captured her in his grasp and lifted her securely against his chest. Kicking at the rickety door through which Parker had escaped minutes earlier, Adam broke off a section large enough for them to squeeze through. The dry, stale air outside was perfumed by the concentrated odor of gasoline. A quarter-mile down the narrow dirt road, Parker’s SUV was kicking up a cloud of dust. Only the chrome bumper glimmering in the evening sun was still visible. The old barn, with its peeling red paint and leaning walls, was smoldering. A fire had already consumed the bottom half of the structure and, in the time it took Adam to run 30 yards through waist-high brown weeds, the loft collapsed with a great plume of smoke.

He was running toward the tree line, pressing her head into her chest.

“Keep your head down, it’s not over!” he shouted over the roar of the crumbling building.

She ducked her face into Adam’s shirt as the force of the blast hurled him off his feet. He landed on top of her in a clear spot among the pines. His arms wrapped around her head as they bounced on a thick layer of pine needles.

“Baby, baby, are you okay?”

Melanie did her best to squirm out from under his weight. Using her legs, she struggled against the soft earth. Even with extreme effort she moved only inches. She’d tasted freedom and she was determined not to die today.

“Get away from me,” her voice sounded strange to her – strangled with panic. Infuriated he’d heard her fear she struggled harder, scrambling until she smacked into a tree.

“Melanie, No!”

Using the trunk she pushed herself to stand.

“Okay, look, I’m not going to hurt you.” He stepped backward with his palms out in the “don’t shoot” position, Hector’s laptop tucked beneath his arm. “I’m going to reach in my pocket, see.”

When his hand came out it was holding a small, dark key.

“It’s for the cuffs. I’m going to unlock them.” His voice shook and his movements were deliberately slow as he knelt down and gently freed her from her chains.

“Oh, Jesus, Melanie.” His eyes darted from her wounded hands up to her wounded face. “I’m going to use my shirt as a bandage to stop the bleeding.”

Melanie nodded, leaning against the tree. He pulled off the white dress shirt she’d watched him put on that morning and tore it into strips. His hands worked quickly, efficiently nursing her wounds.

“Who are you?” she croaked.

His eyes were green and warm, filled with concern.

It was
him
.

A small sound of alarm squeaked out of her throat.

“I’m the man you’re in love with, the same man,” he said, still kneeling before her, gazing up.

“I don’t know you.”

“I’m so sorry, Melanie,” he said, dropping his head and leaning into her abdomen.

Melanie pressed her fingertips into his shoulders, pushing him off her.

“And you work for…?”

He shook his head. “Nobody.”

“Right,” she said, realizing she wasn’t going to get answers but persisted. “When did you know who I was?”

“Today when Hector told me. I had no idea, Mel. If I’d known you were Secret Service I’d have run in the other direction. Honestly, I left this life five years ago when I moved to San Diego. Hector saw me with you and he assumed you were a target. I let him. There was no other way to keep you alive. I thought he’d see right through me. I couldn’t look at you, Melanie, but I had to become
that guy
again.” He was still kneeling, pleading with his eyes for her to believe. “But that’s not me anymore. You
know
me.” Gently he took her hand and opened it against his chest where his heart was pounding against his rib cage.

“I’m too exhausted for this. Just tell me, where are you taking me?”

“I don’t know, to the hospital?” He tilted her face to the side to take a look at the damage. “You’re bleeding pretty badly.”

“Head wounds do that,” she said, confused.
Is he saving me?

“I know, but I don’t want to take any chances. Isn’t there someone you want to call? I lifted Hector’s phone,” he swallowed, like it was a difficult memory. “He really was like a brother to me – at one time, anyway.”

She felt no remorse for the loss of either Hector or his protégé. But here she was, outside of the burning tomb while Adam’s associate lay charred.

“You’re s-s-saving me?”

“Yes.” He slumped against her body, his arms hugging her tightly around the waist.

Her hands went to his head, her fingers in his hair. Blood was already beginning to seep through her neatly bandaged wrists. Could this be right? Was she comforting the assassin?

Police and fire sirens sounded from somewhere beyond the trees.

“I can’t be found here, I need to get away.” She said, looking into his eyes and wondering how there could be such evil underneath.

Adam hit the redial button and held the phone for her.

Her throat cracked when she heard Mike’s voice.

“Melanie, jeez, I’ve been trying to locate you. Keep the line open for two more seconds.” He was breathing heavily before yelling, “I’ve got you! Okay, the chopper is already in the air. 15 minutes. There’s a strip of highway due east of your current position.”

“I’ll be listening for it, I’m making my way to the road,” she said, but all she wanted was to rest.

Adam flipped the phone closed and lifted her in his arms. “We’ve got to get you closer to the highway,”

“I can walk.”

“I know you can, but let me carry you.”

It was awkward being in his arms, pressed against his bare chest. Conflicting emotions of love and fear.

She wanted to hate him, she wanted to feel only contempt, but Melanie closed her eyes and opened her ears, listening to his heartbeat.

Stop! You can’t still be in love with him! He’s a killer with cold dead eyes and has the devil as an acquaintance. But …
she breathed in his scent, felt his skin and he held her so tenderly.
You’re an idiot.

“How can I ever trust you?”

Adam knelt with Melanie still confined to the safety of his arms and said, “Melanie, you’re my family. I’ve spent my entire adult life alone, making the wrong decisions. I won’t make excuses for what I’ve done. Most of what Hector said is true. What I’d like to say is that when I did
those
things I wanted to die. I taunted death, challenged him, I
wanted
him to win. I never expected to be allowed to be happy. You’ve changed everything.”

“I don’t know. I have so many questions.”

“I’ll answer anything.”

There were too much – too many questions. She didn’t know where to start.

Adam continued. “Hector was my translator at the culinary school. When we first met we both had aspirations. He wanted to be a chef and I wanted to forget. In that first year at school he kept me going when I wanted to hide beneath a table. Then the oil refinery was closed and his family lost their jobs. Hector joined his father in protesting – Mr. Ortiz was a radical. I knew what I was doing when went along on the raids. I was caught. That’s how I ended up in jail.

“For months my parents got nowhere fighting the legal system. They flew to Mexico City to speak with officials, pleading with both governments to facilitate my release. On their way to the airport their taxi collided with a semi. The coroner said they died on impact.

“Prison was brutal and I thought I’d die there. Hector aligned with the new company who had purchased the refinery and they worked their magic to free me. I was in their debt and the price was that I join them. I swapped one prison for another. I sold my soul. I don’t really remember much about the following years. I numbed myself with whatever was available. I was 26 when Hector and I had a falling out over money so I went out on my own. I gave up the addictions and honed my craft and by the time I walked away I was considered the best.”

“You’re proud of that?”

“I was.”

“What made you quit?”

“I was hired to kill a man, an ex-assassin who decided not to play the game. He had a wife, baby son and a little girl with curly red hair and I couldn’t do it. I watched them all day outside their farmhouse. He had everything I wanted; I just didn’t know I wanted it until that day. I left, gave back the fee, unplugged my computer and vanished.”

Adam stared past her at the thick trees blocking out the sun’s evening rays.

“When my friends died I lost my mind. When my parents died I lost my heart. I didn’t care about anything or anybody. But, Melanie, you’ve given me my heart back. I was so scared today that I would screw up and I’d lose you, too.”

He closed his arms around her and she felt him shudder. A surge of emotion, kindness, love and affection washed over her as he held her protectively against his bare chest. Melanie leaned her cheek into the crook of his neck.

“You’re hurt,” he said, stroking her hair. It was the only spot that didn’t ache.

“I’m okay.”

“I’ve never loved like this, I don’t know how to act.” Melanie’s heart fluttered. “I love you, Melanie. I’ve been in love with you since the beginning of time. And I almost lost you without saying those words. God, I was foolish. I love you and I
will
protect you from the danger that causes.”

“Adam, I don’t know, I can’t think. I mean, aren’t you a fugitive?”

“There isn’t anybody actively seeking me. Hector was the only person who knew me and now,” he shrugged, “there’s Agent Parker.”

He was a problem.

“Could you still love me?” he asked, dragging his teeth over his bottom lip. “I’m not a monster anymore.”

How could she answer? She did love him – but would she after they were apart and she had time to think?

His weary eyes were pained and turning distant. Melanie recognized a crucial moment. Her heart hammered and she was suddenly scared, not of him but of losing him.

“I do love you.” She reached out with her bandaged hands and drew him to her. Her mouth was sore but she gently pressed her lips to his.