Take Me If You Dare (14 page)

T
HE CAR STOPPED AND
Mar glanced up from the phone to see why. She watched while a man tried to shepherd a cow and several pigs across the road. He wasn’t very successful, and it appeared they might be there awhile.

When Jackson opened the door, she thought he was going to help the guy with the cow, but he turned and went the opposite direction. There was a black sedan behind them. Two men jumped out with guns.

A shot rang out. Instinct had her ducking behind the seat. But worry about Jackson made her raise her eyes up so she could peek out. As she did, she watched as he kicked the gun out of one man’s hand while twisting and turning so that the other one missed a punch.

The punch landed on the man’s partner, and he stumbled back, giving Jackson enough room to pop each of his knees with wicked kicks. Mar grimaced and could almost feel the bones breaking as the man went down.

Jackson turned his attention to the last one standing,
and threw an elbow into the man’s neck. Then punched him solidly in the nose, blood spurting out.

It was horrific and mesmerizing at the same time, and it all happened so fast she didn’t have time to respond. Jackson anticipated every move, and it was like watching an action film, except the man she loved was the extreme bone cruncher.

Wow.

The man he’d hit in the face fell forward. The other one writhed in pain. He wouldn’t be walking anytime soon.

Jackson patted them both down searching for more weapons, and picked up their guns along with some knives. Opening the door, he threw the weapons in the front seat with their driver. Then he grabbed his backpack.

“Are you—What the? What are you doing?” she stuttered, confused.

“Getting some rope.” He reached into his backpack.

The absurdity of the situation caught up with her. “You carry rope in your backpack?”

Jackson wiped some sweat off his brow. “Sure.”

Then he shut the door.

Mar opened it, but she stopped when Jackson turned toward her and pointed a finger. “Get back in there. It still isn’t safe.”

She started to argue she could handle herself, but stopped when the man who fell down last tried to get back up. Jackson slammed his face into the hood of the car again. He didn’t move after that.

Mar winced and returned to the car.

“Fine, I’ll wait in here.” Her superspy was a cutthroat assassin. “I’m really glad he’s on my side,” she whispered to no one in particular.

Jackson tied the rope around the men and then dragged them to the back of the car. She couldn’t see what was happening, but the trunk lid popped open. Then he shut it and hopped in the driver’s seat. Mar couldn’t for the life of her figure out what he was doing until he pulled the vehicle off into the field to the right.

After that, he jumped out of the car and walked over to the shepherd, handing him several bills. Then he climbed back in the car.

“It’s getting warm out there,” he said as he bent over and closed up his bag.

Mar started laughing, somewhat hysterically. “Seriously.” She sputtered. “After all that, you’re going to talk about the weather? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

He shrugged. “We had a problem and I took care of it.” His face was a total blank, as if he did that sort of thing every day.

Hell, maybe he did.

“Why did you jump out of the car like that? They had guns and could have killed you,” Mar chastised.

“I had the element of surprise in my favor, and they didn’t kill me. I’m fine.”

“Yes, but…”

“Mar, I handled the situation.” He gave her an end-of-discussion stare.

She rolled her eyes. “Not that I care, but are they still alive?”

“They won’t be waking up any time soon, but I didn’t kill them. The shepherd will wait until this evening to call the authorities and report the car running off the road. That should give us enough time to get you to the airport.”

She wasn’t going anywhere without Jackson. “Uh, no. I’m still calling my friend. Let’s see what she has to say and then I’ll consider your offer to go to the—”

Jackson cleared his throat. “Mar, I’m not taking no for an answer. You saw those guys. There will be more of them when those two don’t report in. We have to get you out of here.”

The man was so hardheaded. “Hey,” she said, frustration edging her voice. “I’m asking you to give me a chance. I saw what you can do, Jackson. You are friggin’ scary amazing. But give me a chance to show what I can do. I know you don’t have a lot of faith in my abilities, but I promise you I can help.”

Then she leaned across the seat and threw her arms around him, truly happy he was safe. “I’m so glad you’re okay. And the fact that you are total badass is making me kinda hot.”

He hugged her back. “You’re trying to distract me, aren’t you?”

She squeezed him tighter. “Maybe.”

He kissed her, then said against her lips, “It’s working. And for the record, I have no doubt about your abilities, but these are extreme circumstances.”

“But you’re going to let me try, aren’t you?” she asked him.

Jackson closed his eyes briefly and then glanced back at her. “Yes.”

I
F
M
ARISKA WANTED
C
HI’S
help, she had to do some fast talking. The other woman didn’t like doing anything that wasn’t within the confines of the law, though Chi was also the queen of loopholes. She took a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

The driver had started the car again, and was discussing the route with Jackson.

She picked up Jackson’s phone from the floorboard where she’d dropped it when the gunshot blasted.

Dialing Chi’s number, she hoped the other woman would pick up.

“Hello.” Her friend’s voice was hesitant.

“Hey, it’s me,” Mar said.

“Mar, whose phone are you on?” Chi’s tone was cautious.

“It’s Jackson’s secret spy phone.” She snorted at that.

She heard him groan, and glanced up to see him rolling his eyes.

Chi asked, “Jackson? Did you chase him down with your car or something? Last time we talked, which was, um, a little over an hour and a half ago, you said he ran away and was gone for good.”

“Well, he came back to save me from some mob guys.” Mar still hadn’t thanked him for that.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Chi wasn’t pleased. “When did you get mixed up with the mob? Are you okay?”

Oops.
“I’m fine. The mob thing happened when I searched for Gladstone. I promise to explain every detail later, but right now we’re in a bit of a hurry and I really need you to do some of your special magic.”

Mar chose her words carefully. Everything depended on Chi understanding how important this was. “We need a way to get us out of the country without Interpol crawling all over our asses. Jackson can’t travel through the normal channels but we have to get him back to the States. His life depends on it.” Silence.

“Please?” Mar begged.

“Uh. That’s pretty heavy stuff there, Mar,” Chi warned. “I mean if he’s in so much trouble that Interpol is after him. Come on. You need to run in the other direction.”

Mar was determined to make her comprehend the gravity of the situation and why she couldn’t leave Jackson alone. “Chi, that’s not going to happen. I know how it sounds, but I need you to do this for me.”

“Are you in love with this guy?” Chi sounded like she already knew the answer.

There was a long pause as Mar thought about it. What she had with Jackson was much more than lust or a vacation fling. In the short time they’d been together, she’d fallen for him in a big way. Even with all the deception, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the man.

“Your silence speaks volumes.” Chi sighed. “This is a lot of trouble for someone you met only a few days ago.”

Mar stared at the man in the seat next to her. “I know, but he’s definitely worth it.” He pretended as though he wasn’t listening. Mar noticed a slight cut above his brow. Holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear, she searched her bag for a tissue and some of the
antiseptic she always carried. “Please, Chi. I need your help.”

“All right.” Chi didn’t sound completely convinced it was a good idea, but Mar knew she would come through for her. “I’ll call in some favors. Tell him I need to know who he works for, because I have to go directly to the source if we’re going to make this happen.”

Holding her hand over the phone, Mar asked, “Um, so are you CIA? Chi needs to know for sure.”

He refused to answer.

“Jackson, please. At least let me try to help. It hurts my heart to think something horrible could happen to you if we don’t get you home. I’m good at this sort of thing, let me do this for you.”

“CIA,” he said with a clipped tone.

Jeez, it wasn’t like she hadn’t figured it out for herself. She only needed confirmation. “CIA,” she repeated.

Chi blew out a breath. “Okay. Randy is the deputy director there. I don’t suppose your friend will share what happened?”

Mar knew better than to even ask Jackson. No way would he reveal any more than he had. “No. Tell them that he’s willing to turn himself in, but we have to get him home. That isn’t easy since there’s been some kind of big misunderstanding. There are people out there who are trying to kill him.”

“Okay,” Chi told her, “listen carefully. This is going to take me a bit. I’ve pulled a lot of strings in my lifetime, but nothing like this. Is there some place you can hole up, and I’ll call you back as soon as I know something?”

Mar shouldn’t feel relieved, but she did. At least if
Chi was on their side they had a chance. Once she gave her word, her friend would do anything to make it happen. “Sure. We’ll take in the sights for a few hours. And Chi, I really appreciate this.”

“No worries. Though I can’t promise you anything.”

She hung up.

Now Mar had to convince Jackson that they needed a little more time before heading to the airport.

She explained what Chi had told her.

Jackson gave her a look of incredulity. “Mar, it doesn’t work like that. Your friend can’t call up the deputy director and ask for a free pass. I’ve been disavowed. I no longer exist in their eyes. Why can’t you understand that? This isn’t some case your agency can tie up in a few days. And trust me, the real life of someone like me isn’t fodder for some action movie.” He slumped against the window.

She knew he wouldn’t believe any platitudes, so she spoke from her heart. “I understand better than you think. I read some of my mom’s journals. While she was never very specific about details, there was enough there to know that her life had been in danger more than once.”

That wasn’t a lie. Mar had been shocked when she read some of the events from her mother’s past. If anything, it made her respect her even more. It certainly explained why her mother had always been so firm about Mar improving her mind and insisting her daughter be able to protect herself physically.

“All I’m asking is that you give Chi a few hours to see what she can do,” Mar said. “When I tell you she
is a magician, I’m not lying. Client privilege keeps me from divulging too much, but the woman has worked miracles in the past.”

Jackson glanced at her again. He took a deep breath. “Every minute we stay in this country puts both our lives in more danger, not only from the mob, but also from the people who were after me before we ever met. I need you to go to the airport and get on a plane. That’s the best thing you can do for both of us. Please.”

He was so earnest.

“I will. I promise you, Jackson. I will do whatever you ask. But you have to give Chi four hours. If she can’t find a way to help you, then I promise you can drive me straight to the airport and I won’t say another word.”

She gave him a reassuring smile and turned to the driver and tapped on the glass. The window separating their seats rolled down and she leaned forward.

“Sir, we aren’t quite ready to go to the airport yet.” She dug through her purse and pulled out a piece of paper with a picture on it. “Can you take us here.” She pointed to the Wat Chalong and Phuket Temple. She’d planned to check out the historic site and she didn’t think the Thai mob or assassins after Jackson would be hanging out there.

She pulled three hundred dollars out of her purse. “And I need you to sort of hang around and wait for us if you don’t mind. It may be a few hours.”

“T
HAT IS ONE BIG
B
UDDHA,”
Mar exclaimed nervously as they entered Wat Phra Thong.

Jackson couldn’t believe he had let her rope him into this sightseeing tour.
I’ve really lost my mind.
Their lives were in imminent danger and he was walking around a temple with her.

“The reason you only see the top half is they can’t dig the rest of it up. Everyone who tries to do it ends up cursed. It’s solid gold. Amazing. Don’t you think it’s incredible?” As a tour guide she wasn’t half-bad.

He could tell she was worried, too, even though she acted like running for her life was an everyday occurrence. He’d noticed how she cased the room and watched people, even while she took in the sights.

At least some of what he’d tried to teach her had rubbed off. He had to admit since it was a Monday the place wasn’t very crowded, so it was easier to keep an eye on the surroundings.

“Jackson, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” She motioned him over to a nearby plaque away from the crowds. “I know you’re going through a lot
of crap right now, and there’s a good chance you may be, um, tied up for some time. But I was wondering—” Mar stumbled over the words.

“At this point, you can ask me anything, except about what’s going on with the Company.” Jackson put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you wondering if we have a possibility of a future?” He knew they’d have to talk about it eventually. And their time together grew shorter by the minute.

Mar moved so that she could slide under his arms and put her hands around his waist. “It’s not fair to even ask. In my head I know that. You have no idea if they’ll believe you or what will happen even if they do. I could kill whoever it was who caused all this trouble.”

“You’d have to stand in line for that,” Jackson grumbled. “I don’t know what to tell you, Mar. Do I want a future that includes you. Yes. I’m having a hard time trying to think of my world without you in it. They say when you find the right one, it can happen fast. I never believed that until now.

“But, and I can’t say this enough, my future is bleak at best right now. I’m wanted for treason for crimes against the United States. There’s a lot that has to happen in order to make that go away. I don’t feel right making you promises I may not be able to keep.” He pulled her tighter. “It kills me to say those words.”

Mar nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. The sight of those tears was almost his undoing. But he saw as she straightened herself and cleared her throat. “You know I seem to remember someone saying every relationship has its problems.”

That was his girl. She was trying to be strong for
him. Jackson chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “I need you to make me a promise, Mar.” He paused while another couple walked by. He took another quick glance around to make sure no one was taking an interest in them.

“What?” Mar gave him a wary look.

“You have to keep moving forward.” He said the words carefully, as if he wanted her to understand the underlying meaning. “You can’t do what you’ve done this past year and a half after your mom died. You have to live your life and be happy.” He took her hands in his and rubbed his fingers over hers. “I need to know that whatever happens you are happy.”

Mar took a deep breath. It wasn’t a promise she could make to him, no matter how hard she wanted to. A future without Jackson was nothing but disappointment. She knew that with all of her heart. “I will try.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

The driver had charged Mar’s phone while they were touring the temple, and he handed it to her, before pulling out onto the street. She checked it now and Jackson saw the disappointment on her face when there weren’t any new calls.

He wasn’t surprised. This pipe dream of hers was nothing short of crazy, but he felt compelled to give her a few more hours. Selfish bastard. If he were honest he was giving himself a few more hours with her. He could have insisted they go straight to the airport.

Her phone rang and she jumped and dropped it.

Scooping it up, he handed it to her.

“Chi?” It was Mar’s friend, probably calling to tell her she was sorry, but nothing could be done.

Mar was silent for a bit. “Really? I—Chi. Thank you.” Relief washed over her face and Jackson didn’t know what to think.

She handed the phone to him. “Um, the deputy director would like to speak to you.”

Jackson’s breath caught. It couldn’t be. Once agents had been disavowed, the Company had nothing to do with them. Jackson had scum-sucking Dawson to thank for that.

He put the receiver against his ear.

The phone was silent for a few minutes then Chi came back on. “Deputy Director, I have Jackson on the line with us.”

“Sir, this is Jackson Walker.” His voice faltered a bit, and he took a breath to steady his nerves. Though his stomach was tied in a hard knot, and didn’t seem to get the message his brain sent.

“Son, you’re in a boatload of trouble.” The deputy director was known for being a direct, no-B.S. kind of guy, which was something out of the ordinary in their business.

Jackson took a steadying breath. “Yes, sir, I know.” It really was him.

“We decoded the ad in the
Times.
That was from you, right?”

“Yes, sir. It was. I want to come in.”

“Do you understand the charges that will be brought against you for treason?” The man sounded dire, but Jackson was prepared.

As an agent he knew the rules going in, but the alternative was death. He’d take whatever they threw at him. “Yes, sir. I’d like the opportunity to tell the truth
and that’s all I’m asking. I think there may have been some confusion, and I believe I have information that would be beneficial to the Company. Intel that could shed light on my situation as well as save some lives.”

There was silence on the other end. So he continued. “It’s always been my plan to turn myself in, sir.” If something happened between this call and him making it back to Langley he wanted the deputy director to know that it had never been his intention to go off the grid.

“Then why did you run?” The other man was good at what he did and there was no emotion behind his voice.

“Sir, you and I both know this line isn’t secure. But I had no choice. At least I thought I didn’t, since the Company blacklisted me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” the deputy director demanded.

“My handler said I’d been disavowed and accused of treason. That’s why I went off the grid.”

“I see,” the deputy director said. “We have a great deal to discuss. We’ve already arranged for transport. You’ll be made aware of the arrangements in a few moments.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

There was silence on the other end.

“Jackson, are you there?” Chi asked.

He had to clear his throat before he spoke to her, emotion weighing down his vocal cords. He had a chance. “Yes, I’m here,” he said. “I don’t know how the hell you did that, but thank you.” Mar’s friend really was a miracle worker. In fact, Jackson was already
wondering if maybe he was in a dream and that the conversation with the deputy director was a part of it.

She grunted. “It wasn’t easy. Luckily I have some history with his family or I doubt he would have taken my call, though when I told him that you were involved he suddenly became very interested.”

“I bet he did.”

“How’s my girl doing? Are you keeping her away from those mobsters?”

“Absolutely. Nothing is more important to me right now than her safety. I wish you’d convince her to get on a plane.”

Mar slapped at his arm and tried to pull the phone away. He held up a hand.

“Until she knows you’re safe, she wouldn’t listen to the Pope. But I think we have—Hold on a second. The deputy director is finalizing the plans. Give me a minute.”

He could hear Chi talking on another phone, but not what she was saying. His mind reeled from the fact that he’d had a discussion with the deputy director. There were agents who had entire careers without ever speaking to the man.

A second later she came back on the line.

“Okay, a military transport plane is going to meet you at the Phuket airfield. Wherever you guys are, you need to head there directly. Lt. Colonel Scott Owen will be there to meet you in about an hour. I can’t tell you how lucky we are with that one. He happened to be there doing military training on new systems hardware.

“The transport has to make some stops, but you two will stay on that plane until you reach Virginia, where
the lieutenant colonel and the deputy director will escort you to Langley.”

“Okay,” Jackson said unbelievingly. He had a ride home, and Mar would be safe. It was too much. This wasn’t the way his life usually went.

“Listen,” Chi said, “it’s going to be tough on Mar, to watch you walk away in handcuffs. I’m arranging it so that she is taken off the plane first when it reaches Virginia. Then I’ve hired a private jet to bring her back here. She cares about you, and you better make this as easy as possible for her. Do you understand me?”

He couldn’t help but smile. He liked that her friends were so protective. “Loud and clear. For the record, there’s nothing I want more than for her to be happy.”

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a while before that happens. It kills me that she’s fallen for a guy she may never see again.”

Jackson gazed into Mariska’s beautiful green eyes. “I’m going to do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“As long as we understand each other.”

“We do.”

“Good.”

He could have been offended by Chi’s words, but he understood exactly what she meant. Letting go of Mariska would be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he’d make it as easy on her as possible, and he’d fight to be back in her life if he was ever able to clean up the mess he was in.

“I still can’t believe you did all this in a few hours. I’ve been trying to get home for two months, and I’m a trained operative.”

Chi laughed. “You should see what I can do when I haven’t just run six miles on the treadmill. Be safe, and take care of our girl.”

He hung up.

“It can’t be that easy.” Jackson stared at the phone. “I mean. I had a conversation with the deputy director. That doesn’t happen. Do you understand what I’m talking about?”

Mar gave him the sweetest smile.

“I told you I know people. Well, technically in your case, I know people who know people. I can’t promise that it’ll be daisies, but at least you’ll have a chance to plead your case, or whatever it is you guys do.”

She really was his angel. He didn’t know how or why they met in that bar, but he would be forever grateful.

“And for the record, Jackson,” she said. “I would do anything for you. Hurry up and get this mess straightened out. I can’t wait to introduce you to Mississippi mud pie, peach cobbler and my personal favorite, cherry chocolate cake, with a creamy center.”

Jackson pulled her into his lap and hugged her.

“Baby, I have no idea what the future holds, but you’re all the dessert I’ll ever need.” He didn’t know if he would ever see her again, but he would remember the sight, smell and touch of her for whatever life he had left.