True Sacrifice Read online

  Name badge in place and purse under her arm, she climbed in beside me, grinning.

  “What?”

  “My car suits you. I called you Harley because I thought you looked like you rode a bike, but after seeing you behind the wheel of my girl, I’m reconsidering the moniker.”

  Laughing, I had to ask, “Oh? And what would you change my name to?”

  Thinking about it, as I idled out and shut the door, she answered, “Ford.”

  “Hahahaha!” I barked, “Ford? That’s not even a name.”

  “Sure it is. I know a guy called Ford.”

  “What does he drive?”

  “A Toyota.”

  I roared at that and Mac joined in too. The sound of her laughter lifted me higher. She still chuckled as she quickly pointed out her window. “Turn left here. Sorry, I forgot you don’t know where you’re going.”

  “That’s right. You could say, I’m new to town.” I slanted her a smirk.

  She smiled. “Do you think you’ll ever go back to the name Declan?”

  “Doubtful at this stage. I prefer Harley.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because you gave it to me. You gave me an identity.”

  She looked down, embarrassed. “It only began as an alternative to John Doe. When you woke up with amnesia, it just stuck.”

  “Harley is who I am now. Declan lived in my invisible past. There’s no going back.” I took comfort in that. My present existed with Mac. It’s all I had and all I wanted. Snatching her hand up from her lap, I laced our fingers, squeezing.

  “Turn right!” she yelped, right before I startled and slammed on the brakes.

  ***

  After dropping Mac off in the staff parking lot, which she had access to via a card she handed me so I could pick her up at the end of the day, I drove back to Mac’s first and called Viper from her landline, and then retraced the route to my apartment. My friend agreed to meet me there.

  It proved to be a roundabout way, but until I knew the town inside out, I could only travel where I had been before.

  I had to learn everything over again, which proved time-consuming, but I had no choice if I wanted to live a normal life again.

  My apartment wasn’t too far from Mac’s, and when I arrived, Viper already stood out front. A van with Keyed-Up Locksmiths painted on the side had parked in front of my garage, so I turned right and drove to the nearest visitor space, making sure to lock the ’Stang up.

  “Hey man. We just got here.”

  “You fly here?” I joked, nodding to the guy who had his back to me, bent over my front door handle.

  “My place is only a couple of minutes away. This dude I called was on his way to another job but I offered to pay him double, so he squeezed you in.”

  Shaking my head at Viper, I barked, “You do realize I have to foot the bill, don’t you? I’m not letting you pay.”

  “Shut it, dude. I got this. That’s what friends are for. You can come to my rescue another time.”

  Not arguing, I nodded and we waited while the locksmith strolled to his van, slid the side door open, and proceeded to cut my new key.

  It would be good to be able to enter my place legally, without having to break in. I could come and go as I pleased.

  Making small talk, I mentioned, “Do you know anyone who’d take over Mac’s lease? There will be no one paying it until someone is found.”

  Pausing, he shrugged. “I’ll check around. Ask some of the guys.”

  “Thanks. We’ll need to get her stuff moved out before that happens.”

  “Just give me a time and I’ll be there.” He slugged me on the back a couple of times, cementing his vow.

  From the little I knew of my friend, I knew his word was gospel. Another instinctual feeling. To have had my back in battle proved good enough.

  We were interrupted by the locksmith, who handed Viper a key, who then handed it to me. Pulling his wallet out of his pocket, he handed the guy two one hundred dollar bills. “Thanks for fitting us in.”

  Smiling, the overpaid dude folded the notes and put them into his shirt pocket. “No drama. Call again if you get stuck.”

  I’ll bet. Getting paid double would entice me too.

  When he left, I stalked to my door, inserting the key, and pushing it open. “You seriously paid the guy two hundred dollars for a key? You obviously have way too much money.”

  He followed me in. “Being on missions most of the time means I earn, but don’t spend. I’ve got enough cash to live on for the rest of my life if I so choose. Same goes for you, bro.”

  Spinning to face him, I let my eyebrows lift in question. “What are you talking about?”

  “Follow me.” He chuckled, striding through my small kitchen and into the bedroom.

  Not knowing what he meant, I followed, watching as he dragged my bed diagonally, stooping down to remove a piece of carpet which had been cut into a segment no more than two foot square. Underneath the carpet, he lifted a hunk of wood which fitted into the concrete slab and then grinned at me.

  “I might need some help with this. She’s a heavy bitch.”

  “What the fuck?”

  Closing the gap, I stopped and peered down into the hole, to find a slightly smaller metal box sitting pretty.

  “A safe?” I asked, dumbfounded.

  “Yep. She’s full too.” Seeing my perplexed expression, he added, “Don’t worry. I’m the only one who knows about it. You entrusted me with the knowledge should I need to remove it in a hurry if you weren’t around.”

  Gripping the back of my neck, I breathed out hard. “Jesus. This would have come in handy the past week or so. Mac’s been paying for everything.”

  “Now you know. Help me lift her up.”

  Bending down, we both gripped two corners each and heaved. He wasn’t kidding when he said it weighed a ton.

  “One question. Why do I have a full safe embedded in the floor of my bedroom?”

  “We’re military ghosts. We all have them. Technically, we don’t exist. It just makes things easier.”

  Placing the safe on the floor, I stepped back. “Okay, genius. We have the thing out. How do you propose we open it when I can’t even remember owning the damn thing?”

  Turning the round dial on the front, he shot me a quick glance. “You gave me the code. You know. In case. Looks like now you’ll be glad you did.”

  Smart ass. He exuded cocky. I couldn’t reprimand him though, because without him, I’d be penniless.

  A few left and right turns and the heavy door swung open, revealing stacks of hundred dollar bills piled to the top.

  “The pot of gold, my man. The pot of gold.”

  Grabbing a stack of notes, I let the feel of it sink into my skin. I had a shitload of money.

  “I’m gathering we get paid well for our jobs?”

  “Oh yeah. We’re looked after. You’ll never have to worry about money again, let’s put it that way.”

  I didn’t doubt it as I stared at the pile, shaking my head at the irony of it all.

  “Leave the safe here and stow the money in a bag. I’ve got two bigger babies at my place. You can use one. Saves lugging this sucker out.”

  “Good point.” I stood, and remembering a large bag in my closet space, I walked over and retrieved it, stacking the money inside. “Anything else I should know, like where my weapons are?”

  “You used to carry your MK23 on your person, but I’m assuming when you were ambushed, it got stolen.”

  “Shit. So I have nothing?”

  “I can gear you up, man. Don’t worry about it. Just pack clothes and necessities, and let’s get out of here.”

  Throwing some shirts, shorts, jeans, shoes, and a couple of jackets on top of my wad of cash, I grabbed a few toiletries and scanned the apartment for anything else of use. I truly didn’t have too much, apart from the cash. If I wasn’t home much, it made sense.

  “All ready.” I nodded to Viper.

  �
�You follow me in Mac’s car. We can pick up your truck tomorrow.” Looking at me weird, he asked, “Uhh, you do have a set of spare keys to it, right? Or do I have to call the locksmith again?”

  “Shit.” I couldn’t remember. “Let me check the glove compartment.”

  Walking to the garage, I opened the passenger door and checked everywhere. Nothing. Heading back inside, I opened drawers, checking in my bedroom and the kitchen, but came up empty.

  “Damn it. Looks like I will be forking out for a new key. Not today though. I’m sure Mac won’t mind me driving her beast for the next day or two.”

  “Okay. Let’s head out then. See you soon.”

  Hopping into the Mustang, I followed Viper the short distance to his house. We all lived relatively close to each other, which proved to be an asset.

  Thoughts morphed to Mac as I drove. I wound my window down to let in fresh air, banging my fingers on the steering wheel in time to a random song on the radio.

  Last night had blown my mind. And my groin. Literally. Damn, she had pulled every ounce of pleasure from me. I hardened just reliving our explosive evening. She’d been every bit as sensual as I’d imagined. Now that I had her, I couldn’t let her go. Didn’t want to. Ever.

  If we began a committed relationship, would she cope with me being away often? More to the point, did I even want to return to the military? Surely if my memory never returned fully, I’d be deemed unfit for duty. What other jobs could I do? Security perhaps?

  For whatever reason my ex-wife had turned to Reno for attention, I vowed, I wouldn’t let the same happen to Mac. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

  Parking in the driveway, Viper kept his garage door open until I was out with my packed bag and inside before closing it. Nothing about his house seemed familiar. He stopped and let me take it all in before asking, “Bring back any memories?”

  “Nah. Not yet.”

  “Well, make yourself at home. You want a beer?”

  “Is the sky blue?”

  Laughing, he moved to the fridge and removed a couple of beers, handing me one. I sat on a comfortable dark brown, leather recliner, placing my bag on the floor next to the side table. Viper took the other one. We were quiet and in our own thoughts for a beat too long before the silence broke.

  “You gonna call your mom?” Viper’s question spiraled me out of my own head instantly.

  “Huh?”

  “Your mom. Don’t you think you should at least call her?”

  “And say what, exactly? Hi, Mom. It’s your son. I’d love to come visit but I can’t exactly remember who the fuck you are?”

  His eyebrows raised slightly, but other than that, he remained neutral.

  “She’ll understand if you explain what happened. She’s still your mom, regardless. You were close to her. I think you need to make contact and fess up. For her sake, not yours.”

  I took his advice on board, putting myself in my mother’s shoes. My dad had died and I worked in a job fraught with danger. She must worry.

  Resting my head back on the seat, I let a deep breath out. “You’re right. I’ve gotta stop being a self-absorbed ass and just do it. Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Pfft. Yeah, maybe tomorrow.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’ve heard hundreds of ‘maybe tomorrows.’ Just hope you do.”

  Would I call? Part of me wanted to and the other part knew how much it would hurt her. How could I look at the woman who gave birth to me and not feel a thing? As much as I stayed detached from my past, I wasn’t enough of an asshole to not be affected by the grief she would suffer. Could I put her through that, or would staying away and not contacting her hurt more?

  “If you want to visit, I’ll go with you. She loves me,” Viper admitted a tad too cockily.

  I connected with his blue eyes, noting the gleam in them.

  “You goad me?” I scoffed.

  Snorting, Viper, swigged his beer. “No goading. Just simple facts. Your fine mother happens to think the sun shines out of my butt.”

  “Is that so? Well, after meeting you, I’m beginning to think my mom is an extremely poor judge of character,” I joked.

  “Hey dick. Watch it. I can’t be too bad. You chose me to be best man at your wedding.”

  My wedding. More like a sham. The idea of it all being for nothing sat heavy on my chest.

  Not wanting to talk about Trudy or the things she’d done, I changed the subject. “You live here alone?”

  “Ah, yeah. No girlfriend at the moment.”

  “What I mean is, you don’t strike me as the low-set suburban house type of guy.”

  Tossing me a brief scowl, he said, “It’s a story for another day. Let’s just say it was going to be a family home.”

  Oh. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t go there. His facial expression told me to leave it alone.

  The place danced with light through floor to ceiling open windows and warm colors via the furnishings. A wall mounted television hung opposite. Aside from that, the space appeared uncluttered and clean.

  Rising from his chair and placing his can of beer on the coffee table, he offered, “Make yourself at home. I’m gonna take a shower. Your room’s the last door down the hallway on the left.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate this.”

  “I got your back, always.” He grinned, walking off.

  Realistically, I should know where to find everything, but my reality had been severely altered, so it became a case of re-learning a lot. Following Viper’s instructions, I found a small, tidy room with a double bed, closet, and full-length window looking out over the decent-sized yard.

  It would do for my stay. Viper needed to work with me, and hopefully military intelligence, to find the fucker or fuckers who had jumped me and left me for dead.

  None of us would be safe until that happened. I wanted blood, and I’m sure Viper did too, so with his superior knowledge and contacts, I’d let him lead the race. Due to my current circumstances, I could only follow.

  We spent the better part of the day chatting while enjoying another beer or two. Viper did most of the talking as he recounted stories of old. Our time doing tours and the fun times while back home. He didn’t mention any more about why he’d purchased a family house, so I let it go. He’d bring it up when he wanted to. It appeared we’d done a lot together, and the more stories I heard, the greater my respect for the guy sitting beside me.

  He retold his heartache at his parents’ passing, and as an only child, he had no one close by. Relatives were scattered around the country. I felt sorry for him being alone and wondered if that was the reason he’d wanted me to move in. He thought of me like a brother.

  Handing me a blank card, I stared at the cell number, looking up with raised eyebrows.

  “My private number. In case you need it. Don’t give it to anyone.”

  “Thanks.” Shoving it into the pocket of my jeans, I didn’t give it another thought, happy I’d be able to call him should I need to, even though I didn’t own a cell. I’d rectify that tomorrow.

  The time powered on and before I knew it, the end of the day had neared. Mac needed to be picked up from work, so I threw my boots back on and headed out, remembering the route to the hospital.

  It bustled as usual, a parking space hard to find in the staff area. Driving around and around four times, I eventually spotted a car reversing out and nabbed it before anyone else did.

  An ambulance blared its siren and tore into the emergency entrance, another victim unknowingly impinging on an already overcrowded system. I knew from my time here, nurses and doctors were overworked due to staff shortages, many of them doing back to back shifts. A little disconcerting to have the welfare of sick patients being tended to by exhausted physicians.

  Entering the building and heading toward ICU, I buzzed on the intercom and waited for someone to address me.

  “Hello, how can we help?”

  “Hi. I’m here to pick up
Mackenzie Nichols. She works in intensive care.”

  “One moment and I’ll let her know. Take a seat, please.”

  A couple of people already waited to go through to see loved ones. Generally they only allowed one at a time due to the critical nature of the patients. I’d learned a lot from Mac about how the ICU operated.

  A large wall-mounted television with the volume barely audible played a news channel so I watched without really seeing, hating the feel the hospital gave me. The smell. The sounds. Both associated with sickness and death. Or in my case, losing my past. A small chill rattled up my spine, but it passed quickly.

  My foot tapped on the floor in a nervous melody to an invisible tune. Would Mac be staying back late? Shit. I hoped not. I needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

  I craved to see her again. It had only been eight hours, but it felt so much longer. She could definitely become my latest addiction. One I don’t think I’d ever get over. Moving her in felt right in so many ways, not just the ‘keeping her safe’ one. I wanted her around. To get to know her more. I’d only scratched the surface of her depth and I couldn’t wait to uncover more.

  After ten minutes of sitting, getting antsy, I rose and pressed the intercom button again.

  “Hello?”

  “Yeah, I’m still waiting on Mackenzie, the nurse. I need to know if she’s working back, or finishing up.”

  The female voice sounded the same as earlier. “There’s someone looking for her now. Shouldn’t be too much longer.”

  Coming from a staff member in a hospital, I knew it could be ages.

  Sitting back down, I flipped through a boating magazine, eying the expensive, gleaming water-cruisers, thinking of how nice it would be to sail away with Mac and forget about the rest of the world. Just the two of us. No drama. No stress. No potential killers lurking. Just the ocean, sky, and our naked bodies writhing on the deck under the sun. Yeah, that sounded nice. Perhaps tonight we could re-create the ‘bodies writhing’ part. We’d need to keep it quiet under Viper’s roof. The way Mac sounded out her release last night, there’d be no hiding what we were up to.

  The door opened beside the intercom and I sat straighter, expecting my stunning blonde to walk through, but it was a male doctor who called out a name. One of the visitors near me got up and walked through, the door shutting again.