Broken Trust (7 page)

She lay back, still as stone, her
eyes closed. Her sympathy went out to Mac. Watching him suffer worsened her own
pain. Because of their broken engagement, she didn’t feel she had the right to
interfere. And yet, loving Mac still, she hated seeing him in so much anguish.

She rolled toward the wall, jerking
the soft blankets over her head to muffle her tears.

The rocker squeaked and the scuff
of Hank’s bare feet sounded as he moved past the door into the kitchen. “I
reckon I’ll fix breakfast. We can get an early start today.”

Toni got up and closed the door to
her room. Stumbling around in the dark, she used a basin of cold water left
over from the night before and washed the sleep from her eyes. She brushed her
hair, pulling it back into a long ponytail. After sliding her feet into her
slippers, she sat on the edge of her bunk, stalling to gain her composure.
Finally, she went out into the living area.

“Good morning,” Inez called from
the cook stove.

Toni smiled a greeting as she
stepped over to the now roaring fire and rubbed her hands together. She found
Mac sitting up in his recliner fully dressed in a clean T-shirt and baggy
sweatpants, his bandaged leg propped up on a footstool.

As his gaze traveled over her, she
felt an explosion of awareness. She caught a brief flicker of approval in his
eyes, aware of the energy crackling in the air. Did he still feel the spark of
attraction between them? The electricity?

She turned away, confused by these
old feelings she longed to push aside. Loving a man who no longer wanted her
was beyond her ability to cope.

“You make those old jeans look
nice,” he said.

“Good morning,” she spoke in a
stiff tone, wishing he wouldn’t say such things to her.

Mac flashed a wide smile. “It is
now that you’re here.”

She turned, then gasped as the
movement jarred her sore ribs. If she didn’t move fast or laugh, it didn’t
hurt. But his words caused the heat of pleasure to suffuse her cheeks. It felt
so good to be here with him. Like coming home after being away for several
years. And yet, his innocent compliment confused and angered her. She decided
to ignore him.

“You hungry?” Hank called as he got
out a black frying pan and sliced bacon on the cutting board. His graying hair
stood on end. His beard bushed around his face, but his eyes sparkled with
cheer.

Toni nodded. “It must be the
mountain air, but I’m starving.”

Someone had lit another kerosene
lantern and set it on the kitchen table. Vague sunlight glimmered through the
windows, promising another bright summer day. But even hot summers could be
chilly in the high mountains.

Dressed in flannel pajamas and a
fluffy robe, Inez cracked eggs into a bowl. Her spongy pink curlers drooped
from her hair and Toni almost laughed at the sight. Without electricity, they
couldn’t use curling irons.

Grunt stood and lumbered to the
door where he snuffled and scratched.

“Do you think it’s okay if I let
him out?” she asked.

Mac hesitated. “Yeah, go ahead. I’m
sure the man with road rage is long gone by now.”

Toni lifted the bolt and opened the
door before she peeked out. The chill air embraced her, and she caught the
scent of pine and damp earth. The dog nudged the door open with his nose, then
scurried out into the early morning light. Toni wrapped her arms around herself
and lifted her gaze. The first rays of sunlight shimmered across the calm
surface of the lake. Streams of gold tinted the blue sky and sparkled on the
clear water, framed by shadows of tall pine trees piercing the sky.

“Wow! It’s beautiful after the
rain.”

A thump from Mac drew her back
inside and she closed and bolted the door.

“I’ll get that.” She hurried to
retrieve a glass of water sitting on the table near the recliner. His bankbook
sat close by, the balance open to her view. Toni stared at his name on the
register, unable to believe her eyes.

Over two million dollars! Newly
deposited in his account just three weeks earlier.

She glanced at Mac, embarrassed to
be caught snooping. Thankfully, he didn’t notice.

Where did Mac get so much money? He
and his parents always lived simply, driving sensible cars and living in a
regular home. Nothing fancy or showy.

It wasn’t Toni’s business and she
tried to forget what she’d seen.

A groan drew her attention back to
Mac. His hand trembled as he took the glass from her. When his fingers brushed
against hers, an electric spark shot up her arm and she jerked away. He glanced
at her before tilting the brim to his mouth and drinking deeply.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

His lips curled in a smile. “I’m
fine. My leg stiffens in the night, but it’ll loosen up soon.”

Contrary to his words, he sounded
lost and vulnerable.

Isolated.

His parents were right. Mac needed
to confide in someone. A doctor that specialized in PTSD would be best. Maybe
later, when he didn’t seem so touchy about it, Toni might suggest the idea. He
couldn’t go through the rest of his life haunted by the deaths of his men.

Hank brought them each a glass of
orange juice made from powdered concentrate. “We’ll eat and then we’ll go get
your car and Mac can drive you into Clarkston.”

Toni’s pulse kicked into
double-time. She hated the thought of going outside when the gunman could still
be waiting for them. Mac didn’t think the guy had stuck around and she fed off
of his confidence. “I left the keys in the ignition. We’ll have to be careful.”

“Of course. I’ll take my rifle with
me. Grunt will go with us. He has a high sense of hearing and smell. He’ll let
us know if a stranger’s still on the mountain.”

Toni agreed. She’d never forget the
sight of him tearing into the man with the gun. With Grunt’s sharp teeth, she
had no doubt he’d drawn blood from her attacker’s arm.

Inez flipped strips of bacon like a
pro, then poured scrambled eggs into the sizzling pan. “Maybe Mac shouldn’t
take his morning swim today.”

“Swim?” Toni eyed Mac’s muscular
legs. His penetrating gaze seemed to pierce straight to her inner soul. A dream
man wrapped up in one tall, strong package.

“Mac recently started taking a swim
after breakfast. Therapy recommended by the doctor. It strengthens his leg
without putting too much weight on the healing muscles.” Hank answered.

“But what if that man is still out
there?”

Mac smiled. “Don’t worry, Toni.
Grunt would have warned us by now. If anything, that guy is long gone. No doubt
he feared we’d call the cops on him.”

“But we don’t have any phone
service this high in the mountains.”

“That’s right, but I doubt the man
with road rage knows that. For all he knows, we have a CB radio and called the
police.”

She didn’t feel much better. “But
won’t swimming rip open the wound in your leg?”

“Nope, it’s been five weeks. Doc
says it’s healed enough for swimming, if I take it very slow.”

Inez laughed. “Stop worrying, Toni.
When the doctor sewed the muscle together, he layered the stitches from the
inside out. The shot tore through soft tissue and ripped the muscle pretty bad.
It also damaged a lot of veins and capillaries, but Mac’s lucky the bullet
didn’t hit the bone. He’s healing nicely, now.”

“Ah, okay.” What did she know about
bullet wounds anyway? She only knew they brought devastation and death. She
hated guns!

Mac sat forward and grimaced as he
eased his foot to the floor and looked at Toni. “You want to swim, too?”

Swimming in Crystal Lake. If Eric
was here and she was certain some crazy man wasn’t roaming the mountain with a
gun, she wouldn’t hesitate. “Nah, I don’t have a suit.”

“We can tie a pair of my long
shorts around your waist so they won’t fall off. No need to worry about style.”
He waggled his eye brows at her.

She didn’t laugh, but clasped a
hand against her aching side. “I think I’d rather not. My ribs are still sore.
Next time, I’ll bring my sister and a swimming suit and we’ll go in together.”

Next time. No, she couldn’t come
here ever again. Her heart couldn’t take it. But maybe getting her younger
sister out of the city would do her some good. Here in the mountains, a person
had time to think about what really mattered. Toni longed to share this
tranquility with Cara.

“Just don’t get any ideas about
dunking us girls. We can gang up on you,” she warned.

Mac’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
“I think Eric and I can handle you two skinny girls.”

He stopped, his smile dropping away
like stone. He turned away, the anguish in his eyes twisting her heart.

He’d forgotten again. So had she.
Eric was gone and this wasn’t getting any easier.

Chapter Seven

“Breakfast is ready,” Inez called.

Grateful for the distraction, Toni
scrambled for the table. They ate, then washed the dishes. Hank picked up his
rifle and Toni’s eyes widened.

“Don’t worry,” Hank reassured her
and patted the gun. “It’s just for protection. There’s plenty of dangerous
creatures out there. Mostly bears and cougars.”

He left with Inez to go get Toni’s
car. Mac braced his crutch under one arm and limped to a cupboard where he
removed two fluffy towels.

“You ready to go down to the lake?”
he asked.

“Yes, just give me a few minutes to
run to the privy, first.” She hesitated at the door, hating the thought of
going out alone. Her common sense told her the gunman was long gone, but she
still felt squeamish.

Mac waved his arm at the dog. “Go
with her, Grunt.”

The big Mastiff obeyed and Toni
felt a sense of security as she hurried along the thin path leading into the
trees. In spite of Grunt panting happily by her side, she couldn’t help peering
into the brush, fearing her assailant might pop out at any time. When she
returned to the cabin, she heard voices coming from the front deck. Grunt
didn’t waver, but gave a low growl, then disappeared around the corner. Toni
hung back, hidden from view, not wanting to intrude.

“You look like you’re getting
around pretty well, Sergeant MacKenzie.” A pause, then— “Wow, that’s a big
dog.”

The stranger’s voice caused Toni to
hesitate beside the wood pile. He must have come to the cabin just after she’d
left. She could imagine him backing up beside Mac as Grunt approached him on
the deck.

“Yeah, this is Grunt.” Toni heard
the jangle of the dog’s collar and imagined Mac rubbing the mutt’s ears. “What
brings you all the way out here, Agent Hooper?”

Mac’s voice sounded friendly, yet
she detected an edge of reservation in his tone. He wasn’t yet ready to face
people.

“Well, you haven’t got a phone out
here. I tried to reach you at your home in Vegas. It’s been almost a year since
I was out here, but I remembered the way. After what you’ve been through, I
figured I’d pay you a visit. To let you know you still have a friend.”

Friends? Toni didn’t know this man,
but she’d lost track of Mac and who he spent time with after their breakup. And
that made her feel a bit sad.

“Nothing much has changed, except
the deck,” Hooper said. “I can see why you came to the mountains to recuperate.
It’s a beautiful place.”

“Yeah, what do you want, Derek?”

“Nothing. Honest. This is just a
routine follow-up after what happened. Don’t be so suspicious.”

Someone took a deep inhale of
mountain air. Toni imagined Derek Hooper must be admiring the view. He’d
obviously been here before.

“I already told you boys at the CIA
everything I know,” Mac said.

“Yes, but when we have an ambush,
we want to make sure we have all the facts.”

Ambush? Toni leaned nearer,
pressing her cheek against the rough logs of the cabin, straining to catch
every word.

“Last I heard, the FBI had taken
lead on the investigation.”

“Yeah, we’re working with them and
NCIS to find out what happened,” Hooper said. “Are your parents here, too?”

“Yeah, but they’re out on the
mountain right now.”

“Ah, good. This won’t take long.”

She heard the rattle of a chair.
“Have a seat, Derek.”

“No thanks.”

“Suit yourself. What do you want to
know?” Mac’s voice sounded clipped and aloof.

Toni knew the special forces often
worked with the CIA. But somehow, the FBI had become involved. Derek Hooper’s
visit had to be about the skirmish that got Eric killed. Was this really just a
friend checking up on Mac, or something more?

“Exactly when did you find out
about your last mission?” Hooper asked Mac.

“Maybe three or four hours before
our departure.”

“And did any of your team members
disappear for any length of time before then?”

Mac gave a harsh laugh. “Not unless
you count going to the john. I suppose any one of our men could have made a
quick detour for a phone call to their wife or girlfriend and no one would’ve
known about it. Why?”

“Did you actually see one of the
men make a phone call or mail any letters out?”

A long pause followed and Toni
thought about Eric’s letter in the cabin, folded neatly inside her handbag. It
had been mailed to her the day of his last mission, possibly within hours of
his departure.

“No, nothing,” Mac responded.

As Toni gripped the side of the
cabin, a sliver pierced her finger and she jerked her hand back. She gave
silent thanks Mac kept Eric’s letter a secret. Eric had warned them not to
trust anyone and she took that counsel seriously, whether Mac was friends with
Derek Hooper or not.

“So, as far as you knew, this
mission appeared to be routine? You had no reason to suspect an ambush?” Hooper
pressed.

“No. Do you think one of the team
members disclosed our mission objective to the Taliban?”