The Business Of Strangers

“You don’t have to.” His pale blue eyes glittered with unmistakable intensity.

“Yes.” Her voice was shakier than she’d like to admit, matching her resolve. “I do.”

They stared at each other for an instant, the moment awkward, thick with tension. There was a wild and reckless beating in her pulse, one that tempted even as it alarmed. If it had been due solely to animal attraction there would be no choice. She’d be in his bed, wrapped around him, and use him to quench the heat in her blood.

But it wasn’t that simple. He wasn’t that simple.

She took plenty of risks, but only when she could control the situation.

Jake Tarrance didn’t appear to be a man easily controlled.

The Business of Strangers

Kylie Brant

KYLIE BRANT

lives with her husband and children. Besides being a writer, this mother of five works full-time teaching learning-disabled students. Much of her free time is spent in her role as professional spectator at her kids’ sporting events.

An avid reader, Kylie enjoys stories of love, mystery and suspense—and she insists on happy endings. She claims she was inspired to write by all the wonderful authors she’s read over the years. Now most weekends and all summer she can be found at the computer, spinning her own tales of romance and happily-ever-afters.

She invites readers to check out her online read in the reading room at eHarlequin.com. Readers can write to Kylie at P.O. Box 231, Charles City, IA 50616, or e-mail her at kyliebrant@hotmail.com. Her Web site address is www.kyliebrant.com.

For Alison, my favorite only daughter. I just knew holding out for a girl would pay off in the end!

Acknowledgments

Special thanks goes to Candace Irvin for all the great military information and for pointing me, not so gently, toward the army! And another huge thank-you to Ben Swank, for your time and patience with my endless questions about the Army Rangers. Your generous assistance is appreciated more than you can know.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

Prologue

The tropical blue-green waters of the Atlantic beat in lazy rhythm against the pebbled sand beach of Santa Cristo. The simple lullaby of the flow and ebb of the foamy waves was deceptive, for the constant pattern brought both life and death to the myriad of creatures dependent on it for survival. Each new wash of waves ended existence for some. Each new pull back to the sea gave new life to others.

To the woman in the wet suit, the ocean gave both.

Her unconscious body rode the waves into shore and was deposited on the sand as the water went about its business of tides and lunar cycles. She’d survived, barely, all the dangers the ocean had to offer. The natural buoyancy of her body had helped her elude the churning currents that had tried to pull her under and provide her with a final resting place. The predators of the sea had taken no notice of the black-clad body being tossed from wave to wave, like the rest of the flotsam, after last night’s storm.

Perhaps they knew somehow that human predators had already done their worst.

She might have died there, face pressed into the sand, lungs filled with saltwater. Might have slipped from unconsciousness to death in a gradual descent into total darkness that would hold a not unwelcome finality. But dawn had spilled over the nearby mountains and was even now painting the horizon. And on an island gripped by unrest, people rose early, eager to shake off the heavy mantle of darkness that held increasingly ominous threats.

It would be easier to seek oblivion, if it weren’t for the never-ending noise above her.

A voice. She identified the sound finally, if not the words. It took awhile longer to recognize the language as Spanish, the voice as belonging to a female. She couldn’t explain why both those facts eased a measure of the fear welling up inside her.

“Wake up, Angel. I did not go to all the work of saving you to have you sleep your life away. Wake up now and speak to me.”

A soft blanket of darkness summoned, offering to wrap her once again in sweet oblivion. Then she was rolled from her side to her stomach, and white-hot shards of pain stabbed through her, ripping open the cloak of unconsciousness and wrenching a guttural groan from her.

“Estoy apesadumbrado.”

The apology didn’t register, nor did the deliberate gentling of hands. The pain was gleefully gnawing through muscle, tendon, bone. Unconsciousness shimmered tantalizingly, just out of reach, and she clawed toward it, wanting to dive beneath its cloak again and escape the torment.

“I call you Angel because surely God is smiling on you.” A wet cloth, blessedly cool, was laid across her forehead. “How else could you survive two bullets in your back and hours in the ocean during one of the worst storms this year?”

Bullets? Ocean? She waited, but the words summoned no answering memory, and panic began to circle through the pain.

“You must have been on a boat. Were you diving? When my daughter and I found you on the beach, you wore a wet suit. I had to cut it off you to get at your wounds.”

Wet suit. Diving. She understood the words. She waited for a mental association to form. None did. The panic surged through the agony.

“I can do little for the pain, I am sorry. When you are well enough I will go for the doctor. He can bring the police.”

“No.” The woman lunged upward from the bed to grasp her rescuer’s hand with surprising strength, given her injuries. All the command, all the urgency she could muster was in her voice. “No doctor. No police.”

Luz frowned, her free hand rising to replace the cloth that had been dislodged. “I can do no more than I already have. Luckily for you, I am a nursing assistant. Yours were the first bullets I’ve ever removed, though, and I have nothing to give you to prevent infection.”

“Tell no one.” The woman she’d saved clutched at her with burning fingers.

“But this must be reported. I cannot…” Luz began helplessly, then stopped when the woman she called Angel went limp, her eyes sliding closed.

“Is she dead, Mama?” Maria, her eight-year-old daughter, gazed at the stranger with rounded eyes.

“No.” Not yet. Luz stared down at the unconscious form on the bed, dread rearing. Logic dictated she summon help as soon as she dared leave her patient. Last week the guerillas had overthrown the government in Puerto de Ponce, less than sixty miles away. And with refugees flooding across the porous borders to her country, it seemed almost a given that Angel was one of them.

Except…she was Caucasian, and she hadn’t come over the border. How could Luz in good conscience have her shipped back to a country torn apart by fighting, when she’d already come so close to death?

Luz slipped her arm around her daughter’s shoulders and hugged her close. She could afford to wait a little longer. Just long enough for Angel to give her some answers.

As the days passed, Angel grew steadily stronger. She insisted on walking on the beach each night, in an effort to regain her stamina. With Luz’s help, she cut her hair to the approximate length and style of the other woman’s. They were close enough in height and weight for them to pass for each other in the dark, especially with her wearing Luz’s clothes. It didn’t seem to matter. Angel never saw another person.

She’d begun to think of herself by that name, even as she burrowed deep into her mind for any threads of personal information, without success. She could converse with Luz in Spanish with ease, and the other woman had marveled at her fluency. French, Japanese, Arabic and German came as easily, but her thoughts were in English.

She was almost certain she was an American. She had no accent that she could detect, but education could eradicate that, and so could deliberation. She knew as much about recent events in any number of countries, but her knowledge of American popular culture was by far the greatest.

The mirror told her she must be close to Luz’s age, around twenty-four. But the reflection of the woman with tawny hair and wide-set golden eyes sparked no sense of recognition. Her nose was short and straight, her mouth small and full. Other than her injuries, she was in excellent physical shape. She had no identifying marks except for the intricate winged horse she had tattooed on her left ankle. It was small, no more than two inches in diameter, but the detail was remarkable. Had the symbol meant something to her at one time, or had she gotten stupidly drunk one night and awakened with a personal adornment she couldn’t recall selecting?

The answer to that question was as elusive as any other she’d asked herself, including her instinctive urge to lie to the woman who’d saved her life. She’d received Luz’s promise of secrecy by weaving an elaborate tale of wealth, power and corruption, and an older husband’s zeal to guard his political reputation. She didn’t question her certainty that going to the authorities would be disastrous—just as she didn’t question the knowledge she recalled of this island and both its countries, their cultures, climates and governments. She could recall the name of every high-ranking government official on the island.

What she couldn’t do was guess at her own. When it came to personal history, it was as if a sponge had scrubbed her mind clean. She could recall nothing—no name, no country, no family. She had no idea who she was, who had wanted her dead, or why.

All she could be sure of was that they were still out there somewhere. And, if they had even the slimmest suspicion that she was alive, they’d be back to finish the job.

Angel prowled the interior of the small hut, testing her endurance. Luz and the child had been gone for hours. They’d taken to spending their afternoons on the beach. Luz worked at one of the resorts at the nearby town of Cuidad de la Playa, and her two weeks off were nearing an end. She’d go back to work another two months straight, while Maria stayed with her grandparents, who lived a mile away.

Night was falling. To give herself something to do, she lit the candles. The mother and daughter lived simply, without electricity or running water. The roof was thatched, the floor packed dirt, the walls some sort of stucco material. There were rolled up shades above the open windows that were probably only used when it rained. A few miles away, the luxury hotels where Luz worked had every modern amenity, but when she returned home it was to a place bordering on squalor.

Crossing to the door, Angel opened it, stepped outside. The area was secluded, ocean on one side and jungle on the other. A balmy breeze rustled the leaves and she could hear waves lapping against the shore. Despite the simple existence, the place was idyllic.

She stood staring out at the moonlit darkness. Maybe Luz had gone to visit her parents, staying later than expected. At any rate, if Angel went for her evening walk, they’d probably be back by the time she returned.

She headed out at a brisk pace, determined to cover more ground than she had the evening before. But it wasn’t long before the same burning question dominated her thoughts.

Who had tried to kill her? A husband, as she’d fabricated for Luz? A lover? Had it been a stranger or someone she’d trusted? She’d seen the wet suit Luz had cut off her. It wouldn’t be the type favored by local hotels. The material was insulated, too expensive for the wear and tear it would undergo from a constant stream of tourists. Beneath it she’d worn a simple one-piece bathing suit. Like the outerwear, it was obviously high quality. And like the other article, there was no way to identify it. Neither boasted logos or tags of any kind. An attempt to trace them would likely result in failure. And she couldn’t help wondering if that was by design.

Pushing herself, she began to jog. The slugs that Luz had taken from her back had come from a 9 mm cartridge. She found her ability to recognize that fact a bit chilling.

So she knew guns. Her bare feet slapped against the smooth sand as she ran. Trying to retrieve the slightest personal detail resulted in blinding headaches, but facts like that—and her knowledge of languages—were just there, unsummoned.

She needed to get someplace where she could research amnesia, but wouldn’t be seeking her answers in a hospital. Her rejection of that idea was as strong as her reluctance to involve local law enforcement. With no memory to work with, she was going to have to trust her intuition. At least for now.

Turning, she started back toward the house. She’d come farther than she’d expected, and slowed to a brisk walk. After an initial wave of exhaustion her body had rebounded with renewed energy. She was well enough to make her way off the island. She just wasn’t certain of her destination.

She could make out the hut in the distance, its shape shrouded in shadows. Her scalp prickled. Instinct brought her to a halt, even before comprehension filtered through her.

The house was dark.

The candles she’d lit should have been flickering inside, easily seen through the windows. The light breeze could have extinguished one, perhaps. But not all of them.

She scanned the area, but saw no one. Even so, she made her way to the jungle, took the time to search for something that could be used as a weapon. Her options were limited.

Contenting herself with a stout branch she found on the ground, she quickly stripped it of leaves and twigs. Perhaps she was growing alarmed for nothing. But the absence of Luz and the child began to take on an ominous implication.

She looked down, froze. Two feet away were twin furrows in the sand, leading to the jungle. Adrenaline kicked through her. She raised the stick, prepared to wield it as she followed the marks deeper into the brush. She stopped, barely daring to breathe, and pushed aside a tangle of vines to reveal a body.

Bile pooled in her throat as the smell of fresh death permeated the air. Luz’s eyes were open, the gaping wound in her throat resembling a hideous smile.

No! The vehement denial shrieked through Angel, a pitiful shield against reality. It was emotion rather than logic that made her sink to the ground, searching for a pulse that she already knew would be absent. Whoever had slit her throat had done so with minimal fuss. She’d been murdered on the beach and dragged out of sight.

And Luz had died because of her.

Guilt swamped her—if she hadn’t washed ashore on this particular stretch of beach, Luz would still be alive. Maria would still have a mother.

The thought had her taking a breath. Where was the child? Had she suffered her mother’s fate, or run away to hide deeper in the jungle?

She prayed it was the latter, but there was no time now for a search—she had to concentrate on survival. Whoever was out there wouldn’t be claiming another victim tonight.

Angel circled the hut from the cover of the jungle and wondered how long the killer would wait inside. Because he was in there. His only hope of taking her by surprise was to ambush her inside.

The thought was so chilling that she didn’t consider the ease with which she’d slipped into the killer’s mind-set. She thought only of taking him out before he could strike again.

She’d have to advance on the hut diagonally from one corner, the only blind spot. Still grasping the club, she crept forward an inch at a time, dropping to all fours once leaving the protection of the jungle. She stopped beneath one of the windows, flattening herself against the cool stucco. Should anyone lean out the opening and look down she’d be completely exposed, but she doubted the stranger would be willing to show himself.

Minutes ticked by. There was a slight sound, then a shadow moved across the window. Angel had her answer. He was in there. Now she just needed to draw him out.

If he carried only the knife, she had a chance. A gun would prove more difficult to defend against. Either way, the element of surprise would be her most effective weapon. If she could disarm him, she could neutralize him just as effectively in hand-to-hand combat.

The automatic thought made her pause, a distant part of her now noting the natural way she plotted engaging the man, perhaps killing him. There was a sense of shock at this glimpse into what she was. What she may have been. But the rest of her was grim, focused. And utterly intent on staying alive.

She stood carefully and listened. Hearing nothing, she scooped up some damp sand, squeezed it then threw it up on the roof. She repeated the action a few more times and then rounded the corner, sliding along the wall until she could peer around to the front.

A black clad figure hoisted himself onto the window ledge and straightened. He was about a half foot taller than her, she estimated, around six-three. And the blade of the knife he carried gleamed in the darkness.

He sheathed it at his waist before reaching up to where the wall of the hut met the thatched roof. She figured he’d used the gap there to pull himself up and check out what the person on the roof was planning.

Except no one was there.

She moved swiftly, racing forward with the club raised. Swinging hard, she caught him in the knees just as he turned his head toward her, causing him to fall from the ledge. Her next blow was to his wrist. She wanted to debilitate his grip before he could pull the knife. But while the blow found its target, in the next instant he was rolling away and getting nimbly to his feet. He pulled the weapon with his other hand.

He grinned, a macabre show of teeth against the black cloth of the face mask he wore. “Did you enjoy your swim the other night?” Both of them were crouched, eyeing each other for the best angle of approach. “I was kind of hoping sharks would finish you off, but you always did have the devil’s own luck.”

He was American, she was almost certain. But she was given little time to reflect on that fact. He feinted toward her with a series of short jabs that she easily deflected with the club. Rather than falling back, she drew nearer to him. By pinning him against the side of the house, she could control his movements to some extent. But he wouldn’t be so easily trapped. He lunged toward her, swiping downward with the knife, catching her shoulder.

Red-hot pain sliced through her as she brought the club down on his exposed forearm and heard the sickening crunch of bone breaking. The knife dropped to the ground and she kicked it away. With his injury, the field had leveled somewhat, but she wasn’t foolish enough to believe that this was over.

It would be a fight to the death.

As if in recognition of that, he aimed a lethal kick at her femoral nerve. Whirling away, she grabbed the club in both hands and rammed it at his groin. He caught it in one fist and moved sharply backward to pull her off balance. He pounced, spinning her around and pressing the club against her neck in a choke-hold. Angel could see gray spots forming before her eyes.

“By the way, Sammy sends his regards.” His voice was a poison-laced hiss in her ear. She balled her fist and punched repeatedly at the broken bone in his arm while stomping on his foot. Then she drove her elbow back into his solar plexus and finally felt his grip on the club loosen a little.

He tried a hip shot that threw her to the ground. She rolled with it and lashed out to kick him in the face, scrabbling for the knife while he dived down on top of her.

And as his hands went to her neck, no doubt intent on snapping it and ending the fight, she brought the blade up and rammed it in his heart.

For a moment his hands tightened, his eyes behind the mask going wide. Then his shoulders relaxed, his fingers leaving her to go to the knife hilt. She pushed him off her and, seeing his black and shiny blood in the darkness, kneeled beside him.

“Who are you? Who’s Sammy?” she asked urgently.

But he just smiled, a dreadful stretching of the lips that was more of a grimace. “He’ll…just send…one of the others. You’ll…die…” He released a shuddering breath, the sound rattling out of him. “Traitor…bitch.”

“Who am I?” Her hands clutched his shoulders and she shook him violently, emotionally. But her efforts were in vain. His body went limp and his eyes stared blankly, mocking her even in death.

She rose, swaying a bit, her breath sawing like razors out of her lungs. Then she stumbled toward the hut, aware of the pain in her shoulder. Touching it, her fingers came away sticky with blood.

Inside, she wet a towel with a bottle of water and jammed it against the wound. Then she lit a candle. Carrying it back to the body, she dropped to her knees and reached out to remove the man’s hood.

Angel waited for a glimmer of recognition, but there was nothing. He was blond, square jawed and his sightless eyes were blue. And he’d known her—his words attested to that. She’d thought that perhaps the sight of something, or someone, familiar would spark her memory, but it remained blank. He might as well have been a stranger.

His clothing had been stripped of tags. A search of his pockets yielded nothing, but the empty knife sheath secured to his belt hung beside a narrow pouch, eight inches long.

She took it off and emptied it. There was a large roll of bills in a sealed clear plastic bag, and a small vial of liquid and a syringe.

With quick movements she undressed him. Holding the candle close, she surveyed his body, looking for any marks that might help identify him later.

She almost missed it. The blood from the knife wound had smeared across his upper chest, leaving only a hint of white showing through the stain. Angel took his shirt and wiped away the blood to discover a small tattoo.

There was a roaring in her ears, and a wave of dizziness hit her. It was a small winged horse, identical to the one on her ankle.

A rumble of thunder reminded her that time was precious. From the little the stranger had said, it was obvious that there were others working with him. There was no way to be sure how long she had before they followed. Grabbing the man’s pouch, she rose and made her way back into the jungle, hoping that she’d find Maria.

After several minutes of calling, a bush stirred, and the child crawled out from beneath it. Relief—then grief— swamped Angel. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But it’s over now,” she said in Spanish as the child approached. “Come. I’ll take you to your grandparents’ home.”

Maria refused to grasp Angel’s outstretched hand. “I don’t need you to take me. I know the way.”

“I’ll go with you to make sure you’re safe.”

Tears poured from the girl’s eyes, but the venom in her voice was surprisingly adult. “Like Mama was safe? It’s your fault she’s dead!” The girl turned and raced out of the jungle toward the beach.

Angel’s answer was nearly silent, but it etched a guilt-filled scar through her heart. “I know.”

Chapter 1

Six Years Later

Sheriff Kingsley motioned for attention from the deputies and raised a hand to begin the signal. On the count of three, the deputy in front used the entry device to blast the door twice, then stood aside as the sheriff raised a booted foot to send it crashing against the opposite wall. The four people inside were already scrambling.