But she had returned to the hotel. The young woman said the notes had only been left 15-20 minutes earlier. He continued to watch.
“There she is,” the hotel security officer said, pointing to the screen for the hotel’s entrance camera. He watched Ryan seat himself on the fender as she ran for the lobby clutching paper in her hands. Then she returned and he opened his arms. Micah unconsciously braced his hand against the desk as he watched.
“No, Leese, no,” he whispered as he witnessed the long kiss. The way Ryan’s hands moved through her hair and down her back made him want to knock the monitor completely off the desk. Again, they were kissing. The third time he was ready to snap in two. He noticed something and used the video controls to zoom in on her as she upturned her face to his for the last kiss. He could see the glistening tears on her cheeks and he felt in his heart she didn’t want to do what she was doing. But then all doubts seemed to erase as the final thing he saw was her lips moving with the words, “I love you, Ryan.”
There was more to this story. She couldn’t have simply changed her mind and her heart. She wanted them to have a commitment in front of God. That was why they waited for marriage before taking the next step. And, he knew he was the first person to experience that with her.
He called the cab company. His photographic memory was very clearly recalling the number on the cab from the video. He had to meet the driver to see if he remembered anything that might undo this knife in his heart. He thought about her nightmare and how afraid she was, saying nothing could drive her away from him, nothing could make her destroy her relationship with him, but now something had and he had to know if it was love for another man.
The cabbie didn’t seem interested in cooperating as Micah stood outside the hotel and questioned him about the fare he didn’t have to earn. He was wishing he had his pistols because one would be pressed to this little maggot’s head right now and he would gladly tell Micah what he needed so desperately. He’d had enough. There was another way to get what he wanted as he jerked the cabbie halfway out the window to face him.
“Listen to me you insignificant piece of dirt; that was my wife that you left in the alley! She’s missing and if you don’t tell me everything you remember I’ll kill you even if I have to snap your neck with my bare hands!”
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Buddy, I’m sorry-I didn’t know. Yeah, I do remember-she wanted to go to the First National Bank, but the guy said he’d take her. She acted like she knew him. I’d didn’t think she was in no danger.”
He let go, almost causing the man to fall out the cab window. He had another lead and he was on his way to the bank.
The bank president was about as helpful as the cabbie although he openly said he knew why she’d come in, but he wasn’t privileged to disclose it. Micah had a way of convincing people to change their minds.
As he let the banker’s feet touch the ground, still gripping the man’s lapel, his final words were very clear, “You better hope to God you have all those serial numbers!”
“Ye-yes, Mr. Gavarreen. They were new bills, all consecutive. I’ll get you the list.”
Whatever she was doing, there would be a trail and the trail would lead him right to her door. He needed the best person in the world at chasing a paper trail; he just didn’t want to call home and tell his mother what had happened.
He would be on a plane tonight for Louisiana. He was going home and stepping back into the world he shunned for her, but now it was the only world he could turn to. He called Nadia and told her that evidently it was true. He told her about watching the tape, about the kiss, but he was going to track her down and as soon as he found her he would have her call home.
“Micah,” Nadia said before hanging up, “I don’t think we have all the pieces and I know how much this is hurting you, but…”
He took in a calm breath. He had put his emotions away and felt nothing now-at least not love, and certainly not pain; anger was still there and growing stronger, but everything else had faded.
“Don’t hurt her, Micah,” Nadia finished, evidently realizing by his unemotional voice that he was changing.
“I could never hurt her,” he said evenly, but deep down he was starting to wonder how much longer he could believe that lie.
Chapter Nine
“Do you have an idea where you want to go?” Ryan asked as we pulled out of the hotel parking lot.
I wasn’t in any condition to talk, but I knew I had to come to my senses and start planning or this could go horribly wrong. I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and took a ragged breath. “I haven’t thought that out yet; I just planned to grab a car and head out of state. I got the cash because I know Micah will find me if I use a credit card. He’s-he’s got plenty of ties to people who know how to track someone down, and I can’t leave a trail.”
“Were going to my house.”
“No, Ryan, that’s the first place he’ll look!”
“Calm down, Leese, I’m just going to pick up a few things and then head for the airstrip.” He could tell I still looked worried as he pushed down the accelerator. “Don’t worry, we’ll be there and gone before he gets there. I-I’ve got to say goodbye to my mom and then I’m flying you out of here.”
I remembered the pain of not being able to say goodbye to Kimmy when Micah had taken me to Louisiana. I wouldn’t argue the goodbye he wanted. “You mean hire a private plane?”
“No, I mean I’m flying you out of here. I fly all the time. I told you I’ve got my pilot’s license and I own my own Cessna, but I don’t think it’s smart to take my plane. I’ve got a good friend who won’t have a problem letting me use his.”
“I just never thought about you actually flying.”
“You knew I was planning on joining the Air Force.” He stole a glance at me as he dodged traffic. “My dad was a colonel and took me flying all the time when I was little. I could pilot a plane by the time I was ten, but I couldn’t get a student license until I turned 16 and then I started flying solo. I got my regular pilot’s license when I turned 17.”
I was glad for the conversation, anything to take my mind off the crushing pain working its way through my heart. Just as I dreamed, I was taking off, not knowing where I was going, but simply that I had to get away. I could only hope the rest of the dream had been a metaphor, because I already felt the knife in my heart and with every mental image of Micah’s face, it shoved deeper.
“You never mentioned your dad,” I said, trying to keep talking so my mind wouldn’t wander back into the painful thoughts, “he’s in the Air force?”
“Was,” Ryan said quietly.
He stopped talking for a moment and I wondered if I should press him for anything more.
“He was killed in Iraq when I was 15.”
I could tell he struggled to get those words out. It was obviously still very painful for him. I reached over and put my hand on the back of his as it rested on the shifter, “It sounds like you two were close.”
“Yeah, we were-he was a great dad,” his voice starting to crack. “He had so many people that really respected him, his career and everything he stood for. They told me I have an opening in the Air Force Academy whenever I’m ready, full military scholarship. Mom is against the whole idea, but that’s because she knows why I want to join.”
I remembered his words when we were at Pensacola High School about the Air Force being the only legal way to kill someone. Now I understood. Without thinking my hand trailed softly up the intricate colored tattoo covering his right forearm.
“Yeah, I got it after dad died. Mom still hates it and I really can’t say I blame her. I-I wish I hadn’t done it, but it’s too late to change it now.”