Running Blind

“Is she okay?”

“She’s injured.”

“How badly?”

“She’s blind.”

Dougherty didn’t respond, his silence speaking volumes. He was worried about his sister. Desperate to be there to protect her. Frustrated because he wasn’t. Nikolai understood all those feelings. He’d felt them all in the twenty years during which he’d been separated from his sisters. He’d been blessed to be reunited with Morgan, but Katia was still out in the world somewhere. An adult now, but still his little sister and still, in some indefinable way, his responsibility.

“Tell him I’m okay.” Jenna roused herself enough to speak, and Dougherty must have heard.

“Is that her? Let me speak to her.”

“Are you up to speaking with your brother?” Nikolai asked, and Jenna nodded.

He placed the phone in her palm, felt her hand trembling. She was still terrified and probably in shock, her skin cool and clammy to the touch. He should have grabbed the blanket he kept in the trunk of the car and wrapped it around her shoulders, but there hadn’t been time for anything but getting her in the car and getting her out of the line of fire.

“Kane? No, I can’t see anything, but I’m sure it’s not permanent.” There was confidence in her voice, and Nikolai wondered if she really believed what she was saying or if she was simply trying to reassure her brother.

He didn’t ask, just took the phone after she finished her conversation and tucked it into his pocket. The border checkpoint was just ahead. Several cars were waiting to pass through, and Nikolai pulled into line behind them.

“We’ve slowed down. What’s going on?” Jenna asked, her voice much weaker than it had been when she’d spoken to her brother. Her lips and face were colorless, the bruise on her forehead deep purple.

“We’re at the border.”

“Then I guess we’re home free.” There was no relief in her voice, no indication that she was happy to be within reach of safety.

Was she thinking about Magdalena?

Or had she realized that making it to the border and making it across were two different things?

Nikolai didn’t ask. Just inched the car forward, his gaze on a car pulling up behind him. It looked like any other car, and maybe it was, but the hair on the back of Nikolai’s neck stood on end, his pulse thrumming. Danger hung in the air, and he couldn’t ignore it.

He turned the steering wheel, maneuvering out of line, and speeding toward the border checkpoint.

“What’s happening?” Jenna’s panicked cry mixed with the roar of the engine, but Nikolai didn’t have time to answer. The doors of the other vehicle opened, and two men climbed out.

“Get down!” He shouted the command, and Jenna obeyed, diving down as the first bullet exploded through the rear window. Another followed, the sound reverberating through the car as Border Patrol agents streamed from their stations. Nikolai slammed on his brakes, the tires squealing as the car shuddered to a stop.

“Are w—” Jenna started to rise, and Nikolai shoved her down again, throwing his body over hers.

Gunfire blasted around them, the sound blocking out everything but the thundering beat of Nikolai’s heart.

For a moment he was in Afghanistan again, diving for cover as the enemy fired from a rooftop. He could smell the dirt and the coppery scent of his comrades’ blood, could hear his own desperate prayers rising from the deepest part of his soul.

And then there was silence, and he was back in the present, pressing Jenna down into leather seats, smelling flowery shampoo and fear.

Jenna tried to move, but he held her down. “Wait another minute. Let’s give everyone time to calm down. We don’t want to get shot by the good guys.”

“Right.” She panted the word, and he shifted his weight, trying to give her room to breathe. He could feel her trembling, could hear the quick, sharp intake of air as she struggled not to panic.

“It’s okay. Everything is going to be fine,” he said quietly, smoothing deep red hair from her cheek. Her skin was silky and much too cool for such a warm day.

“You. In the car. Sit up slowly. Keep your hands where we can see them.” The shouted command was repeated in Spanish, and Nikolai did as he was told, rising slowly, his hands in the air.

Jenna did the same, swaying slightly as she moved.

Nikolai wanted to put a hand on her shoulder and hold her steady, but he doubted he’d live long enough to regret it if he did.

The car doors opened, and Nikolai was dragged out.

“Watch out for my friend. She’s got a head injury, and she can’t see. We need to get her medical attention,” he said as the patrol officer frisked him.

“Let’s take things slow. Why don’t you tell me who you are and why you’ve got someone gunning for you?” The officer took a step back, allowing Nikolai to turn around and face him. A body lay on the road a few yards away, and another gunman was being frisked by a border patrol officer.

“I’m Nikolai Jansen. My friend was kidnapped and held prisoner by the Mexican Panthers. She managed to escape, and I’m trying to get her across the border and to the hospital.”

“Do the police know about this?”

“They know she was kidnapped, but I haven’t let them know that she’s escaped. I thought it would be safer to get her across the border first.”

The officer frowned, and then nodded. “There’s been some trouble with the Mexican police being on the payrolls of several different drug cartels, so I can understand your concern. How about we move inside? We’ll check out your story and see what the police have to say.”

“Sounds good.” Anything to get Jenna out of the open.

A female officer finished frisking Jenna and stepped back, nodding with satisfaction. “She’s clean.”

Nikolai took Jenna’s forearm, steering her toward the narrow border patrol station. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. I even think my vision is returning.” She offered a brief smile, but her pallor and the tentative way she moved belied her words.

“Are you able to see light?” He slipped an arm around her waist, knowing that she needed the support whether she wanted to admit it or not.

“I think I’m seeing shadows moving. Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wishing.”

“No, but wishes usually don’t come true. If they did, I’d wish bigger than getting my vision back.”

“Yeah?”

“I’d wish Magdalena were here with me.” Her voice broke, and Nikolai tugged her closer to his side.

“It really is going to be okay, Jenna.”

“For me, but that’s not what I’m worried about.” It was what Nikolai was worried about. He didn’t have time to say it.

One minute Jenna was walking and talking, the next she was slipping out of his grasp. He just managed to catch her, pulling her up into his arms and shouting for the border patrol officer to call for an ambulance. As he looked down into Jenna’s colorless face, he could only pray that the ambulance would get there in time.

THREE

Gray and black. Shadows and light. Fuzzy images that didn’t quite make sense. Jenna blinked, trying to bring the hospital room into focus. There was a clock on the wall, but she couldn’t make out the time. That was just as well. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know how many hours had passed since she’d arrived at the hospital, or how much time had passed since she’d last seen Magdalena.

Too much time. There’s no way she’s still alive.

The thought flitted through her mind and lodged there, the words repeating over and over again until Jenna wanted to scream.

Magdalena was not dead.

She was alive and waiting to be found.

Jenna refused to believe anything else.

Refused to, but the thought was still there, echoing through her mind, chasing her out of the bed she’d been brought to just a few minutes before.

She swayed, the IV needle in her arm pulling a little as she grabbed the bed railing to keep from falling. The throbbing agony in her head intensified as she crossed the room and pulled open a heavy curtain, letting in bright sunlight that seared its way into her skull.

She winced, pulling the curtains closed again, sweat beading her brow, her body shaking from the pain. It didn’t matter, though. Nothing mattered except finding out what had happened to Magdalena. She wanted to pull out the IV, walk out the door and search for her friend, but she knew she wouldn’t make it out of the hospital parking lot. She had no car. No other means of transportation. Even if she had, how far would she get with severely limited vision?

Jenna scowled as she paced back across the room, grabbed her clothes from a pile on a chair and pulled on her jeans. Her T-shirt wouldn’t go on over the IV, so she tossed it back onto the chair. She’d never been one to give up easily, and she wouldn’t give up now. There had to be a way to get back to Mexico.

But was going back the right thing to do?

God had brought her safely out of a dangerous situation. Should she throw herself back into it?

She didn’t know, couldn’t concentrate enough to figure it out.

I wouldn’t mind a clue, Lord. Some hint as to what You want me to do. She prayed as she paced to the chair in the corner of the room. A small table stood beside it, and Jenna could see something lying on top of it. She reached out, felt soft leather. Her purse. It had to be. She opened it, checking for her passport and wallet. Neither were there. Nikolai must have brought the purse into her room and left it while she was down in radiology.

Nikolai who had found his way into a drug cartel’s stronghold and freed her. He’d said he’d done so as a favor to her brother, and he’d said he would go back for Magdalena as soon as he got Jenna to safety. Had he? Jenna grabbed a blanket from the bed and tossed it around her shoulders, determined to find out. It seemed to take too much effort to open the door, and she swayed as she stepped out into the hall.

“Going somewhere?” The deep, gruff voice was so unexpected, Jenna jumped, whirling to face the speaker and regretting it immediately. Lights flashed in front of her eyes, the world spun and she was falling. Firm hands wrapped around her upper arms, supporting her until it settled back into place.

“Thanks.” She took a step back, looking up into a rugged, handsome face. Nikolai’s face? It had to be. The voice, the gentle strength of the hands—those were things she’d never forget.

“You can thank me by sitting down. I don’t think a woman with a fractured skull should be walking around.”

She didn’t argue as she was urged down into a chair against the wall outside her room.

“Better?” Nikolai crouched in front of her, and she could just make out dark hair and striking features. High cheekbones. A strong jaw.

“Yes. Thanks.”

“You’re supposed to be in bed resting.”

“And you’re supposed to be on your way back to Mexico to find Magdalena.” Even as she said it, she knew how ungrateful she sounded. He’d saved Jenna’s life, and she had no right to ask him for more. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t what I meant to say.”

“No apology necessary. I said I would go, and I would have, but Border Patrol won’t let me back into Mexico.”

“Then, I’ll go.” She started to rise, but he put a hand on her arm, holding her in place.

“You know that won’t work, Jenna.”

“It might. I just need my passport. Do you have it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll get a nurse to take out this IV, and I’ll be on my way.” She struggled to her feet, and this time he didn’t try to stop her.

“To do what? Border Patrol isn’t any more likely to let you cross the border than it was me.” His voice was gentle, and Jenna blinked back tears she’d been refusing for hours.

“If they won’t, I’ll find another way to get across.”

“Do you really think I’m going to let you make an attempt at an illegal border crossing?”

“You did your job, Nikolai. You got me out of Mexico. What I do now is up to me.”

“Not if you aren’t thinking clearly.”

“I’m thinking plenty clearly.”

“Telling yourself that won’t make it true and throwing yourself back into danger won’t save your friend.”

“I have to at least try.” She stepped to the door, her stomach roiling, stars dancing in front of her eyes.

“You’ve got a fractured skull and you can’t see…”

“My vision is coming back. The doctors said it should be completely normal in a few hours.”

“Jen, you can barely walk.”

“I’m fine!” But she wasn’t. Not fine enough to take another step let alone attempt to walk across the border into Mexico.

Nikolai must have sensed her defeat. He slid an arm around her waist, supporting her as they walked back into the room.

She dropped onto the bed, blinking hard to bring Nikolai into sharper focus. “I just want her to be okay.”

“I know.” He pulled a chair over and sat across from her.

“If she’s not—”

“You’ll go on. That’s how life is.”

“You make it sound as if it’s a done deal. Do you know something I don’t?”

“All I know is that your friend is still missing. I called the Mexican police less than an hour ago, and they still haven’t located her.”

“But they’re looking?”

“Of course.”

“And?”

“They’ve searched the building where I found you, but it’s empty. The Mexican Panthers cleared everything out before the police arrived.”

“You’ve mentioned them before.”

“Who?”

“The Mexican Panthers. I’d never heard of them before today.”

“Consider yourself fortunate. They’re one of the most notorious drug cartels in Mexico, and they don’t believe in letting their enemies live.”

“I don’t understand what that has to do with me or Magdalena.”

“Neither do the Mexican police or the DEA. It’s what they’re hoping to find out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. The Mexican Panthers are quick to murder enemies, but they’re not known for taking out innocent people.”

“You’re not implying that Magdalena and I were involved in the drug trade, are you? Because if you are—”

“I’m not implying anything. I’m telling you what the police are probably thinking.”

“Then, they’re thinking wrong.”

“Maybe. Or maybe there’s information that you know nothing about. Something that might have led the Mexican Panthers to you and your friend.”

“Like?”

“It’s possible Magdalena—”

“No way.” There was absolutely no way that Magdalena was involved in drug trafficking.

“Hear me out, Jenna.” He leaned close, his dark eyes staring into hers. Were they brown? Dark blue? She couldn’t tell, and she was tempted to move closer, look more deeply.

She leaned back instead, unsettled in a way she hadn’t been in years.

She didn’t like the feeling.

Didn’t like it at all.

“Say what you need to say, Nikolai, but it won’t change what I know about Magdalena.”

“It’s possible your friend wasn’t the person you thought her to be. She may have had secrets she couldn’t share with you.”

Magdalena had seemed tense in the weeks leading to the trip, but Jenna had chalked it up to stress. Was it possible something else had been weighing on her mind?

Jenna shook her head, denying her doubts as much as she was denying Nikolai’s words. “Everyone has secrets, but Magdalena’s weren’t the kind that get people killed.”

“Then perhaps Magdalena got in the way of a transaction between someone she knew and the drug cartel. Is it possible someone working at the clinic was trafficking in narcotics?”

“I don’t know. There were fifteen people on our medical team, and Magdalena is the only one I knew.” Jenna shook her head, wincing as pain shot through her skull. Her stomach heaved and she swallowed hard. No way did she plan to lose her lunch in front of Nikolai. She bent forward, trying to ease the nausea, wishing her thinking was less muddled. Maybe Nikolai was right and someone at the clinic had been involved in drug smuggling, but she couldn’t think of who it might be. Couldn’t even begin to imagine any of the volunteers stooping so low.

Nikolai touched her knee, his fingers warm through thick denim. “Why don’t you lie down? I’ll make some more phone calls. Perhaps the police have new information.”

“I’m okay.” She straightened, sweat beading her brow as her stomach heaved again.

“You’re as pale as a ghost.”

“So maybe I should have said that I will be okay.” She stood, swaying as she took a step toward the window.

Her vision seemed to be clearing, the steroids the doctors were pumping into her doing their job. God was in control, and everything would work out okay. It was a mantra that she’d repeated to herself often during the two years she’d fought leukemia. Chemotherapy had sapped her strength, turned her into a person she didn’t know, and she’d had to remind herself every day that she’d be herself again when it was over. When it finally was, when she’d thought she would celebrate with longtime boyfriend Ryan Mayer and had, instead, listened as he’d told her how much he cared about her and how sorry he was that he’d fallen in love with someone else, she’d reminded herself that she would be okay. Her hair would grow back, her body would be strong again, her heart would heal.

Yes, God was in control, and Jenna would be okay.

But would Magdalena?

Jenna wanted to believe that she would be. Wanted to have hope that Magdalena would be found alive and healthy and anxious to go back to her husband and son.

She wanted to, but hope was elusive, her hold on it tentative. She swallowed back tears and turned away from the window, nearly falling backward when she realized Nikolai was right behind her.

“Careful.” He grabbed her hand, holding her steady as she regained her balance, the warmth of his touch seeping into her chilled flesh.

“Thanks.” She pulled her hand away, her cheeks heating for reasons she refused to acknowledge.

“You look feverish. I’ll call the nurse, and—”

“No!” She nearly shouted, her cheeks heating even more. “You’ve already done plenty, Nikolai. Actually, you’ve done more than plenty. You saved my life, and I won’t ever forget it. I hope you know that.”

“It sounds like you’re getting ready to say goodbye.” He offered a half smile that transformed him from handsome to drop-dead gorgeous, and Jenna’s heart skipped a beat.

“It’s time, isn’t it? I’m safe in the hospital, and I’m sure you have a lot of other things you could be doing.”

“I can’t think of anything.”

“You could go home.”

“Now it sounds like you’re kicking me out.”

“I’m not, but I’m sure my brother will be here soon, and there’s no need for you to wait for him to show up.”

“I spoke to Kane after we arrived at the hospital. He’ll be here in about an hour. I’ll take off once he arrives—”

“You really don’t have to—”

“I want to. Besides, my flight to Houston doesn’t leave until tonight.”

“Houston?”

“I live there.”

“So does Magdalena.”

“I know.”

“What else do you know?”

“That she’s a pediatrician who specializes in orthopedic surgery and that she’s been running medical clinics in Mexico for several years. That she has a three-year-old son named Benjamin and a husband named John.”

“You’ve been busy.”

“I like to know the people I’m searching for.”

“Searching for?” Surprised, Jenna stepped toward him, misjudging the distance and bumping into his chest. She blushed as he grabbed her arms, steadying her for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t believe in leaving people behind. I haven’t given up on going back across the border. I’ve got some friends in Houston who may be able to help me do it.”

“Who—” She was interrupted by a sharp rap on the door, and Nikolai whirled toward the sound, his broad frame blocking Jenna’s view.

She stepped sideways, her stomach dropping as she saw a suited man standing in the threshold of the door. He was bringing news. Jenna was sure of that, but her vision was still too impaired to read his facial expression.

“Jenna?”

“Yes?”

“I’m Agent Skip Bradley with the DEA.” He pulled something from his pocket and held it out, but Jenna couldn’t make out any details.

Nikolai moved toward the man, offering a hand. “I’m Nikolai Jansen.”

“Good to meet you, Nikolai. I’d like to speak with Jenna in private. I’m sure you won’t mind waiting out in the hall.”

“Actually, I would.”

“I’m going to have to insist.”

“I’m sure you are, but I’m not going anywhere until Jenna’s family arrives.” Nikolai pressed a hand to Jenna’s back, urging her to the chair.

She sat quickly, her head spinning from the movement. “Do you have news, Agent Bradley?”

“I’m afraid that’s why I’m here.”

Afraid?

That meant the news was bad. “You’ve found Magdalena?”

“The Mexican police found her body. She was shot execution-style and left on the side of the road about twenty miles from where you were being held.”

Dead.

Magdalena was dead.

The words echoed through Jenna’s mind, and she took a deep breath, trying to silence them. “You’re sure it’s her?”

“Her husband is flying to Mexico to identify the body, but we’re confident it is.”

“I see.”

But she didn’t.

How was it possible that Magdalena was dead? That a mission of mercy had turned into a death sentence?

Nikolai squeezed her shoulder, his hand resting there as Agent Bradley continued. “I’m really sorry to have to bring you this news, Jenna, but we’re hoping that something you know can help us find your friend’s killers.”

“Magdalena was one of the kindest, most selfless people I’ve ever known. I can’t think of any reason why someone would want to harm her.”

“Would it surprise you to know we found thousands of dollars worth of cocaine hidden inside the lining of her suitcase and purse back at the hotel room you shared?”

“Nothing would surprise me at this point.” She stood, pacing across the room, away from Agent Bradley’s questions and Nikolai’s gentle support.

“Did you know it was there?”

“Of course, I didn’t. Neither did Magdalena.”

“It seems unlikely that Magdalena didn’t know what was hidden in her things,” Bradley responded, a hint of impatience in his voice.

“I’ve told you what I know and what I believe. I’m not sure what else you want me to say.”

“Who did she spend time with when she wasn’t working at the clinic?”

“Me. A few of the other medical professionals who were on the mission trip with us.”

“She didn’t go on errands alone? Perhaps take a few late-night strolls?”

“We were only there a couple of days, and she never went anywhere alone during that time.”

“How about phone calls?”

“What about them?” Jenna’s temper rose, washing over her in a wave that drowned out fatigue and pain and sorrow.

“You sound upset.”

“Of course, I’m upset. My best friend is dead. Murdered. And you’re accusing her of being involved in drug trafficking.”

“I’m not accusing. I’m questioning.”

“I don’t see the difference.”

“We need answers, Jenna. I’m sure you understand that.”

“I’m giving them to you, but I get the impression you’d rather me tell you a fantastic tale about late-night phone calls and strange disappearances than the truth.”

“The truth is that your friend was executed by the Mexican Panthers. The truth is it wasn’t just a random act.”

“It had to be.” Jenna bit back her temper, knowing it wouldn’t help. Losing control never made things easier, and it certainly wouldn’t convince Agent Bradley that she was telling the truth.

“Did you miss the part where I told you that Dr. Romero had thousands of dollars worth of illegal drugs in her suitcase and purse?”

“Someone else must have put that there. Magdalena was absolutely opposed to illegal drug use.”