Agent Undone Read online

  She still avoided cramped spaces and always had a small light on in every room of the house at night.

  After only a couple of weeks Madison felt the need to get some exercise after spending most of her days just sitting still with her laptop. She’d always enjoyed swimming so she started to fit in an afternoon swim most days and when that wasn’t enough any longer she started running on the beach. At first, she’d run in the morning before breakfast, but when the tourists started arriving, she changed her routine to go out just after dawn. It was much too early for anyone on vacation to be up, so she still had the beach to herself and was back at her cottage by the time the earliest runners turned up and jogged past her house. By then, she was safely ensconced on her sofa, enjoying her first cup of coffee of the day, Whenever someone ran past, she’d sit completely still so as not to attract any attention. She had no wish to be pulled into even the most casual conversation with some overly enthusiastic vacationing jogger. She was safer alone, watching the world go by from the sidelines.

  Chapter Three

  The following morning, the sun was well up by the time Carter set out for his walk on the beach. He might even try to run if his leg would allow it. It was already getting hot so he made sure he had a bottle of water with him. Once again, he walked past the lonely cottage about a quarter of a mile from his own and could now see it was painted a pale blue with white shutters. On one side of the little verandah stood a table and chairs, on the other side a small swinging hammock swaying gently in the breeze.

  There was no one around, but a car was parked by the side of the cottage so someone was probably at home. Or, maybe they were on the beach somewhere, just like him. He took a quick look in either direction but saw only the deserted shoreline and the glittering sea.

  Carter shook his head. I don’t need to know who’s in that cottage. I don’t want to know so stop even thinking about it. He scolded himself. But there was something that pulled his attention to the little house, and he didn’t like it. He wasn’t here for fun and games. He needed to get his leg back to its former condition and then go back to his life in Virginia Beach.

  When he returned to the house, he showered and spent the rest of the day reading on a sun lounger on the back deck. With his Kindle in his hand, he dropped off to sleep for a couple of hours, lulled by the heat of the sun and the sound of the crashing surf.

  Later that evening, he drove the short distance to the village and had a meal at a small diner. The food was simple but perfectly cooked and the wait staff was friendly. Afterwards, he walked down the narrow little street to the only bar open out of season, and had a couple of beers before returning to the beach house and hitting the sack for an early night.

  Carter followed the same training routine for the next week but increased his pace a little every day, and ran that bit longer and further every time. His leg hurt like hell after every session, but he didn’t care. At least he still had his leg and his life, which was more than Mira had been given. It still sent sharp darts of pain through his chest every time he thought of her. Her mischievous smile and sparkling eyes had belied a quick and highly intelligent mind. She could have become a lawyer, a doctor or scientist with her sharp intellect, but she’d chosen the dangerous profession of a DEA agent and had paid with her life to keep others safe from the ravages of drugs. Carter had sworn to avenge her death and kill Felipe Garrido as soon as he got the chance. The bastard was still out there, living a life of luxury, while Mira was buried six feet under. Luckily for Carter, the agency still wanted to put Garrido behind bars and was actively searching for any information that would help them achieve their goal. Carter didn’t care about putting the fucker in jail. He wanted him dead, pure and simple. And he wanted, no needed, to be the man to do it. He owed Mira that much. Hearing her plead for him to save her had fucked up his mind for months, and he didn’t think he’d ever get over it. As much as it was part of the job, seeing it actually happen to someone you loved was, quite simply, pure hell.

  As his leg slowly improved, he started out earlier in the mornings to beat the heat of the encroaching sun. He found himself running in the same direction every day, drawn to the lonely cottage that seemed to be occupied, but with no one ever around. The car in the drive by the side of the house kept changing position, so unless it was moved by fairies there was definitely someone living there.

  Halfway through his third week, he was finally able to get back into normal routines. His leg still hurt, but it was at a level where he could ignore it. The injury had seemed to make him sleep longer in the mornings, or maybe it was the multitude of nightmares that made him more tired than usual, but he was now getting back to rising early. He was usually up just before dawn to set out on his morning jog. He loved the cool air and the first golden shimmers on the horizon. The sand was damp under foot and he made good time across the deserted stretch of beach. As he ran past the last cottage, he thought he saw a light on in one of rooms but didn’t slow down to take a closer look. This morning, he felt he could keep running for hours, so he carried on all the way to the tip of the narrow peninsula before turning back. As he approached the small beach house, he spotted a figure sitting in a chair on the little porch. Drawing nearer, he could see it was a woman with chestnut hair flowing down her back, but the sun still wasn’t fully up so he couldn’t make out her features. All he could see was a mug in her hand, and a laptop on the table in front of her. As he ran past, she looked up, and he gave her a small wave and a smile before carrying on. He couldn’t see if she waved back, or smiled, but he thought it was the polite thing to do. He couldn’t help wonder if she was on her own and what she was doing up so early. Most women he knew enjoyed a sleep-in as often as they could manage. His mind kept mulling things over as he carried on down the beach. The water lapped gently against the edge of the shore, and the sound swirled around in his thoughts as his feet pounded rhythmically against the sand. Being able to run normally again gave him a sense of freedom he hadn’t realized had been missing. The sky was turning a soft blue as the sun rose higher, and the cool ocean breeze dancing across his bare arms and legs helped cool him down. When he could see the beach house in the distance, he slowed to a walk to allow his breathing and pulse rate to slow down, and his muscles to relax after the strenuous workout. Once inside, he went straight to the kitchen and drank several large glasses of cold water to rehydrate. He pulled off his sweaty running clothes and dumped them in the hamper before taking a quick shower. He toweled off, dried his hair and then pulled on a t-shirt and board shorts. Wiping clear the fogged up mirror he scrutinized his face, and decided shaving could wait another day or two. The only ones who would see him were the seagulls, and he was pretty sure they didn’t care one way or the other whether he was clean-shaven or not.

  For the rest of the day, Carter went over his reports on the op he’d just come back from. As team commander, it was his job to analyze what had happened, what had gone wrong, what had been successful, and what could be improved for the next op. As this one had been a complete clusterfuck, there wasn’t much that had been successful except the seizure of the drugs, though that didn’t make up for losing a fellow agent. They all knew the risks of the job and were willing to put themselves in harm’s way for the sake of the general public, but it had to be done with the best intel, the best resources, and with the final decision making left to the operatives in the field. The bosses in their fancy offices didn’t have a fucking clue as to how things really worked out there and should stay out of the final details. Of course, that wasn’t what happened, and the team had paid the price.

  After a few hours of hammering away on his laptop he finally hit ‘send’ on the email and handed it off to his boss, Don Kampeche. Carter knew he’d have to speak to the big guy in the next few days, but at least the field reports would keep him off his back for a little while. Somewhere along the line, he’d also have to speak with the agency psychologist for his evaluation which was mandatory for everyone after a fata
lity within a team. To Carter, it was complete bullshit as the brain doc had no idea what it was like to be out in the field and to lose a member — a brother or sister — on your team. He’d always argued for any psychologist to at least have some experience of fieldwork to have any kind of understanding of what they went through. It wasn’t unlike what soldiers experienced when deployed in a war zone. Only, the war was usually in their own backyard against an enemy that looked just like any of them.

  Chapter Four

  Standing by the open fridge door, Madison Ward made a note of all the things she needed to stock up on next time she went into the town. For now, though, it would be enough to go into the village and pick up some coffee, milk and fresh groceries. As it was still low season there was only one grocery store open, but they did a pretty good job of stocking most of the stuff people needed on a daily basis. If there was anything special you needed, and didn’t want to go in to town, the owner was quite happy to take an order and pick it up on the next supply run. Everybody knew each other in little community, which was one of the reasons Madison felt so at home there. Until the summer season started for real, anyone who didn’t seem to belong or looked out of place would be discreetly checked out until they knew what he or she was doing there. Mostly, they were realtors looking for land to develop, but the residents of the village held a tight grip on their properties and nearly always sold to another local if they weren’t passed on to a family member. The close knit community had welcomed Madison with open arms when they discovered she was renting the cottage furthest away from the main hub. Some were worried about her safety so far away from everyone else and vowed to keep an eye on her to make sure she was ok there all by herself.

  Madison slipped a pair of flip flops onto her feet and slung her purse over her shoulder. A pair of sunglasses perched on top of her head, almost getting tangled up in her wavy, brown hair. She needed a haircut but couldn’t be bothered. The saltwater and sunshine caused havoc with it anyway, so she only went to a salon when she couldn’t pull a brush through it any longer.

  Wearing a strappy tank top and a pair of cut-off jeans shorts, she hopped in her new-ish VW Beetle and drove the short distance to Main Street. She’d only recently saved up enough money to replace the clapped out old thing that had been her refuge after she left Seattle. She’d been sorry to see it go, but it had been necessary to shed yet another layer of the woman she used to be. Her little bug-sized car was cherry red with a canvas roof, which she had off most of the time so she could feel the sun on her skin and the wind in her hair.

  Parking was easy this time of year and she found a spot just outside the little diner. Her first stop was the pharmacy to pick up some painkillers and multi vitamins, and then on to the little supermarket. It didn’t take long to fill her basket with fresh groceries and a couple of jars of coffee. She mostly bought vegetables, fruit and some milk, eggs and bread. She kept her freezer stocked with meat and fish that she picked up on her monthly trips to Town. It was getting low, but she still had enough for another week or so and would just make do until her next trip.

  It was while choosing what fruit to buy that she heard the bell on the door announce another customer. Out of habit, she looked up to make sure it wasn’t someone from her previous life. So far, it had only ever been other residents, or some tourists staying in one of the beach rentals. You could always tell who they were in their brand new, bright colored clothes and perfect haircuts. This time, it was a complete stranger and Madison’s heart caught in her throat. She tried to shrink into a corner but there was very limited space available. She ducked behind a shelf and peeked around the corner to see if she could hear a Seattle accent, though it seemed more southern if anything. Not that it meant much. The people working for him weren’t just from the Northwest.

  With her heart racing, Madison stayed frozen to the floor. Her mind frantically searched for a way out of there, but the store only had one way in and out. There was no way the man wouldn’t see her if she tried to leave, so she decided to just stay where she was and hope he didn’t need anything more than directions to the nearest boat rental company. Of course, she wasn’t that lucky. The man went straight for the chillers where the milk was, and then picked up a loaf of bread and a few other things. She moved to the other side of the shelves as soon as he came too near, and kept her head down. From under her lashes she noticed he had an open and honest face, which added to how attractive he was. The faint scent of men’s cologne, mixed with spices and pine, invaded her nose and made butterflies take flight in her stomach, and they weren’t the nervous kind. She kept stealing glances and saw he walked with a noticeable limp to his left leg, although he didn’t seem to let it bother him. He spent a couple of minutes chatting to the checkout girl before leaving with a friendly smile and a wave. Not once did he look over at her and she fervently hoped he hadn’t noticed her.

  She quickly paid for her shopping and then cautiously stepped out onto the sidewalk, expecting to see him watching her from a distance. All she could see, though, was his back as he continued down the street. To be sure he wouldn’t follow her she decided to have lunch in the diner before returning to her cottage. Hopefully, he would have found the area too quiet and lacking in amenities.

  After a nice meal and a chat with Lydia, the young waitress, she returned to her car and drove back to the house, constantly checking her mirrors for any sign of being followed. Not until she pulled into her sandy drive and parked out of view of the road, did she draw a deep sigh of relief. The butterflies had settled but his heady scent still lingered in her nose.

  She carried her shopping into the kitchen and put everything away in the refrigerator and cupboards. Once finished, she made herself a cup of coffee and went to sit outside on the lounger to read her book. The chair was soft and comforting, something she needed after the incident in the grocery store, which really was no incident at all, just her paranoid mind creating danger where there was none. It had helped keep her safe so far though, and she didn’t think she could stop anytime soon. It was an exhausting way of living, but it was better than being trapped in a cage back in Seattle. Madison shuddered at the thought and returned her focus to her book. She needed an escape even from this reality at times, and reading was by far her favorite option. Or, her only option really, as going out to a bar for a drink, or to the movies would leave her way too exposed, in her mind. Besides, sitting in a bar or a movie theater on your own wasn’t exactly fun and relaxing. So, a good book was the best alternative. At least there, on her little veranda overlooking the blue ocean, she was comfortable — and safe.

  With a contented sigh, she puffed up the cushions behind her and fell back into the story unfolding on the pages. The world around her disappeared and several hours slipped by without her noticing as she followed the life of a woman from childhood to old age with parents, siblings, friends, career and a large family of her own. As Madison reached the final page, tears were spilling down her cheeks. A wave of sadness washed over her as she contemplated her own life so far. She was only twenty six and felt as if she’d lived a lifetime already. She was lonely, she admitted to herself, with no one to share a smile with, to laugh with, to love, and be loved back. Everyone who had come into her life had either left or let her down. The one person she thought loved her had turned out to be a monster, and she wasn’t going to allow herself to be in that situation again. She’d rather be alone for the rest of her life than be treated that way. People couldn’t be trusted — that was one lesson she’d learned the hard way. She’d been abandoned by her mom as soon as she was born, treated like a problem by every foster parent that took her in, and then kept as a plaything that had to be controlled and punished for every mistake. No, she was better off alone, and lonely, than relying on another person ever again. Lily was the only one who hadn’t let her down — and the one person she couldn’t contact for fear of putting her life in danger as well. Madison swiped angrily at the tears streaming down her face, picked up her
things and carried them inside. It was nearly dinner time and she wanted to cook herself a nice meal, for once.

  She went to bed that night still feeling angry and despondent, but made herself squash those thoughts and focus on the here and now. She had to stop feeling sorry for herself and be happy with just being alive. Loneliness she could deal with, and anything was better than where she’d come from. Even death.

  It was only just getting light as Madison sat on the porch with her coffee and laptop. She’d woken up with a headache and hadn’t felt like going out for her usual run. She also had a couple of deadlines coming up and needed to finish her latest articles for the magazines. One of them, an interview with a young woman who had recently broken free from her controlling and manipulative boyfriend, was particularly difficult to write as it mirrored her own life in many ways. Although this girl had grown up in a family, it had been the father who had started the abuse, and then handed her over to the ‘boyfriend’ as payment for a debt owed. That man had been 20 years older with a wife who knew nothing about his cruel and vicious temper. He saved it all for his ‘girlfriends’ so he could be the loving husband and father at home.

  The young woman, Lisa, had finally been able to leave him, but only after ending up in hospital, nearly bleeding to death while miscarrying her baby because of a particularly savage beating, which also included kicks to the head and stomach. The hospital had called the police after she’d been brought in and social services had placed her in the shelter. Lisa had had no idea what happened to the boyfriend and had no wish to find out. She was just glad to finally be free, or at least have the illusion of being free.