Her eyes narrowed as he cut her off yet again. “Aye, I do believe it is necessary after the lengthy undercover operation you pulled. Just because you’re a man doesn’t mean nothing can get in your head and screw with it. I’m certain your time in Spain has affected you in various ways, Agent.”
He seemed to go to stone as she punctuated her statement with a pointed look. I shouldn’t have stood there watching, but nobody asked me to leave, and I was riveted. For the first time I wondered about what Mr. Douglas had been through. How long had he been on this mission?
His steel eyes were hard, and I don’t think he cared for the other agent much. “I’m not available to speak for a few days. I’ve got a quick turn-around trip to attend to.”
That jolted me and I stepped closer. “Where are you going?”
Agent MacDonald’s head swung toward me as if she’d forgotten I was there.
“I’m not inclined to say—”
Before he could finish I panicked, grabbing his arm, because I just knew he was going to go off and do something dangerous. “Please, don’t go. Stay here.”
His jaw locked for a second. “I need to do this one last thing. I’ll be back.”
“No!” I had his shirt in both fists. Oh God, oh God, oh God, he was going to get himself hurt or killed. What would I do without him?
He put his hands on my wrists, trying to gently unpry me. “Angela—”
“Where are you going?” And then it hit me with acrid clarity. “You’re going to try and find Fernando, aren’t you?” His pale look of surprise told me I’d hit the mark. “Take me with you!”
By now I could hear others coming down the hall, convening behind us.
“Please,” I begged. I felt his hands rubbing up and down my shoulders and arms in a way that was supposed to be calming, but had the opposite effect. “Take me. Don’t leave me. You don’t have to do this.”
“Aye, I do,” he said in a fierce voice. “I really do.”
“Angela,” Agent MacDonald said in a frigid tone. “Step away from Agent Douglas.”
“It’s fine,” he told her. “She’ll calm in a moment.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off his face, which was turned to the side. He was trying not to look at me. In that moment I knew, instinctually, that somewhere along the way we’d bonded. I believed he had a weakness for me. Maybe it stemmed from pity, or maybe it was a compulsion to care for something you’ve saved, but whatever it was that he felt for me, I would use it. I couldn’t let him leave.
“I can’t lose you! Don’t go, please don’t go!”
“What’s going on?” I heard Dad ask from behind me.
“Everything is fine, Mr. Birch,” Colin said. “I have some business to attend to, and I’ll be back shortly. Angela’s a wee upset, is all.”
“It’s time to let Agent Douglas go,” Agent MacDonald said, and then she put her hands on me. Her grip on my arm was tight as she tried to separate us. It reminded me of the grip Luis used to take.
Yeah. I flipped out.
My arms swung toward her and shoved her away as I screamed. I heard shouts. Mr. Douglas pulled me back, but Agent MacDonald’s claws surrounded my arms again and a shriek ripped from my throat. I couldn’t see straight. Mom’s sweet voice calling my name barely registered. I began thrashing, kicking my legs since they were the only part of me free. I felt my feet connect to soft tissue and heard the Agent’s angry yell.
“Just back away!” Mr. Douglas said to her.
He made a move to turn me and I heard Agent MacDonald say, “Hold her still.”
“No!” he yelled, and then I felt a sharp pinch in my upper arm. I looked up to see the fire of anger on his face, aimed at Agent MacDonald, who stood with a small syringe in her hand.
Mom rushed over and brushed the hair back from my face as I felt myself going limp in Mr. Douglas’s arms.
“You didn’t have to bloody drug her,” was the last thing I heard through his clenched teeth before the world went black.
He hated leaving for Thailand without even saying a proper good-bye to Angela. He also hated that the impulsive, power-hungry psych Agent had resorted to drugs when the girl hadn’t even had a decent meal that day. She’d probably wake up feeling ill. And he didn’t appreciate the knowing looks Agent MacDonald kept giving him, as if she couldn’t wait to dig around in his mind and fix him.
That shite wasn’t happening. Colin was right fucked up, but that bitch wasn’t the cure.
This trip would be the beginning of his cure.
One of the downfalls of being a secret payroll Agent was that he couldn’t carry a badge, which meant no weapons while flying.