Page 11 of Intangible
“Sir,” Memphis said. When the senator turned to look at him, he added, “It’s really important that you buy us as much time as you can, okay?” With a solemn nod, Senator Kent left.
When the door closed, Knox grabbed him, shoving him against the wall. “What did that mean? What are you not telling us?” he growled, holding Memphis with a strong arm across his throat.
“It means that if we don’t find her soon, those guys will rape and kill her. I didn’t think her father needed to hear that.” Knox physically jerked like he had been slapped before he turned Memphis loose.
“When I got there, they were throwing water on her so she wouldn’t smell as bad before fondling her. One said as soon as the man got what he wanted, they would be allowed to do whatever they wanted with her.”
Knox’s jaw clenched as his teeth ground together. Memphis was right, her time was running out.
* * *
After making arrangements for the retired vet to oversee the office for him, Memphis threw some clothes in a bag, rejoining Knox in the living room. The big man had gathered up Murphy’s food, bowls, and leash, carrying them to the SUV. The senator had arranged for a chartered jet to take them anywhere they needed to go.
Memphis hated to fly, he had lived through one crash in Afghanistan and figured surviving another one wasn’t good odds.
He followed the rest of the men on board, choosing a seat toward the back. Sensing his stress, Murphy curled up in the seat next to him, resting his head on his leg as Memphis absentmindedly petted him.
“Not a fan of flying, I take it,” Knox said, sitting down across from him. He watched as Memphis’ knuckles turned white as they sped down the runway. “I’m not a fan of small spaces. Commercial planes are not a problem, but these little suckers…”
Memphis finally turned to stare at him, his eyebrows knit in concentration.
“Hey Murph, how are you hanging in there?” Knox asked as he leaned over to scratch the dog’s head. Murphy answered with a quick thump of his tail on the seat.
“What do you get out of this?” Memphis asked the big man with narrowed eyes. He had been trying to figure out the relationship between Knox and Thayer for a while. Were they lovers? It seemed like Knox was a little too invested in her for him just to be her bodyguard.
Knox sat back looking at Memphis with a scowl. “You’re obviously more than just a hired gun. How do you know the Kents?” They glared at each other in silence for a minute before Memphis continued. “You’ve put me through hell in the last twenty-four hours. You don’t think I deserve to know what your motivation is? I can understand if this is just a job, but I don’t think so. Are you sleeping with her?”
“Christ no, and keep your voice down! Those guysarehired guns that don’t need to get the wrong idea.” Knox crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Memphis. “Jesus, what is wrong with you? I’m old enough to be her father. She’s only twenty, you dick.”
“Then what? Does he have some sort of blackmail on you? Are you hoping to become her fuck daddy or what?”
Knox swung at Memphis, connecting with his jaw. Memphis was grateful they were seat-belted in, since there wasn’t that much force behind the punch. His taunting had had the desired effect, though, confirming his suspicion there was more to this story.
“So it is personal,” Memphis stated with a smile, rubbing his chin. “You have five seconds to tell me what it is or I’m not finding her just to have the next depraved fucker get his hands on her.”
“I was her math tutor, then her bodyguard, now… I’m her friend. Nothing more, understand me?” Knox growled, spearing Memphis with a glare. The punch had gotten the attention of the other men, but they quickly went back to minding their own business.
“Thayer is brilliant when it comes to the liberal arts. Mathematics, though, not so much. I started tutoring her in middle school when I was still serving under her father in the Navy. She would come to his office after school to do her homework until he was done. I would watch her struggle with her math until I couldn’t stand it anymore. When I got out, he helped me get a job teaching math at the private school Thayer attended. I’ve known the family for years now.”
“The fuck you say.” Memphis looked at him with even more concern on his face. “You think you can lead a search and rescue effort as a math teacher?” Leaning back, he snorted, looking out the window. “A fucking math teacher,” he said in disgust.
“I was the officer in charge of the engineering department for a nuclear sub before that, you dickwad.”
“How did you ever fit your fat ass in a sub?” Memphis could see Knox thinking about taking another shot at him, but before he could take a swing, he caught the smile on Memphis’ face. He wasn’t sure why, but something about the big man made Memphis believe in him.
“So what’s the plan when we get there, squid?” Knox flipped him off before laying out his ideas. Memphis found himself forgetting about the flight as he asked questions about the plan.
“I need to find a way to have them leave her cage open. If she can walk down the tunnel with me, I might be able to get outside to give you a better view of the landscape,” he said.
“Anything would help. How good are you at identifying trees or plants? If you can get outside, that might help us narrow the area down,” Knox added.
“I took plant science in school, so I’m okay. Not a botanist, but I can tell the difference between a live oak and an Aspen pine. If it’s poisonous to animals, I’ll know it.”
“Such a fucking nerd,” Knox snorted.
“Says the math teacher,” Memphis answered.
* * *
