1 MONTH, 5 DAYS
Two black vans turned off Lassen State Highway onto Day Road. In the back of the lead van were sixteen Marines. They sat stoically or were doing last-minute checks on their weapons. The second van fourteen Marines were doing the same, while Desi and Matty sat in the middle. The four hadn't said much once they were on the jet and on their way to meet the Marines just outside of Redding, California. Their minds were on the friend they were rescuing.
"Desi," Matty said, getting their attention. "You need to understand there is no telling what you're about to walk into."
"It's just him and that woman," Riley snarled.
"Yes, but she's been feeding him dopamine probably since he went missing. When you go in there, all he's going to know is that a bunch of Marines are barging into his and his wife's house, separating them and arresting her. He won't understand. He may resist."
"He was pretty out of it when she gave him the pills. He may not even be conscious when we get there," Desi said.
"Isabelle seems prepared to kill to keep him. This woman is not stable."
"Good." Desi smiled. "I'll have all kinds of reasons to kill her."
"We need her alive, Desi. We need to find out who she's killed, why she did this, and who taught her how to brainwash someone so effectively."
With a slight shrug, Desi told her, "I'll do what I can. Promises can't be made."
"Desiree Nguyen," Matty said in her warning tone.
Gritting her teeth, Desi replied, "I will try not to kill her. But if there is even a moment where I think she is going to hurt him I will kill her."
Matty stared at her for a moment and sat back. That seemed to be an acceptable answer.
The vans turned onto a road and wound their way up to the driveway. They parked at the end, blocking the way out. The drivers and Matty stayed behind as the rest of the Marines and Desi started up the road. They came to the trees above the house.
"She knew we were coming before we got halfway to the door," Desi whispered to the leader. "There's a good chance she has sensors."
He nodded. "Circle around," he told the rest. "We'll go on my signal."
The Marines quickly dashed into the darkness, encircling the buildings. The leader keyed his mic.
"Be prepared for resistance. Go!"
They moved toward the house. As predicted, shooting began raining out the front door, then the back door, and from the top of the roof.
"She has remote guns!" the leader called into the mic. "Fall back to cover but try to keep them engaged. We need her to run out of ammo." He and Desi took cover in the nearest forest.
The man kept flashing a flashlight toward the house, making the guns go off. Ten minutes later the guns ran out of ammo.
"GO!" he yelled into the night.
They swarmed the house, bursting in the back and front door. From the bedroom, gunshots flashed in the darkness. Desi took cover behind a chair, getting as close to the floor as she could. Stuffing rained down on her as the shooting continued.
Following a mental map from the last time she was in the house, Desi made her way around the edges of the room. Shooting started again from the bedroom again, but not in her direction. Whoever was firing hadn't seen her advance in the darkness. She drew her sidearm from behind her and cocked it, then waited. Another pause in the shooting. She heard bullets patter on the floor – the person was reloading.
Desi burst into the door, throwing the shooter back. She charged the person, gun aimed at them.
"Do not move," Desi ordered.
Behind her, the bedroom light came on. She quickly blinked to adjust to the sudden light and smiled when she saw she had Isabelle cornered against a dresser. Isabelle looked surprised for a second.
"So, this is how you and that man disappeared so quickly." Isabelle smirked. "I knew you were a lying cunt!"
Desi saw Isabelle's hand snaking toward the gap under the dresser.
"Oh please. Please keep reaching for that gun. I am begging you to," Desi told her.
Isabelle stopped moving. "You like the idea of murdering someone."
Desi crouched, putting her gun against Isabelle's forehead. "You kidnapped and drugged my boyfriend, honey. It would give me pleasure to paint this wall with you ugly, lying, deceiving, sorry excuse of a human being, face. So, please, do me the smallest gesture of reaching for that gun."
Isabelle pulled her hand back and held both hands up. "Sorry. I think I'll stick around so you can see my ugly, lying, deceiving, sorry excuse of a human being, face, several days in court."
Desi stood and stepped back. She watched two Marines pull Isabelle to her feet and one cuffed her with zip ties.
As they were walking her past, Isabelle told Desi, "He must not love you. He never remembered you; not even once." And then laughed.
Desi tensed her jaw, wishing more than ever the woman had reached for the gun she was sure was under the dresser. Desi turned to focus on Mac.
He was in the bed, sleeping soundly. Not even a shootout could wake him from his drugged induced slumber. A Marine medic was checking his vitals.
"How is he?" she asked the woman.
"Good." She looked up at Desi. "He's safe to move."
"I'll wait with him. Can you show Matty back here when they get here?"
"I could wake him," the medic offered.
Desi shook her head. "He's been through enough already. Let him sleep until he's at the hospital."
"Understood." The medic left.
Desi sat down next to MacGyver, picking up his hand. She leaned over him and kissed his forehead.
"See you soon," she told him, resting her forehead against his.