Chapter 7

Yvette's memory was no better the next day, but her concussion was definitely improving. She awoke feeling refreshed and her headache was gone. Fiona made breakfast and delivered a tray containing a fried egg and toast, with a small glass of milk to wash it down. They didn't want to shock her system with too much at once. She asked them for information, everything they knew, hoping it would jog her memory. But no one would tell her anything. She was afraid that maybe they weren't all they appeared, and that they were trying to hold her captive. After breakfast, she feigned sleep. Not long after, she heard Fiona's heels on the floor.

"Sam, we need to talk about..." Her voice turned to a whisper. "Yvette. Jesse might have something on her."

"Okay." He dropped his feet on the floor and followed her out of the room, but not before touching her forehead and the pulse point at her wrist.

"How is she doing?"

"Getting stronger, and I think her temperature's back to normal." He pulled the door closed, but not so far that the latch clicked.

Yvette listened to the sound of chairs scraping on the floor, objects being placed on the table, and soft voices speaking. She carefully pulled herself to the side of the bed where the IV was tacked to the wall with a nail. She unhooked it and carried it with her as she tiptoed to the door to eavesdrop.

Sam spoke first. "Okay Jess, what'd you find on Yvette?"

"I took that picture Fiona snapped and was able to match her up with some government records. Her name is Yvette McCain, and she's a native of Wales, and her family lived in London for awhile, but they moved here to the States when she was a young child."

"Are they citizens," Fiona asked.

"I didn't find anything that indicated they were. Her parents' last known location was Cambridge, Massachusetts, and that they were at one time under the employ of one Leonardo Roche, brother of Frederick Roche. Then, a couple of years ago, they seemed to just drop off the map."

Maddie broke in. "Do you think they were employed at will, or..."

"Slaves," Jesse finished her question. "That I don't know. It just seems awfully interesting that the parents and daughter would all be employed by the same family."

"Smells fishy to me," Sam declared as he went through the small sheaf of papers that Jesse dropped on the table when they sat down. "Knowing what I do about Freddie Roche, I'm thinking that this wasn't a mutually agreed upon arrangement."

"You were right, Sam. The guy's a scumbag," Fiona ground out through her teeth. "Where can we find him?"

"His yacht, the Lorelei, hasn't been seen for a couple weeks. It's usually moored up here in Miami, and he has a house on Fisher Island, but it's been empty for at least a month."

"Empty, as in unoccupied, or empty as in cleaned out," Sam asked.

"Cleaned out. I swung by and checked on it. The security gate was wide open, and there wasn't a single person on the property." Jesse crossed his arms and his brow furrowed. "We could go round and round all day investigating this guy, but it's going to get us nowhere. Somewhere in that girl's mind is locked up the set of circumstances that forced her into that ocean. Without that, I don't know how much more we can do."

"If we could find out what she was doing there, maybe it would help her remember. It sounds like she needs help, but until we get the whole story, we won't know what kind of help she needs." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "There's gotta be more we can investigate."

From her hiding place behind the door, Yvette breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that Sam and his friends weren't holding her for any other reason than to keep her safe. They wanted to help, and Sam especially seemed adamant about finding the information that could set her free. She turned on her heel and moved toward the bed, but a wave of nausea and dizziness overtook her, and she felt herself falling with nothing to stop her.

Everyone heard the thump in the bedroom, Jesse and Sam flew out of their chairs, and arrived at the door simultaneously. Jesse pushed it aside and looked down at Yvette. "She must have heard everything."

"Yeah, well, there's nothing we can do about that." Sam picked her up from the floor and gently laid her in the bed. He replaced the IV bag on the wall and settled her under the covers. "Jesse, we need more information. Anything you can find. Not just to get Yvette's memory back, but to make sure we know how to protect her."

"I'll see what I can do."

The next time Yvette regained consciousness, Fiona was sitting beside her bed reading a magazine. Yvette craned her neck to see the title: Guns & Ammo. Strange choice for a woman, she thought. Fiona heard the sheets rustle, and immediately she dropped the magazine and smiled at her.

"Welcome back, Yvette. You took quite a nasty tumble onto the floor."

"I know. Look, I'm sorry, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed if someone would have just been honest with me about what was going on."

"We didn't want to worry you needlessly." Fiona's voice was soft, empathetic. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I want to be upright for awhile. But I can't very well do that tied up to this thing." She flopped her hand and the line followed her movements through the air.

"I think we can probably take that off you now." Fiona got out of her chair. "I'll be right back with some supplies."

"Where's Sam?"

Fiona stopped at the door and turned. "He's out with Jesse checking on some information. They'll be back soon."

When Fiona returned, she freed Yvette from the IV line and bandaged the entry point. Then, with reluctance she took Yvette's hand and got her on her feet. "Well, you're a little unsteady, but once we get some lunch into you, maybe that will go away." She smiled sweetly. "I think you're about my size. I brought some extra things from my apartment. Why don't we see if anything fits you?"

Yvette's grin matched Fiona's. "Thank you, Fiona! I wish I knew why you were being so nice to me when I don't even know you."

Fiona's serious gaze locked on her. "Yvette, it's just what we do. We help people. And it seems that you need a lot of it, so we'll be there to see this through."

"I don't know if I have any best friends, but if I do, I certainly hope they are as wonderful as all of you!" She impulsively hugged her. "Thank you!"

Fiona gracefully pried herself away from Yvette and smiled. "You're very welcome. Now, let's see about getting you dressed. Maddie washed your things, and the dress...well, we won't worry about that right now. I think this outfit would look great on you." She held up a bright blue slinky top and miniskirt combination. "It brings out the color in your eyes."

"Anything would be fine, Fiona. I'm just grateful for the assistance."

Lunch went down without a hitch and Yvette felt well enough to sit in the sunroom and peruse the magazines Maddie had scattered on the coffee table. Fiona kept one eye on her own magazine and one eye on the traffic that passed the house. She had Yvette sitting so that she wouldn't be visible from the road, just in case the people who wanted her dead would happen to come trolling for her. The back door slammed and the sound of feet got her attention.

"Ma?"

"Michael!" Fiona jumped up from her seat and rushed through the living and dining rooms to meet him on the kitchen threshold. "Michael, you're back!" She launched herself into his arms and kissed him deeply. His arms slipped around her and he kissed her with equal passion, until he saw someone standing behind her just a few feet away.

Michael whispered into Fiona's ear as he gently disengaged himself from her grasp. "Fi, there's a strange woman watching us."

"Oh, that's just Yvette." She smiled and turned out of his hands, reached for Yvette and pulled her into their circle. "Yvette, this is Michael Westen, Maddie's son. Michael, this is Yvette McCain. Sam rescued her from a riptide yesterday morning, and now we're trying to find out what we can about her and why she wound up nearly drowned in the ocean, wearing another woman's dress."

"Okay, Fi, you're going to have to rewind all that and start from the beginning." Michael's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"No problem. Hopefully Jesse and Sam will be back soon and they can fill us in even more." She led them to the table and sat. As she folded her hands on the surface, she added, "I would ask you where you've been the past month, but I know you won't be able to tell me. No worries. Right now, you just need to know everything we know about Yvette."

After Fiona finished explaining, Michael attempted to ask Yvette questions, but she still couldn't remember anything other than her rescue and the events that occurred afterward while she was conscious. He let out a breath and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I could make some calls, but I have this feeling that the CIA isn't going to know any more than you already do."

They all sat up straighter at the sound of car doors slamming. Fiona mentally counted them, and it was more than two. Her eyes widened, and she ducked toward the corner where she kept her things. A moment later, she had an automatic handgun in her grip. Michael pulled one from the back of his waistband as he stood.

"Yvette, you better get in the bedroom," he ordered her calmly and with a cool voice.

Yvette didn't know Michael, but by the tone of his voice, she realized it was in her best interest to listen to him. She dashed for the room and closed the door.

"Just stay in there and hide until we tell you it's okay to come out. Understood?"

"Yes." Her voice sounded small and frightened on the other side.

"Fi, back or front?"

"Back."

"Okay, I'll get the front."

The plan changed the moment the back door opened. "Mikey? You here?"

Michael and Fiona looked at each other and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Simultaneously they put their safeties on. "I'm here, Sam. Jeez, we thought you were someone else."

Sam peered around the shelter of the refrigerator in the kitchen and smiled at Michael's guarded stance. "I suppose I should have called, but I didn't know you'd be here. It's good to see you again, brother!" He entered the dining room and the two shared a brief man hug.

Jesse joined the group in the kitchen and gave Michael a warm greeting. "Hey, Michael! It's good to see you back in one piece. You wouldn't believe what you've been missing!"

"Fiona filled me in on Yvette," Michael answered with a small smile. "Speaking of which..."

"Where is she?" Sam's eyes were wide as he searched the area. "Bedroom?"

"Yeah. We didn't know who was coming. We heard three car doors..."

"Really? It was just the two of us...oh yeah, your mom's neighbor came home the same time as we did. That's what you heard." Sam crossed the short distance to the door, opened it, and poked his head inside. "Yvette, you can come out now."

"It's safe?"

"Perfectly safe. Come on." Sam held out his hand and beckoned her. She moved from the closet and crossed the room in two steps, launching herself into Sam's chest as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I was so scared! I wish I could just remember and help you solve this mystery so I don't have to be afraid anymore!"

"It's okay. We may have filled in some of the blanks. Come on out here and we'll go over what we found."