Fatal Courage: Shadow Force International, Book 3 (Shadow Force International Romantic Suspense Series) (4 page)

In his hand, he held a knife.

G
OD,
S
HE
W
AS
beautiful.

Elliot Hayden stood for a moment in the doorway and stared at the woman in front of him. The kitchen was dark except for the sliver of moonlight coming through the tiny window over the sink. It sliced across her dark hair, startled eyes, and the pale skin of her neck.

He’d counted on her to free him from prison. She’d hadn’t been able to get the job done, and he’d taken matters into his own hands.

Her hesitation lasted only a second. Blood red fingernails tightened on the ice cube. She drew back and hurled it straight at his face.

Instinct made him flinch, the ice cube sailing past his ear and hitting the wall. “Ruby, it’s me.”

She already had her gun out—a pixy of a thing—and she trained it on him. The tiny, black weapon appeared harmless but in his partner’s hands, he knew it could take off both of his balls with one shot. Her face screwed up as she held him in the gun’s sight.

Her voice came out suspicious, incredulous. “Elliot?”

He raised his hands in the air in a show of surrender. “You were expecting Santa Claus?”

The gun lowered. She looked as if she were seeing a ghost. “What…what are you doing here? How did you get… It’s true, isn’t it?”

“What’s true?”

“You broke out of prison.”

“You really think a low-security facility like Moretto could hold me?”

Her hands hung at her hips, the peashooter tapping against her thigh. “I was working on getting the evidence we need to get you out legitimately.”

Leaning a shoulder against the doorjamb, he chuckled. “This isn’t exactly the homecoming I fantasized about.”

She reached over and flipped on the light over the sink. Her gaze slid over him and the stained and torn clothes he wore. “You thought I’d be happy to see you?”

He’d been masquerading as a homeless man and it didn’t surprise him she hadn’t recognized him at first. His face was covered with dirt and a few days’ worth of beard. The clothes he wore, he’d stolen out of a homeless person’s supply. They were a size too big and covered in grime.

The disguise had worked well. He’d added a cane and a limp to his public appearances. Amazing how people looked right through you when you were one of the discarded.

He blinked to adjust his eyes to the harsh light. “Free of a faded orange jumpsuit and chains? Yeah, I guess I did think you’d be happy to see me.”

Her shoulders drooped. She stared at the floor for a moment, wrestling with her conscience no doubt, then walked over to him. “I
am
glad to see you, you idiot.”

He laid the knife on the counter and opened his arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”

She went into the circle of his arms and he hugged her. They stayed that way for a long moment.

Partners. They’d been through everything together from the moment they’d both joined the Agency. The Farm, their first assignment, months in foreign countries under false identities, all of it. When her grandmother had passed away—a woman Ruby had been very close to—he’d been by her side back here in the States the whole time. When he’d broken his leg during a rough mission in Germany, she’d showed up for every one of his rehab treatments to egg him on and make him strong again. They’d been inseparable, right up until their last mission.

That bastard Sloan. He’d taken her away from him. Made Ruby doubt him.

He’ll pay
.

“Why did you do it, El?” she asked softly, her head on his shoulder. “I know it’s taken longer than expected, but I would have gotten the evidence eventually to get you freed.”

Eventually. What a useless word. “Jimmy Shine.”

She reared back, searched his face. “Jimmy Shine? What about him?”

The fellow CIA operative had gone Hollywood a year ago and ended up getting his hands slapped by his former employer when they’d exposed the fact Shine was disclosing classified information to reporters. He’d ended up in Moretto Federal Prison too. “He’s my new cell mate.”

“You’re kidding.”

Elliot shook his head, toyed with a strand of her hair. “It was a calculated move. The Agency wanted him to take me out. I couldn’t even close my eyes for fear Shine would shank me while I slept.”

Confusion clouded her features. “I can see him wanting revenge for himself, but why would the Agency tell him to take you out?”

He grabbed her shoulders gently. For all of her skills and talents, she still was innocent when it came to the type of betrayal they were dealing with. Unfortunately, he couldn’t divulge just how deep that betrayal might run. “Think, Ruby. They believe your boyfriend Sloan. They think I killed Abdel and was selling secrets. I know too much.
You
know too much. About Marrakech, about the Moroccan 5. I didn’t realize they would go to any lengths to keep us quiet, but they will, Ruby That’s why I came here—to get you. The Agency plans to dispose of us both. We have to go dark. Disappear. For good.”

She broke his hold and stepped back. He could see her calculating mind hashing over the logic, the options. “First of all, Jaxon Sloan is not my boyfriend, and secondly, what does the Moroccan 5 have to do with this? That mission was closed eighteen months ago.”

“All of our previous missions are a political land mine.” He needed her help. Needed to get her out of here, out of Chicago, and definitely away from Sloan. That guy was probably in on all of this. “You need to trust me. Grab your go-bag and let’s hit the road. I’ll tell you everything once we’re away from here.”

Another step back. “I’m not leaving. I’m close to getting in with Little Gus, and he can find Deuce for us. You told me if we find Deuce, he can help me clear your name.”

“Deuce is in the wind, you know that. And his word won’t hold up against Jaxon Sloan’s. You know that too.”

“But you said…”

“I only told you to track Deuce down to give you hope.” Couldn’t she see that? He hated the hurt in her eyes, the hopelessness. “The only way to get the US government to drop the charges against me is if your boyfriend renounces his testimony. He won’t, but it doesn’t matter. The Agency is after us, regardless. Homeland, too. They’ve deemed you and I dangerous. I had to come and get you.”

Her tone was flat. “What does this have to do with the Moroccan 5?”

Should he tell her? Maybe if he gave her something, she’d give a little too. “Al-Safari. I turned him.”

“You what?”

“I turned him into an asset when we captured M5. He was working for me in Marrakech.”

Her brain made quick work of the fact he’d lied to her. That he was still not telling her the meat of the story. He waited for her to slap him, to yell at him. Instead, she stayed emotionless. “Doing what exactly?”

No wonder the Colonel loved her as much as Elliot did. Their boss and his training had turned Ruby into the perfect spy. “I’ll fill you in once we’re out of here and somewhere safe.”

“Did this have to do with finding Mohammed Izala?”

He nodded.

“You lied to me?”

“It went deeper than Izala.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and said nothing, waiting.

“I was under orders.”

Her expression went hard. “You should go, Elliot.”

What? Didn’t she understand? “You’re coming with me, right?”

A shake of her head. “I’m going to find the evidence that clears your name and I will use it to get Jaxon to renounce his testimony, but I’m not going on the run with you. What kind of life would that be? Always running, always looking over our shoulders.” Another shake. “I won’t do it. I will clear your name and then, by God, I will hunt down Mohammed Izala and bring him to justice.”

“Ruby.” He reached for her, but she angled away from him, coming into contact with the fridge. “I can’t leave you alone. They’ll kill you. You have to come with me, and you can’t take on Izala on your own.”

Her eyes narrowed. He could practically see steam coming out her ears. “El, you know I love you. You’re the older brother I never had, but I will not go on the run with you.”

Anger and disappointment warred in the pit of his stomach. Brother? He’d never wanted to be her brother, couldn’t she see that? She would never understand what he’d done in Marrakech or why, but he was a true-blue American through and through. He would never betray his country. Never purposely place her in danger. “Ruby, I’m looking out for you. Like a good
brother
would do.”

“I get it, El, I do, but I’m not giving up. The Agency can come after me if they want, but they’ll fail. I know what I’m doing and I know I can fix this mess. If you’re innocent, I will prove it. You have to believe in me.”

“Of course I believe in you.” Did she still believe in him though? A slice of pain went through his heart. “You and I are the best of partners, aren’t we?”

She was silent for a second too long. “We were. We will be again.”

“Then come with me.”

She shifted her weight, glanced away. “There’s something you should know. Jax is looking for you.”

A cold, creeping sensation wormed its way into his belly. “
What?
”

“He found me at the club tonight, told me the Agency is keeping a tight lid on the news about your escape. They’ve hired him to hunt you down and bring you back as quickly and quietly as possible.”

Goddamn bastard. “He came running to you before the ink was dry on the order. Big surprise.”

“He said I was the first person you’d ask for help.” She bit her lower lip. “He was right.”

“Because you’re my
partner
and you’re in danger.”

“I can appreciate your current mindset and I understand why you’re here, but if you’re not going to fill me in on the details about you and Al-Safari, you should go. I’m on probation. I can’t harbor a federal fugitive, partner or not.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this. Who saved your ass in Bagdad? Jakarta? Athens?”

“You did, and I saved your ass just as many times. But you and I both know you can’t run from the Agency. We can fight your conviction and bring new evidence to light through legitimate channels. I can clear your name, Elliot, but you have to let me do it my way.”

That was just it. She couldn’t clear his name, no matter what she believed. “They’ll kill you.”

“If they wanted to silence me, they would have already done it. The Agency may do a lot of shitty things in the name of freedom but they don’t kill their own for acting on orders.”

God, this was not the way he’d imagined this would go. “Next, you’ll be calling the cops to report me.”

“I would never do that.”

“Wouldn’t you? Kinda sounds like you don’t have my back anymore, partner.”

He picked up the knife and turned on his heel. Time to get out of here before that bastard Sloan showed up.

Ruby was on him before he got to the door. She grabbed his arm and slid in front of him, blocking his exit. “Promise me you’ll turn yourself in.”

Gritting his teeth, he gently shifted her out of his way. “No can do, Rubes. The CIA isn’t going to take me down.”

He jerked the door open, meeting her pretty brown eyes one last time. “Watch your back, kid. I won’t be there to cover your six anymore.”

“Wait.”

Hope rose in his chest as she ran for the bedroom. Had she changed her mind? Was she coming with him?

Emerging a moment later, she carried a small blue duffel bag in her hand. Her go-bag.

Yes!

“Take this,” she said, holding out the bag. “There’s cash, some burn phones, a weapon.”

Shock rippled through him, crushing the hope. He loved her so much, the thought of walking away from her undid him.

But he had to. She wasn’t coming with him, no matter how badly he wanted her to.

“Thanks.” He took the bag; at least it was something.

He was almost through the door when she threw her arms around him and hugged him for an all-too-brief moment. “Be careful, El. I’ll keep working the case, and I swear by all that’s in me, I will clear your name.

For a moment, he let her hug him, let his feelings for her rush over him. It was the one thing that had kept him going in prison. The one thing he’d allowed himself to feel. “I’m innocent, Rubes.”

“I know you are.” She went up on her tiptoes and lightly kissed his cheek. “I’ll prove it.”

A moment later, he let himself out the service door downstairs and faced an unwanted future without her.

Chapter Three

_____________________

______________________________________________________

J
AX
S
AT
W
ATCHING
Ruby’s apartment building from the parking lot at the back of the building. Lights went on and off behind closed curtains, but no shadows crossed in front of the windows. Hard to tell if she was alone or not.

Spies.
Pain in the ass.

He’d followed her from the club. At least most of the way. She’d lost him somewhere around Wacker Drive—what a name for a street. Like most big cities, Chicago’s downtown was a maze and he’d never been here before. Ruby, however, had grown up in a suburb called Oak Lawn, southwest of the city.