Trapped In Shadow (Shadow Walker Romance Series Book 4) (13 page)

A woman’s voice coming over a loud speaker caught their attention. It was Kathy.

“If everyone will take his or her places, a light lunch will be served.”

The people milling around began to walk toward the empty seats. Dasan walked over with Nadezhda and joined them at their table.

“Lunch? Kathy outdid herself. I’m not sure I can eat after all that magic poured into me. I feel very full. How are you doing, Anastacia?” Nadezhda asked.

“I think I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. I don’t know where to start when it comes to what I saw and experienced.”

“That’s to be expected,” Alyona said walking up to the table. She and Radu joined them as waiters began to walk from table to table with trays of salad. “The important thing is that your powers are now safely integrated into your very cells. You can use the focus of the ring to call them forth until you are comfortable with having them.”

“How will we know what powers to use?” Stacey asked.

“It is mostly instinctive,” Radu said running his hand down his wife’s hair. “Remember your magic is related to the elements. Normally, a Baba Yaga has one element she uses the most, even though the others will answer her call. I expect Anastacia will find Earth to answer her most readily, while Nadezhda will find Air to be her main conduit.”

“Why those and not Fire and Water?” Nadezhda picked up a fork and began to eat.

“Because of the rings you bear. Green is heart energy and the color for Earth. Blue is communication energy, which is connected to air because of the vibrations involved. You can both call Fire and Water if you wish. All four elements are available to you. I’m only suggesting you pick one. Your forbearers normally used one element more than others.” Radu smiled at his wife.

“I would have thought the blue stone would call forth water,” Dasan said.

“Yes, and it can,” Alyona said. “But the stone is tied to a chakra or power source. Blue is connected to the throat chakra, hence the communication. When we speak, vibrations travel along currents of air.”

“That’s why you think Nadezhda should choose Air,” Hugh said. Radu nodded.

He picked up a forkful of salad and fed it to Stacey who hadn’t touched her food. She smiled at him as she chewed.

“Are you all right, my love?”
he sent to her.

He was worried. She looked strained. He hoped this experience wasn’t too much for her.

“Could we go for a short walk? I need a moment to regroup.”
Stacey answered.

“
Absolutely.
If you’ll excuse us a moment,” Hugh said to the group as he rose from his chair and reached for Stacey. “We’ll be back momentarily.”

Hugh took her hand and led her to a row of trees that stood a few feet away from the gathering. Stacey leaned against a trunk and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Are you cold? I can get you a wrap.” Hugh brushed his fingers over her cheek. He wanted to touch her, to drag her into his arms and never let her go.

“I should be, but I think I’m maintaining my temperature with my new power. If anything I feel a little warm. If you keep looking at me like that, I might feel even hotter.”

Hugh stepped closer and leaned his arm against the tree by her head. He wanted to invade her space, claim what was his.

“How am I looking at you?” he whispered. His head bent toward her so his words could brush against the skin of her cheek.

“Like you want to eat me up.” Stacey gazed at him, her pupils dilating.

“I want to do so much more than that, but not here and not now. Later, when we can leave the event without hurting anyone’s feelings.” Hugh softly dragged a finger from her cheek down her neck and shoulder to between her breasts where her heart rested. He liked the way the dress plunged into a V. It would make getting to the rest of her easy.

Stacey sighed her longing, and it matched his.

Bang
, a shot rang out. Stacey jerked. A siren wailed in the distance. Hugh turned to search for danger.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Stacey asked, grabbing at his arm.

Raven’s voice filled his head.
“Get into Shadow. We are under attack.”

The darkness and cold of Shadow surrounded Stacey. She buried her face in Hugh’s chest. Why did this happen? She couldn’t even get married without having someone attack them.

“Report!”
Raven’s voice rang in Stacey’s head. She must be picking it up from Hugh. She glanced down as her beautiful satin gown began to disintegrate and flakes of white fell to the ground mixing with the black writhing mist. At least her lingerie set was made of all natural materials. Hugh pulled her closer to his side.

Different voices answered the order telepathically and filled their minds.

“All guests are protected and accounted for.”

Stacey gasped. Alyona and Radu, Nadezhda, Cara and Kathy, thank goodness they were safe.

“I’ve got the catering crew in their truck.”

“Man down at guard shack.”

“Two confirmed bogies down on north perimeter.”

“I have a prisoner.”

“The rest are fleeing. We have them on the run.”

“I see their vehicle, I’ve got a plate number.”

“Meeting in the conference room in fifteen minutes.” 
Even in her mind, Raven’s voice sounded angry.

Hugh’s arm tightened around her and she felt that shifting feeling that told her Hugh moved them through Shadow. He opened a door back to Earth and pushed her into their apartment bedroom. Stacey stood shivering in her underwear and slip.

“Hurry and change,” Hugh pulled her Shadow Walker uniform from the closet and tossed the items onto the bed. His voice was hard and his face grim. “They’ll expect us upstairs.” He turned to look at her, his face softening. “I’m sorry about your dress. You looked beautiful today.”

Stacey sighed and removed the flower wreath from her hair and threw it on the bed. “I promised Dad I’d send him a picture.” She reached for the leather pants.

“Wait. Your father knew we were getting married today?” Hugh looked at her incredulously from next to the dresser.

“Don’t be mad. I had to tell him. I called him right before the ceremony. He’s my dad.”

“And we were attacked after your call. Don’t you think that’s a little too coincidental? Your father sent a team to kill us.” Hugh swore and began to undress.

“We don’t know it was my father. Trucks have been driving onto the property since dawn. Anyone watching could guess that an outdoor event was taking place.” Stacey finished buttoning the uniform’s silk blouse and pulled her leather boots out of the closet. She picked up the silk pumps from the wedding and brushed her fingers over their softness. At least she still held these to remember her wedding day.

“Honey, you’re letting your love for your father blind you.” Hugh slipped on his leather pants. Stacey stared at him. Desire pooled low in her stomach.

“He’s trying to kill you, maybe both of us. He’s one of the bad guys.” Hugh put on his silk shirt and shook his head. “Sending an armed team with guns into a group of innocents. Cara is pregnant. Someone could have been killed. As it is, we don’t know about the guard at the gate.”

Stacey closed her eyes. Hugh was right. Someone could have been killed. She needed to get her mind off her new husband, her new powers, and back onto their mission. She couldn’t believe her father wanted her dead. He’d sounded completely sincere when he said he wished he could be here for the wedding. Was she blinded by love?

§

Hugh held Stacey’s hand as they entered the conference room. This was not how he’d seen this day progressing. They were supposed to be celebrating their wedding and instead they were doing cleanup after an attack.

“The authorities will be here in twenty minutes,” Raven said as they walked in the door.

He stood next to Cara, her skin looked pale. She sat at the table with Raven’s hand resting on her shoulder. She trembled as she raised her hand to cover her husband’s.

Nadezhda and Dasan stood next to the cream colored wall, his arm wrapped around her, with Alyona and Radu standing next to them. Nadezhda had changed into her Shadow Walker uniform. Dasan still wore the tuxedo he had on for the ceremony. Hugh led Stacey to the table to sit. White Owl and Grey Wolf walked in behind them. More Shadow Walkers gathered as Derek and Katherine appeared with coffee and food. Everyone looked stern. Several friends patted Hugh on the shoulder as they walked by.

“The authorities will want everyone to make a statement,” Raven said. “The catering people are down by their vehicles with Joe and his wife. None of them were hurt, just shaken up.” Raven squeezed his wife’s hand and then fetched a cup of coffee. He poured in cream and added sugar before handing it to her.

“Our security guard that was shot was air lifted to the hospital. He’s in surgery now. They think he’ll make it.” A sigh of relief filled the room.

“Two of the attackers were killed by our security, but we have a prisoner in the clinic receiving care,” Raven said. “I want Dasan and Stacey to interrogate him. Stacey, Dasan believes you know the man. He has no ID on him, of course, but he looks like your neighbor from Alexandria.”

“Jim Knox?” Stacey’s voice sounded incredulous. “He’s part of Zenith?” Hugh squeezed her knee under the table.

“It looks that way,” Raven continued. “Though I doubt his real name is Jim Knox. We’re running his fingerprints and facial recognition scans now. I think you should talk to him. Seeing you might make him open up and tell us what the incursion team hoped to accomplish.”

“I’m going with her,” Hugh said, rising from his chair. He wasn’t letting Stacey out of his sight.

“I thought you might.” Raven chuckled. “Before you go, Isanti asked me to have you sign this.” Raven handed Hugh his wedding license. “Here is yours, Dasan.”

Hugh smiled and picked up a pen off the table. He signed the paper with a flourish before handing it to Stacey.

“It’s all legal now. You’re stuck with me.” Hugh ran his hand down Stacey’s back as she signed the paper. His chest ached as emotion filled him. At least Zenith hadn’t taken this away from him.

“Some would say you’re stuck with
me
.” Stacey smiled at him and handed the paper back to Raven.

“You’ll receive a copy once this is filed with the state.” Raven took both papers and placed them in a folder on the table. “I’m sorry things turned out this way. After the authorities leave we can gather here for cake and a champagne toast. Right now, I need you to see to our prisoner.”

Hugh and Stacey headed for the door and then waited while Dasan kissed Nadezhda goodbye. People chuckled and whistled while others clapped. Dasan looked to Radu and he nodded before Dasan turned to join them.

They heard Raven continue to give out assignments as they made their way to the elevator. Once inside with the doors closed, Stacey turned to Dasan.

“Why do you think the prisoner is Jim Knox if he wasn’t carrying any identification?”

“I saw the prisoner when they brought him into the building. He looks like the man in the picture we saw at the building in Montreal. You said the people with the little girl were your neighbors.”

“I can’t believe it. If he’s working for Zenith, they spied on me all the time I lived in Alexandria. I had no idea. I’ve been such a fool.” Stacey shook her head.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Hugh pulled her into his arms. “You had no reason to suspect that Knox was anything other than your neighbor.”

“They got my mail for me when I was out of town. They brought me chicken soup when I was sick. Never would I have thought they were working for the bad guys.” Stacey rubbed her face against his chest.

Hugh remembered the picture, the look of delight on Stacey’s face while she held the little girl. She’d befriended the couple and their child. Finding out they were Zenith’s agents must be ripping her apart.

“It will be interesting to hear what he has to say.” Dasan stepped forward as the elevator arrived at the clinic.

“Why are you still in your tuxedo?” Hugh couldn’t help but wonder.

“I’m part of security. I dropped Nadezhda and her aunt and uncle off in my apartment and went back out to help. I didn’t have time to change.”

“I bet the prisoner never expected to be interrogated by a man in a tuxedo, unless of course, the man thinks he’s James Bond.” Hugh teased Dasan as they walked down the hall. A nurse passed them and frowned at their laughter.

“Well, I think he looks gorgeous. My sister is a lucky woman,” Stacey said, coming to his rescue.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to think that any man is gorgeous besides me.” Hugh squeezed Stacey.

“All right, let’s get serious. This is his room. Stacey look through the window on the door. Is that Jim Knox?”

Stacey’s smile blinked out and her spine stiffened as she peered through the small glass panel in the door. “Yeah, that’s him. The man I knew as Jim Knox. How do you want to play this?”

“Hugh, do you have one of your Shadow recording devices?” Dasan asked. Hugh pulled one from his pocket. “Give it to Stacey. Do you want to wait outside or come inside and guard the door while Stacey and I do this?”

“I want to hear what he has to say.” Hugh waved at Dr. Rick who prepared to enter the room they used as a morgue. He waved back, but didn’t pause.

“Okay, then, we all go in. Stacey, I’ll let you take the lead,” Dasan said.

Dasan waited for Stacey to turn on the recorder and slip it into her pocket before he pushed the door open. Jim Knox was restrained with leather straps holding him to the hospital bed. His right shoulder was bandaged and his skin looked pale. The smell of antiseptic filled the air. Knox blinked his eyes open when they entered. Hugh crossed his arms and rested against the doorframe.

“Ana, you’re alive. Judy insisted you were, but I couldn’t understand why the signal from the tracking chip kept disappearing.”

Stacey stiffened when the man called her by her last alias, Ana Powers. Hugh wished he could comfort her. Zenith chipped her like they did Nadezhda. No wonder they were found at the bar in Montana, and today. Inside the building their security measures would make sure the signal from the chip was disabled.

“Too bad Nadezhda didn’t make it. I guess she got blown up with your cabin.” Knox smirked. Hugh wanted to wipe the look off his face with his fist and was surprised Dasan kept his cool.

“So you spied on me the whole time,” Stacey said.

“You were so easy to fool.” Knox chuckled. “I could have killed you any number of times, but our mission was to observe and report.”

“What was your mission today?” Dasan asked. His voice could produce frost, it was so cold.

Jim looked him over. “Who are you? I thought you were going to marry the other one, Ana.”

“Who I marry doesn’t concern you.” Stacey stepped closer to the bed. “What was the plan for today? Were you here to kill me?”

“You and as many Shadow Walkers as we could get. We know there’s something freaky about them. One minute they’re here in New Mexico, the next minute, halfway across the world. We’ve only been able to chip one of them, a woman in Moscow. She disappeared. Zenith doesn’t like not being able to track their enemies. So the kill order was given.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Dasan asked.

“Because once Zenith gives a kill order, you’ll never be safe. Sooner or later, they’ll get to you and that will be the end.”

“He’s trying to scare us.” Stacey glared at the man.

“Why did they decide to kill Ana when they kept her alive before?” Dasan asked.

“I wondered the same thing. I’ve wanted to take out the famous assassin, Stinger, since we realized Ana was one and the same. Rumor has it, there’s a new player and this was part of his ‘initiation’ into Zenith.”

“A new player? Who?” Stacey asked.

“I don’t worry about things like that. I do what I’m told. What now? Are you going to kill me, Stinger?” Knox asked his voice full of bravado.

Hugh noticed the flicker of fear in the man’s gaze when it darted around the room.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you. Killed by the famous Stinger, an assassin without measure.” Stacey’s hands fisted.

“Hey, if I have to go, at least there’d be some notoriety.” Knox chuckled, and laid his head against the pillow and closed his eyes a moment.

“Before I answer your question, I have one of my own. Is Lucy really your daughter?”

“You leave her out of this!” Knox raised his head and glared at Stacey. “Yes, she’s my daughter. Please, Lucy’s a baby.” The medical monitors next to the bed recorded his elevated blood pressure.

“What’s going to happen to her when her parents are in jail or killed? If she’s your baby, don’t you think you should get out of the business and go straight for her sake?”

Jim laughed. “You can’t get out of the ‘business’ if you belong to Zenith. The only way out is death.”

“What if I could arrange your safety? Make it look like you died from your injuries? Would you take Lucy and go away someplace? Live your lives as a family.”

“What do you want in return?” Jim looked from Stacey to Dasan.

“Information,” Dasan said. “Every name, operation, rumor, anything you can give us.”