Trapped In Shadow (Shadow Walker Romance Series Book 4) (5 page)

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Hugh asked, his voice soft.

Stacey smiled up at him, her finger still circling the scar from the bullet wound.

“How do you know I’m thinking hard?”

“You get this little crinkle between your eyes.” Hugh ran his finger lightly over her forehead and then down her nose. “Tell me.”

Stacey shrugged. “You, me, life.”

Hugh kissed her gently. “You are fantastic and I love you. I didn’t realize how much until you walked back into my life and Derek’s kitchen. Me, I need a shower and food, but first I need to kiss you again, and life is good because you’re here with me.”

Could it be that simple? He kissed her, his lips insistent, his tongue asking for entrance. She opened for him, feeling her body flush with heat. She trembled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Hugh groaned and took the kiss deeper. His hands cupped her face, angling her head for deeper penetration. Their tongues tangled. Someone knocked on the door.

Stacey didn’t understand what the sound meant. Hugh held her. Kissed her. Her body went up in flames. She ran her fingers through his dark hair enjoying the silky feel. More pounding came from the door.

Hugh slowed and then pulled back. “I think someone wants in.”

Insistent knocking sounded again. Stacey blinked, the noise finally entering her brain. She tingled all over.

“Uh huh.” She smiled.

“I’ll get it.”

Hugh kissed her on the nose and removed her arms from around his neck. Stacey couldn’t help but pout now that she was all revved up. Hugh rolled from the bed and grabbed a robe out of the bathroom. It was hard to miss his tented briefs. At least the feeling was mutual. Stacey seriously considered killing whoever was at the door.

Hugh spoke softly to someone and then walked back in carrying a tray. He set it on the table and winked at her.

“Breakfast is served. I planned to eat other delicacies this morning, but we’re expected in the briefing room in thirty minutes.”

The smile left Stacey’s face. She’d actually thought they had time to spend together. Brushing a hand over her eyes, she scooted to the end of the bed. Why did she feel like crying all of a sudden? This was her life, one mission after another to accomplish, or die trying. It never stopped.

She stood and walked stiffly to the table. Before she could sit, Hugh pulled her into his arms.

“I’m sorry we got interrupted, but this is going to happen. I’m going to love you until you can’t ever comprehend leaving me again.” He kissed her lightly on the mouth and then each eye and finished with her nose. “All you’ve gotten is a reprieve, not a pardon.”

Hugh’s warm hands wandered up her back, holding her close, sharing his warmth. She nodded. It would be all right.

“Eat, baby. Your food will get cold.”

Hugh pulled out the chair so she could sit. Then with a flourish, he lifted the plastic covers keeping the food warm. She stared down at eggs, bacon, home fries, and sliced fruit. If there was one thing Isanti did well, it was food. A teapot sat next to her plate and she poured water before dipping the tea bag.

Hugh spread the whipped cream around his waffle, topped with strawberries and lifted the first bite to his mouth. Stacey paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, enjoying the domestic scene. Most of the time she ate alone. She hadn’t eaten with someone she cared about in years. Warmth suffused her heart.

“Honey, what is it?” Hugh asked.

Stacey smiled and shook her head. “Nothing. I’m glad we’re together.”

§

Raven walked into the conference room and everyone immediately quieted. Stacey looked around the table at the five men who gathered to go over the final mission briefing. She remembered Joe Running Bear from before. He and Dasan looked alike enough to be related with their large stature and tall height. All the men from the tribe possessed the same black hair and dark eyes. Charlie White Owl looked agitated the way he kept flipping through a file on the table.

“For those of you who don’t know, this is Nadezhda Konstantinov,” Raven said. “She works for Star Fire, which some of you may have heard about in rumors. Since the mission of all Star Fire agents is to take down Zenith, she will be accompanying you on this operation.”

Nadezhda looked good in the leather pants and black silk shirt, similar to the ones Stacey wore. Stacey wondered how they’d gotten her and her sister’s sizes. Hugh probably figured them out. Nadezhda sat quietly and nodded at the introductions, her face a blank. Stacey wondered what exactly her sister thought. Hugh looked over and winked at Stacey.

“She’s thinking she doesn’t want to hurt you, but if your father killed your mother, she wants revenge.”

“How are you in my head?”

“Mates are normally telepathically connected. Even when one of them doesn’t have the gift. I wonder what kind of gift your sister has.”

Stacey looked at her sister. Dasan sat beside her, his posture protective.

“All right everyone,” Raven said. “Shall we begin? I want to inform you that I decided against asking General Holland to visit us here in New Mexico. Until we have more information, I want to keep things in house.” Raven sat forward and opened the file in front of him. “In the packet in front of you, you will find the latest satellite pictures of the facility and a map of the building. Dasan take note of the outside guards, it will be your job to take them down. Please use only stun darts in your crossbows. These men are outsiders and we don’t know if they have any allegiance to Zenith.”

“I would think it probable,” Nadezhda said.

Raven nodded. “Nevertheless, I don’t want a blood bath. Inside, there will be two more guards. Hugh, you and Nadezhda will break into the first lab on the second floor. Stacey, you’ll take the one in the basement.”

Hugh stiffened. Stacey thought it was because Nadezhda was to accompany him instead of her. It made sense to send someone with Nadezhda when the Shadow Walkers didn’t know her true allegiance.

“Download a copy of their files,” Raven said. “Hugh, look for that money trail you were talking about. Be vigilant. I want to know what Acta is doing, and if possible, who provided them with White Owl’s design for the tracking chips.”

Everyone turned and looked at Charlie. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

“Hugh will escort you through Shadow,” Raven continued. “He’s been to Manaus before when a team went in to rescue Derek. You’re going to meet with Robert Grey Wolf before you pick up a vehicle and drive through the jungle to Acta’s facility. Don’t forget you need two key cards to get into the labs. Grey Wolf will stay with the van, make the keycards, and monitor the op. Any questions?”

Stacey glanced around the room. Nobody said anything. Hugh squeezed her hand.

“Ready?”

Stacey’s teeth chattered as Hugh led their small group through the Shadow Dimension from New Mexico to Brazil, in little more than a blink of the eye. Hugh released her hand to open a portal. Stacey immediately missed his warmth. They all filed into the heat of the Amazon jungle.

A wave of moisture encompassed Stacey, her silk shirt sticking to her skin. Her eyes watered from the bright light after the darkness of Shadow. They stood in a small alcove near a hangar at the Manaus Airport. The sound of planes taking off filled the air and the ground vibrated underneath their feet.

“Grey Wolf should be waiting in the terminal over there,” Hugh said, pointing at a small building.

“All right, let’s go,” Dasan said, taking the lead in both direction and the operation.

Now that Stacey was defrosted, she began to feel the heat that wearing leather in a jungle could produce. She tugged at the waist of her pants.

Dasan opened the door and motioned Nadezhda and Stacey through. The men followed inside. Only one person sat behind the counter and he didn’t bother to look up when they entered. In the waiting area, empty chairs lined the room. A man rose from a dark corner.

He walked toward the group, his gate smooth, and graceful. He appeared much more comfortable in his white T-shirt and khaki pants than Stacey currently felt. He wore a pair of mirrored sunglasses hiding his eyes and possessed the same dark hair of other tribal members. He shook hands with Dasan.

“I have a van parked around the side. We should get going.”

Stacey glanced up at Hugh. He shrugged.
“Grey Wolf has always been a loner. His code name is Lobo. His parents were murdered when we were in high school. It changed him.”

They piled into the van Grey Wolf pointed out and soon made their way into the downtown area. Dasan did the introductions as Grey Wolf drove.

“The two scientists we’re targeting today are meeting for lunch at one of the local restaurants,” Grey Wolf began. “Hugh, you and Stacey will grab the keycards and switch them with these dummy cards. Bring me the originals, I’ll copy them, and then you’ll need to switch them back. We don’t want them reported missing. There are clothes in the cargo area. You’ll need to change.”

“Got it,” Hugh said, opening a box and pulling out items of clothing.

He handed Stacey a black wig and waitress uniform, and then took out a flamboyant shirt and a pair of shorts for him. Stacey held up the dress. At least it would be cooler than what she wore now.

When they pulled up and parked on the street, both of them had changed their outfits.

“How do I look?” Stacey asked.

“Beautiful,” Hugh said winking. A warmth filled Stacey’s chest.

“Okay, here they come. Hugh, you’ll bump into them and make the first switch.”

Hugh exited the van. Stacey handed him a camera and he slipped the strap over his neck. He started walking toward the scientists while at the same time pretending to take pictures. Stacey watched as Hugh bumped into them. She never saw him make the switch, but in moments he shook their hands and sauntered off. As soon as the scientists entered the building, Hugh turned and jogged back to the van.

“Got them. Here you go.” Hugh handed the cards to Grey Wolf who quickly began to copy them in the device he brought from Isanti.

“Wow, that was great work, Hugh,” Nadezhda said. “You haven’t lost your touch since your retirement.”

Hugh grinned and placed his hand on Stacey’s knee. “Once a spy, always a spy, I guess.” He gave it a little squeeze.

Stacey smiled remembering their promise to each other and the wonderful kiss that was interrupted earlier. Dasan’s voice jerked her out of her reverie.

“All right, Stacey. You’re up. You’ll have to make the switch at the table. There’s a door down that alley that leads into the kitchen.”

Grey Wolf handed her the key cards and she put them into her pocket. It was her turn to slip from the van. She headed for the alley and the entrance that would lead through the kitchen. As she reached for the handle, the door swung open and a boy wearing a uniform similar to hers stepped out. Stacey quickly grabbed the door before it could close. She smiled at the kid and hurried inside.

People hustled around the kitchen as the heat and steam of the room hit her in the face. She walked quickly across the area and through the door she assumed led into the dining room.

On the left sat a bar and to the right tables filled with lunch guests. She found the scientists near the front window. Thinking quickly, she headed for the bar and a tray holding two bottles of beer waiting for delivery. She scooped it up and carried it over to the scientists.

“Here’s your beverages,” she said placing a beer in front of each man.

“There must be a mistake,” the man on her right said. “We didn’t order these.”

Stacey sat the tray on the table bumping the man on her right and making the switch of cards. She reached into her pocket and made a show of looking at her guest check ticket book.

“Oh, yes, yes, I see my mistake. Please forgive the intrusion.”

Stacey picked up the tray in one hand and patted the man’s shoulder on her left and then switched the card slipping the dummy card into her pocket. She made a show of picking up the bottles and glasses before turning back to the bar and carrying the tray away. Placing the tray on a stand by the kitchen entrance she made her way back to the door leading to the alley.

The kid stood outside smoking a cigarette. “Hey, you leaving?” he asked in Spanish.

“I quit,” she answered him and stomped away.

Once on the street, she hurried back to the van. Hugh opened the door and tugged her inside. Grey Wolf pulled into traffic. Stacey handed the dummy cards to Dasan.

“Good job.” Dasan fed the cards into a shredder.

“We’ll hole up until nightfall,” Grey Wolf said from the driver’s seat. “Then we’ll head to the Acta building.”

§

Stacey adjusted the sheath for her obsidian knife. She’d changed back into her Shadow Walking outfit now that they were on the way to the Acta building. She felt the ever-present punch of adrenaline that came at the beginning of an op.

Nadezhda chuckled as Dasan made a big deal of presenting her with one of the tribal decorated knives that would withstand the Shadow Dimension. She whispered something in his ear before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. There was no doubt in Stacey’s mind that her sister seduced Dasan so he would join Star Fire. Nadezhda wanted a Shadow Walker on her team and who better to choose than the man destined to love her.

Both of the sisters were loaned mini-crossbows and darts to use on the mission. Still, Stacey would have felt more prepared with a Beretta in the small of her back or a Glock in a shoulder holster. This all-natural thing about walking through Shadow was a pain in the butt.

Hugh made his way from the weapon’s box Grey Wolf brought with him to a seat next to Stacey in the back of the van. He looked good in his leather pants and long coat, much better than the silly tourist T-shirt and shorts. Stacey knew about the many hidden pockets in the lining of the leather garment, filled with different Shadow friendly gear that might be needed on a mission. If she was obsessive about her weapons and being prepared, then Hugh was maniacal about it.

The van hit one of the many potholes and Hugh swore softly as his head hit the side of the vehicle. He reached over and grabbed her hand, holding tightly even when they were getting thrown around because of the road conditions. Between the rain and the jungle, driving outside Manaus became an exercise in caution and strength.

Hugh pulled a tiny drive out of his pocket and handed it to Stacey. “This is to download the information on the hard drive.”

Stacey looked at the device on the palm of her hand. It could have fit into a nickel.

“It’s so small.”

“It’ll do the job. This is one instance where size doesn’t matter.” He winked, and Stacey felt her face warm. She slipped the drive into her pocket.

They hit an extremely bad bump and Stacey almost fell out of her seat. Hugh grabbed her and she ended up almost sitting on top of him. Her hands went to his chest and her head tipped up. Hugh’s mouth crashed into hers, his lips warm, his tongue demanding. Stacey moaned softly and let her hands go to his face. She opened to him and took as much as she gave. She wanted this man.

They broke apart, both of them panting. Hugh cupped her neck and touched his forehead to hers.

“You be careful when we get inside. Nothing can happen to you. Do you understand? We aren’t done yet, not by a long shot.”

“I could say the same to you.” Stacey kissed him on the nose.

She reluctantly moved back to her seat. Hugh grabbed her hand, again. Keeping in contact. She liked that about him, he wasn’t afraid to let people see how much she meant to him. She grinned.

Now fully dark, it was harder to see. Grey Wolf swore from the driver’s seat and turned off the lights before a small curve in the road. He pulled off and parked the van behind a small copse of trees. The vehicle listed to one side, but that didn’t stop everyone from moving to the back door. Hugh jumped first and then reached up to help Stacey. She noticed that he gritted his teeth when he landed. Did his injury still give him trouble?

“Are you all right?” Stacey asked.

“I’ll be fine. Just landed a little funny.” Hugh took her hand and walked up to the road.

Stacey noticed Hugh limped slightly, favoring one side. She frowned, but refrained from bringing it up. They had a mission to do and the injury wouldn’t affect the outcome. Dasan, Nadezhda, and then Grey Wolf joined them.

“The mine field begins in about a hundred yards so stick to the road. The guard at the gate will be on the lookout for vehicles, which is why I pulled off where I did,” Grey Wolf explained. “Here are communication links for everybody since not everyone is gifted with telepathy. This way we won’t have to repeat any messages from the Shadow Walkers to their mates. You’ll want to go into Shadow now. I’ll be in the van monitoring the op. Meet back here when you’ve got the Intel. Any questions?”

Everybody shook their head. Dasan opened a door into the Shadow Dimension and holding hands, each couple entered. Stacey always thought it strange how this Dimension seemed to hug Earth. Was it really a separate dimension, or was it some kind of reflection of the planet? Her heart tattoo burned slightly, almost as if the dimension tried to remind her to get on with mating Hugh.

She ignored it as they hurried down the road. They could see the lights of the gatehouse ahead as if looking through a curtain of mist. Spotlights swept the compound inside the eight-foot-tall barbed wire fence. It was a good thing they were unseen while in Shadow. Sneaking in otherwise would be impossible.

Dasan opened a small portal and a drugged dart hit the guard on the neck. Dasan caught him as he fell and sat him in a chair as if he’d simply fallen asleep. A keycard reader sat on the side of the building.

“Lobo, is it possible that the keycards need to be swiped at the gate as well as inside the building?” Hugh asked.

“Dammit, I should’ve thought of that. Yes, swipe the cards.” Grey Wolf swore softly.

“The gate will open. Won’t that look funny with no car waiting to come in?” Nadezhda asked.

“We’ll have to take the chance. The guards are out of sight of the gatehouse,” Grey Wolf gave the countdown, “in three, two, now.”

Hugh stepped out of Shadow and swiped his card and then Stacey’s card. The bar lifted as if a car needed entry.

“I hope we’re the only ones watching from a satellite,” Nadezhda said. “If not, then we just gave ourselves away.”

“Let’s go! The quicker we get this done, the sooner we are out of here. I’m going to take out the rest of the guards outside.” Dasan stepped back into Shadow and started walking across the yard.

Hugh followed and took Stacey’s hand, heading for the front of the building. Nadezhda walked behind them.

“I think we should swipe the cards as if we entered the building normally. Every entrance that requires the keycard we need to hit. It may take a little more time, but if someone is monitoring remotely, they might not question two scientists coming in for a late shift. Here’s the first one.”

Hugh reached an arm out of Shadow and swiped the card, then grabbed Stacey’s and swiped hers. The front door opened and the group moved into the building still in Shadow. Minimal lights were on since the building was closed. Hugh headed for a lit “Stairs” sign.

“Lobo, we are inside the building in the stairwell.”

“Thermal imaging shows one guard on rounds. Right now, he’s on the third floor. The other is standing guard in the basement.”

“Roger that, we’re splitting up now. All right, ladies,” Hugh said turning toward Stacey and Nadezhda. “Do you remember how I showed you to open and close a portal from within Shadow?”

Since Shadow marked them as mates, Hugh could teach them the process. They practiced while they waited to leave Manaus. Stacey could probably open and close a portal in her sleep as well as visualize herself through Shadow. Nadezhda definitely could do the opening and closing. They both nodded.