Night Life. Katherine Garbera

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      Ano passed her a manila folder. She opened it and skimmed the contents. Kane had walked out of HMIA’s headquarters twenty-four hours ago, leaving behind his shield and agency-issued guy. He’d taken the STAR list on a microchip and knocked out three guards.

      His current position wasn’t known, but American Renegade Company had a lead from one of their sources that indicated Kane was headed to Southampton, a port town south of London.

      “I’ll start in Southampton,” Nightshade said.

      “Agreed. I’ve got Charity and Justice down there now. They haven’t been able to pick up his trail.”

      “I can.”

      Ano smiled for the first time since Nightshade had entered the room. “I know. What do you need?”

      “Access to your databases and satellites.”

      “Weapons or backup?”

      “Dad packed my weapons bag. I’ve got handguns, rifles and probably a few other surprises. Orly’s the only backup I need.”

      “Nightshade?”

      Sasha glanced back over her shoulder. “I brought this to you because you are the only one who can do it.”

      Sasha nodded and walked out the door. She knew that deep inside her seethed a kind of darkness that had been waiting a long time to get out again.

      She and Orly were just south of London near the docks at Southampton. The area comprised mainly warehouses and berths for large shipping vessels. Nightshade left Orly behind in their mobile computer-information center and headed for the warehouse where she’d determined Kane would be. Charity and Justice were working the town, talking to contacts and trying to find a lead.

      It had been a long day of fruitless searches, and Nightshade realized that she’d forgotten the tediousness of undercover work. It was 2100 hours and she was glad to finally have a solid lead. A man matching Kane’s description had been seen in a tavern in this area earlier today.

      She’d called her dad a few minutes ago and sung Dylan his bedtime song—“Mockingbird”. His sweet little voice babbling nonsense words had calmed her. And had made her more determined to find Kane. Damn the man, he was a father. He couldn’t take these kinds of risks anymore.

      Now she left behind the last traces of Sasha and transformed herself into Nightshade. She focused on the transition, letting all her senses grow more attuned to the night. The air was cool and brisk on this April evening, and if it weren’t for the possible loss of her husband, she would have relished being back at work.

      The alley behind the Ramman Brothers warehouse reeked of trash, rotting fish and, unless she was mistaken, some kind of excrement. Ah, the glamorous life of an operative. Nightshade adjusted her shoulder holster and scanned the area.

      Kane might not be too happy to see Nightshade again. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d rescued him. Not that he hadn’t saved her ass a time or two. They’d worked well as a team. Both sensing each other’s reactions and playing off each other’s strengths.

      Sasha had forgotten all about those days. Well, not exactly forgotten—she’d suppressed those memories.

      Just the thought of Kane in trouble was enough to enrage her, but she bottled up those feelings for later. She slipped past the Dumpster and decaying fire-escape stairs into clear view. No one was in the alley.

      Dammit, Kane. What was he thinking? She was being slowly drawn back into the life she’d given up. And she began to understand why she’d been afraid to come back. She might not be able to leave it behind again.

      She scanned the area one more time. Townsend didn’t play around. If he wanted that list, he wouldn’t stop until he got it. Why was he suddenly going after it now?

      In the past he’d been one of the most successful smugglers in Europe. When he decided to grab a hostage and move, he did it quickly.

      There were large metal storage tanks littering the dock and Sasha searched for a lorry—a big eighteen-wheeler or an animal-cargo vehicle. That was the common way to smuggle people in and out of the country.

      “I’m going in,” she whispered into her voice-activated wireless communicator. Orly was down the street waiting for her in the refitted Land Rover they’d always used on missions. She hadn’t been surprised when Orly revealed he’d kept everything up to date in there.

      “Gotcha. Satellite shows three bodies just inside the warehouse. There are two sentries patrolling near the docks on each end of the building,” Orly said.

      “Direct me in.”

      Orly whispered directions in her ear and she moved carefully through the area, visually searching for Kane.

      She drew her Glock. A shiver danced down her spine the way it always did when she pulled her weapon.

      “Let my aim be accurate and deadly,” she murmured to herself. Though she’d been easing back into her physical regimen of exercise, she’d never stopped practicing with the Glock for two hours every day. She hadn’t wanted to lose her marksmanship.

      She neared the rear entrance to the building, picked the lock in short order then oiled the hinges on the weathered door before opening it. “I’m at the south-side entrance. Where’s the sentry?”

      “Opposite corner.”

      Slowly, she opened the door. The dim bulb provided scant illumination in the corridor. “I’m in. Do you have me on your screen?”

      “Gotcha. There’s no one moving near you.”

      “Gotcha,” she said, taking a few moments to oil the hinges on a second door before carefully opening it. It opened without a sound and Nightshade slipped quickly into the total darkness of the room beyond.

      Damn. She didn’t want to use a penlight. She had a pair of night-vision goggles in her pack and put them on quickly.

      “I’ve lost you on satellite,” Orly said.

      “I’m in. This floor looks like mainly office space. Did you access the blueprint for the building?”

      “The only one on file is from 1977. Heads up. The figure on the stairwell has moved past your floor.”

      She acknowledged Orly and then paused to scan the area around the door and move slowly into the room quartering it. Everything was coming back to her. Old instincts coming to the fore; it was like putting on a comfortable pair of jeans. She’d missed the feel of this, she realized.

      Sasha stopped and considered Kane and the way he worked. This is what he had wanted her to do. Ironically he’d gotten his wish. They were in the field together.

      She knew where he’d be. Whatever location had the best advantage for watching the dock. And that would be the northeast corner of the building.

      There were a ring of offices against the walls and an open area in the center. She checked the center area first and found nothing.

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