Night Life

“It’s not Sasha’s secrets I’m worried about,” her father said.

She started running scenarios in her head. But before she went off half-cocked, she looked at the man who’d brought this to her door. “Maybe you’d better tell me why you’re here, Dad.”

The dainty china mug looked like a toy in his big hands. It reminded her of the tea parties she’d had as a little girl. Her father hadn’t wanted her to grow up with too much male influence. So he’d encouraged Sasha to have tea parties and wear pink, a color she’d never really liked. Still, she’d admired her dad for trying to give her a rounded upbringing without having her mom in the picture.

He gave her a stern look. And her stomach sank. “Kane has gone rogue. He’s taken the STAR list and is out in the open. I talked to Ano at American Renegade Company and she’s reinstated you as an agent for the duration of this mission.”

The STAR list contained the codenames and current locations of every known operative. Not just for HMIA, but for many of the intelligence agencies around the world.

Sasha felt a cold chill down her back. Why would Kane go rogue? The last six months had been tense, which was why he’d left her and moved back to London. But this was extreme for him. He was one of the most secure and well balanced people she knew.

Ano aka Alpha Number One was the head of American Renegade Company. Sasha didn’t know all the details, but Ano and the sergeant major had some sort of ongoing relationship. They couldn’t live together and yet living apart wasn’t what they wanted either.

She pushed away from the table and paced to the window. Her dad had worked for Renegade Company for years. Renegade wasn’t just a cute catchphrase they used. They were a group of renegades that no other law-enforcement group would have. “If I don’t accept this assignment, someone else will, right?”

She heard his chair scrape against the tile floor as he stood. In the window she saw him come up behind her. He didn’t put his arm around her, but stood just behind her. “Ano wants it to be you. HMIA doesn’t want you anywhere near this because of potential conflict of interest.”

She pivoted to face him. Conflict of interest didn’t even come close. Good God, she didn’t want to get between Kane and his target. “Why does Ano want me? She knows I’ve gone against the Company before. I’ve been out there like Kane.”

Her dad lifted his hand toward her shoulder, but he dropped it before he touched her. She’d alienated him as well. That last mission had almost killed her, not physically but emotionally. Her soul was empty except for Dylan, and all the men in her life had felt the chill.

“That’s why, Sasha. You came back and she thinks you can talk Kane into it. If you can’t, they’re going to sanction him.”

She hadn’t exactly made it all the way back and they both knew it. Relieved that her father didn’t call her on it, she said, “Tell me the details.”

“Ano will brief you. All I know is that Townsend is in London and that Kane is stalking him.”

“What does Townsend have?” Sasha asked. Her enemy had escaped the authorities by killing one of his guards and knocking the other unconscious.

Her father looked down at his coffee and took a swallow before responding. “We think at least one hostage.”

It wasn’t like her old man to stall. What did he know that he wasn’t saying?

“And negotiation isn’t an option?” she asked. But she knew it wasn’t. Townsend’s mode of operation was to take the family members of influential people and use them as pawns in his deadly games.

Sasha felt a deep rage start burning inside. And clenched her fists against the feelings sweeping through her. If she gave in to the rage, she’d never be able to get the job done.

“He’ll probably try to get his hostages out of Britain,” she said. Townsend knew how HMIA worked. Hell, he’d written half of the procedures they used for this kind of thing.

Orly’s eyes had taken on a glazed look that she knew meant he was processing the information. His mind was like a computer.

“I’m going to run some information through my computer. What time are we leaving?” Orly asked.

“Ano is expecting you by six,” Mitch said.

“Meet me out front in about an hour.”

Orly left the room and Sasha faced her father. He didn’t look happy delivering that news. No matter what he thought of her marriage to Kane, her dad had always respected her husband because of his attitude toward the world and his willingness to make many sacrifices to keep it safe.

Kane gone rogue. Why? It didn’t make sense. He was a loyal agent and one of the most balanced men she’d ever met. He was cool under fire, and in the field she’d never met his match. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her hands up and down trying to get warm. She’d made a choice and cut herself off from Kane. Was she responsible for this action?

Was this some bid for her attention? One he knew she wouldn’t be able to resist?

Why would he do it? She and Dylan were safe. His mother and two sisters were safe, Sasha had talked to her mother-in-law, Jane, two days ago. There was no one close to Kane who could be in danger. Was it Bruce Temple, Kane’s partner? She rubbed her eyes. God, what a mess.

“Orly’s gone. You can tell me everything.”

Her old man shrugged and had that stubborn look in his eyes. He wouldn’t reveal his sources to anyone. Not even his daughter. Sasha often wondered if that was why she had such a hard time trusting men.

“Do you know why Kane’s doing this?”

“I couldn’t get that intel. Ano either didn’t know or wouldn’t tell me.”

“The threat is real, Sasha. Get Kane and get the information he has—now, before it falls into the wrong hands.”

Her heart lurched and she gave up questioning her father and started planning. She calculated the time it would take to change clothes, ready the command vehicle and get to London.

She’d find Townsend and finish the job this time. She wasn’t going to let him take the life of another man she cared about.

She trusted her dad to protect Dylan. She watched the old man for a minute. His credo was, protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. “Dad, you stay here and keep Dylan safe.”

“I planned to.”

Sasha walked slowly down the hallway and back to Dylan’s room. He was sleeping quietly now, his arm wrapped around that panda of his. He looked sweet, innocent and just enough like Kane to make her heart break. Neither she nor Kane were innocent, but they’d vowed to protect the world so that more people could be. What had happened to radically change Kane?

Ano hadn’t changed in the year since Sasha had seen her boss. Ano moved into the room as if she owned it. She was a tall woman, almost six feet, and her brilliant auburn hair was pulled back in a sleek-looking ponytail. Her eyes radiated the kind of quiet intelligence that Sasha respected. Sasha and Orly had made good time in the Aston Martin that Kane had given her as a wedding present.

A.R.C. headquarters was located in the Trafalgar Square section of London. Trendy nightclubs surrounded them. Sasha couldn’t have felt more out of place if she’d tried. This was a world away from her quiet life of playing in the park with Dylan and talking to B and B owners about room security.

This was the game she’d left behind before it chewed her up anymore and spit her out. Sasha felt an odd sense of déjà vu. She’d never expected to be here again. Reconciling the conflicting emotions wasn’t easy.

“Nightshade, it’s good to see you,” Ano said. She gestured for Sasha to take a seat in one of the brocade guest chairs.

But was it good for her? Sasha wondered. She was a mother now, a wife. In the old days she’d never left the house without her gun, her GPS unit and her two-way radio. These days she never left without baby wipes, a pacifier and a plastic container of Cheerios. “Thanks, Ano. I’m not exactly happy to be here.”

“Given the circumstances, I understand.” There was compassion and a bit of doubt in Ano’s eyes.

Sasha took the compassion and ignored the doubt. She had her own trepidation about taking on this assignment. But overriding that gut reaction was the reality that she wouldn’t let anyone else go after Kane.

“Your mission is to retrieve Agent Sterling and do some recon on Townsend to identify his location.”

Her gut tightened at the thought of retrieving Kane. She still had so many questions.

“Why is Kane out there?”

“Our intel didn’t say. Only that he took the STAR list.”

Sasha inhaled sharply. That list was an extensive database that was used by all global intelligence agencies. It held the location of all the safe houses the agencies used and a list of code words. If the list were compromised, there would be no way to warn all the agents in the field until it was too late. Kane held the lives of agents all over the world in his hands. No wonder he was wanted back. “Why?”

“Townsend wants it in return for the hostages he’s holding.”

“Kane wouldn’t—”

“Forget about your husband, Nightshade. This is a rogue agent. Sterling needs to be brought in. Is it going to be you or should I send someone else?”

Ano didn’t pull her punches but then Sasha hadn’t expected her to. Sasha closed her eyes and searched inside herself. The world disappeared and she found the quiet place that she always visited before a mission.

Each time it was the same, she realized. Her doubts and fears weren’t new; she’d always questioned if she was ready to go out and face an enemy who was willing to kill her to achieve his objective. And this time she knew with utter certainty that she was the only agent who had a stake in keeping Kane alive.

“I’m the agent for this job,” she said quietly.

Ano didn’t say anything, but steepled her fingers and watched Sasha. Sasha had no idea what Ano was hoping to find in her expression, but when Ano nodded Sasha knew she’d found it.

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.

Starting at the back, she worked her way from office to office, carefully opening each door and scanning each room for any signs of life. She kept Orly posted so they’d have a fairly accurate report of what was on this floor. Empty offices with desks but no sign of Kane.

Was she in the wrong place? She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, focusing instead on the darkened office. The next two offices had closed doors. She checked the hinges first; they were new-looking and not rusty.

She turned the first handle and pushed gently, but the lock was jammed. She put her shoulder to the door and forced it open. Stepping into the room, she found the window open a crack. Just large enough for the barrel of a rifle.

“I think I’ve found something,” she muttered.

“Are you alone?”

She scanned the interior of the room. “Yes. But someone’s been here recently.”

“Nightshade, that’s a negative. Someone is still there.”

Before she could move, a man stepped out from behind the file cabinet and grabbed her. He shoved the barrel of a gun up under her chin, forcing her head back.

Chapter 2

To the mind that is still the whole universe surrenders.

—Lao-tzu

Sasha leaned back against Kane. He was wearing body armor. And holding an Enfield SA80 battle rifle loosely in his free hand, the muzzle of his Heckler & Koch USP MK23 pressed against her skin.

By turning her head she could see that he had on a night-vision mask and a scope on his rifle. Her blood turned cold. Kane wasn’t a sniper. But for some reason he was tonight. She had a million questions and really no time to ask them. She knew only that she had to get Kane out of here before he destroyed a career he’d spent over fifteen years creating.

And she also knew from her own walk on the outside of the Company that vengeance was never worth the price. He had gone rogue. What if she couldn’t get him to back down? She knew she’d never be able to kill him but that someone else wouldn’t hesitate.

She leaned against his chest and tipped her head backward. Taking a deep breath, she pushed aside all her doubts. She had a job to do and that job, quite frankly, was to stop Kane from leaking sensitive information and blowing the operation in place for rescuing the hostages.

“Hello, lover,” she said. Her soft, naturally husky voice pitched low enough not to carry on the wind. His scent was familiar to her and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply for a minute.

He cursed softly under his breath and released her. “Go home, Sasha.”

He moved away from her back to the window and positioned his rifle on the ledge. She slid into position beside him. “Nightshade.”

This time he looked at her. Even in the shadows she felt the intensity of his gaze on her. She stood a little taller—he’d always had that effect on her. She didn’t know why this one man should make her want to preen and show off, but he did.

“What are you doing here?” he asked in a low voice that carried no farther than her ears. He took a few moments to holster his sidearm and then she heard a click. Kane wore a thick black Irish sweater and a pair of dark chinos.

He looked like Cary Grant in To Catch A Thief. Her heartbeat picked up and she was reminded of how sexy her husband could be when he wasn’t playing the English lord of the manor. God, she’d missed him.

“I heard you needed some backup,” she said softly.

“Is that all you heard?” he asked.

“No. I couldn’t let you do something stupid,” she said, not caring if he got angry with her. The risks he was taking were stupid.

He shook his head. “You know better than that.”

“I only know that HMIA is sending someone to bring you in because you have some sensitive information. That doesn’t sound smart to me.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Sure you do. That’s why you’re alone in a warehouse about to betray your country and your peers.”

“I don’t have time for this. Go home.”

“Come with me,” she said. Please come with me. She willed him to morph back into the man she’d married, not this steely-eyed assassin.

She’d sparred with Kane a number of times. She knew his weaknesses as well as he knew hers. Or at least as well as he knew the ones she’d let him see.

“Why’d they send you? I was expecting Temple.”

Sasha figured HMIA would send Kane’s partner as well. And then either Kane or Temple would end up dead. And there was something in Kane’s manner tonight that she’d never seen before. Something that warned her that he wasn’t going to back down easily.

She knew there had to be more to the situation than she had been informed of. “Are you having a problem at work?”

Kane gave a short derisive laugh. “That’s an understatement.”

“Help me understand this, Kane.”

“There’s nothing for a housewife to understand,” he said.

She knew he was goading her. And suspected it was because he wanted her out of here. “I’m not leaving until I get some answers. Why did you take the STAR list?”

“Stop the chitchat, Nightshade,” Orly said. “There is some activity on the dock. A BMW with dark windows just pulled up. If you don’t get Kane out of there now, it’ll be too late.”

“Gotcha, Orly.”

Kane’s eyes narrowed as Sasha spoke. “Who’s watching Dylan?”

“Dad.”

There was some movement on the dock and Kane crouched down and sighted his rifle, and she heard the minute sound of a bullet being pushed through a silencer. The man whom Kane had aimed at crumpled to the dock.

“How many men are you going to kill?” she asked softly. The man she’d married always avoided killing suspects, usually just wounding them. This wasn’t the Kane she knew. And that scared her.

“As many as I have to.” His voice was devoid of any emotion and she knew he was in work mode.

“Why are you here, Kane? Help me understand.”

“Not now, Sasha. I’m on a tight clock. Go home.”

He panned the scope, carefully searching for others on the dock. Then he stood, lifted the window and gave her a half salute before stepping over the edge.

Dammit, that was what that click was. Only now did she notice the harness and the rappelling rope. He went down smoothly and quickly. Sasha grabbed the rope and followed Kane over the edge. By the time she was on the ground, he’d moved off, blending into the shadows.

He reached the man he’d taken down and dragged the body out of the walkway. Nightshade kept her distance, waiting for the right moment to make her move. She was going to have to take him down.

“Three men are headed toward your position,” Orly told her.

Nightshade glanced toward the warehouse and made visual contact. “I see them. Kane, we got company.”

They were probably coming to investigate what had happened to the guy Kane just shot. Kane lifted his assault rifle. “No more dead bodies.”

She wasn’t going to let him go on a killing spree. Something nagged at the back of her mind. Kane seemed as if he was out for vengeance. Who the hell had been nabbed that had so badly aroused Kane’s anger? Sasha stepped in front of him. “We can capture these guys easily. I’ll take the first one.”

She waited tensely to see if he’d do it or not. She saw him push his gun behind his back. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Agreed. Ready?”

“Ready,” she said, every nerve ending tingling to life. She was good at what she’d been trained to do. In the old days, taking on three sentries would have been no sweat. But it wasn’t the old days and she felt the need to be in top form.