Page 41 of Deadly Alliance

Chapter Sixteen

The entire eveningwas an exercise in restraint, patience, and focus. And it was the fault of a pair of red sandals and a dangerous stalker. Not that he didn’t enjoy the company. Kanan and Roz were an interesting couple, and when Kanan’s first action when he entered their apartment was to scan it for possible bugs, Shane knew right away that he had found a man he could trust.

Roz was more of an enigma, erecting a wall in front of her the moment they met. However, Shane could see that it was a protective armour, for both herself and those she loved. He was an outsider and perfectly understood her position, especially since Emme was involved.

Apart from subtle signs of curiosity, and carefully formulated questions, the entire dinner went without a hitch and was mostly enjoyable and lively. Too bad his focus was torn between the possible threat lurking outside, and the enticing operative with red sandals made of ribbons wrapping around her ankles. They were made to be flirty and amusing, but his eyes drifted down to her feet again and again, imagining them on Emme without anything else.

Then he had an image of Emme lying dead in a pool of blood because of his lack of concentration. Because of lusty images that would put her life in peril. They were enjoying coffee, and desperate to ground himself in his mission again, Shane smiled and started to clear the table. Emme was in deep conversation with Roz about some sort of trick knife hidden inside a shoe, as both women finished their coffee.

Kanan joined him in the kitchen, bringing more glasses and cutlery with him. Shane knew that he wasn’t there just to be helpful.

“Not easy, is it?”

Shane put the plates aside and started running hot water to fill the sink. “Doing the dishes? Right, the worst mission I’ve ever done.” he joked knowing full well what the other man meant.

“I was talking about being a sitting duck,” Kanan said with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Shane shrugged. “It’s been that way since we started this mission. Until our nerdy friends dig our target out of his hole, we have nothing to go on.”

He started washing the plates, handing them one by one to Kanan to dry who put them on the side. “Zack told me that your end game is to catch him at the next military event?”

“If we can’t catch him before that’s the best option. A less public place, without too many civilian lives at risk.”

“And Emme?”

Two words that rang true. He heard Emme laugh at something Roz said. She sounded so lively, joyful, and young. He didn’t know exactly where they stood with each other; there was still so much unsaid. What he felt for her was still jumbled with duty and his promise to Nicholas. He didn’t know if he could sort them out until it was all over. When, God willing, Emme and him were still alive.

Shane passed pieces of cutlery to Kanan. “It’s not what I want. I promised her I wouldn’t push her aside and that I would trust her as an agent.”

“Yeah, I get that. Same here. And Roz is trained and experienced to an unimaginable level.”

Shane drained the sink and wiped his hands. “Unless we get a lucky break, technologically speaking, I don’t see how to get him now. I don’t want to wait for him to kill another victim to get his point across though.”

Kanan crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “We’re circling back to the same solution, which is to put Emme up as bait.”

Shane considered his options against what he knew about the person who was lurking in the shadows, what Beatrice had told him about the profile, and his own experience. The solution suddenly seemed clear. “We can’t go half-assed with the bait. Emme won’t be enough. He’s probably even more cautious since Bolton was caught and his bombs failed.”

“And even with bait, there’s no guarantee we’ll catch him. It’s a long shot.”

Shane nodded, a strategy forming in his head. “Then, let’s not.”

Kanan frowned, clearly puzzled. “You don’t want him locked up?”

“Oh, that’s what I want the most. And maybe that’s what we’ve been doing wrong. He’s been two steps ahead of us from the beginning. We need to see our target to be able to hit it.” The more Shane thought about it, the more it made sense.

Shane saw deep interest in Kanan’s face. “What’s your angle?”

“What we’ve done so far is set bait and protected it. Instead, what if we don’t protect the bait?”

“You want to put Emme’s life on the line?” Then the outrage on Kanan’s face switched to understanding. “You want to widen the circle.”

Shane nodded. “Let’s widen it enough so our target is so comfortable, so tempted by what’s in the middle that he steps inside. That’s when we close in.”

“The implication is that you leave the prize vulnerable.”

The girls started laughing at something, distracting the two men for a second.

“That’s what I want the target to think. But it’s a one-shot deal. He won’t fall for our scheme twice.”