C. Paradee - Deep Cover

"I came here yesterday to pay you a visit since you didn't see fit to keep in contact." He smiled coldly knowing he finally had the advantage. "I had no reason to kill you."

Blue didn't miss the past tense, and glared at Gregor. "What about now?"

"You are still more valuable to me alive than dead. My superiors are very interested in knowing what is going on. We don't take kindly to one of our own being fired upon. I'm sure you must have some idea."

One of your own? When hell freezes over. Blue didn't like Gregor's attitude, but she needed information. "I don't know yet. I'm working on it. What did you see?"

Gregor divulged what little information he had. "Very little. I was parked on a side street waiting for your partner's car to return. I saw you both get out and walk toward the building. A silver Chevrolet Cavalier pulled into the parking lot, and at the same time a shot was fired. There appeared to be only one occupant. I saw you cover the blonde woman as I was leaving."

Blue nodded. She didn't know any more now than she had yesterday, except that Gregor was bolder than she'd thought. She hadn't expected him to come to the apartment complex unannounced.

Gregor ordered, "I expect to be kept informed of any new developments."

Blue met his eyes noncommittally, until he broke contact and walked away.

She tracked him until he disappeared, then blended back into the shadows to ensure he didn't return. Blue was distinctly uneasy. She hadn't been surprised that he had pulled his weapon, but he had to have been desperate to come to the apartment complex unannounced the previous evening.

Blue began to feel suffocated by the forces surrounding her. Time was becoming very short, and her options even more limited. There were only fourteen names left on the list, but it was no longer just a matter of completing the case. She needed to find a way to break free of the past, but her first priority, regardless of any danger to herself, was to find out who was targeting Shelby. For the first time, Blue wondered if she would live long enough to do either. I have to.

An hour after Gregor left, Kris climbed the wrought iron stairs and slid her key into the lock.

Shelby paced worriedly through the apartment. Kris had been gone for over two hours, and with each passing minute she became increasingly concerned. Standing out of sight near the balcony door, Shelby searched the parking lot, illuminated by yellow gaslights, but saw nothing except for the usual Friday night traffic arriving and departing. What if something happened to her?

She can take care of herself. Shelby nodded acknowledgement to herself, but was still troubled. She's not perfect. No one is. What if that guy following her was out there waiting and surprised her? Shelby jumped when she saw the door begin to open. She hadn't even heard the key in the lock. "Thank God you're back! I was worried about you."

"No need."

Shelby turned away, walked into the kitchen, and muttered, "Easy for you to say."

Kris didn't know what to say to that. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Well you did. You've never been gone longer than an hour. I didn't know if I should come looking for you or call Earl, except that I don't have his number."

"Shelby. Don't ever leave the apartment when I'm gone."

"What if something happens to you?"

"It won't."

Shelby heard the confidence in Kris voice and wished she could be so sure. "I hope you're right. I would still appreciate you letting me know next time you decide to take your time."

Kris nodded. "Okay." She was still having trouble coming to grips with the fact that Shelby genuinely cared about her. When she allowed herself to explore the feeling, it felt really good and warm, and she wanted to embrace it even as she backed away.

Shelby turned around and met Kris' gaze. "What's really going on? I know something is. I can feel it." When the operative remained silent, Shelby sighed. "I wish you would trust me."

"It's not about that. There are things about me that it's better for you not to know."

"How can you be so sure? Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" She walked over to the couch, waiting for Kris to join her.

She had spent the last two hours reflecting on her feelings for Kris and becoming almost frantic with worry. No longer willing to ignore the tentative connection between them, Shelby threw caution to the wind and spoke from her heart.

"I haven't known you very long, but you've become very important to me. I don't know why, and it doesn't make sense, but you have. Nothing you can say will change that. I know you'll be gone in a week, but at least let me in until you leave. Then you can walk out the door and forget you ever met me."

A myriad of emotions crossed Kris' face as she looked deeply into the warm green eyes. She shook her head. "I can't."

Shelby looked down, hurt. She knew Kris cared, but obviously not enough to trust her.

Kris reached over and squeezed Shelby's hand. "I could never forget you."

When Kris released her hand, Shelby grasped it in her own, not wanting to relinquish the contact. "Do you trust me?"

"More than I've ever trusted anyone."

"Then, please, Kris? Share with me."

The operative gazed into the concerned face of her companion and deliberately ignored the cold, logical warnings sounding in her mind. What could it hurt to share the bare minimums? The analyst already knew she had some personal business she'd been attending to. "I'll tell you what I can, but I can't tell you everything. Deal?"

Shelby nodded, and Kris continued. "Tonight I had to the meet the man who's been having me followed. That's why I was gone so long. I needed to be out there before he arrived to circumvent any unpleasant surprises he might have had planned. He made a couple of mistakes. That's all the help I needed."

"Will he leave you alone now?"

Kris sighed inwardly. "He won't have anyone follow us again and he had nothing to do with the shooting, but I already knew that."

"But it's not over, is it?"

Knowing it wasn't safe to divulge any more information, Kris said, "It will be, soon." One way or another.

"You can't tell me what's going on?"

"No. It's a personal matter that I have to deal with."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Kris thought about the time she'd spent with Shelby and how, when she was in her company, her problems faded into the background. She thought about the shared laughter, sometimes at television shows and sometimes just plain silliness. She thought about how Shelby always put her first even as she tried to do the same with her. "You already are."

Shelby produced a good facsimile of Kris' glare. "Did I ever mention that I hate cryptic answers?"

Chuckling, Kris said, "Okay. I'll try to keep them to a minimum." Her hand was still firmly held by Shelby's smaller one, and she no longer felt the need to break the contact, allowing herself to relax and enjoy it until her companion chose to relinquish her hold.

"Do you like your job?"

Kris glanced at Shelby, carefully choosing her words. "I like working on my own, being my own, boss, yes."

"What about the rest? Always living in the field, and always being on guard all the time. And um...?"

"You want to know if I like killing people?"

"Well, no...I mean, I don't think you would..."

"No, Shelby. I don't. I hate it. I have to put my mind in a special place to do it. But someone has to do it."

"Why do you do it, then?"

"Because I have to."

"No you don't. You could request out of wet ops."

"No, I can't." Yet.

About to dispute that further, Shelby looked at the strained look on her companion's face, then closed her mouth. The last thing she wanted to do was push Kris away when she'd finally opened up a little.