C. Paradee - Deep Cover

Kris grinned. "Or face the consequences."

"I don't think I even want to know," Shelby joked, but was secretly pleased that Kris had cared enough to warn her stepfather off. She had a feeling the operative's message would be much more effective than any peace bond or court order could ever be. Jonathan only understood power and her partner was more than his match.

Shelby glanced out the window, her mind replaying the confrontation. She was pleased that she'd managed to stand up to her stepfather and outmaneuver him. The look of shock on his face had been priceless. She wondered if her bravery was fueled by the operative's close presence and decided that, while that may have been a factor, she hadn't felt like a victim. Shelby smiled, satisfied with the personal victory. She glanced over at her partner when the car began to slow.

Kris pulled off the road a mile beyond the trailer park, put the car in park, and turned to face Shelby. She reached over, gently touching the bandage covering her partner's upper arm before dropping her hand. "I know he hurt you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It doesn't hurt as much now." Shelby sighed. "I just can't believe he did that. I expected more from him. Shows what I know."

"I didn't think he'd do anything either, and if he hadn't had any alcohol in him, he probably wouldn't have." Kris looked out the window, wishing she hadn't left Shelby alone with Jonathan, but knowing she'd had little choice in the matter.

"Kris?" When her partner met her gaze, Shelby continued. "It was my decision to talk to him alone, so no second guessing, okay?" She reached for the operative's hand and stopped. "You hurt your hand."

Shrugging, Kris glanced at slightly swollen knuckles and quirked a half-smile. "Nah. It's fine."

"We could stop and get some ice..." Shelby trailed off when Kris raised an eyebrow, gazing at her pointedly. "It was just an idea."

The operative shifted the car into gear. "I want to stop and check out that tree Jonathan said the guy hid in. If he was a professional, he probably just left the weapon. There won't be any way to trace it if he did, but I'd like to get a feel for who we're dealing with."

"Okay. Want to stop and eat after that?"

Kris grinned and kidded, "You're not hungry, are you?"

"Oh, like you aren't? We never finished our sandwiches last night and we got up too late for breakfast..."

"I'm kidding. I'm hungry, too. Where to?"

"I'm kinda tired of sandwiches. There's a little spaghetti place near Mom's house. Want to go there?"

"Sounds good."

They quickly located the tree Jonathan had described as the hiding place for the shooter, and Kris parked on the street in front of the yard.

She spent a few minutes surveying the tree, trying to decide the best way to reach the lowest branch without taxing her bruised muscles any more than necessary.

Focusing, Kris crouched slightly before jumping up and grabbing onto the high branch, grimacing, but holding on and eventually swinging her body onto the tree limb. The next branches were comparatively easy, and she found the rifle a little higher in the tree, well hidden in foliage and secured by bungee cords.

Kris glanced around and silently commended the shooter on the excellent vantage point. She dropped to the ground a few minutes later, carefully holding the rifle by the trigger guard because of the remote possibility the sniper had been careless and not worn gloves or wiped the weapon clean after firing it.

"Jonathan was telling the truth. This is a professional sniper's rifle. I'll turn it over to Earl, but there won't be anything on it to identify the shooter or where the weapon was purchased. Anyone can get one through mail order catalogues if you know where to look."

Shelby glanced at the weapon, but her concern was for Kris. "Are you okay?"

The operative smiled wanly. "I'm fine, just a little sore, yet."

"Uh huh." Shelby knew a little sore really meant Kris was majorly hurting. "I hope we see someone on tonight's surveillance. We really need a break."

"I hear you." Kris closed the car door behind Shelby, secured the rifle in the trunk, and slid into the driver's seat. Doubts began to plague Kris as she searched her mind for any way to expedite the search for her mother and the leak in the case. Troubled, she began to wonder if they had any chance for success.

Softly spoken words broke through her dark musings and a small hand came to rest on her thigh.

"We're going to find her in time."

The operative glanced at the unshakable optimism on her partner's face. After all she'd been through the last week, that Shelby could be so positive amazed her. She cast her doubts aside, determined to prove the analyst right.

Kris took a sip of her Coke, her eyes steadily tracking the people walking along the Georgetown sidewalk, oblivious to her scrutiny. Shelby had grown quiet the last half hour and the operative suspected that her arm was probably bothering her, although her partner had insisted it was fine and had taken a pain killer in the restaurant.

Her concern for her partner's welfare had overridden her logic while they were eating, and she'd suggested they cancel surveillance that night, but Shelby had pointedly vetoed the idea. Kris marveled at the iron will and quiet strength of the woman she loved and vowed to do everything within her power to ensure they shared a future together.

The operative's thoughts turned to Dimitri. She wasn't surprised that the Russians were maintaining a low profile right now by leaving her alone; she'd expected that. But, it was going on nine p.m. and no one had shown the slightest interest in the drop, either.

She glanced in their rear view mirror frequently, habit dictating her action. She turned her head toward Shelby when she heard her suck in a breath and whisper, "Maggie."

Taking in the wide eyes and astonishment on her partner's face, she looked in the direction Shelby was gazing. Kris recognized the woman she had seen sitting in the canteen across from Michael earlier in the week. Her eyes riveted on the casually jean clad woman, she watched her nonchalantly pass the "blind" man sitting there collecting coins and put something in his basket. "You know her?"

Shelby nodded, still stunned. "Yeah. She works down my hallway. She invited us out for a get together last night, but I told her I was stopping over at my mother's..."

As the realization of what she'd said, impacted her, Shelby turned and faced Kris, who was tracking Maggie down the street. "I forgot all about that. She knew, too." The analyst fell silent wondering how she could have misjudged Maggie so badly, and then realized she'd never talked to her enough to really develop any kind of rapport with her. She glanced up as Kris started the car.

"That's her in the blue Mercedes," Kris said. "Let's see where she's going now."

Shelby watched Kris expertly blend into the traffic behind the Mercedes, always keeping two or three cars between them and their target. She was glad Washington had a thriving nightlife, knowing they could easily keep Maggie in sight without being obvious until she reached her destination.

Disappointment coloring her words, Shelby looked at her partner glumly. "I never even suspected her."

Kris reached over and linked her fingers with Shelby's. "You probably never had any reason to. Did she ever act suspiciously or do anything out of the ordinary?"

"No. But she was always big in the rumor mill. She's the one who told me she heard Blue was in town and then asked a few questions about you when you first started working on the case. I never thought anything of that because she was always talking about some rumor she'd heard."

"Sounds to me like there was no reason for you to be suspicious. I wonder what her tie in with Michael is?"