Blue stood far enough away from the door to allow Shelby to exit the car, then remained between her and the street until they entered the store. Once they were inside, she glanced down at her companion to see how she was handling the situation.
Shelby hadn't been nearly as bothered at being followed by an unknown assailant as she was by the idea that he might know where she lived. In the last couple of days, her previously routine life had become a cloak and dagger affair. First she was shot at, and now someone was following them. She had come to the conclusion that it had to be work related, because the entire sequence of events hadn't started until she had actually been assigned to the case. Shelby fleetingly wondered how Kris could live in a world of danger and deception, where events like these were commonplace.
No longer in the mood to shop, Shelby got a shopping cart anyway, deciding her activities were not going to be curtailed by some stranger in a car, but she acknowledged that her bravery stemmed in part from the comforting presence of the tall woman at her side. She glanced up to see concerned blue eyes regarding her. "Is he gone?"
"For now. He may be parked on the street to avoid being seen."
Oh great! "I wish I knew why he was following us."
Kris snorted. "You and me both."
Shelby decided she'd feel safer at home, even if he did know where she lived, and looked around the store trying to decide where to start. "So what do you like?" When Kris didn't answer her, she glanced up to find the operative's eyes trained on the door.
After several minutes Blue finally turned her attention back to Shelby. While it would have been a stupid move for the driver of the Taurus to follow them inside, she wasn't going to take any chances.
She wanted Shelby to relax a little, not missing the tight set to her shoulders as she began pushing the cart down the aisle. "I want to pick up a few TV dinners."
Her answer had the desired effect when Shelby turned to her indignantly. "You're not serious?"
Kris chuckled at Shelby's disbelieving expression and winked. "Just kidding. I like almost anything. Why don't we get a couple of steaks to broil tonight? With baked potatoes and salad? How's that sound?"
Shelby grinned. "Now you're talking." She decided to use her own judgment for the bulk of the groceries since it was becoming apparent Kris wasn't going to be of much help.
Markov continued down the street to the next light, before turning around and pulling into a service station across from the grocery store. He pulled out his cellular phone and punched in the number of his immediate superior, puzzling over why some of the higher echelon seemed to be working independently in tracking this woman.
Gregor had been expecting the call and answered the phone immediately. He listened with satisfaction to Markov's report. He'd had little time to garner information from his contacts, but what they had provided him with was apparently accurate, because the woman who got out of the car matched the description he had passed on to Markov. "Break off contact. I ran the plates and have an address. I don't want to chance you being spotted."
Markov indignantly protested, "I will not be seen."
Ignoring his subordinate's response, Gregor ordered, "Return at once," and turned the phone off, frowning.
So, she was staying with another woman. It was an interesting development that didn't fit the profile they'd been developing on her over the years. She tended to be a loner. He needed to find out what the connection was - other than that they both worked for the Agency. That alone wouldn't be reason enough for the cohabitation, and he speculated on how it might be related to the cryptic message left at the emergency drop. He was going to have to make some further inquiries and find out who Shelby Carson was.
Gregor knew that the more information he had, the more pressure he could exert. Having minutely examined his contact's entire file that afternoon, he had found something he could use as leverage, sensing he might need every bit of ammunition he could muster.
Shelby walked down the last aisle, smiling inwardly. The operative had decided to help after all, and had casually added things they passed in the store including pepper cheese, cheddar cheese, wheat crackers, blueberry and cherry yogurt, lemon flavored seasoning, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, onions, a large bag of crunchy Cheetos, and microwave popcorn.
Noticing that most of the selections were either snack foods or seasonings, Shelby decided Kris probably didn't get to eat many things she liked while in the field. She had been tempted to comment on a few of the spicy items, but hadn't wanted to dissuade her tall companion from getting what she wanted. That was, until now. "You actually eat that stuff?"
Kris looked at the comical expression on Shelby's face, then to the roll of meat in her hand and shrugged. "Yeah. Makes a good sandwich with a nice thick slice of onion and spicy mustard."
Shelby nodded in mock understanding. "Oh, that's how you do it. You drown out the taste with the mustard and onion." She shuddered. "I can't stand that stuff. When we were kids and mom made it for lunch we called it liver the worst."
The twinkling was apparent in the green eyes regarding her, and Kris quirked a half-smile as she held out the package and pointed out, "This is braunschweiger not liverwurst."
"They're all the same...braunschweiger, liverwurst, goose liver. Yuck!"
Kris just grinned and tossed the meat into the cart. "I didn't say anything about that weird cereal you got."
"What are you talking about? My Maypo? Maypo's not weird!"
"Whatever you say. I never even heard of it." The operative was enjoying the banter and pleased that some of Shelby's tension had faded. As a rule, she was bored by shopping, but was finding she didn't mind it nearly as much tonight.
"It's really good. It's a maple flavored oat cereal. Taste's great."
Kris raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I think I'll pass. Sounds way too sweet."
"I happen to like sweet."
Oh, so do I. Kris put a halt to her unruly thoughts. "Nothing wrong with that. We done?"
"Yeah. Just have to get some milk."
Blue's eyes turned glacial. A guy in jeans and a blue polo shirt had mirrored their progress for just a little too long for it to be mere coincidence. She quickly assessed him in the mirror mounted at the end of the aisle. Thank God for shoplifters.
He was too far away for her to determine if he was carrying a weapon, and she needed to get Shelby out of the store safely. She briefly considered just ushering Shelby out of the store, but that would leave him to their rear and if he was good, it could be a fatal move. Blue decided that surprise was her best weapon and if it turned out the guy hadn't been following them and was an innocent, no serious harm would be done.
She moved to the left of Shelby and quietly said, "Let me push the cart. Stay between me and the freezer case."
Alarmed, Shelby bit off a question and moved to Kris' right. Her heart sped up until she could hear it pounding in her ears as she kept pace with the tall woman.
Blue was counting on the man to follow their progress in the mirror, so she slowly traveled up the aisle glancing at frozen selections as she passed. If he was actually following them he should avoid eye contact and the operative intended to use that knowledge to her advantage.
Rounding the corner, she quirked a tiny smile. As she had expected, the guy was gazing at a canned vegetable display. She ambled past him making sure no one was paying attention before suddenly turning and forcefully ramming him with her shopping cart.