Once all three of them were seated in the living room, Earl opened the discussion. "Shelby. I'm thinking about taking you off this case. Do you have a problem with that?"
A quick influx of color brightened her pale face. "Yes, I do. I started it, and I want to see it through."
Earl had expected that answer. "Okay, how about moving to a safe house?"
Kris stood up. "I don't think that's a good idea. There is obviously a leak on this case and until you find it, she's safer with me."
"Hey look, I wasn't insinuating you can't handle this assignment. I'm just trying to look out for her welfare."
"How are you going to keep the location secret? She can be shot at just as easily going in and out of a safe house as here. Unless you intend to keep her locked up twenty-four hours a day, what are you going to do? Surround her with operatives every time she moves? You could be exposing her to even more danger if the security breach extends to one of the agents guarding her."
Shelby tried to think of something light to say to ease the tension between Earl and Kris. "You must have really pissed Bob off."
As Shelby's words sank in, Kris grinned. "Nah. He was just an overgrown wus."
"What are you two talking about, and who is Bob?"
Smiling, Shelby said, "Oh, just a guy we met at the gym who wasn't too happy about taking no for an answer."
Earl looked at Kris, only to find her gazing at him, amused. He could just imagine what had transpired. "Any possibility..."
"No, Earl. Shelby was just tweaking you."
He turned toward Shelby. "Is there anyone that you can think of who might have a personal grudge against you? An old boyfriend? Someone from your old job? Anyone at all?"
"No." Shelby hesitated as an image appeared in her mind, but discarded it as paranoia. "I can't think of anyone who would shoot at me."
Kris watched Shelby closely. She instinctively felt there was something she wasn't sharing. The operative intended to pursue it later.
Earl mused aloud. "We're no further than we were before."
Kris' voice turned serious. "No, but Earl, everything points to a leak. You need to find it." But I'll probably beat you to it.
Shelby lifted Stormy from her lap and stood up. "I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."
Once Blue heard the door close, she met Earl's direct gaze with her own. "Did you know the grapevine has Blue here? Thought you might find that interesting."
"Shit!"
"My thoughts exactly. Now tell me you don't have a leak."
Earl mused, "It would seem so. How'd you find out?"
"Shelby mentioned it earlier."
Raising an eyebrow, Earl looked at her in surprise. "You told her Blue was your code name?"
"Not hardly. She has somehow pieced it together herself, but I don't think she's really made up her mind if I am or not."
Shelby's eyes widened as she walked up the hallway. So I was right. She knew the evidence had pointed toward Kris being Blue, but even though she'd actively thought about it, deep down she really hadn't believed it, even going so far as to convince herself that an operative that valuable and deadly would not be brought in to work a desk case.
But this was cold, harsh reality. She could no longer hide behind the comfort of not knowing for certain. The woman she was growing increasingly fond of was the notorious Blue whose reputation was the beating pulse of the rumor mill and whispered with awe throughout the Company's corridors. But, does knowing for sure really make any difference? No. It doesn't.
Shelby's thoughts were interrupted as she saw Kris staring at her. For one brief fleeting moment, haunted blue eyes met tumultuous green ones. Then Kris stalked past Shelby, and in a voice totally devoid of emotion, flatly stated, "Now you know," before walking out onto the balcony.
Earl answered his cell phone and after disconnecting followed Kris out onto the balcony. "Relax. It doesn't really matter. She's on our side."
Kris looked at her boss. Not to you it doesn't. To Shelby, it might. "Right."
"We're finished. The teams came up empty. I'm leaving two agents behind for the rest of the night. I'll be in touch."
The operative nodded and followed Earl back into the apartment, securing the door when he left. She turned around to find somber green eyes gazing at her.
CHAPTER 9
KRIS MET SHELBY'S gaze. She would have had to be blind to have missed the surprise in those gorgeous green eyes when the analyst overheard her conversation with Earl. At that instant she'd realized that Shelby had never really believed that she was Blue. It's better this way. She'll be afraid of me and back off.
Shelby was at a loss for words. Kris seemed more distant than ever. She wracked her brain for anything that might dispel the tension permeating the apartment, and then caught a glimpse of the underside of Kris' arm. "You're still bleeding." She headed for the kitchen, calling back over her shoulder, "I'll get some peroxide to clean that up."
Kris stared at Shelby's retreating figure, confused. She hadn't sensed the fear she'd expected to see. Doesn't she get it? She should be afraid - very afraid. Why isn't she? Irritably, she growled, "Surprised?"
Shelby sighed. Stopping, she turned to face the operative. "Surprised about what, Kris? That you bleed, just like I do? Or that you are Blue?"
Narrowing her eyes as she approached Shelby, Blue snorted, then drawled sardonically, "Both. I'm sure you've heard the rumors."
Nodding, Shelby ignored the derisive expression and met Blue's intense gaze. "Yes, I have. So, all of a sudden I'm supposed to think you're some invincible, cold-blooded machine? You're still human, Kris. You have feelings no matter how deeply you bury them, and you can get hurt, too, even though you're loath to admit it; and yes, you bleed, just like I do. So, just what am I supposed to be so surprised about?"
Blue snapped. "Don't you get it? I am NOT like you. You should be afraid of me. Think about who I am."
Shelby stared at the intimidating woman glaring down at her. Kris did scare her when she was like this, but it was a fear of what the operative was capable of, not fear for her own safety. Shelby spoke with quiet certainty. "You wouldn't hurt me."
Kris' eyes widened in amazement and she looked away, biting off a scathing retort. The operative had faced down many powerful foes, yet this woman refused to be intimidated; she struggled to understand that. She wanted to scream in frustration. This was totally outside her realm of experience.
Blue was an expert at manipulation and could usually cajole the most unlikely people into doing whatever she wanted them to. As for those that didn't – well, there were other ways to get them to comply with her wishes. But the woman standing in front of her wasn't like those countless other dupes. She didn't want to try to manipulate Shelby and wasn't sure she could, anyway. Her interest in the analyst had long since totally surpassed anything she could rationalize. Why is she different? And why am I letting her get to me? Kris knew part of the answer. Because she cares.
Kris became angry. Angry because Shelby cared, and angry because she was glad that Shelby cared, and angry because she couldn't let Shelby know that she cared.
Shelby watched the naked emotions play across the usually unrevealing face as the operative's eyes turned distant and troubled. She wanted to say something, anything, to stop Kris from looking so unhappy and angry, but was leery of interrupting her thoughts, knowing she had very probably pushed her too far already. She turned around, reaching into the cupboard for the bottle of peroxide.