The operative also faced another certainty. She would not go back to that life. She would risk it all for the chance to share a future with Shelby. If she wants me.
Shelby returned and sat down on the couch. She leaned over her taller companion and picked up the remote. "What're you thinking about? You looked a million miles away."
Kris breathed in her partner's unique scent, fighting off the urge to pull Shelby into her lap. No, not a million miles away. I was with you every minute you were gone.
Instead, she waited for the analyst to sit back and then stood up. "I need to go out one more time." She leaned down and brushed a lock of hair away from Shelby's eyes, her decision made. "You'll still be up when I get back, won't you? I want to talk to you about something." She wasn't sure what she was going to say or how she was going to say it, but the trip outside would give her time to formulate her thoughts.
The blue eyes gazing at her were fraught with meaning, and Shelby's heart began fluttering. She smiled warmly, allowing her eyes to convey what they would. "I'll be waiting up. Just like I always am."
Kris grasped Shelby's hand and squeezed it before releasing it. "I'll be back soon."
Shelby nodded in anticipation. We're going to talk. Really talk. I never thought I'd see this day. She accompanied Kris to the door and locked it behind her. Yes!
Kris took the steps two at time, her Blue persona in place by the time she reached the ground. Instincts honed by years of living on the edge suddenly screamed out a warning and she quickly pulled her weapon and faded into the darkness behind the building, searching the shadows for the slightest movement or sound.
Hearing nothing, she kept her back to the cement wall and soundlessly worked her way along the length of the building. She silently cursed when she felt something impact against her shoulder and felt a burning sensation travel down her arm. Immediately dropping into a defensive crouch, Kris began edging her way back around the building. She had to get back to Shelby.
She heard a sound and focused her attention in the direction from which it came, but suddenly found it hard to concentrate. Kris watched in disbelief as the gun fell from her hand onto the ground only a moment before she toppled over next to it. Her mind screamed out a warning. Shelby!
Gregor waited for a full two minutes before commanding his men to converge on the agent's location behind the building. Speed was of the essence. Not only was it vital that they were not spotted, Dimitri had stressed the importance of minimizing the length of time the operative would be absent.
Not taking any chances, Gregor waited until his men were present before approaching the fallen operative. The tranquilizer was very fast acting, but they only had thirty minutes before she would start waking up and it was imperative that she have no knowledge of where she had been taken.
He knelt down next to her and roughly shoved her from her side onto her stomach. Removing a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, he snapped them in place, tightening them brutally. This woman had caused him enough grief, and he intended to exact his revenge in any way he could, knowing that once he turned her over to Dimitri, he would be summarily dismissed.
He glanced at two of his men. "Get her to the car." The operatives flanked her, each grabbing an arm, and began pulling her along.
Gregor would have preferred to let them continue dragging her, letting the movement take its toll on her wrists, but knew better than to leave evidence of their presence. "Pick her up. Hurry up!"
Within minutes, she was stuffed into the back of a blue Ford Taurus and her journey to an unknown destination began.
Shelby picked up Stormy and sat where Kris had been sitting a short time before. She listened to the contented purring of the small kitten, allowing her thoughts to roam freely. She had asked herself over and over again why she was so attracted to Kris, but knew the answer was the magic between them.
Everything seemed so right when they were together. Kris was beautiful, yes, but there was so much more about her that Shelby loved. Like how she always puts me first, the way she looks at me when she thinks I'm not looking and how she makes me feel with just the slightest touch.
Shelby also felt an intense protectiveness towards Kris. She chuckled. Not that she'd ever need my protection. But there was something so appealingly vulnerable about the woman at the oddest times. Every once in awhile when she was able to covertly watch Kris, Shelby had seen a sad, lost look in those beautiful blue eyes that broke her heart. She knew the operative was unaware of displaying what she would certainly consider a weakness, but it woke a fierce desire within her to prevent anyone from ever hurting the woman who had claimed her heart.
Shelby smiled happily and continued her musings. She's so cute when her mouth curls up into that little smile she shares only with me, and I love her dry sense of humor. She is really protective, but I like that. Silly, she is supposed to be protective, she's your bodyguard. Shelby answered her inner voice. No. It goes way beyond a job. I can feel it.
Suddenly uneasy, Shelby lifted the kitten from her lap and stood up. Kris had been gone only a matter of minutes, but out of nowhere had come a strong feeling that something was very wrong. She dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Kris was fine. But her uneasiness continued to grow. She's in trouble.
Shelby usually trusted her instincts, but worried that her overactive imagination and emotional attachment might have conjured up the feeling rather than her gut. Trying to ignore the feeling, she discovered that it nonetheless persisted and grew. Should she go and look for her? She very clearly remembered Kris' admonition to stay inside no matter what. She'd agreed at the time, but she hadn't felt like this, then.
She picked up the phone only to set it back down. Whom could she call and what could she say? 'Um, you see, Kris went outside and she's been gone twenty minutes and I'm worried about her.' Yeah right!
Forcing herself to calm down, Shelby sat down on the couch and flicked through the channels before tossing the remote on the end table in disgust. It was no use. She couldn't concentrate on anything except the clock, and it seemed like only a minute had passed since she'd looked at it last. She decided to wait another half hour before doing something. Just exactly what that would be, she wasn't sure, but Shelby figured she had an interminable half hour to try and figure it out if Kris still hadn't returned.
Blue was slowly regaining consciousness, but deliberately kept her growing awareness of her surroundings hidden. She was lying on what felt like a cement floor with her hands and legs secured. Tensing her muscles slightly, she could feel the steel vises on her wrists tighten, and relaxed to relieve some of the pressure.
Sensing that she was alone, Blue opened her eyes and looked around. The room was barren except for two chairs, a table, and some leather restraints attached to chains hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. She grimaced, all too familiar with the uses for the device. She hoped this action was directed only at her and that Shelby was safe, but her stomach tightened in worry.
She lay unmoving, watching as the door opened and five men walked in, only one of whom she recognized. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Sergei and suddenly she knew what had prompted her capture. Somehow they must have already found out the information she gave them was bogus. Shit! She'd known the risks, but had expected more time. Not bothering to ponder how they'd found out so quickly, Blue began to focus her energy on preparing herself both mentally and physically for the punishment she was sure was to come.