Spectre

by Shiloh Walker

  He made no response, but I thought I saw a faint smirk on his lips as he carried the bags to the back-passenger door. I wondered about it as Casper opened the door and put the bags behind his seat where I could easily reach them. As he withdrew, I kept my attention on the store window, unease prickling inside me as the clerk darted looks out the window. “I think he’s calling the cops.”

  I half-expected him to ask why.

  Instead, he flicked a look at the grimy windows, a grim look on his face. “I’m not surprised. Don’t worry. We’ll be gone in a few minutes.”

  Chapter 13

  Spectre

  I went straight back the way we’d come after we pulled out of the gas station. After five hundred yards, I took a county road to the north and settled into a leisurely speed exactly two miles over the recommended limit. Driving too fast caught attention but driving too slow could have the exact same effect. Aware Tia was watching with wide, strained eyes, I pressed my finger to the scanner on my phone, glad I’d deactivated the other security features for the drive, then tapped on the top left icon.

  The phone’s voice app came to life and I made my request.

  A moment later, voices flowed over the Bluetooth earpiece I’d put in earlier.

  I had to glance away from the road to change the app’s location but a few seconds later, the police radio scanner app had locked in on the county sheriff’s department, and local dispatch, who was still relaying the complaint from the gas station owner.

  “What are you going to do if a cop catches up to us?” Tia asked, her voice tight.

  “I’ll handle it.”

  “How?”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw her crossing her arms over her chest while tapping her fingers repetitively against her arm in a rhythmic tattoo—da, da, da-da, da, da, da, da-da, da.

  Her lips pressed flat together as she kept shooting looks at the mirror.

  She was terrified.

  It wouldn’t help if I told her not to worry.

  “It’s not likely to happen,” I said, deciding to give her as much of the truth as I could. “I have an app that lets me listen in on the local police scanner. I turned it on and I’m listening. The sheriff’s office is sending somebody out—” I paused, attention sharpening as the crackle of voices cleared and I heard an ETA, as well as a description of the vehicle. A wrong description. “But the nearest deputy is ten minutes out and coming from the southern part of the county. Plus the fool who called in the complaint reported this vehicle as some sort of POS black Toyota, a RAV4. He told the dispatcher he’s about positive on that.”

  I shot her a look as I slowed at a stop sign. Tia blinked slowly and some of the tension left her shoulders. She took a deep breath, then the tapping on her arm stopped.

  A few seconds later, she took another deep breath and looked at me.

  “The insignia on this car looks nothing like the insignia on a Toyota.”

  “We know that. The idiot back at the gas station doesn’t.”

  I pulled forward as a pair of headlights appeared on the horizon. Tia tensed, but after the car rolled past, she blew out a sigh of relief.

  The tension remained for the next twenty minutes. I pointed out a sign on the right side of the road, announcing we’d just entered a new county.

  She read it aloud. After a few seconds, she said, “I’m surprised you told me anything. You seem to be intent on keeping me in the dark.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, surprised myself. “It won’t happen again. I just wanted you to know you could stop watching the mirrors for flashing red lights.”

  She grumbled under her breath, but over the next few minutes, she did relax.

  And within the next twenty, she dropped off into sleep.

  She stayed asleep, too.

  I stopped a few minutes after I’d noticed so Valkyrie could piss in the scraggly, drought-ridden grass and drink some water from the bowl I’d brought along. She’d been whining off and on since we’d left the gas station, but I hadn’t wanted to take a chance while we were still so close to the asshole behind the counter.

  I’d known he’d call the cops. It had been written on his face, plain to see, and I’d considered sending Tia outside, perhaps to deal with the dog, so I could deal with the clerk. It wouldn’t have bothered me to deal with him, even in a permanent fashion. Tia hadn’t seen the way he’d leered at her as she walked to the back of the store, but I had. The mirrors placed advantageously around the store had given me a prime vantage point to witness it as he’d kept his eyes on her while she shopped, but it wasn’t the security of his store and concern for petty theft that had been on his mind, not judging by the avid look in his eyes.

  He’d caught me watching him as she’d shopped and he gave me a sly look as though we’d shared a mutual...appreciation, but he must have reconsidered fast because a dull red flush had spread over his cheeks and eye contact ended immediately.

  I’m a predator. I’d been raised by one and forced to become one simply to survive. One learns to recognize another.

  The man at the gas station was also a predator, one of a different class. While I could have dealt with him and not lost a moment’s sleep, I also wouldn’t have enjoyed it. It would be a matter of pragmatism and expediency.

  He wasn’t the sort of prey I took pleasure in. He was weak and foolish, easily cowed. Perhaps he preyed on others, enjoyed the scent of fear and pain, making those weaker than him cower. But he was also the sort who’d piss his pants when he was targeted.

  He wasn’t worth my attention and if it hadn’t been for the way he’d treated Tia, I never would have noticed him. However, since I had, I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t simply eliminated him.

  Killing him would have been simple and possibly saved me some trouble.

  I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t.

  The only thing that made sense was Tia. I’d considered it, in those few seconds by the register as she’d taunted the old bastard with tampons. I’d wondered how it would affect her and I’d known immediately it would bother her.

  So I’d pushed the idea aside.

  Now, as Valkyrie paced around, stretching her legs, I looked back at the car. This job had proven to be much more complicated than I’d expected. I’d known it would be a pain in the ass as soon as Tommy O’Halloran laid out the details.

  And yet I didn’t regret any of it. I could have ignored his attempts to reach me. Then I’d know nothing about Tia and he would have eventually contacted another hit man and that would mean she’d probably die.

  My hand tightened on the leash.

  Valkyrie whined in her throat and looked at me.

  “It never used to matter if anybody died. Unless it was Sarge,” I told the dog.

  She sat on her haunches and wagged her tail.

  Sighing, I looked back at the car, barely able to make out her silhouette. “Come on. Let’s get back in the car. Just a few more hours and we’ll be at my cabin.”

  Valkyrie’s ears perked and if the way she trotted back to the SUV was any indicator, I’d almost believe she understood.

  I STOPPED AT THE DENVER National Airport and parked the SUV. I lucked out and there was a spot next to the Escalade I’d driven to the airport. It was registered to one of the fake IDs I’d crafted, the legend complete with a credit history, job history and a vague educational background.

  Switching out vehicles probably wasn’t necessary, but I wasn’t taking the SUV to my cabin. While Tia continued to sleep, I slid from the car and removed the plates. They weren’t the first ones I’d stolen. I’d taken a second in the earliest hours of the day and Leo had provided me with another that wouldn’t be tagged as stolen. He’d warned me the tags wouldn’t hold up under intense scrutiny as they were counterfeit but even being pulled over for speeding shouldn’t be enough to raise flags—at least not after he worked some magic online.

  The biggest problem was Tia, like everything else over the past few days. I was oddly reluctant to take
the steps I knew were necessary, but I couldn’t risk her realizing where we were. She was too sharp, too observant. So I did what was required—injected her with a stronger dose of the sedative, one that would keep her asleep for the lengthy drive to my cabin and then some.

  Four hours later, the moon’s full light shining down on the cabin, I turned the engine of my truck off and tried to release the clenching of my jaw.

  Valkyrie made a low growl in her throat.

  “Okay, dog.” I got out and opened the door to let her out.

  She immediately ran a few yards to the side and squatted.

  I needed to address my own bladder, but first, I had to get Tia inside. But before I could that, I had to do a quick check of the security measures. The sensors along the road that would have alerted me to the presence of another vehicle hadn’t been activated until I’d arrived, but I still did a quick look at the cameras placed within the home.

  All was quiet.

  Once I had her inside, I’d do a perimeter check but it would have to wait until I had her indoors. It was getting cool and I wasn’t leaving her out here exposed. There was a bite in the air already, even though it was only early September. Opening the door, I undid her seatbelt, then pulled her into my arms.

  Immediately, all the instincts I’d been trying to smother since that stupid kiss surged to life. The scent of her hair filled my head, the softness of her curls brushing my cheek. The solid, warm weight of her in my arms. The way she mumbled under her breath, then turned into me. Locking my jaw, I moved from the truck, nudging the door shut.

  Don’t look at her, I told myself as I strode toward the wide porch. Then she turned her face into my chest.

  “Casper?”

  Her sleepy voice was a pure, erotic tease and I knew it shouldn’t be.

  “What?” I said. Don’t look at her.

  “Why’re you carryin’ me?”

  “Because it’s time for you to sleep.”

  She mumbled something else I couldn’t understand and I slipped up. I looked at her.

  She was staring at me from under the fringe of her lashes. “I was already asleep.”

  “I know. But now you can sleep in a bed.”

  “’Kay.” She relaxed against me and was asleep before I got to the door.

  THE EXHAUSTION OF THE past few days caught up with me.

  My bedroom was on the second floor and had a large window that faced westward so I could enjoy the sunset...when I was here. I had a custom-made recliner there, along with a small table that usually held a book.

  In my bed, Tia remained quiet and still. She’d slept longer than I’d expected, but after checking her pulse and pupils, I could only assume it was exhaustion. It was also possible she was more sensitive to sedatives than some. The dose I’d given her should have kept her asleep for four to six hours and we were coming up on the outer edge of that by the time I’d done a perimeter check and gone over the other various security measures to ensure nobody had encroached on my property or triggered any of the cyber-security measures I had in place.

  Once that was done, I detoured by the bathroom and stripped out of the clothes I’d been wearing for well over twenty-four hours. The thick black material of the cargo-styled pants were left of the floor—they were bloodied and ripped, thanks to Tia attempting—and partially succeeding—to fillet my thigh. I tossed the rest of the clothing into the hamper, then broke out my first aid kit. After a cursory look, I decided the wound was healing well enough so I cleaned it and left it alone.

  Too tired for anything else, I pulled on a pair of loose cotton workout pants, then took the destroyed black cargo pants to the bin just outside my backdoor for the next burn pile. Returning to my room, I looked Tia over as I dragged the recliner closer to the bed and sat. Valkyrie paced around, sniffing at the bed, then poking her nose around my feet. After a few seconds, she jumped up on the bed and stared at me, the look in her eyes one of challenge.

  “I don’t think you’re supposed to be on beds,” I told her.

  She pricked her ears.

  I shrugged.

  She wasn’t my dog.

  Satisfied I wasn’t going to chase her off, she lay down and put her chin on her paws.

  After checking the time, I set my mental alarm clock. Five hours. Or until she stirred and the sounds woke me.

  SOUND WOKE ME.

  I tensed, hand going to the Sig Sauer P226 I’d tucked between my thigh and the side of the recliner, while my brain continued to process that faint, unfamiliar sound.

  Clicking.

  Something nudged my hand. Warm and damp.

  The tension melted from my shoulders as I looked down and light reflected eerily off Valkyrie’s dark-brown eyes. It had an otherworldly effect.

  “You’re a brave animal, approaching me like that,” I told her.

  The look of disdain she gave me spoke volumes and she turned away, giving a dismissive flick of her tail. Sarge had adopted a cat a few years after I’d moved out. The cat’s dismissive attitude reminded me a lot of Valkyrie.

  “Maybe you’re a cat/dog hybrid.”

  She sat down in the doorway and stared at me again, impatience in her eyes.

  I sighed, giving Tia one last, lingering look before rising.

  I couldn’t complain too much really. I hadn’t gotten the full five hours I’d hoped for but even without looking at a clock, I knew it was a little past seven, so I’d gotten well over four hours. I could go another twenty-four or thirty-six hours without rest if I had to. Following the dog out of the room, we walked down the floating staircase. At the bottom step, I looked at her. “Are you hungry or do you want out?”

  In response, she went over to the door.

  Out of habit, I checked each window before opening the door. Birds chirped merrily as she trotted outside and I watched her ears swivel, but she didn’t give chase. I followed her out and pulled my phone from my pocket, going online to access the anonymous, secure email server I used. It loaded quickly thanks to satellite internet access and the list of emails there caused no small level of amusement, although it was tempered with some concern.

  I’d deal with Tommy, then Tia would go back to her life. She wouldn’t appreciate it if Tommy uprooted that life because he was pissed off he couldn’t get to her. I read through the emails, an idea already working in the back of my mind. I deleted all the emails without response then punched in a number. It took several seconds to make the connection, bouncing its way around the world in a trail too tangled for even the best hacker to follow.

  It rang four times before she finally picked up and before she said a single word, she let out a long, weary sigh.

  “Boy, you are causing trouble, you know that? You have any idea how many dumbasses have reached out to me, trying to charm me into giving information about you?”

  “A few. But you answered my call, so I’m assuming they’re not worrying you too much.”

  She chuckled, the sound long, low and husky. “Shit, Spectre, they’d have to do a lot better to get anything out of me.”

  “Not paying enough?”

  “Nah. It ain’t that. First of all, I’m not inclined to do any work for Tommy O’Halloran. He’s a prick of the highest order and I’m not doing shit to help him or his dickhead of a brother.” Anger sharpened her voice, piquing my interest but I decided not to push that spot.

  She wasn’t the kind of woman who’d appreciate it. “Theo, I need a favor.”

  “D’you now?” Theodosia, aka Theo, made another noise of amusement, but there was far more cynicism to this laugh. “Why am I not surprised to be hearing those words out of your pretty mouth?”

  “Theodosia—”

  “Don’t you go Theodosia-ing me,” she said, cutting me off. “Just tell me what you want. Does it have to do with whatever bullshit is going on with his brother down in Georgia?’

  “Tangentially.” Skimming a hand over my scalp, I felt the rasp of stubble, and pondered how much to tell her, th
en decided I needed to give her enough information, otherwise, she’d dig it up on her own, which would waste time. I couldn’t afford that. “O’Halloran wanted me to kill the sister of the cop who helped put the younger O’Halloran in jail. I decided not to. But I know his type. He won’t let it go. He’ll send somebody else and he’s offering enough money that somebody will say yes.”

  “And that’s why I’m getting tags about where in the hell one might find you.” She huffed out a breath. “What did you do, kidnap the poor girl?”

  I was surprised to feel a rush of blood to my cheeks. Tia had managed to evoke that reaction from me a couple of times, but I had assumed it was something related to her. She managed to evoke reactions from me, period. Yet here was Theo causing the reaction.

  Apparently I didn’t answer fast enough, because Theo hissed out a breath and said, “You did, didn’t you?”

  “What in the hell was I supposed to do? Let him kill her?” I demanded, my temper snapping. Something in her voice grated on my nerves, adding to my irritation, although I couldn’t explain what pushed me over that edge.

  “Spectre...” Theo’s voice softened. “Honey. I think I’m proud of you. You didn’t just take a principled stand there. You went out of your way to protect somebody. Sweetheart. Sarge would definitely be proud.”

  My face flamed and a hot, miserable sensation raced through me, one I couldn’t identify. “It’s not principles, Theo,” I said stiffly, staring blindly at the dog. “I’ve got rules I go by, same as you.”

  “Okay, honey.” The tempered, gentle amusement underscoring her voice didn’t do much to soothe my rattled nerves. “What do you need from me?”

  Uncomfortable, I rubbed the back of my neck and started to talk, taking care to keep my voice neutral.

  I’d barely finished before Theo said, “I’m on it. I’ve got a few buddies from my Navy days who live in the area. I’ll ask them to keep an eye out until I’m there. Shouldn’t take more than a day or so. Just got to outfit myself for the job.”