Dream Shadow

by Mary Wine

  The invitation might sound innocent to Jacobs, but Grace found Brice’s steady gaze settled on her as he issued it. Alarm raced along her nerve endings as she considered the idea of finding herself in his company yet again.

  “If you like the rifle, you should try the cannon.”

  Jacobs’s face split into a grin. “You’ve got a cannon?”

  “Not me.” Brice held his hands up in innocence. “But my group has eight of them, and they could use a man big enough to handle those ladies.”

  Brice disappeared into the kitchen. Jacobs turned his attention on her and Grace struggled to keep her emotions buried. Instead, Grace noticed the plush porch furniture, a sofa and chairs all with thick padding. There were candle lanterns burning on the small coffee table along with napkins and a salt-and-pepper shaker.

  A small smile of relief crossed her face. Dinner wasn’t going to require her to sit in the house. Dropping into one of the chairs, Grace stretched her neck as she tried to loosen the tight muscles. The air was cool and crisp but wonderfully fresh with the scent of the forest.

  Brice returned and handed a plate of food to her. Grace gaped at the amount of food that was on it. How much did the man think she ate anyway?

  “Let me know when you’re ready for seconds, darling.”

  She glared in response to his endearment but he seemed to enjoy her temper. Setting her eyes onto her meal, she lifted her fork with rapid movements. If cleaning her plate would bring an end to their evening, she was willing to cooperate. It was time to see just what Brice Campbell wanted from her. The poor wording of that thought brought a blush to her checks. Jesus! What the hell is wrong with me tonight?

  Men, emotions, kissing… It was enough to drive her insane. Letting her eyes roam over Brice, she watched the simple way he was conducting a conversation with Jacobs. His brown eyes locked with hers. Heat immediately surfaced in her face again.

  That was it.

  Dropping her fork, Grace jumped from her chair and used the porch’s railing to climb into the branches of a pine tree. Turning her eyes at both of them, she propped her body against the trunk of the tree.

  Lifting her chin, Grace let the scent of the forest drive away the distracting emotions of society. The two men were welcome to each other; she wanted the companionship of the night.

  Jacobs was just trying to rattle her chain by dragging her along to dinner. The problem was, it was working. Her head was throbbing with the tangle of feelings. Thrusting aside emotions was the only way she’d ever found any peace. Thinking of Paige as a child instead of the target had been a major mistake.

  Snapping her eyes around, she sent a glare at Jacobs. She wasn’t going to turn into some social queen. Jason Jacobs was the only C.O. the unit had ever had that didn’t snap a whip over her. Grace kept her efficiency rate as high as she could in response. But if the giant wanted to start playing mind games with her, he was in for the fight of his life.

  She jerked her head toward the dark forest and didn’t care for the fact that she had to wait for him to give her a tracking unit. But taking off would only make him tighten the net around her.

  Brice watched the drama unfold. There was a clear line being drawn, even if he didn’t understand the facts of the matter. Jacobs reached into his pocket and sent a small black box sailing through the air. His operative snatched it from the air and jumped to the ground in the same instant. The darkness swallowed her in just a few strides.

  “God damn it.”

  Jacobs let his curse slip out in the same whisper-soft tone he’d used with his men. “Sorry, Brice, but I can give you the location of the cabin she found Paige in.”

  Brice considered the night for a moment. If he were smart, he’d let the woman go. That idea lasted exactly two seconds before he pushed to his feet. She’d just felt so damn good against his body. Brice wasn’t in the mood to let her run away.

  “Hold it right there, Brice.”

  Brice didn’t turn around. His eyes cut into the darkness as his night vision began to kick in. “Why?”

  “I told you that I wasn’t going to make it an order. Grace likes to be alone. You’ve already pressed on her last nerve by cornering her in the back room.”

  Turning around, Brice crossed his arms across his chest. He’d enjoyed kissing her and wasn’t in the mood to let her reject him. But it looked like the first obstacle he had to clear was her C.O..

  “I don’t expect to find anyone in that cabin tomorrow. Is it possible she could trace one of the suspects from whatever is left in that cabin?”

  “Our job ends when the target is recovered.”

  “Can she do it?”

  “That’s not the point, Brice,” Jacobs insisted.

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  Brice aimed a hard look at Jacobs. “I suggest you take a closer look at your operative. Some people need more than just orders to fill their life. If you keep applying her like a piece of hardware, don’t be so pissed off when she acts like it.”

  Jacobs climbed to his feet.

  “Fine. You’ve got a point. I’m pulling my bird off the ground at dawn.” Pulling another slim black box from his pocket, Jacobs efficiently punched in a line of code before raising his eyes back to Brice. A lopsided grin split his face. “I’ll get Grace back out to that cabin, but I’m not going any further than that.”

  “She’ll do the job.”

  Jacobs considered Brice’s confident expression. “Just why are you so certain of that?”

  “Your operative made the fatal mistake on this one, Jacobs. She cared about the target.”

  The major dipped his head with understanding before he jumped the porch railing and disappeared.

  Brice considered the night and the boundary that stood between him and Jacobs’s operative. There was a woman locked up somewhere inside her. He was itching to get another chance to find her.

  Fighting to spend another hour with her went beyond the needs of his case.

  It was now personal.

  Chapter Four

  Dawn was beautiful. Grace stood facing the east a full hour before the horizon began turning pink. Why stay in bed when sleep was miles away? Maybe fatigue would soon exact its toll, but for now she would take the chance to be free of the motel room.

  “A man could get used to seeing you in the morning.”

  She jumped back into a fighting stance once again. A frown touched his face as Brice considered her.

  “Being on guard is one thing, expecting violence at every turn speaks of a harsh life.” He reached up and touched the brim of his hat. “Good morning.”

  She fought the urge to return his smile. That quickly her resolve to maintain her composure collapsed. The need to protect herself against him became pressing. “It was.”

  “You must have missed the Army code-of-conduct class on social etiquette.”

  “Maybe you should take the hint.”

  “And get lost?” Brice stepped in a slow circle that forced her to either move with him or give him access to her back. She snapped about to prevent him from gaining that advantage. “Can you track from objects in the cabin?”

  So the man still wanted to question her? Well, Grace did have to give him extra points for persistence. At least it was an impersonal topic. “Sometimes.”

  That grin appeared on his face again. Confidence radiated from the small expression. The man was a perplexing tangle of emotional stimuli. Grace watched the way he let his eyes slip down her body again. It was annoying to discover how much she enjoyed the man looking her over. “Jacobs makes the decisions on just where I go tracking.”

  “Do you want to go back up to that cabin? I could use a hand tracking down the culprits.”

  Straightening her legs, she tugged her gloves more firmly into place. The only skin exposed to his stare was her face and her cheeks were tingling with heat. Exposure was something Brice Campbell held a skill for. His brown eyes seemed to see all too clearly the way her body leapt in response. The
re wasn’t any logic to such a conclusion, but Grace tugged at her gloves again anyway.

  “Do you just avoid questions, or am I a special case?”

  “I normally ignore them,” she answered.

  “The questions or the men?”

  “Both.” There. Now she was being rude.

  He thrust his hand forward and curled a finger across the satin surface of her face. “Looks like you’re not having too much luck with me.”

  Already far too aware of the man, his touch sent her body into a full panic. Pushing her hand upward, Grace was rewarded with the rather satisfying smack that came from hitting the man’s elbow in its one soft spot. Brice rocked back on his heels as his hand rubbed at the spot. His eyes closed to mere slits, satisfying her greatly.

  “Leave.”

  “Why don’t you like being touched?”

  That simple curiosity confused her again. Why was the man interested in her feelings anyway? If it wasn’t critical, it didn’t matter. “Emotions are distracting.”

  “A little distraction can be…enjoyable.”

  “Concentration yields results. Everything else is a waste of resources.” That was the reality.

  “No, honey, but I’d sure like to hit the man that taught you to think about yourself like that.”

  His attitude was so…possessive. It should have made her angry. Instead, Grace took a moment to consider whether or not Brice Campbell might have a good point. Her body certainly thought his ideas were good.

  “I would have loved to see that look on your face last night.”

  Grace knew that. The low rumble of his voice brought her memory surging forward. It brought back the raging need that she’d felt throbbing in her body for most of the night. Her skin tightened under his sharp eyes.

  “Maybe we can try it again tonight,” he suggested in a husky tone. “Unless you’re going to refuse to go tracking with me because you’re too chicken to see if you can hold onto your precious control once we’re alone again.”

  She hissed softly under her breath. A second later, she sprang away from him.

  “I am not afraid of you.”

  He inclined his head and she saw the flare of promise in his eyes.

  “Glad to hear it, Grace.”

  Anger really could hurt.

  “Which direction, Grace?”

  “North.” Snapping the word out, Grace set her teeth together again. Jacobs angled his aircraft into the north as she considered the forest below them.

  The man had to be sick. Jacobs never agreed to investigations. Never.

  Yet here they were. Covering the miles she’d carried Paige over.

  But the real problem was that she had agreed to it. Risen to the challenge Brice had dangled in front of her nose and taken the bait. It was irritating, but what frustrated her was the curl of excitement it unleashed. Becoming further interested in the people of Benton would prove painful for her when they left. Emotional detachment had always been her truest friend even if it was more of a shield.

  One she was dropping too easily around Brice Campbell.

  The helicopter sliced through the distance in mere minutes. As isolated as the location was, it was easy to spot from the air. Even if her eyes had failed her, the spot still held amazing interest.

  Grace let her anger dissolve as she studied the cabin once again. Her curiosity jumped to attention. There was still something here. She opened the door the moment Jacobs touched down because something lingered inside the structure.

  Despite her intention to ignore the man, Grace followed Brice Campbell with her eyes. He joined her unit when they hit the ground and began an approach on the cabin. Without the tan of his uniform, she would have been hard pressed to note any difference between him and the other men of the unit. His movements blended in with those of the other soldiers without a hint of awkwardness.

  “Brice Campbell is a Ranger.” Between the sharp attention and sure movement of his body, the training was unmistakable. His current uniform was irrelevant. Once a man reached a certain level with the Special Forces, he never truly left them.

  “One of the best.”

  Coming from Jacobs, that was rather high praise. The note in his voice said a great deal about his respect for the man.

  “That explains a lot about this expedition,” she muttered in a soft voice. By the last word, it was only a whisper because she was absorbed with the cabin.

  Returning her eyes to the objective, Grace waited for an all clear. It wouldn’t be long now. The cabin sat in a twenty-foot clearing. The Rangers would make a combined assault on it to minimize any threat to the unit.

  “It’s clear.” Jacobs stood watching her. Considering the cabin again, Grace felt her curiosity rising. That was trouble, pure and simple, but she really wanted to go back down into that cabin.

  Each step she took toward her target was odd. Mainly because she didn’t have a target. There was never a time there wasn’t a target or a purpose that she was told to focus on. There were emotions swirling around the cabin like odors in a kitchen. There was no food to be seen but you still tried to identify the scents.

  Stopping in front of the door, Grace turned and considered the silent forest. She could feel the weight of the men watching her, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from wanting whatever sat on the other side of that door.

  Grace let her mind shift into focus. Stripping her gloves from her fingers, she entered the cabin. Too many people had used it over the years. Images sprang up in large amounts of static. While the forest was warm with the approach of summer, the cabin was sticky from its windows being secured shut.

  Wandering about, Grace reached out, touching a piece of furniture here and a countertop there. The living room was an odd collection of shabby furniture that had seen better days the decade before. Something was here, but nothing was taking firm shape. The static continued interfering.

  The bedroom stood just in front of her. This was where she had clearly seen Paige when she had first tracked her. Grace knew every inch of the bedroom. She walked into it and stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting in the middle of the bed was a small crumpled blanket. The kind a child used for security. The hand-knitted stitches lay pulled and stretched out of their original orderly rows. Wear like that only resulted from the tiny hands of a child as they carried it about for comfort.

  It was not Paige’s. Grace was absolutely sure of it. She regarded it like a coiled snake. It was odd that something that personal had been left behind, but then it was very possible another child could have been moved in haste after Paige had been removed.

  Grace reached for the blanket, curling her fingers into the fabric. She closed off everything and fell into the void that might allow her to locate the owner of the item.

  Brice stood and waited. He had been waiting for the past hour. No one spoke. Nothing moved. There was no sign of Grace, and from his view there was no movement inside the cabin either.

  Brice ran his eyes over a couple of the unit’s Rangers. They were deadly serious and equipped for war. Brice felt inadequately armed with only his pistol on his hip. Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised that Grace jumped into a fighting stance on a regular basis. Her companions were fingering automatic rifles.

  Another hour crawled by. Jacobs started to shift closer to the cabin. Tension was beginning to build in the man’s body.

  “Is this running long?”

  Jacobs nodded. “But I’ve seen longer.”

  Another twenty minutes passed by before the tension broke. Jacobs turned his head. Something must have come over his radio. Brice watched as the huge shoulders relaxed and he started down into the clearing. Brice followed, watching as Grace came around the corner of the structure. A small scrap of cloth was tightly clenched in her fist as she covered the ground separating them at a rapid pace. It seemed to require a great deal of effort for her to halt and give Jacobs the briefest of glances.

  “There was another child here.”

  How cou
ld she have missed a second child? She was never that careless. Grace put her aggressions into climbing the hill. The others were scrambling to keep up, but she didn’t care. By the time she got to the helicopter she was drenched in sweat, her heart pounding beneath her breasts. Still, she couldn’t have cared less. She had been so certain that there weren’t any other children here that night. How had she missed it?

  Grace paced around the helicopter in circles. She was so mad it hurt. She could clearly see the other child but couldn’t get a location. It was floating in pieces around her head. There was just too much static. Nothing was clear. Except for the actual child herself. Anger boiled higher as frustration caught her in its grip.

  She could hear her. The tinkling sounds of laughter. It echoed between the trees. Solid red clouds were all that Grace saw as she faced the aircraft. Self-inflicted anger consumed her, as did the inability to solve the current case. She looked at the tiny box that she was expected to climb into and her mind rebelled. She heard the laughter again and instinct took over. She pivoted on both feet and went toward the sound.

  She made it three paces before Jacobs grabbed her around the waist. With one arm, he lifted her off her feet. Two strides and he wrenched the door of the helicopter open and dropped her into the seat. He sent the door closed with a slam and depressed a lock button on the exterior of the door. He pinned Brice with a hard stare.

  “Now we’ve opened a can of worms,” he stated before circling the craft to climb into the pilot’s seat.

  They covered the distance back to Brice’s home in record time. Grace seemed determined to outrun her vision. But she was intent on some goal. She left the helicopter the moment it landed but stopped just twenty feet from the black machine. The blanket dangled from her fingers that were free from the black gloves she seemed to favor. Now she worked her slim fingers along the spots that were worn while pacing.

  The rest of her unit fanned out and hunched down to remove themselves from her line of sight.

  “Is she always this intense?” Brice asked.