In the Shadow of the Tiger (The Fighter Series Book 2)

by Kolleen Bookey

  If she could’ve spoken, she would have said, “are you fucking crazy?” At this point, her esophagus was straining against his fingers.

  “Trust me. Yes? I’m not here to hurt anyone, though I am sure this hurts a little.” He paused. “He’s watching.”

  Dragon did not have to tell her that. She knew. Dragon pressed his face into her hair, reached up and pulled the band from her long braid. His fingers on his free hand slipped into her hair separating the braid and letting the free hair fall forward. She could smell him, almost feel him. She didn't have alternatives and not knowing if her team had gotten through, something told her he wasn't the one she needed to worry about. What did she have to lose anyway? He loosened his hold, his fingers brushing the skin on her neck. As she reached out from under his weight, he lightly pulled her hair back and whispered, "play along, or we both die." Riley picked up the pen and paper. He climbed to his feet, and she rolled over and did the same.

  “Write down your sizes.” He said pointing at the pad. “All of them.”

  Riley looked down at the paper. It read in small letters, “Bingo.” Below the word three names were written, Eric, Sam, and Blake. Next to their names were their sizes.

  She did as he asked and handed him the paper, keeping the pen.

  “The pen.” He held out his hand, and she tossed it to him.

  Saying nothing more, Dragon turned and left the room. Not knowing his purpose or his reasons, she knew Eric and the others were alive. “Bingo” meant they had a treasure and that treasure was Dragon. She started to pace again. Riley wasn’t one to sit around and wait. It's full throttle or nothing. All she had to do was think. So she thought about Megan back on the ranch in Prescott Valley with Jack’s sister Lynn and husband, Nick. She thought about Jack and the last week they'd spent before leaving for Long Beach. She thought about the boat and seeing the tiger at the entryway to the dock, which made her think about Ringo.

  The visions often happened without warning. One moment she paced back and forth in the suite and the next, she felt darkness. There was no control of the outcome. She was only there to watch and learn. Riley stepped into a candlelit room. There were at least fifteen tables set lavishly for dining. In the corner, faint presences of an instrumental band appeared. Each musician’s instrument bounced a glow from the fading lights above. The music was daunting and yet seductively beautiful. As the band faded away, they took their music with them. Their instruments turned to dust, swirling in the light and landing where they had died. Table after table, the ghosts of the past faded away. Only a few left. That’s when Riley saw Eric. Her brother, the one who had shared their mother’s womb together. The connection to life that made her feel as though when she took a breath, so did he.

  Riley moved forward. He looked up at her reaching out with his hand. There was no sound. Everything was gone, sound, color and the air was thick. She tried to cross the room but the harder she tried to reach him the further away he got.

  “Eric.”

  Riley couldn't even hear her voice and called out several more times. Her feet and legs felt as if they were in thick mud sucking downward with every stride. Suddenly, she felt a rush of air and heat as the room exploded into slow motion. A ball of red and yellow flame combined with a dark smoke ballooned outward like a giant wave. Pieces of tables, chairs, and ceiling crumbled into puzzle pieces splashing outward into the air. The sound filtered through. With no warning, the volume came on, and she clasped her hands over her ears. The internal combustion of the first explosion sent several shock waves. Her legs freed. Propelled backward, Riley screamed out Eric's name. Slow motion, falling debris, fire, and smoke. She watched Eric disappear.

  The sound of the door opening brought her back. She was on the floor holding her ears. She asked for it. She got it. Riley didn't like it one bit feeling an electric pain shot through her head as a severe dizziness consumed her. She crawled past whoever had entered towards the bathroom. She heard the guard talking. The words jumbled and broken, so Riley shut the door closing out what was yet to come.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  They moved out, becoming both best friends and rival enemies with the darkness masking their movements. Rat's scurried through alleys thick with old garbage unlucky enough to find a smidgen of food. The wind picked up blowing in a southerly direction disturbing anything not tied down. A whistling sound overrode banging of unlocked doors and cans charging the sides of buildings. The pressure pushed doors inward sending fine silt that layered the streets to worn carpeting. Leafless trees pressed sideways and lost leaves raced towards an invisible finish line. Broken glass and burned remnants of buildings took a weathered color. What had once been a desirable place to live became increasingly less favorable.

  Within the streets, unwelcoming enemy corners darkened by walls and thin openings separated by haunting alleys. From afar, the Hyatt stood regal, but even her gloom seemed unhidden. The darkened clouds hiding the coming of the moon made an unnerving contrast. A sky people once loved but now expected with concern.

  The height of the hotel alone set her apart from others. Once regal, she stood taller than the rest and being she was the only building lit within sight made her more attractive to looters. Jack’s team moved at a quickened pace and as they did static trickled through their earpieces.

  “Desert One to base do you copy?” Jack said.

  “Base One. We copy Desert One.” Jack recognized Cobra’s voice.

  “What’s your ETA?” Jack asked.

  “Pickup is less than ten minutes. Copy.” Cobra’s voice was coming through nice and clear.

  It gave little comfort as Jack pushed his team forward. “Affirmative. Over.” He said turning off his mic. He stopped Trenton looking to the kid for some help “How fast can you find us an accessible door?” Jack asked.

  “Fast.” He answered.

  “Go to it Son,” Jack said and pointed over to a building not far from the poolside entrance of the Hyatt. “We’ll be over there.”

  Trenton nodded. The kid was gone before Jack could say anything else.

  Jack moved the team to a small maintenance building nearest the backside of the Hyatt and waited. Several drops of rain began to push through the wind catching him in the face. Typically, anxiety wasn't one of Jack's traits, but with Riley inside the hotel with Raeburn made his stomach turn. He'd be more than happy to close this chapter in this part of Riley's life. The unknowing bothered Riley, now she knew. Riley wanted closure, and she was about to get it. Nothing good came out of evilness and evil was all Raeburn knew. Jack and Ryan stood off to the side keeping their conversation light while waiting for Trenton to return.

  “Those two would be an asset to the team,” Ryan said in a whisper.

  “They’ve got a ways to go yet,” Jack said.

  “I disagree. They’ve already joined the fight.” Ryan replied. “Those kids have more honor and courage than most men out there.”

  Instead of using the Shift as a tool for greediness, Adam and Trenton had chosen the opposite side of evil. They’d trained themselves and looked after their mother like men would. Jack agreed with Ryan, and he'd already been thinking about inviting them aboard. The two boys weren't only an example they were the future.

  “There’s a loading dock in the back.” Trenton's voice touched both their mics.

  “What kind of lock?” Jack asked.

  “Standard dead bolt. The door is solid. I cut the feed on the security camera.”

  “Smart going kid," Jack said. "Stay put. We'll meet you there."

  “I can pick a lock.” Summer said from behind them.

  “Copy that,” Jack said. “Let’s move out.”

  “I think the feed to the cameras is dead, but I'm not positive,” Trenton replied.

  Jack nodded, “Okay kid. We’re coming up on you now.”

  Trenton was waiting for them near a corner of the building sheltered from the driving wind. He silently pointed to the camera overhead and then to the door
off to the right. Summer moved to the front towards the door. She went to work trying several different tools.

  “I almost have it. I need a second set of hands though.” She whispered.

  Adam stepped forward pushing in close to her. They stood for a minute and then turned toward the rest of them. “It’s open.” Summer said.

  Ryan and Jack stepped forward. The door opened without a sound. The smell of food coming from somewhere in the hotel drifted down the corridor. It wasn't what Jack was expecting. The light in the hall was dim, and an amber glow reflected a shadowy radiance at the end. Once the door shut, the sound of the wind disappeared. It was quiet, dead quiet inside. The smells were intoxicating.

  They moved quickly through the hallway ignoring the security cameras. If Trenton's theory were right, they'd pass unseen. Raeburn would be on the top floor where he could oversee what he believed to be his. He could control anyone coming up or down. The most luxurious suites were on top, and that’s where the egos would be including Mark Raeburn.

  They passed several small cafes, the main restaurant, and a wellness spa and fitness room. Jack slid into the salon, his ragtag team following Summer, who unlocked every door. Once inside they moved to the back camouflaging themselves behind a wall.

  “That you Desert One?” The voice of Conman filtered into Jack’s ear.

  “Yes, with reservations. What’s your location?” Jack asked.

  “Coming to you?”

  Conman and Mustang slid through the door. Jack felt a sense of relief having a presence in numbers.

  “Glad to see you two,” Jack said patting them both on the shoulder.

  “Glad you’re not pissed.” Conman said.

  “I am pissed,” Jack said. “But we have bigger problems.”

  “Okay, yeah right.” Conman said. “She made us do it.”

  “Believe me. I know.” Jack said. “So do we know her status?”

  “They took her up and brought Sam and Blake down. I think their cooking.” Conman said. “They look a little roughed up.”

  “Cooking?” Jack asked raising his eyebrows giving a “what the hell” expression.

  “Cooking.” Conman repeated. “Overheard a muscle talking about a dinner party.”

  “I think we should let them come to us. We go looking in this big hog of a building. We may miss her." Ryan said. "We've already got Sam and Eric down here. Let's wait."

  Jack was quiet. He looked at his team.

  “Whatever’s cooking is going to happen soon,” Mustang said. “Smells like lasagna.”

  “How do you know?” Conman asked.

  “I’m Italian.” He said.

  “We wait," Jack said, and then he looked at Trenton.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  Riley felt a pull on her shoulder. She woke, her head resting on the edge of the tub. It felt like armies of miniature men inside her head poking her brain with tiny daggers. A bright light blinded her temporarily. Whoever was pulling on her reached up and turned off the light?

  “Jack.” She said in a hoarse whisper.

  “Dragon.” Said the voice and then she remembered. Her headache was about to get worse.

  He left the bathroom, and she tried sitting up. The vision tapped on her memory like a nightmare. The truth brought her back to reality. When Dragon returned, he pushed a white pill into her hand with a glass of water.

  "Take that. It looks like you need it more than me." He said. "It's a strong pain pill probably expired, but it should knock out most of the pain."

  "No thanks." She handed the pill back to him, but the shooting stab of pain made her pull her hand back slightly.

  “Take it. You’re going to need it.” He said with a tone of urgency. “Are you sick?”

  Riley took the pill. “No.” She said.

  “We only have a few minutes before he gets back to the security room. Listen to me carefully.” He said kneeling down beside her. “You’re husband… Raeburn is not going to allow a trade. That’s not how he operates. He’s been a busy little beaver in the past two years.”

  “Ex-husband.” She said firmly. “How come you’re helping me? Don’t you work for him?”

  "Disgruntled ex-employee. Let's just say I saw the light." He said. "I don't have a plan, but when the shit goes down, I'll be there to back you up. You get out when you have the chance. Got it?"

  Riley nodded. “My brother. Where is he?”

  “You’re going to get to see him soon enough. I need you to do everything I tell you. No matter what. Do you understand Riley? Your life and your brother’s life depend on it. My daughter's life depends on it as well. However, don’t make it look too easy or he’ll catch on.”

  “What do you get out of this?”

  "I get to kill him." He replied quickly, and that's when she started believing him.

  “If I don’t first.” She returned.

  Dragon looked at his watch. "Back to business." He said glancing up at the ceiling.

  Riley climbed to her feet. The pill already was working a miracle in her head. “Expired pain pills my ass.” To her advantage, the drug was taking the edge off her wracked nervous system as well.

  "Follow me." Dragon's expression changed suddenly, and Riley knew it was game on. "Mr. Raeburn wants you to dress for dinner. He's given you two choices."

  “How nice of him.”

  Dragon took the cover off the first dress. It was stunning.

  "It's a Zuhair Murad gown." Dragon said. "Worth $11,690.00."

  The dress was beautiful. Long length and with a sweat heart neckline and open back. Decorated with delicate beads and scrolled embroidery with wide gathered shoulder straps and a tapered waistline. The dress was perfect. Dragon stepped back and withdrew the second dress. Riley tried not to look surprised. The little black lace V neck dress was above the knee length. She was wearing the same dress in her dream. The dream she had about Mark and Lucas some time back. The dress was the replica.

  “What the hell?” She said.

  She pointed at the black dress and Dragon smiled. The opposite would have been something she would have worn for Jack. Mark would have forced her to wear the black one. It had been the right choice.

  “You have an hour.” He said.

  Riley had to force herself not to say the wrong words. She had to concentrate on getting to the dinner, but Dragon's words headed a warning. “You’ll see him soon enough.” Dinner was the main event, and if it followed anything like her dream, she needed to be smart. Did she have the dream because she knew it was something Mark would do? Stage some grandiose main stage event with an audience.

  “Shower.” Dragon pointed to the bathroom.

  She obeyed. Dragon followed her glancing down at the angry gashes on her calf.

  “Not in here.” She said.

  “I have my orders.” He said. “You won’t shock me.”

  “I won’t be at dinner unless I can shower.” She said. “Privately.”

  The phone rang. Dragon stepped aside and let her by. She picked up the phone and said nothing. On the other end of the line, Mark said one word. "Eric." She hung up and stepped to the bathroom. She was about to go on display not only for Marks eyes but Dragon's as well. The anger in her rose forcing her to filter out all modesty. One-piece of clothing came off at a time until she stood in her bra and boy shorts. Her skin and scars were exposed. The bullet wounds from the parking lot incident and then there were Ringo's permanent marks. She turned on the water and the heat. Peeled off the rest of her clothes and then out of sheer need to shove it in Mark's face, she turned and met Dragon’s gaze. He held his eyes to hers and never lowered them. What he did after was his own business. It wasn't just a provocation towards Mark. This was a test to see if she was going to trust Dragon to the end.

  “What are the cuts from?” He asked.

  “I got in the way of a white Bengal tiger.” She said as Dragon stepped aside.

  Dragon stood outside the shower shrouded by the steam. He handed
her a towel when the shower curtain slid open. Dragon followed Riley to where the dress lay on the bed. She watched him glance down at the lacy under garments. The black stiletto heels she wore in her dream sat on the floor. For a moment, she stared at them. Erie. Riley could almost feel Lucas guiding her now.

  Riley turned toward Dragon. He looked away from her to the undergarments. His expression pleaded with her not to falter. He caught her eyes once more. Riley dropped the towel turning to face Dragon and began dressing. That should piss him off.

  "Take a good look, Mark. Because it'll be the last time, you see me like this." She said loud and clear into the room unsure where the camera was. "You son of a bitch."