Deep Cover

CHAPTER 14

"HOW ARE YOU feeling?" Shelby sat her coffee mug down on the dining room table. She knew time was of the essence, but she also thought it might be best if Kris called in sick to allow her some time to recover.

"Sore."

"I think we should stay home today."

"No. We have to go to work."

"Are you sure? I think you need a little time to recuperate."

"I have to move around. If I don't I'll stiffen up. The more I move, the quicker I heal." Kris ran a hand through her hair. "Besides, we've only got a week. I need to talk to Earl and find out who knows about this case. Dennis, Jeb and Earl are givens. The Director of Operations would know because he's Earl's boss. But who else? And I want to ask him if he knows why Michael is hanging around."

What Kris said made sense, but Shelby could still vividly visualize the discoloration of her partner's abdomen and she wondered how Kris expected to be able to move around without showing the effects of her injuries.

"Okay, but it's going to be a short day. We find out what we can, then we leave."

Kris nodded. "Fine. Because I want to stake out the emergency drop in Georgetown."

"You've got to be kidding!" Shelby wondered at the wisdom of them hanging around that location.

"Don't worry, no one will see us. It may be our only hope of finding out who's relaying information. I don't think Earl's gonna have any answers. He knows there's a leak and if he found out something, I think he would've told us."

"Any possibility Earl..."

"I don't think so. He trained me and I just don't see him working for the other side, but anything is possible. Do you have any idea of how many staff people have the access you do? Even a rough guess?"

"No, but everyone in my hallway has a high level clearance. I think mine might be a little higher than most, because the Marine usually stands outside my door."

Shelby abruptly changed the subject, asking something that had been bothering her. "Kris, didn't the Russians think I would be suspicious when they returned you to the door all beat up and soaked?"

Kris smiled grimly. "Sergei knew I would make up some story to cover. I'm just surprised I was out for so long. He took a real risk, not knowing if you'd call the Company or the police. That doesn't make sense to me."

"Be right back." Shelby quickly retrieved the note from her jacket in the bedroom and returned to the kitchen.

"This was pinned to your clothes."

Reading the note, Kris narrowed her eyes. That bastard. He had tried to cover all the bases. Not only had he used her mother against her, he had threatened Shelby. The operative directed her thoughts to the Russian spy. You're going down, you sonofabitch.

Shelby inwardly shuddered as the agent changed right before her eyes, and even though she'd witnessed the transformation several times, it still unnerved her. She laid her hand on Kris' arm. "Hey."

The analyst's touch had a calming effect and Kris could feel her tension begin to fade. She gazed into the concerned green eyes regarding her somberly. "I want him bad."

"I know you do and we're gonna make it happen."

Kris smiled at her partner's determination. Who could ask for more than that? "I hear you."

"If we're gonna get to work on time, I need to get in the shower."

Want any company? Kris grinned at the thought and nodded. "I'm going outside. I won't be gone long."

Shelby stopped and turned around. "Can't you just wait until we leave?"

"No. The Russians aren't going to bother with me now. They don't need to. They're in the driver's seat and they know it. But, it wasn't them that shot at us. Someone else did. And it's been just a little too quiet lately."

Shelby asked incredulously, "You call last night quiet? I don't." The emotional roller coaster she'd been riding suddenly came to a screeching halt and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I was so worried about you. You have no idea..."

Kris rose from her chair and crossed the room, determinedly ignoring the pain caused by the sudden movement. She wrapped her arms around Shelby, pulling the smaller woman close. Rubbing her hand soothingly on the analyst's back, she murmured, "I'm sorry I put you through that. I should've told you before now. I was afraid to."

Gently returning the hug, not wanting to hurt Kris, Shelby calmed a bit. "Sorry. There's just so much going on."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for." Kris drew her head back and looked deeply into Shelby's eyes. "I never thanked you for last night." She gently stroked her partner's face. "Thank you. Thank you for taking care of me last night and for giving me a chance."

Shelby relaxed, comforted by the gentle fingers caressing her face, and a warm glow enveloped her. "It's the only thing I could do. I love you."

Overcome with newly awakened feelings, Kris lowered her mouth, meeting Shelby's lips for a fleeting kiss and was unprepared for the intensity of her reaction to the brief contact. Her voice raw with emotion, she said, "I love you, so much." She released Shelby, focusing on controlling her libido, which - Kris wryly acknowledged - hadn't been slowed in the least the previous evening.

Shelby took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart. Her face flushed, she reveled in the pleasant sensations washing over her body and managed to say, "Gotta take a shower," then turned, heading for the bathroom.

Kris watched until she was out of sight before she was finally able to rein in her own emotions. She picked up her gun, clipped on her cell phone and left the apartment.

The operative walked gingerly down the stairs, her slightly narrowed eyes the only outward sign of any discomfort. She carefully checked the parking lot before making her way around the building, returning to the apartment a short time later.

She was standing at the bathroom door when Shelby opened it. "I'm gonna take my shower, now."

Shelby grinned, trying hard not to laugh. "I thought you already took one."

Kris cheeks reddened. "Um, well, it's therapeutic."

Shelby broke out laughing. "Okaaay."

Kris grinned and shrugged. "What can I say?"

"Nothing. You just said everything." Shelby was still chuckling as she walked away, very happy her reaction to the fleeting kiss was not one sided.

When they arrived in the office, Kris pushed her chair next to Shelby's behind the desk. "Okay, first go to the Russian Embassy."

The analyst brought up the screen. "Okay, now what? Embassy personnel?"

"Yeah. See that guy, Gregor Koslov? He's the second in charge. Remember the night I told you I was outside talking to the guy following us?" When her partner nodded, Kris said, "It was him."

Shelby pointed to a picture. "That guy looks like the man from the grocery store."

"It is. He's officially a driver, but probably does some of their dirty work. He wasn't supposed to follow us into the store. Found that out when I questioned him."

"Then why did he?"

"Wanted some glory."

Kris pointed to Dimitri Pyetsky. "This is the guy I'm gonna bring down. His name is really Sergei Pavlovich Yanov. If the Company had any idea he was in the country, they'd probably grab him and charge him with spying. They'd be right, too."

"When did you find out he was here?"

"I checked this file last week. I wanted to see who was running the show. Never expected to see Sergei."

Shelby nodded and read the short biography on each of the Russians assigned to the embassy. "Now go to Sergei?

"Yeah. You need to understand just how ruthless this guy is. He's very bad news."

Shelby quickly located his file, opened it, and looked at his picture. "He dyed his hair and grew a beard. No wonder no one made the connection."

"He's a master at disguise. This isn't anything compared to what he can do."

She began reading along with Kris. Sergei had distanced himself from the KGB during their reorganization to allow himself more flexibility in accomplishing the goals of the new Russian Federation. He was an expert sniper, highly skilled with knives, and had a black belt in Karate.

He was known to be responsible for the deaths of three operatives and suspected of killing at least ten others. The Russian used any means at his disposal to extract information from captured agents, his favorite method being electrical shock, as evidenced by burns on the bodies of the few operatives that had been found. One agent had managed to survive the torture session, but had been mentally devastated.

It was suspected that he ran the Russian spies in America, but he'd never been spotted in the States. Sergei was also credited with the largest information coup in Russian history when he turned a high level CIA operative.

The full impact of what she'd read hit Shelby, and she realized just how dangerous their foe was. "You weren't kidding."

"No. I wanted you to understand what this guy is like and go into this with open eyes. I can't sit here and lie to you and say, 'Don't worry.' This is going to be really dangerous and if you want to change your mind about helping, I'll understand."

Shelby met Kris' eyes and held them. "I'm with you on this."

"There's one other thing I need to talk to you about." Kris looked away for a moment trying to figure out the best way to explain her own limitations. "Shelby, I will protect you in any way I can, and would give my life for yours in a minute. But...there is always the possibility that something I have no control over could happen...like the other night. If a trained assassin targets someone, and is persistent enough, eventually he or she could get lucky no matter how much protection you have. What I'm trying to say is..."

Shelby linked her fingers with the operative's. "Kris. It's okay. I know what you're saying. I would never hold you responsible if anything happened to me. I trust you to do your best. I know it's dangerous. So relax, okay?"

"Okay." Kris silently vowed to be extra vigilant in the coming days. There were too many unknown elements in the picture. "I'm gonna go see Earl. I'll bring us back some coffee."

"Sounds good. It's my turn to buy." Shelby pulled out a five and handed it to Kris. "I want the house blend."

Kris nodded and accepted the money. "I won't be gone long."

Shelby winked. "Good."

The operative walked out the door grinning, but the smile faded as she walked down the hallway. Inwardly sighing, Kris was careful not to take too deep a breath. The Aleve had taken the edge off the pain, but every time she stood up or moved suddenly, it hurt. She had tried to hide her discomfort from Shelby, but had seen the sympathy clearly reflected in her partner's eyes and knew the analyst wasn't fooled.

She smiled grimly. The beating had just been business as usual, but Sergei had made a huge mistake by turning it personal. Most operatives had a code of honor that wouldn't allow the targeting of innocents. The Russian had broken it and Blue intended to make him pay.

Earl glanced up when Kris walked in. "What's up?"

"Uncover the leak yet?"

"No. Not even a whisper. I've got ears everywhere and no one's heard a thing."

"That's what I figured. How many people know about the case?"

"Hell, I don't know, offhand. You two, me, Jeb, Dennis, Director of Ops, his boss." Earl paused, thinking. "That should be it."

"And secretaries?"

"Not the details, but they know you're here working on a case."

Earl leaned back in his chair. "Have a seat. I was going to call you later, anyway."

"I'd rather stand. I get enough sitting time on this case."

Grinning, Earl said, "Hey, how do you think I feel? We got the ballistics report back this morning. The bullet was too damaged to determine much except that it was fired from a rifle."

Kris raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."

"Care to tell me why?"

"You have to be good to fire a rifle from a moving car unless you have a driver. That bullet just missed. The silver Cavalier might've been coincidental. I could be wrong, but I got the impression there was only one person in the front seat."

"You ruling it out?"

Kris shook her head. "I'm not ruling anything out yet." Switching subjects, she asked, "You remember Michael Benton?"

"How could I forget that bastard?"

"I saw him in the canteen yesterday. Know what he's doing here?"

"No idea. Probably visiting his brother. You knew he was Jeb's brother, right?"

"I'd heard that. Jeb know why Michael was pulled from the field?"

"No, and he'll never know. That whole operation and the ensuing board inquiry have been sealed."

Kris nodded. "Why am I not surprised? I always thought he had friends in high places."

"I've wondered about that, too. Not much I can do about him being here. He is one of ours. How's the case coming? You going to be able to wrap it up by the end of the week?"

"Maybe. We've got nine names left. Just depends on how much time it takes to check each one out."

"Okay. Anything else? I've got a meeting with the Director."

"No, that was it."

Kris turned and left the office. She hadn't expected Earl to provide any answers, but found it interesting that the recovered bullet had been fired from a rifle. A short time later she returned to the office carrying two cups of coffee.

Shelby took the coffee cup and change Kris handed her, setting both down on her desk. "Thanks. Find out anything?"

"Not about the leak or Michael, but the ballistics report came back on the bullet. It was a round from a rifle."

Surprise covered Shelby's face. "I didn't think...I just thought..."

Kris nodded in agreement. "Does your stepfather have a rifle?"

"Not that I know of. He used to go hunting, but I think he borrowed a rifle or else he kept it at someone else's house."

Musing out loud, Kris said, "He spent 4 years in the Army."

"Yeah. He met Mom a couple of years after he got out."

Kris sat down at her PC and looked at Shelby. "I didn't get a good look inside the car that night, but all I saw was a driver. It's pretty hard to shoot a rifle while steering a car, but it can be done and he was barely moving."

"I still don't think he did it."

"I know, but we can't rule him out until we find out why he was there in the first place." Unbidden, an image of Michael appeared in her mind. I'm going to have to pay him a visit. "When do you want to go see your stepfather?"

"Well, since we're going spying tonight..." Shelby laughed at the look on Kris' face. "Okay, so we're doing surveillance; how about tomorrow after work?"

"Sounds good. Oh, and Shelby? We'll probably be doing surveillance for the next several nights. Hopefully sometime this week, we'll spot a suspect."

Shelby nodded. Normally the idea of sitting in a car for hours on end watching a building or whatever it was they were going to watch would've bored her to tears, but for time with Kris, she'd watch the grass grow.

Lisa smiled at the tall, handsome man standing in the doorway. "Hi. Come on in."

Jonathan walked over and hugged her. "Hey, Babe. What'd you make for lunch?" He pulled out the kitchen chair and sat down, slouching down comfortably as he looked at Lisa expectantly.

"I made some spaghetti." Lisa knew how much Jonathan had always liked her spaghetti. "How's that sound?"

"Great. When do the boys get home from school?"

"Around four." After serving her guest, Lisa sat down. She would wait for the boys to arrive before eating. "They're really going to be excited."

"This is good, Babe. You're still the best cook in the county."

Lisa flushed with pleasure. "I've really missed you. I'm so glad you're moving in. Did you hear on any of those jobs you were checking out?"

Jonathan spoke around bites. "Nope. It's only been a week. If my record gets expunged, I can quit being a common laborer. But don't you worry - no matter what, I'll be working and helping support my beautiful wife and kids."

Smiling, Lisa nodded. She could only imagine how tough it must be for a man like Jonathan to pump gas. She'd supported his decision to quit his gas station job and try to find something better. Her thoughts were interrupted when he spoke.

"Did you tell Shelby?"

"No. I want to wait until I see her again. I thought it would be a good idea to give her a little time to get used to the idea that you're back in our lives first."

Jonathan looked up sharply, but kept his voice calm. "What if she comes over before you tell her? I was planning on moving in this weekend."

"I wanted to talk to you about that. Let me talk to her first. Another week won't make much difference. She really does mean well."

"Lisa, I don't believe you!" Jonathan bit off the barrage of words threatening to erupt from his mouth, silently cursing himself for his stupidity.

Lisa recoiled at Jonathan's harsh words as memories flooded her mind.

Reaching across the table, Jonathan took Lisa's hand into his own. His voice cajoling, he asked, "Are you going to let your daughter rule your life? I know you love her and so do I, but this is our life. She doesn't live here. Would you allow her to deny us the happiness that we deserve? I know she would want you to be happy. I love you, Lisa. I thought you loved me, too."

Lisa relaxed again. She really couldn't blame Jonathan for being upset. He'd so been looking forward to moving in. "I do love you. Tell you what. I'll call her tonight and tell her. I don't want to alienate her or she'll never accept you again."

Somewhat mollified, Jonathan said, "Okay, Babe, whatever you want to do is fine with me. Are we still going to tell the boys today?"

Smiling, Lisa said, "Oh yes. I've been looking forward to that, too." She glanced at his empty plate. "Want some more?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Lisa served up a second plate of spaghetti and joined her ex-husband in waiting for Jason and Jimmy to arrive.

Shelby watched the cars drive by, alert for anyone she recognized. It had been a whirlwind afternoon and evening. After leaving work, they'd gone back to the apartment, dropped her car off and set out in the vehicle Kris had rented. They'd returned it to the depot Kris had rented it from, then taken a cab to a different rental car agency and, after filling out the necessary paperwork, departed in a green Ford Taurus. The two women were now sitting in the car on a side street, parked between several other cars, and had been for the previous four hours.

The time had passed quickly for Shelby. She and Kris had discussed each person with knowledge of the case and speculated on who could be leaking information. She'd listened, spellbound, as Kris recalled the events leading to Michael's withdrawal from the field, and then they'd just chatted. Well, actually, she'd done most of the talking, but Kris had contributed, too.

She'd finally gotten the operative to agree to leave at 10:30, arguing that anyone going to the drop would likely go early, while the street was well populated. She glanced at Kris, noting the tension reflected in her beautiful countenance. Shelby knew her partner was hurting - and wished she could do something to ease her pain, but she didn't know what that would be.

"Kris?"

"Hum?"

Shelby gazed at Kris. "How does it feel to know that your mother's really alive?"

The operative had asked herself that very same question. She mulled the question over in her mind, trying to figure out how to verbalize her feelings. Fearful that her brief glimpse of her mother would be her last, she had resisted fully embracing the joy of their reunion.

As the silence lengthened, Shelby wondered if she should've saved her question until after they'd rescued Kris' mother. She reached over and laid her hand on Kris' thigh, just feeling the need to touch her.

Kris covered Shelby's hand with her own, and smiled, before turning her attention back to the building they were watching. "It feels weird. I'd gotten used to her being dead. Now, I find out she's alive, but it's like talking to a stranger. I don't even know her anymore. I don't know what she does, or what she likes, or even if I'll ever see her again."

Shelby could feel the fear and confusion Kris was experiencing, and her heart tightened painfully. She reached over and linked her fingers with the operative's lending quiet support. "We'll find her in time. I know we will."

Pushing her doubts back into the dark crevices from whence they'd arisen, Kris took comfort in the staunch support of her partner and gently squeezed her hand. "Yeah, we will." And suddenly, she believed that.

"They're holding her some place on Georgia Ave. That's all Mom saw before they took her inside." Kris mused aloud, "Gotta give her a lot of credit for noticing that."

"She speaks English?"

"Not well, but she does understand it."

"Well, if she's anything like you, they're gonna have their hands full."

"Is that right? I'm not even gonna ask you what you mean." Kris winked at Shelby. "But she is feisty." Turning to her partner, she smiled warmly, and it hit her again - just how lucky she was to have the analyst in her life. She glanced at her watch. "Ready to take off?"

"You gotta be kidding!"

Grinning, Kris started the car and headed for the apartment.

Shelby went through her greeting ritual with Stormy as Kris watched, amused. Seeing the mirth on her partner's face, she handed the kitten to Kris. "Your turn to say hello."

Kris rolled her eyes, but was actually quite fond of the little feline and gave her a greeting hug before placing the ragamuffin back in Shelby's arms.

Over the previous several hours, Shelby noticed that Kris' movements had become more stiff and deliberate. She set Stormy down and walked into the bathroom to get some painkiller. Returning to the living room where Kris was sitting on the couch, she handed her the tablets and a glass of water.

Kris took the pills and water from Shelby. "Thanks."

"Do you want an ice pack? That might help."

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I'm gonna take a shower instead."

A short time later, Kris entered the bedroom in her sleeping shirt. Shelby was already in bed, with the covers pulled down for Kris and Stormy was lying down by her feet.

She settled carefully into the bed, and looked pointedly at Shelby who was lying on her side facing her. "Why don't you move over this way a little?"

"I didn't want to..."

Kris placed a finger gently on Shelby's lips. "I'd feel a lot better if you were next to me."

Shelby moved over until her body was touching the taller form of her companion. "How do you feel?"

"Better than I did." Kris turned her head, gazing lovingly into warm emerald eyes. Tentatively she reached out and brushed the back of her hand over Shelby's soft cheek and watched a flush appear on the analyst's fair skin. Knowing they needed to talk about what was escalating between them, Kris whispered, "Shelby?"

"Mmmm?"

Kris struggled to maintain her composure with the small, warm body pressed against hers. "I...we really should wait." It wasn't the articulate, rational appeal to reason she'd intended, nor did her husky voice quite carry the firmness she'd wanted to convey, but she did make Shelby smile.

"I know. You're not in any shape."

"That's not exactly what I meant," she protested mildly, even as the small hand that had wrapped around her arm distracted her. Covering the warm fingers, she squeezed slightly.

"Our first time...I want it to be special. I want to give you everything I have to give. Right now, with everything that's going on..."

Shelby smiled gently and rested her head against a strong shoulder.

"Well," she teased, "I always heard you should make love before going into battle...you know, just in case."

Kris groaned, and the analyst laughed at the frustrated sound. "I'm just kidding, sweetheart." Shelby smiled as a blush crept over Kris' features, knowing her endearment had caused it. "Of course we'll wait. I want our first time to be perfect for you, too."

Blue eyes locked with green. "To be with you - it couldn't be anything but perfect."

Shelby blushed and buried her face against Kris' broad shoulder. A strong hand gently eased her back, and she raised up enough to lower her head over her partner's and meet her lips.

Long moments later, both women pulled back, eyes full of promises and bodies warmed by the contact. Settling against each other with their hands entwined, they drifted off to sleep, both dreaming of their future together.

Shelby noticed the answering machine light blinking when she got up that morning, and had listened to the message from her mother. It had been too early to call her back, so she'd decided to contact her from work. Dialing her mother's telephone number, she waited for the familiar voice to answer.

"Hi, Mom. You called?"

"Hi, honey. How's work going?"

Shelby raised an eyebrow. Whenever her mother asked her about work, she was up to something. "Fine."

"I wanted to talk to you about Jonathan."

Shelby could feel herself tense, even though she tried to fight it and struggled to keep her voice reasonable. "What about Jonathan?"

Lisa wished she knew an easy way to break her news, but couldn't think of one. Without preamble, she blurted out, "Jonathan's going to be moving in." The silence extended for so long, she wondered if Shelby had heard her. "Did you hear what I said?"

I heard you Mom. Loud and clear. Shelby audibly sighed. "Mom, please think about what you're doing."

"I have. He's changed, Shelby. Give him a chance, honey. For me."

Shelby shook her head, distressed. "Mom, the man is bad news. You're making a big mistake."

Lisa patiently explained, "I'm happy when I'm with him. It'll be better for the boys to have their father back. They need a male influence..."

"A good male influence, Mom, and he isn't one." Shelby realized she was squeezing the phone, and relaxed her hand.

"Shelby, I'm trying to include you in the family decisions, but you aren't making it easy. You aren't the one trying to raise two boys alone and make ends meet."

Pursing her lips, Shelby spoke in a very controlled voice, "I give you money every month, Mom, so don't lay that on me. I could give you more..."

"No, honey. I feel bad enough about taking your money. When Jonathan moves in, I won't need it any more. We'll have two incomes. He's trying to get his record expunged. Isn't that great?"

Kris watched the myriad of emotions flickering across Shelby's face with concern. She had to restrain herself from taking the phone and telling Lisa to go to hell. Instead, she walked over to her partner, and laid a supportive hand on Shelby's shoulder.

Shelby reached up with her free hand, making contact with Kris' fingers. "I'll stop over after work and we can talk about it then."

"Honey, I've already made up my mind. I just want you to be okay with it."

"Mom, I'm not okay with it. I'm against it. At least hear me out tonight."

Lisa sighed, but then brightened. Maybe she would have better luck in person when Shelby saw how excited Jason and Jimmy were. "Okay, honey. What time are you planning on coming over?"

Shelby turned her head and looked up at Kris mouthing, '5:30?'

Kris nodded. Whatever Shelby wanted to do was fine with her. They would just grab something to eat on the way to their surveillance site.

"5:30."

"Okay, dear, see you then." Lisa hung up the phone and started preparing the arguments she knew she'd need to convince Shelby.

Shelby turned tormented eyes to Kris. "She wants Jonathan to move back in. What's wrong with her?"

Kris just shook her head. It didn't make any sense to her, but she knew it was a common pattern with battered wives. She also knew Shelby knew that.

Standing up, the blonde smiled wanly. "I'm going to get some cranberry juice. Want anything?"

"A Coke would be great." She watched her partner walk out the door and sighed. Shelby wasn't getting any breaks, and she was just as much responsible for her partner's stress as Lisa was.

"Hey, Shelby. I was just getting ready to come down to your office. Some of us are getting together after work and going to The Pub. How about you and your new partner coming along. It'll be fun."

Glancing away from the pop machine, Shelby looked at Maggie, surprise evident on her face. "Is this a first or something?"

"Sorta. Just thought it would be fun. Are you game?"

"Sorry, I can't. I'm going to my mother's right after work. Maybe some other time?"

Maggie grinned. "Sure, if we ever do it again."

Laughing, Shelby commented, "True. Have fun."

"But of course!" Maggie watched Shelby return to her office as she inserted her money into the vending machine, selecting a bag of trail mix.

"Hi, babe. Did you talk to Shelby?"

"Yeah, but she's totally against the idea. She's going to stop over at 5:30. I think she's going to try and convince me not to let you move in."

Pleading, Jonathan said, "Lisa, please..."

"Don't worry. I'm going to work just as hard to win her acceptance. When she sees how enthusiastic the boys are, I think she'll change her mind."

Jonathan deliberately kept his calm. "What if you can't convince her? What happens, then?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. If it is, we may want to wait just a little longer." When Lisa heard Jonathan sigh, she added, "It wouldn't be for long."

"Okay, babe. Whatever you want. I only want to make you happy."

Lisa smiled warmly. "I know you do. Love you."

"Love you, babe."

Jonathan waited for Lisa to hang up before viciously throwing his cell phone against the trailer wall. He stalked around the apartment, the familiar rage beginning to build. That fucking little bitch. She was going to ruin his life forever. He was living in this filthy trailer park, like some lowlife because of her. If he didn't get his record expunged, all he had to look forward to were more minimum wage jobs. Jonathan wanted his family back and he wasn't going to let Shelby stand in his way. He lamented the fact that the shot had missed her the previous week.

He glanced at the rifle leaning in the corner of the living room, then crossed the room and picked it up. Pressing the stock against his shoulder, he pictured Shelby standing directly in his line of fire and carefully aligned the sight between her eyes, gently squeezing the trigger. A smile covered his face as he watched her head explode.

Shelby looked at Kris and shook her head ruefully. "Here goes nothing." She waited for the operative to round the car, then accompanied her to the door. Knocking twice, she walked in, Kris following.

"Hi, Mom." She walked over and hugged her mother.

"Hi, honey. Would you and Kris like some spaghetti? I've got plenty left." Shelby hesitated, but decided it might ease some of the tension. She glanced at the operative and smiled. "Mom makes great spaghetti."

Kris nodded. "Thanks, Lisa. That sounds great."

Lisa quickly served her guests and sat down to join them at the table. She had warned her sons to stay in the living room, promising that Shelby's spy friend would come and visit them after they were done talking.

The conversation was trivial, with Lisa talking about her flower garden and the boys' exploits at school. Kris excused herself when she finished eating, making her way to the living room and silently wishing her partner success.

Shelby smiled at her mother. "I love you, Mom and I want you to be happy."

A warm smile covered Lisa's face. "I know you do, honey. I love you, too."

"Why do you think Jonathan has changed?"

Having been prepared for a heated debate, Lisa was encouraged by Shelby's calm demeanor. "Because he saw a psychologist. That was a big step for him. You know how proud he is. And each time he calls or visits, he makes me feel so special. He's attentive to both the boys and me. He's trying so hard to do everything right."

"You do know, seeing the psychologist was part of his sentence, right?"

"Yes, but he talks so positively about his visits to the doctor. He admits he was wrong. It's not easy for anyone to face their mistakes, yet he is."

Shelby nodded. "Does he still see a psychologist?"

"No. The doctor told him he was a success story and he didn't need to schedule any more sessions."

He is such a liar! "Have you seen him very often?"

Lisa looked away and nodded. "He's been coming around for about a month, now."

Shelby inwardly sighed. Her mother had kept her contact with him well hidden. "Mom, I want you to be totally honest with me. Has he ever done or said anything at all that reminded you of before. You know, raised his voice, clenched his fists, all the things he used to do before he lost his temper."

Lisa's thoughts returned to his visit earlier in the day. For a minute, she'd been scared, but she could understand why he was upset. He wanted them to be a family again.

"Mom? He has, hasn't he?"

"Oh, it was nothing. He just raised his voice a little. He was just a little upset you didn't want to give him a chance. I told him you just needed some time."

Shelby's worst fears were confirmed. She'd known he was incapable of changing, but her mother had just verified it. "You remember my friend, Kim?"

"How could I forget her? I can't ever remember laughing so hard as I did the last time she came over with you. Why?"

"Would you do me a favor?"

"What are you talking about? I thought we were talking about Jonathan moving in."

"We are." Shelby paused, hoping her mother wouldn't explode. "Kim counsels abused women. I'd like you to talk to her."

"That's your answer!" Lisa stood up angrily. "You think I should see a psychiatrist?"

"No, Mom. She's a counselor. You've never talked to anyone about what you went through. If you agree to talk to her, I'll promise to try to be more impartial about Jonathan."

Pacing around the kitchen, Lisa said pointedly, "I really don't think I need to talk to a counselor."

"It wouldn't hurt to talk to her just once, Mom."

Lisa wasn't the least bit happy that her daughter thought she needed to talk to a professional, but Shelby had made the deal very sweet. "And if I do, you promise to be impartial about Jonathan?"

Shelby nodded. "Only one thing."

"What else?"

"You delay Jonathan moving in until after you talk to her."

Lisa had been prepared to delay a week anyway and, wanting to keep the peace with Shelby, she capitulated. "Okay." She smiled at her daughter and held out her hand. "Deal."

Chuckling, Shelby sealed their deal with a handshake. "I'd better go rescue Kris."

All of a sudden, they heard Jimmy and Jason explode with laughter. She grinned at her mother. "I think she's holding her own."

A short time later the two women bid Lisa and the boys farewell. Kris waited until Shelby was settled in before making her way around the car to the driver's side. Settling into the seat, she asked, "How'd it go?"

"Better than I could've ever hoped for. She agreed to talk to Kim before letting Jonathan move in."

Kris smiled at the obvious relief in her partner's voice. "How'd you manage that?"

"I promised her I would be impartial about Jonathan. And I will be. But that includes looking at both the bad and the good. I'm not sure she was thinking of that."

"As long as it worked."

"I hear you." Shelby watched Kris and sighed contentedly. They were headed to the apartment to change clothes, switch cars and gather up some drinks and snacks before staking out the drop again. It would be another long night, but the payoff would be well worth it.

Kris suddenly yelled, "Hold on!" She slammed on the brakes, swerved to the right, and thrust her right hand out in a protective measure to keep Shelby from falling forward before her seat belt had a chance to tighten, grimacing in pain at the sudden movement.

It had barely registered that she'd managed to miss the little boy who had darted out in front of the car chasing a ball, before she heard a loud crack and saw the windshield fragment into a spider web.

Her movements fueled by adrenaline, Kris slammed the car into park, released her seat belt, and threw her body on top of Shelby's, simultaneously releasing her partner's restraining device. She could barely breathe as a vise tightened painfully around her chest at the glimpse she'd caught of the red splattered windshield.