Deep Cover

CHAPTER 6

KRIS OPENED HER jacket wider allowing clear access to her gun as they pulled into the grocery store parking lot. She saw their pursuer drive slowly past without turning in and got a sense that he was just on an information gathering mission. Glancing at Shelby when the car came to a stop in a parking place, Kris said, "Don't get out until I'm on your side of the car," before quickly exiting the vehicle.

She had a hunch their being tailed was related to the note she'd left in Georgetown the previous afternoon and cursed Earl for putting Shelby at risk by consigning the analyst to her care. Kris grudgingly acknowledged that her boss couldn't have known that and vowed to keep her charge safe from the darker elements closing in on her.

Blue scanned the parking lot as she casually walked around the car, but the Ford Taurus hadn't returned. It was possible that they didn't know where Shelby lived, but she thought that unlikely.

She briefly thought over the most likely possibilities. If the tail was intended for her, there had to be a leak within the Agency for them to know she was riding with Shelby. Finding that leak might provide her with a valuable bargaining chip should one become necessary.

Second case scenario was that if this tail was related to the shooting incident at the mall, then someone was targeting Shelby and she intended to find out whom. It was also feasible was that they were both being targeted either because of the case or separately for unrelated reasons. This last scenario was potentially the most dangerous, because it would be the hardest to defend against. Regardless, her work was cut out for her.

Blue stood far enough away from the door to allow Shelby to exit the car, then remained between her and the street until they entered the store. Once they were inside, she glanced down at her companion to see how she was handling the situation.

Shelby hadn't been nearly as bothered at being followed by an unknown assailant as she was by the idea that he might know where she lived. In the last couple of days, her previously routine life had become a cloak and dagger affair. First she was shot at, and now someone was following them. She had come to the conclusion that it had to be work related, because the entire sequence of events hadn't started until she had actually been assigned to the case. Shelby fleetingly wondered how Kris could live in a world of danger and deception, where events like these were commonplace.

No longer in the mood to shop, Shelby got a shopping cart anyway, deciding her activities were not going to be curtailed by some stranger in a car, but she acknowledged that her bravery stemmed in part from the comforting presence of the tall woman at her side. She glanced up to see concerned blue eyes regarding her. "Is he gone?"

"For now. He may be parked on the street to avoid being seen."

Oh great! "I wish I knew why he was following us."

Kris snorted. "You and me both."

Shelby decided she'd feel safer at home, even if he did know where she lived, and looked around the store trying to decide where to start. "So what do you like?" When Kris didn't answer her, she glanced up to find the operative's eyes trained on the door.

After several minutes Blue finally turned her attention back to Shelby. While it would have been a stupid move for the driver of the Taurus to follow them inside, she wasn't going to take any chances.

She wanted Shelby to relax a little, not missing the tight set to her shoulders as she began pushing the cart down the aisle. "I want to pick up a few TV dinners."

Her answer had the desired effect when Shelby turned to her indignantly. "You're not serious?"

Kris chuckled at Shelby's disbelieving expression and winked. "Just kidding. I like almost anything. Why don't we get a couple of steaks to broil tonight? With baked potatoes and salad? How's that sound?"

Shelby grinned. "Now you're talking." She decided to use her own judgment for the bulk of the groceries since it was becoming apparent Kris wasn't going to be of much help.

Markov continued down the street to the next light, before turning around and pulling into a service station across from the grocery store. He pulled out his cellular phone and punched in the number of his immediate superior, puzzling over why some of the higher echelon seemed to be working independently in tracking this woman.

Gregor had been expecting the call and answered the phone immediately. He listened with satisfaction to Markov's report. He'd had little time to garner information from his contacts, but what they had provided him with was apparently accurate, because the woman who got out of the car matched the description he had passed on to Markov. "Break off contact. I ran the plates and have an address. I don't want to chance you being spotted."

Markov indignantly protested, "I will not be seen."

Ignoring his subordinate's response, Gregor ordered, "Return at once," and turned the phone off, frowning.

So, she was staying with another woman. It was an interesting development that didn't fit the profile they'd been developing on her over the years. She tended to be a loner. He needed to find out what the connection was - other than that they both worked for the Agency. That alone wouldn't be reason enough for the cohabitation, and he speculated on how it might be related to the cryptic message left at the emergency drop. He was going to have to make some further inquiries and find out who Shelby Carson was.

Gregor knew that the more information he had, the more pressure he could exert. Having minutely examined his contact's entire file that afternoon, he had found something he could use as leverage, sensing he might need every bit of ammunition he could muster.

Shelby walked down the last aisle, smiling inwardly. The operative had decided to help after all, and had casually added things they passed in the store including pepper cheese, cheddar cheese, wheat crackers, blueberry and cherry yogurt, lemon flavored seasoning, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, onions, a large bag of crunchy Cheetos, and microwave popcorn.

Noticing that most of the selections were either snack foods or seasonings, Shelby decided Kris probably didn't get to eat many things she liked while in the field. She had been tempted to comment on a few of the spicy items, but hadn't wanted to dissuade her tall companion from getting what she wanted. That was, until now. "You actually eat that stuff?"

Kris looked at the comical expression on Shelby's face, then to the roll of meat in her hand and shrugged. "Yeah. Makes a good sandwich with a nice thick slice of onion and spicy mustard."

Shelby nodded in mock understanding. "Oh, that's how you do it. You drown out the taste with the mustard and onion." She shuddered. "I can't stand that stuff. When we were kids and mom made it for lunch we called it liver the worst."

The twinkling was apparent in the green eyes regarding her, and Kris quirked a half-smile as she held out the package and pointed out, "This is braunschweiger not liverwurst."

"They're all the same...braunschweiger, liverwurst, goose liver. Yuck!"

Kris just grinned and tossed the meat into the cart. "I didn't say anything about that weird cereal you got."

"What are you talking about? My Maypo? Maypo's not weird!"

"Whatever you say. I never even heard of it." The operative was enjoying the banter and pleased that some of Shelby's tension had faded. As a rule, she was bored by shopping, but was finding she didn't mind it nearly as much tonight.

"It's really good. It's a maple flavored oat cereal. Taste's great."

Kris raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I think I'll pass. Sounds way too sweet."

"I happen to like sweet."

Oh, so do I. Kris put a halt to her unruly thoughts. "Nothing wrong with that. We done?"

"Yeah. Just have to get some milk."

Blue's eyes turned glacial. A guy in jeans and a blue polo shirt had mirrored their progress for just a little too long for it to be mere coincidence. She quickly assessed him in the mirror mounted at the end of the aisle. Thank God for shoplifters.

He was too far away for her to determine if he was carrying a weapon, and she needed to get Shelby out of the store safely. She briefly considered just ushering Shelby out of the store, but that would leave him to their rear and if he was good, it could be a fatal move. Blue decided that surprise was her best weapon and if it turned out the guy hadn't been following them and was an innocent, no serious harm would be done.

She moved to the left of Shelby and quietly said, "Let me push the cart. Stay between me and the freezer case."

Alarmed, Shelby bit off a question and moved to Kris' right. Her heart sped up until she could hear it pounding in her ears as she kept pace with the tall woman.

Blue was counting on the man to follow their progress in the mirror, so she slowly traveled up the aisle glancing at frozen selections as she passed. If he was actually following them he should avoid eye contact and the operative intended to use that knowledge to her advantage.

Rounding the corner, she quirked a tiny smile. As she had expected, the guy was gazing at a canned vegetable display. She ambled past him making sure no one was paying attention before suddenly turning and forcefully ramming him with her shopping cart.

The unexpected attack carried Markov into the display shelves and any hope of regaining his balance was lost when he felt his legs swept from beneath him. Biting off a curse, he landed on his stomach in the middle of the aisle, surrounded by rolling cans.

Shelby was momentarily stunned and stood there unmoving until Kris grabbed her arm, pulling her down the aisle. She heard several customers talking loudly and watched store employees run past them to the scene of the accident. She breathed a sigh of relief when they finally exited the grocery store.

Blue escorted Shelby to the passenger seat, then jogged around the car, quickly settling herself into the driver's side. She knew the store would try to detain him until they were sure he was uninjured or he had signed a waiver releasing the store from any liability.

In the meantime she intended to search for a parked blue Taurus. Innocent civilians didn't carry guns and she'd caught a glimpse of one when he fell. A feral grin flickered across Blue's face. The hunter had just become the hunted.

Markov assured the manager for the third time that he was fine as he silently cursed the tall woman. He could not allow knowledge of his disobedience to reach his superiors. If the police or medical personnel were called, he would have to leave the store by force before they arrived, something he didn't want to do. His job entailed keeping a low profile, and he was already humiliated beyond belief.

Finally, after signing an alias to a form releasing the store from culpability, he departed, carefully scanning the parking lot to make sure the red car was gone. He continually surveyed his surroundings as he crossed first the parking lot and then the street to get to where his car was parked behind the service station.

He opened his car door, and froze. The unmistakable sound of a round being chambered reached his ears as he simultaneously felt a hard object pressed firmly against his back.

Shelby was pressed against the entrance to the women's restroom, her eyes wide. She had known what Kris was going to do, but was still surprised when the operative had appeared behind the man. She watched Kris search the man, pocket the gun and wallet she found, then order him to get in the passenger side of the car, before climbing into the backseat behind him, her aim never wavering.

"Who are you?"

Markov maintained a stony silence. He would tell this woman nothing.

Blue softened her voice, and purred into the Russian's ear. "It's simple, really. You tell me what I want to know, you live. You don't, you die. So what'll it be?"

Markov was chilled and tantalized by the voice in his ear, but instinctively knew this woman would do as she said. "I was paid to follow you..." Intense pain filled his head as blue steel impacted with the back of his skull. His eyes watered and Russian curses filled the air.

Blue growled, "I'm losing my patience."

"I am Markov. I was sent by the Bear."

"Why?"

"He did not say." Blue knew that was probably true, but decided to make sure. She pressed her gun into the base of Markov's neck. "I don't believe you."

"It is true! He ordered me to return when you went into the store."

"Why didn't you?"

Markov hesitated and felt the pressure at the base of his neck increase. "I wanted to give him a description of your partner."

Blue felt her stomach tighten. "Why?"

"He was interested in her. I wanted to impress him."

Blue handed the man his wallet. "Hold that up where I can see. Now take out your ID." She looked at the diplomatic ID card issued by the State Department to all embassy personnel and learned his full name was Boris Ivanovich Markov. The other information on the ID didn't interest her. "What else you got in there, Boris?"

Markov began removing each item from his wallet and held it up until she ordered, "Next."

Blue was looking for phone numbers or code names, and smiled when he tried to hide a small folded piece of paper from her sight. It never ceased to amaze her how stupid some operatives were.

She shoved the barrel of the gun against his head. "Hand me that piece of paper you're trying to hide. Try anything funny and you die and I get it anyway."

Markov tensed. That paper had Dimitri's personal phone number on it. He could not allow this woman to have it. He slowly moved the folded piece of paper from behind his international license and then suddenly thrust it to his mouth.

Blue had anticipated the move and slammed her left fist into the side of his head. Ignoring Markov's grunt of pain, she growled, "You don't get it yet, do you?"

She pressed her weapon against Markov's head. "Now pick it up."

Markov shook his head to clear it, and slowly reached down to retrieve the piece of paper from his lap. Any thought of defying her again deserted him when he heard her chuckle softly in his ear. "You try that again and your brain is gonna be splattered all over the inside of this car."

Blue took it from him and slid it in her pocket. "That's a good boy. Now listen carefully. If I ever see you again, you're a dead man. That goes for annoying my partner, too. You got that?"

Markov nodded. "Yes."

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other." She got out of the car, keeping her gun hidden from view, not wanting to attract any curious eyes. "Get out of here."

Blue watched him drive away before turning her attention back to her companion. She would have to wait to see what Markov risked his life to keep her from getting.

Shelby's face was pale. She had flinched when Kris belted the man with her gun, and again when she clobbered him on the side of his head. She hadn't been able to hear the conversation, but his curses had carried beyond the confines of the car. She wasn't positive, but the guttural tone had sounded like Russian. What was going on?

"Let's get out of here."

Nodding, Shelby stepped from the doorway and walked in front of Kris to the car. Once they were back on the road, Shelby asked, "Who was he?"

"Just someone following orders."

"That's all he told you? Is that why you hit him?"

Kris glanced at Shelby and suddenly realized how upset she was. "I hit him because he was lying. In this business, force is all some people understand." She purposely made no mention of why she hit him the second time.

"Do you know who sent him?"

"Yes." Kris briefly made eye contact with the other woman. "Don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

Yeah, right. Not much chance of her not worrying after what she'd just witnessed. She hoped Kris did take care of it and that her life returned to some semblance of normal.

They arrived home a short time later. After thoroughly inspecting the apartment, Kris returned to the kitchen where Shelby had just fed the kitten. "Does she always gobble down her food like that?" Her question was intended to divert Shelby's attention from the recent events more than actual curiosity.

"Yeah. I think she might stop doing it once she feels secure here and knows she'll always have food. Poor thing. How terrible for her to be abandoned like that."

Kris nodded in agreement and decided to change out of her work clothes. She would've preferred changing right in the living room, but decided that since it wasn't her apartment, the bathroom would be more appropriate. "I'm gonna change."

Shelby watched Kris walk to the bathroom, fully appreciating the natural grace with which the tall woman moved until she became aware of what she was doing and blushed furiously.

Locking the bathroom door, Kris pulled out the small tattered piece of paper. It was blank except for a local telephone number she readily identified as embassy from the prefix. She folded it and put it in the pocket of the jeans she had donned. Tomorrow, she would find out who was at the other end of that phone. It would be interesting to see if the voice matched her contact's.

Shelby went to her bedroom and after changing, took extra time to put her clothes in their proper place, smiling as she did so.

Her amusement faded when she walked into the living room and saw Kris' gun lying on the end table next to the operative. She remembered how comfortable the operative had looked, standing with her gun pressed against that man's back. The sight of it now was a cold, harsh reminder of the seriousness of their situation. She glanced at Kris. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Kris followed Shelby's gaze to her weapon. "I need it close."

"I know. It just seems strange to have one in my apartment. I'll make us something to eat."

Kris was again reminded of what different worlds they lived in. "Need any help?"

"No. I've got some homemade spaghetti in the freezer. I'll just heat that up."

The operative's thoughts turned to her conversation with Markov, and she sighed. Kris knew she'd been taking a chance by blowing off her contact, but she had wanted to push the boundaries to find out how much leeway she had. Guess I found out.

Kris was also extremely concerned about their interest in Shelby and knew it had originated solely because of their working and living arrangement. Questions filled her mind. How did they know I would be riding with Shelby? How did they find out what kind of car she drove so quickly? One thing was crystal clear. Someone was leaking information. Who?

Her contact had not indicated any knowledge of the case she was working when they met. He had only been interested in the locations of field operatives. She snorted. It was always the same. Spy on the spies. Information was power, and the Russians would hold a huge advantage if they knew who and where their counterparts were. The wall coming down hadn't made any difference in this overt power quest. If anything, each country's interest in what the other was doing had increased. Some things never change.

Shelby walked into the living room and joined Kris on the couch. She wasn't satisfied with the preemptive answers the operative had given her in the car. "Was this case the reason that guy was following us?"

Kris looked at the earnest face gazing at her, and felt her stomach sink to new depths. Unable to bring herself to lie in the face of such honesty, Kris decided to share what she could. "They were following me. In my line of work you make a lot of enemies." Except that now you are involved, but I see no point in worrying you any more than you already are.

Musing aloud, Shelby said, "It sounded like that guy was speaking Russian."

Kris tensed but remained silent. Damn it. She had hoped Shelby hadn't heard the invectives spouted by Markov.

"Are you going to tell Earl?"

The operative pinned Shelby with cool blue eyes. "I said I would handle it. How I do that is none of your concern." When the open expression on Shelby's face disappeared, Kris cursed herself, but didn't offer any further explanation.

Shelby was hurt by the rebuff, but if it was unrelated to the case it really wasn't any of her business. "Then the shooting in the mall was random?"

"I don't know. Let's wait and see what happens in the next few days."

Shelby nodded. Knowing there was no sense in questioning the unanswerable any further, she got up to check on dinner.

A short time later, after eating and clearing the table, the two women returned to the living room. Kris turned off the lamp and approached the balcony door. It was still dusk, but she didn't intend to give any adversary an advantage. Standing to the side, she gazed out across the parking lot for several minutes, before joining Shelby on the couch.

At dinner the conversation had been practically nonexistent and Shelby searched for a way to ease the tension between them. "Have you ever watched Buffy?"

Kris couldn't stop the amusement from appearing on her face. "As in 'The Vampire Slayer?'"

"Yeah. Have you?"

"Nope. Never had any desire to."

"Do you mind if I turn it on?"

Kris shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

Slightly over an hour later, Shelby grinned, knowing Kris had enjoyed the program. "Not too bad, huh?"

Kris had found the program entertaining, but answered noncommittally. "It was okay."

Sure, it was just okay. That's why you were laughing at a couple of parts. "What do you want to watch now?"

Kris stood up. "I need to take a trip around the neighborhood. Make sure it's secure. I'll be back shortly."

Shelby watched the operative's retreat in silence. She might have expected her to check the area out later, but not now. It was almost if the tall woman was afraid to enjoy herself.

She got up and walked through the empty apartment. Shelby knew she should be relieved that Kris had identified the tail and that it had nothing to do with the case, but instead she was concerned for the operative's safety. She didn't understand why Kris wouldn't just tell Earl and be done with it instead of taking care of it alone. She had the support of the whole Company here. Shelby decided to try and talk to her about it again the next day.

Blue surveyed the parking lot from the darker shadows near the side of the building and breathed deeply of the fresh air. She'd needed to get out of the apartment for a while - away from the comfortable, homey décor, and away from Shelby. She needed to rein in whatever force kept driving her towards the smaller woman, but was finding it increasingly difficult as they spent more time together.

She wished her contact would show up, longing for a diversion from the image of hurt on Shelby's face that continued to play in slow motion through her mind, or from the troubling thoughts that plagued her.

Fate was not kind; no opportunity for action presented itself, and Kris returned to the apartment an hour later. Tomorrow was another day and maybe when it dawned, so would a better course of action to divert the subversive elements in her life away from her new partner.