Chapter 9 Shadow
It wasn’t like coming here was a bad idea, necessarily, but I didn’t see the value in it. Orders were orders, though, and mine weren’t up for debate. If they saw a reason for me to be here, I’d find it—or face the consequences of missing it.
There would be a deeper reason I was here tonight. Something he saw that I couldn’t right now. Maybe I would find out one day, or maybe the pieces would fall into place and I would never have a clue.
But that didn’t matter, either.
I looked down at my phone, the bright light making me hiss. I had been hiding in the dark for days. From a blacked-out car to dark buildings and pitch-black alleys, I’d been out of the sun for so long, the light burned.
The girl, Evie, and the guy always with her, Aiden, talked with the man who had pulled up on another bike. I still hadn’t figured out why they had come here. I knew what this building was once upon a time and I knew how much my boss would want to know exactly why they had come here.
I crept closer, taking careful steps as my boots crunched against the loose gravel.
The nearby hum of buildings and traffic covered enough of the noise that I could keep getting closer, but I still couldn’t make out the newcomer.
I had been briefed endlessly about what I should do and what I should be paying attention to, but everyone failed to mention I would need to learn about ten different motorcycles and how to distinguish them.
There were too many sometimes, and even as this new one approached, I knew I wouldn’t be able to recognize which one of them it was.
I knew who they all were, of course, but at night in the dark I couldn’t tell who was on this bike.
As I crept closer, a familiar unease prickled down my spine. The newcomer’s voice was muffled, but I caught snippets, enough to know they were discussing something interesting about the building. I pressed myself against the cold brick wall, ears straining to pick out anything useful.
Evie gestured to the newcomer, her face half illuminated by the dim light of the blue running lights on the bike next to her.
Aiden’s bike.
She looked animated, angry even, while Aiden stood beside her, his gaze sharp, watching the other man with a look that could kill.
Aiden was protective of her—I’d noticed it in my days watching them.
He always had a way of positioning himself slightly in front of her, as if daring anyone to get too close.
The newcomer shifted, leaning back against his bike casually, though something seemed coiled in the set of his shoulders. I still couldn’t make out any facial features.
I didn’t think he was only here for a friendly chat.
I scanned him, trying to figure out which one he was, but with his back to me, it was impossible to tell.
I clenched my fists, frustrated at how little I knew about him.
This wasn’t about watching anymore. I needed to know why they were here, in this place.
If I couldn’t figure it out, there would be consequences.
Suddenly, Evie’s voice spiked, louder than before, and I saw her take a step back.
The tension in the air was palpable, and Aiden’s hand drifted to his side, brushing against his jacket in a move that made me freeze.
My heart quickened. Was he armed? Did he know I was here, watching them?
My pulse thundered in my ears, every instinct telling me to pull back, but I had to know more.
Weapons or not, being found out or not, I had to risk it to find out more.
But I knew Aiden wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if I got too close to Evie.
He was violent to people who came too close, and I understood why—orders were orders.
I almost admired him for being so dedicated.
Then, Aiden turned his head, catching a glimpse of movement to my right.
He froze, and I instinctively pulled back, pressing myself farther into the shadows, holding my breath.
My pulse pounded in my ears, but I stayed still, barely breathing.
A few seconds passed, and he turned back, seemingly reassured as a rat ran down the length of the building.
I let out a slow exhale, relief flooding through me.
A sense of dread twisted in my gut at the realization of how little I was learning. If I told my boss they were here with no other information, it could mean the end for me.
And I feared I was already becoming addicted.
I fumbled with my phone, snapping a quick, grainy photo of the three of them before turning on my heel. It wouldn’t be the end of the night for me. I would continue following, and maybe even follow the newcomer until I knew who he was.
Either way, as much as I wanted to disappear into the night, I knew I’d follow them, trailing their every move, lurking in every shadow, until I had the answers I was sent here to find—no matter how deep I had to dig, or how close I had to get.
I would find the answers my boss needed.