Hunting the Shadows


Author: Alexia Reed

Shadows Ops #1

Publisher: Carina Press

Released: May 7, 2012

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He was going to get himself killed.

Amy lost sight of J.C. as he'd taken off, leaving her to wait for his return.  Gunshots echoed in the distance, loud blasts that shook the air, punctuated by long silences.  In the back of her mind, she knew she should stay still.  But J.C. was out there alone with no one watching his back.

Pressing herself flat to the ground, she crawled from the brush, thorns tearing at her clothes and scratching her skin.  She scanned the treetops, searching for darkened shapes that could be the shooter.  Finding none, she maneuvered slowly over the terrain, keeping her eyes open for signs of movement.  The narrow path split into an open area as the tree line receded.

Amy edged toward a wall of rock, keeping low.  There was the sense of something up ahead, the feeling of something not quite right.  Wariness twisted with instinct, making her pulse race.

Gunshots broke the silence.

She pushed back the panic of being watched.  If only she could figure out the direction of the threat.  Her hand dropped to her wrist, down along the leather band and hesitated. 

Did she want to risk it?

Turning slowly, she looked back to the trees.  Unsnapping the band, she slipped it into her pocket.  The moment it fell from her wrist, voices spilled inside.  Her mouth went dry, her body tense with the urge to turn and run.  The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that there was a weapon trained on her.

Malicious energy poured over her, a thick black wave that smothered her.  She dashed off, intending to get out of sight, but she couldn't escape from it.  No matter where she went, where she hid, she couldn't get away.  Bullets tore into the ground and she threw herself into the darkness of a small cavern.  Small chunks of rock flew at her, cutting her cheek.

"Goddamn it, Amy.  I told you to stay put."

"There are three of them," she snapped, keeping her eyes trained on the entrance.  She pressed back, plastering herself against the wall.  "If I'd stayed put, they would have found me.  I'm holed up, but one of the shooters is pinning me in here."

"I know."  He paused.  "Stay where you are and this time I mean it.  I'll get to you as soon as I can."

She stepped forward carefully to peer around the protection of rock.  If she could get a sense of movement outside, she could figure out what to do next.  Bullets ripped dirt and more rock from the wall and she ducked her head back inside with a short, cut off scream.

The air thickened, growing heavier.  "I don't exactly have any other choice.  What's going on?  Why are they shooting at us?"

The shooters were out there for her.  She could hear their thoughts and lifting her hands, pressed her fingertips to her temples.  Nothing softened the voices, their thoughts completely trained on killing her.  Sweat rolled down her back.  The need to do somethign tightened her muscles but she flattened herself back.

"The bitch is somewhere inside the cave-" Amy couldn't help but listen as the thought ripped through her mind.  She cringed at the sound of branches snapping under heavy feet.  The shadow that filled the cave entrance was large, the assailant's eyes staring straight through her.  She shot a glance at the gun he held and tried to press deeper into the darkness.

There wasn't anywhere to go.

Her heart raced in her chest, adrenaline pumping at dangerous levels, heightening her sense.  "Leave me along."

His finger stroked the trigger.

She held her breath.

"I said leave me alone!"

She watched his eyes widen at her voice in his head.  Before he could recover, she shoved the rest of the way into his mind, shredding his shields like they were paper.