Free Shadows to Light (Shadows of Justice 5) by Regan Black Page B

at the area in her neck near the tracking device.
    With her healing light zeroed in, she started burning away at the edges of the adhesions holding it in place. Looking at it objectively, she could admire the clever design and placement so close to the carotid artery Removing it offered a unique challenge, but she intended to win this particularly small battle.
    From inside herself, she examined the device from all sides. She'd expected a different shape than this flat square webbing the size of her thumbnail and thinner than a piece of paper. As she prodded at it, debating her course, she felt the device reacting, recruiting her own body to its defense.
    Not much time. She felt balanced on a razor's edge, knew it wouldn't take much for the device to push her into oblivion. On instinct, she blasted it as she would a tumor.
    She hung on, stayed her course when her body, on the most basic cellular level, wanted to follow the directive of the device.
    The audacity of such a traitorous and harmful biometric program offended her, and she used that indignation, that determination to regain control and win the internal battle.
    She lifted herself out of the meditation and opened her eyes to Jameson's handsome face, his dark brown eyes full of worry. "I'm okay," she assured him.
    "Sure. Right." He blotted at her face. "You worked up quite a sweat."
    She laughed. "The tracer is gone. You can check."
    "I'll leave that to Callahan."
    "Well, at least you won't have to go up against enforcers anytime soon."
    "They don't fight fair," he said, helping her sit up. "Just stay here a minute." He drew her back against his warm, wide chest. "Give me a minute to catch my breath."
    She laughed.
    "It's not easy watching you do whatever it is you do."
    Why would it bother him? "Most of the time it isn't nearly so dramatic."
    "I'll take your word." He nuzzled her neck. "There are stories about people like you."
    She sighed, shifted, but he wouldn't let her up. "I've heard a few rumors."
    He chuckled. "Most people on the outside don't think the Army is a gossip mill, but on certain topics, Soldiers don't shut up."
    "Good to know."
    "Make fun if you want, it's true. When miracles happen in the field word gets around."
    "I understand." She was afraid she knew exactly where he was going with this and she didn't want to hear it. She'd left the Army and the gossip behind for a reason. "Callahan's waiting."
    "He already left."
    She twisted around looked into his dark eyes. "What do you mean he left?"
    "As in gone. Not here."
    "But –"
    "Oh, don't worry, he went home to his wife, but he left us with orders."
    "Does he expect us to follow them?"
    His chest rumbled with laughter and he gave her a squeeze before urging her to her feet. "Yes. As much as I'd like to ignore the rest of the world, your father needs our help."
    "So we're going in?"
    "Not quite. Callahan is taking what we learned tonight directly up the line. You and I are headed for the Financial District to wait for further instruction."
    "But I can't have guests at Leanore's."
    He shook his head, smiling. "Callahan wants us out of sight for a bit, and we can't go anywhere you were when the trace was live."
    She opened her mouth, but he shushed her with a quick kiss. "Trust me."
    Regardless of recent surprises and running out of options, she realized she did trust him. Completely. She gave him an easy smile. "Lead the way."
     
    * * *
     
    "We've lost her."
    "Impossible. Just ping the chip."
    "It's gone dark."
    That too should have been impossible. His second in command was a smart man, an assistant he trusted to handle things in the city. "She must be dead." A regrettable loss, if it turned out to be true. He hated her a bit more that he couldn't be sure.
    "We have no confirmed reports to that effect."
    It was hardly a ray of sunshine or hope. He'd wanted to bring her in alive, to give her a chance to see reason in the opportunity he'd tailored just for her.
    "Stay in the city." He ended the call,