Lethal Game (GhostWalkers 16)

“She leaves you, then she’s not worth having,” Billy said staunchly. “What are you going to be doing when everyone goes to the opening of the ideas on peace or whatever they’re calling that nonsense? This place will be deserted.”

“My friend is actually a service buddy as well. He’s highly decorated, although no one will ever know it. I don’t know if he’s even shown his wife his medals. He’s still in the service. He just got back from saving the world from a virus similar to Ebola. The chances he takes to keep other soldiers and our citizens from harm’s way are just plain scary. I told you his wife gave birth prematurely to twins. One is doing well, and they could move him, but the other not so good. I’ve been helping them. I’ll most likely continue with that.”

Billy opened his mouth twice and then snapped it closed abruptly. He shook his head. Finally he heaved a sigh. “I don’t understand. Why don’t they take those kids to the hospital?”

Deliberately, Malichai lowered his voice and looked around. He leaned closer to Billy. “There’s a price on his head as well as his wife’s. That’s why he came here in the dead of night. He wasn’t planning on staying, then everything went to hell. If certain factions knew he was here, they would move heaven and earth to assassinate him and his family. He’ll leave the moment the babies can fly.”

Billy cursed under his breath. “That sucks. He sounds like a good man. A decent man. You’ve got thousands of useless people sucking down weed and any other drug to make themselves think they’re tremendous thinkers, but what they’re really doing is partying, and then you have a great man who knows the meaning of hard work and sacrifice and he’s stuck in a basement with a price on his head.”

“The irony of it all is that he’s a true genius. If there is one mind in the world that could solve a few problems if anyone would listen, it would be his.”

“You don’t see him wasting his time,” Billy said. “He chooses to spend it with his wife and family or in service to his country. Few men like that left.” He stood up. “I’ve got an appointment, Malichai. I hope your leg stops hurting and you get to feeling better.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Malichai watched Billy go out the front door. Immediately he sent to all GhostWalkers the information, using their telepathic connection.

Billy is involved. Says friend is advisor to VP. Rubin’s cover is bought. I said Trap was a very decorated friend in service with price on head as well as on his family. His wife went into labor when they came to visit me at night. Can’t leave yet. Billy was visibly upset. Whatever is going to take place I’m afraid will happen on opening day.

Ezekiel answered. We have been unable to find Callendine or Salsberry. They are legitimately officers in the Army, and they are on assignment. Major General is trying to uncover where they are. This is a Navy town. They’re coordinating with us, doing most of the hunt for Callendine and Salsberry. Word is, several Army men in town. That’s not unusual, but they don’t appear to be here for fun. We’ve got eyes on them.

Joe added to the information. We got one good print off of Salsberry and it comes back legitimate, so I’m going to make that leap and say they were actually ordered here. I don’t know who ordered them or why. Major General is demanding answers. The fact that a decorated GhostWalker may lose his leg is helping peel back layers but it’s taking too much time. He says the delays appear to be deliberate.

Malichai had to do some heavy deep breathing at the casual way Joe mentioned that he might lose his leg. If Joe said it, and he would know more than any other, it was closer to the truth than Malichai wanted to know. He forced air through his lungs and with it, brought in the scent of Amaryllis. The moment he took her in, his world changed. Lightened. She could do that, without doing more than existing.

He looked up. She stood there, her blond hair falling around her face and down her back like a waterfall, and her blue eyes like two beautiful jewels glowing at him. She was so beautiful, she seemed to shine from the inside out. She stood in front of him, palm curving around the nape of his neck so gently. She leaned down and then she was kissing him. Taking his breath. Taking away the worst thoughts, forcing them out of his head to make room for her. She tasted sweet—so sweet. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto his lap. He took over kissing her, letting the fire consume him, knowing it was dangerous to both of them when they were in public, but he needed her. She gave him everything.