Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) (2 page)

“What, McNeal?” She posed her question once she’d thrown open the door.

“I need you.”

“My every dream come to life,” she said drolly.

He brushed by her, the fall of his silk shirt and pants perfect—the man never seemed to be a mess. He was her boss in the group she worked with. Theta Corps. Throughout the organization, there were smaller groups of people who tended to work together. Except a few who were loners and did one specific job—assassinations. And she was one of the best.

“You, Bailey, are such a charmer.”

His words carried no heat and she took no slight at his sarcasm. She shut the door behind him then leaned against it. Arms crossed, she waited for him to let her know what the job would be.

“You know why I’m here.”

“Social call?”

“Besides that.”

“You’ve never come for a social call, I’m not buying it. Who do you want me to kill?”

He exhaled sharply. “No one.”

She raised an eyebrow. “So this
is
a social call? I told you I was fine and didn’t need to be pulled from work.”

Kevin McNeal walked farther into her small place. A studio apartment, there wasn’t much in the way of personal items. A few magazines purchased from the store, but nothing that had been addressed to her.

“We worry about our people, Bailey.”

“If this isn’t about a job, what are you doing here?”

He turned his dark head so they had eye contact. “I didn’t say it wasn’t about a job.”

“You said—”

“I didn’t want you to kill anyone.”

She walked to the tiny kitchen then filled the coffee pot and turned it on. “I’m not following.”

“I need you to go rescue someone.”

She didn’t even pause in getting mugs. “I don’t do that.”

“You do this time.”

That statement got her to stop. She set the spoons on the counter and faced her boss. “I’m not the person you send to rescue someone. I’ll go along to eliminate a target. But typically when people need rescuing, they need someone softer than I am.”

“Not this time.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“A man we have been after was taken.”

“So send in a rescue team. I’m not a team, nor part of one. I work alone.”

“Not going to work. I need you. You’ll be taken as well, not in the same guise but the plan will have you getting in. Then I need you to find him and get him out of there.”

“Then what?”

Kevin blinked. “Then what, what?”

“What do I do with him after I get him out of wherever he is?” She turned back and poured the hot drink. “Where do I leave him?”

“You bring him to me.”

Handing him a cup, she canted her head to the side before sipping some of her coffee. “Why?”

His brow converged. “You never ask why.”

“I also don’t do rescues. Apparently now I do, so I’m asking why.”

“We want him to work for us.”

“This captured man. You want him at Theta Corps?”

“He’s brilliant. However, even if he continues to refuse coming to us, we still need to keep him out of the hands he’s in now.”

She grunted and Kevin sipped his drink.

“No wondering why we want him?”

“Not my department. Where is he?”

“All we know is somewhere in Madagascar.”

She finished her coffee and put the mug on the counter. “‘Somewhere in’ is extremely vague, especially in a place that size.”

“I have faith in your ability.”

She narrowed her gaze. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“The head of the group believed to have taken him has a fondness for women like you.”

“Like me? Assassins?”

“Tough. Black. Beautiful.”

“So you want to dangle me before him like bait and have him want to keep me closer. That way I can locate this person for you and get them out.”

He smiled. “I love it how you don’t have to ask a lot of questions.” He put down his mug and walked to the door. “File’s on your table.”

Of course it is
. She didn’t speak as he left, just stared until the door closed behind him. Intrigued, she walked to the square table and sat before the file. She flipped it open and stared down at the picture of the man on the paper.

Handsome, sure, she wouldn’t lie, but it was his eyes that snagged her. Such a pale blue, she wondered if it wasn’t a trick of the camera. Rugged features and a quirk of his lips that made her hesitate.

A physicist. One held in high regard by his peers. Her eyebrows rose when she discovered his friend was the sister-in-law to Valentino Cassano. She knew Valentino’s name and had met him three times. The group he was in was pretty damn legendary throughout Theta Corps. She continued to read and her expression hardened the more she realized why they couldn’t allow him to stay in the clutches of whoever it was that had him.

Reading on, she went for a large ceramic bowl, which she then set in the middle of her table. As she finished reading each sheet, she placed it in there. When a few were accumulated, she lit them on fire, allowing them to burn down to nothing but ash. After dealing with the entire file, she got to her feet and took the dish to the sink where she dumped the remnants down the drain. Running some water after it, she cleaned out the dish then set it upside down in the adjoining side.

The plan formulated in her head and she knew what they wanted. She walked to her closet and opened the door. After reaching in for her black duffle bag, she stuffed some clothing in it then went out of the front, locking it behind her and striding away without a look back.

* * * *

Madagascar

Bailey walked from her hotel and took in the sights again. She’d been here for a few days and had wanted to get a look at where this would take place. So she’d explored and mapped out all she had needed to. With a deep breath, she kept on her path. Now the time had come for it to begin. To allow herself to become the bait so she could do her job.

I feel weird not having my sniper rifle with me. Or a knife or three.

She kept a steady pace along the streets of Antananarivo, heading for her destination.

The evening sun cast a soft golden glow about her as she smoothed her hand down her dress before approaching the club. Once allowed inside she walked through to the bar.

She ordered a cocktail and cast a look around. She found all the exits and noted the number of bouncers. A rope blocked off the entrance to the other portion. That was where she needed to go and in a few moments, her way in would arrive.

Right on time.
She watched the tall man walk through. His silk suit fitted him perfectly. She wove around people to his side. He tipped his head and gave her a smile, even while he tucked her against him.

The man by the rope unhooked it and allowed her past with the one she walked beside where she found her target—Kadyr Hamidov.

He noticed her the moment she entered—his head came up and his gaze fixated on her. A slight smile tipped up the corner of his mouth. She gave him a wider smile in return then glanced off at something else while taking a sip of her drink. Extracting herself from her ticket into this part of the club, she perched on the end of a low velvet seat.

“You’re new. I’ve not seen you here before.”

She glanced up to meet the owner of the deep, smooth voice. Dark brown eyes watched her from below thick lashes. The man was good-looking. Damn good-looking.

“Never been before.” Another drink.

He sat beside her on the wide cushion. “Kadyr Hamidov.”

“Bailey Hyde.”

“Are you here with him?”

She didn’t even bother looking over at the man. “Nope. Just used him to get back into this part.”

“Resourceful.”

“I have my moments.”

“And if it hadn’t worked?”

She dragged her tongue along her lower lip. “Hasn’t failed me yet. I have good”—she glanced down at her chest—“assets.” A slight shrug. “I would have removed the man there and come in anyway.”

“He’s big.”

She toyed with the rim of her glass. “I’ve found the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

“Feisty.” His grin turned lecherous. “I like that in a woman.” He slid closer to her.

She smelled the faint lingering whiff of his cologne. Nice. Masculine and slightly spicy. “Do you?”

“You seem like a woman who can handle herself.”

“I am.”

“Do you like children?”

She stroked the back of her hand down the side of his cheek. “We just met. Don’t you think it’s a little early to discuss children?”

His smile exposed straight white teeth. “Why wait?”

She chuckled and got to her feet. “Thanks for the laugh, handsome. I’m only here looking for a good time, not to get tied down with children.” She waggled her fingers at him and began walking away.

Five steps from the rope, a callused hand grabbed her wrist. She peered over her shoulder with one eyebrow raised. “Yes?”

“A good time I can do.”

She raked her gaze over him. “I bet you can.” Bailey faced him fully. “Is this something we’re doing here, with an audience, or are we going somewhere private?”

He waved off the two men who followed him. “Private. Definitely private.”

Bonus.
Linking her arm through his, she rested her head against his shoulder. “Can’t wait.”

“Boss,” one thug said, only to fall silent when Kadyr waved him off.

“I got this, we don’t need you for this.”

The men gave her a once-over, their expressions telling her they were neither pleased with nor happy about their boss’s decision. She also understood they would do nothing about it—he was, after all, their boss.

Kadyr dropped his hand to rest upon her ass. “Let’s go sit down.”

She allowed him to lead her back to where he’d been sitting when she’d first entered. Only this time, she was the woman closest to him, not someone else. His goons followed and retook their seats as well. Bailey didn’t argue, more than content to wait and leave later.

Chapter Two

Ivan scowled at the shadow he couldn’t shake. No matter where it was, he wasn’t alone. Hell, he still wasn’t sure
where
he was. Like clockwork at a certain time, he was shown into a lab and the door air-locked behind him.

The man who’d traveled with him went to the woman at the front of the room. Ivan was used to this as well. All he knew for certain was they were Chechen. Personally, he had no quarrel with that ethnic group but what he’d picked up on—aside from their dislike of him—was that they wanted him to build something. No one had spoken to him or had given him more than a grunt or gesture so far. They’d just showed him the lab, left him there for a while then taken him back to his cell.

Yes, it was a cell. Nothing more. Nothing less. His food, meager at best, wasn’t at all filling. A shower was allowed once a week and since he’d had three of them, he assumed he had been here for at least that long. Before he’d woken up here, he’d had no clue as to how long he’d been out.

Deep in his bones, he felt today was different. The men were sharper, their mannerisms crisper. Like people were when expecting the boss.

The door opened and he turned in time to see another man walk in. Tall, muscular, with his dark hair pulled back to the nape of his neck. He wore a three-piece suit and the other two fell silent when he entered.

“Ivan Vinokourov.”

“Yes.”

His gaze darted to the three men who had walked in behind this man. They were large and carrying automatic weapons.

“Do you know who I am?” He posed his question in a heavily accented voice.

“No. What am I doing here? Better yet, where am I?”

“Madagascar.”

“Why am I here? And who are you?”

“My name is Kadyr Hamidov.” He stroked his goatee. “I find myself in need of your talents.”

Ivan crossed his arms. “Talents? What talents?”

Kadyr’s thin lips turned up in a slight grin. “No need to be so humble.” He leaned against a spotless steel table. “Your knowledge of antigravity will be very helpful.”

There was no need for him to deny it—anyone who had the ability to track him down on Christmas Island had to know what he could do. “What do you want from me?”

“I need you to build me a prototype that will be able to be used on people.”

He furrowed his brow. “You’re talking like you mean you’re thinking jet packs. Or something similar.”

Kadyr held his gaze. “Can you do this?”

“If I say no?”

The grin grew menacing. “I would make very sure that is what you wish to say. I have no use for a man who cannot help me reach my goal.” He stood and tugged on the sleeves of his silk suit. At a snap of his fingers, a man handed him a folder, one that Kadyr placed on the shiny top. “Read this. Think on it. You will join me for dinner and give me your decision.” Kadyr headed for the door. “And Doctor”—he pivoted back—“make a wise decision.” The door closed behind him with a click of finality.

Ivan didn’t appreciate the impending sense of doom settling about his shoulders like a dark, wet, woolen blanket. His shadow and the woman glanced at him before resuming their conversation. Ivan moved to the file and flipped it open. His natural inquisitiveness rushed to the forefront and he stared at the papers beneath his fingertips.

Sketches of different ideas. Jet packs. Drones carrying bombs. He drew up a stool and sat as he began to read.

Shit.

The more he read, the sicker he felt to his stomach. Dirty bombs being delivered by men with jet packs. Drones that could travel much longer and farther, not to mention more quietly, with electrogravitics technology attached to them.

“You are intrigued, no?”

Not the word I would use.
“Who’s building the bombs?”

“Not your concern,” the woman said.

She walked closer and moved behind him, dragging her nails along his shoulders. He held still, taking note of the way his shadow watched him.
Okay, so this is Shadowman’s woman, or one he wants. I don’t need any more trouble—I think I’m in deep enough as it is.
He turned his attention back to the papers and continued to read.