Shadowgame

'You won't, Captain, not on my watch,' Ian said. 'And Nico never misses.'

'Stay on Jeff, Ian.'

'I'm all over him, Captain.'

They went back into Hollister's room where the others waited expectantly. 'As soon as Nico gives us the go- ahead, we're taking Jeff out,' Ryland said. 'Tucker, you're the strongest. I want you to carry, Jeff out.'

Tucker's teeth were very white as he grinned at Jeff. 'Don't worry, I'll handle you like a newborn babe.'

Jeff groaned. 'I can't believe he's going to make you carry me.'

Sam poked him good-naturedly. 'I'll make sure he doesn't drop you more than once, surfer boy, although it might fix you right up if you landed on your head.'

'You'll take their backs, Sam. I don't want a single hair harmed on that surfer boy's head. I'd have to face his mama.' Ryland shuddered.

'We wouldn't be getting cookies anymore, that's for sure,' Gator complained. 'Nobody makes cookies like Jeff's ma.'

'Not to mention'-Jonas Harper looked up from where he was sharpening a four-inch blade with loving care-'he's a chick magnet. Pretty boy Hollister walks down the street and we don't need to look for women, they just follow him around.'

Kyle Forbes stretched out his legs and burst out laughing. 'That's because he isn't always fondling a knife, Jonas. Women run when you walk into the room.'

Sam hooted and jabbed at Jonas with his foot. 'Throwing knives doesn't really impress women, Jonas.'

'It did when I worked in the circus,' Jonas said. 'They thought it was sexy.'

Jeff tossed his pillow at Jonas. 'You wish they thought you were sexy. Didn't your last girlfriend dump beer over your head?'

Laughter erupted. Jonas held up his hand. 'That didn't count. She caught me with the Nelson twins sitting on my lap. She totally had the wrong idea.'

Tucker retrieved the pillow, incidentally bashing Gator over the head with it as he did so. 'That's not what I heard, Jonas. I heard she caught you in bed with the twins.'

'That's the way I heard it too,' Kyle said, 'except the twins were hiding under your bed.'

More hoots greeted Kyle's comment. Jonas took it in stride, grinning sheepishly. 'You all are full of it. Gator has that hot Cajun blood and Jeff just stands there looking like a doofus and the women faint at their feet.'

'I know you didn't just call me a doofus,' Jeff said. 'You're feeling your oats, Jonas, because I'm stuck in this bed.'

Jonas grinned wickedly. 'I've been giving it some thought, Hollister. With you out of the way, I might just have a shot at those Nelson twins. Tucker, drop him on his ass out there in the woods, you'll be doing us all a favor.'

Kyle raised an eyebrow. Normally an extremely quiet man, a genius with explosives, he entered into the fun to keep Jeff Hollister's spirits high. 'Jonas, aren't you forgetting his sisters? You swiped his sister's pictures out of his wallet and you kiss them every damn night. You think either one of those girls is going to look at you if you don't deliver their darling baby brother home safe and sound?'

The pillow came sailing through the air again, smacking Jonas in the back of his head. 'You're the one who swiped my sisters' pictures, you perverted knife-wielding nutcase. Don't you even look at my sisters. They're both going to be nuns.' Jeff crossed himself, kissed his thumb.

We've got watchers, Rye. And they aren't civilians. Nicolas always spoke in the same low tone. No one had ever seen him excited or nervous.

Is it a go? Can we get Jeff past them? Ryland had complete faith in Nicolas's judgment. We can't put Lily at risk. It had been his decision to use telepathic communication in spite of Cowlings. The man had little telepathic ability and Ryland judged the risk of his being close enough to pick it up was minimal.

They aren't taking their assignment seriously. My best guess, Rye, they're here to watch the woman. They have no idea we're here and they sure don't think we're coming.

It's a go then. Signal when you have a clear. I'm sending Tucker out with Jeff. Sam's got their back. Ian's the driver. The rest of us will control the watchers.

They're susceptible. They're bored and not on high alert. I don't think we'll have too much trouble. Tell Tuck to come a-running.

'We're good to go, Jeff,' Ryland said gently. He nodded toward Tucker. 'Kyle and Jonas will go out ahead of you. Nico's waiting. We know they're out there, we know they're watching, but they can't know we're here. This is the real thing. Walk like the ghosts you are and get through their lines. We'll meet up at the doc's house. You stand fast until we check it out once we're there. Your only responsibility is to keep Jeff and yourselves alive. If the place is hot, pull out immediately and come back here. Watch your back trail.'

He stood looking at them for a long moment. 'Remember, all of these people, soldiers, civilians, all of them, think we're escapees, that we've committed crimes. Unless your life or the lives of this team are in danger, do not use maximum force.'

Ryland gestured and signaled Kyle and Jonas. Both gripped Hollister's shoulder hard then followed Ryland from the room, heading quickly for the tunnel. It had been a long day, watching over Jeff, worrying about him, seeing the damage to his right side, but unable to do anything to help him. They had waited for the sun to go down and the darkness to spread. Their time. When ghosts were able to walk. At last they could actively do something.

Once the day staff was gone, they were able to move more freely without fear of discovery. They had all the technology available to them, but it would never take the place of their belief in themselves.

Ryland went out of the tunnel first, moving quickly, silently, slipping through the darkness, keeping to the shadows. He could feel the surge of energy building as the men began to project, whispering into the night, telling the guards to look at the stars, to see the beauty of the night. To be blind to movement and sound. To look the other way as Ryland signaled Tucker and Sam to bring Jeff Hollister out.

Tucker was as large as a tree trunk, carrying Jeff protectively cradled against his massive chest. Jeff was no small man, but he looked a child beside Tucker's bulging muscles. For a big man, Tucker Addison moved like the ghost he was, gliding over the uneven terrain without a sound. Sam kept pace behind them, his eyes moving restlessly, constantly, seeking out the watchers, his weapon in his fist.

Ryland directed the guards away from the path in the woods Tucker needed to take in order to rendezvous with Ian and the car. Ryland led the way, shifting toward the most resistant of the guards. He concentrated on 'pushing' the man harder, planting the urgent need to converse with his partner. Ryland dropped to his belly and scooted closer to the guard. He was reacting to the mental push by rubbing his head, shaking it as if his head needed clearing. The guard began to pace restlessly back and forth, pressing his fingers to his eyes.

Ryland held up his hand, signaling Tucker to melt into the shadows with his burden.

I'm dropping back to cover you, Nicolas reported.

You get them away safely, Ryland ordered. Stay on Jeff. He closed the distance to the guard so that he lay only a scant few feet from the man. He gathered his energy, his strength. It had to look like an accident, a believable accident. Ryland whispered a prayer asking for forgiveness if anything went wrong.

Two kids coming. Teenagers, Nicolas informed him.

Ryland let his breath out slowly, relief spreading. Allowed his muscles to relax. Use them. Send them this way, right up to the guard. They can create our diversion. He concentrated on the connection, building the bridge to the young boys sneaking through the woods with a flashlight and pellet guns. They changed direction immediately, highly susceptible to the waves of energy prodding them.

The guard swung around alertly as the boys laughed loudly together at a joke one of them told. His light blasted the two boys in the face, temporarily blinding them. The guard's back was to Tucker and the others. Ryland signaled them forward as he began his own retreat, moving cautiously away from the guard, staying low and using the bursts of conversation as cover.

Tucker moved through the woods quickly, staying to the shadows, deep in the trees, somehow even in the darkest sections, avoiding twigs and leaves that would give him away. Sam ran parallel with Tucker and Jeff, keeping his body between the two of them and the guards.

They're away. Ian's got them. Clear out, Rye. Ian had removed the dome light from