Shadowgame

books off the internet.'

Lily glared at him. 'Very funny. Those books were very informative.'

'I'm not complaining.' The smile faded from his face. 'I'm sorry about Russell Cowlings, Lily. Nicolas was right, you know. I could have ended it immediately, when I first had my hands on him. I let him go. I kept thinking about his parents, about the way he was in training. And I kept thinking about how you might not forgive me for making a kill. I didn't want it to end that way. Instead, I put you in danger.' He caressed her bruised shoulder lightly. 'He would never have hurt you like this if I had just done my job.'

'I'm glad it bothered you, Ryland. If it was easy for you, that's when I'd worry.' Lily yawned, tried to cover it with her hand.

'Come on, honey,' he responded immediately. 'Let's go to bed. We can figure this all out in the morning. Is your leg feeling better?'

Lily nodded. 'Much better, thanks.' She shut off the Jacuzzi jets and stepped out, seating herself on the tiled bench to towel off.

Ryland took the towel out of her hands and performed the task with long slow strokes, rubbing away the small tempting beads of water. 'I wish I could supply proof to General Ranier, but I don't have anything but conjecture at this point. That's not going to get me out of a court-martial.'

Lily went very still, her eyes wide. 'Maybe we do have proof, Ryland. That disk. It's still in my lab coat pocket. I hung the jacket on the peg by the door inside my office when I came back from the clinic. I didn't take any meds until I was home because I didn't trust anyone. I was hurting so bad I just came home. I wish I had remembered it at the time. How could I have forgotten something so important?'

'Maybe because someone hit you on the head and knocked you out?' he ventured.

Lily limped past him back into the bedroom, yanking open the doors to her closet. Ryland frowned as she whipped through shirts on hangers. 'I've been meaning to talk to you about this closet. A family could live in it.' He took the shirt she was trying to yank over her head out of her hands. 'What are you doing?'

'Going to Donovans to get that tape.' She pulled the shirt back to her.

'Lily, it's four o'clock in the morning. What are you thinking?'

'I'm thinking Colonel Higgens isn't an idiot and when he discovers Russell Cowling's body in that alcove after he obviously sent him to watch me, Higgens will arrange a little accident or kidnapping or just plain murder at my office. If I go now, I have a chance to get that disk and get out clean. He won't be expecting me to go there. He'll be looking for a way to penetrate the security of my house or use someone I love-John, Arly, or Rosa-to get to me.' She wiggled into the shirt, dragging it over her generous breasts. 'This is my one chance to get the disk. He doesn't know about it.'

'It's four o'clock in the morning! You don't think that might raise even a security guard's suspicions?'

She shrugged, selected a pair of slacks, and dragged them on. 'I doubt it. I go there at all hours. They all think I'm a little bit crazy.' She leaned over and kissed his mouth. 'Don't look so worried. I know this is a calculated risk but it's worth it. Higgens doesn't know about the disk. They think the recorder with the disk in it in their possession is all there is. I don't even know if it's anything. It could be blank, but if it isn't, it might be the proof we need against Higgens. It would clear you and the others and General Ranier would have to listen.'

'I don't like it, Lily.'

'You'd like it less tomorrow, in the light of day when Higgens and Thornton have had a chance to regroup and plan. I know Thornton. He's drunk right now and sleeping it off at home. He's nowhere near Donovans. I'm telling you, Ryland, if we want that disk, this is our only chance to get it. Right now.'

'Lily, you can hardly walk.'

'Stop throwing up roadblocks when you know I'm right. There's no way I'm walking into that place a few hours from now. It's now or never.' She lifted her chin. It took a tremendous amount of courage to decide to go and she didn't want to have to argue, afraid she might give in when she knew it was a necessity.

She could see the struggle on Ryland's face. He would have gone in a heartbeat, but Lily was at risk, not Ryland. She touched his arm. 'You and a couple of the others can stand by to act if I need help. Cowlings was the only one we knew of who could detect telepathic communication and he's dead. If it's necessary we can use that and also turn the guards the other way so I can get out. We have to act fast, right now.'

Ryland swore softly but nodded his head, knowing she was right. The disk was too important to let go. If it held any information at all, even Peter Whitney's suspicions, it was worth the risk. They would have to chance getting out from under Higgens's military guards positioned around the estate and it was growing lighter. It could be done, but it was trickier. Even Lily couldn't simply waltz outside. The guards would tip Higgens off immediately.

'I'll let Arly know we'll need the use of the vehicles he has stashed off the property.' Ryland capitulated completely. 'I'll round up the team.'

'I'm just going to run in and come right back out. You and the others can stay here and if I need help, I'll let you know.' She pulled on her watch. 'Arly put a mini communicator in my watch. He can monitor me too.'

Ryland called Arly to alert him, as Lily searched for a jacket. 'We aren't going to wait here, honey, we have to stay close to you to be of any use.' He spoke into the phone in a low voice, hung up, and turned back to her. 'Don't give me any argument on this or you aren't going anywhere.'

She rolled her eyes. 'I just love it when you get all macho on me. You don't have to worry, Ryland. I'm afraid. I don't want you hurt, but I rather like knowing you're close by. I'm not taking any chances.'

They hurried to beat the rising of the sun, going through the tunnels and once more using their combined strength to direct the guards' attention elsewhere. It was easier as the guards were much sleepier. Nicolas and Kaden jogged to the garage behind the groundsman's cabin to get out two cars. Arly drove Lily the distance to Donovans with the second car close behind, stopping a few blocks from the chain-link fence surrounding the property.

Arly stopped at the gate, looked bored as the guard shone a flashlight throughout the car and carefully checked Lily's ID. 'New driver, Dr. Whitney?' he asked.

She shrugged. 'My security man. Thornton and Colonel Higgens are concerned for my safety.' She sounded bored, slightly irritated. 'I figured it wouldn't hurt to placate them.'

The guard nodded and stepped away from the car. Arly took the hot little Porsche smoothly into the parking lot and followed her directions to the block of buildings where her office was located. 'I should have considered that changing drivers might make the guards suspicious with everything that's been going on around here. It's always been John driving the limousine or just me driving the Jag alone.' Lily sighed. 'If I say get out of here, Arly, don't argue, just go. If they get me, I don't want them to get you.'

'I will, don't worry about me. You just get in and get out fast.' Arly looked at her anxiously. 'I mean it, Lily, straight to your office and back.'

She nodded. 'I promise.' Her heart was in her throat. She was definitely not heroine material. At the first sign of trouble she planned to run like a rabbit. Lily glanced down at her leg. She was still limping and the leg was reacting badly. It was her own fault, dancing several dances without resting it in between. Making wild love. Running down stairs. She had forgotten to do everything necessary to keep her leg from giving out and now she was paying the price.

Lily waved at the guards, easily passing through security. She often preferred working at night just to avoid the sounds of people and the emotional turmoil and energy that always surrounded them. Now, as she heard her own footsteps echoing in the empty hall, she was fixated on the many cameras tracking her progress.

She could feel panic beginning in the pit of her stomach. A thousand butterfly wings taking flight at once. Her stomach started doing somersaults in time to the frantic beating of her heart. Even her mouth went dry as she stepped into the empty elevator and rode it down to the lower regions where her office was located.

Only the dim lights in the tracks along the center of the hall lit the interior. Spooky shadows she had never noticed before were everywhere, moving as she moved, as if following her. It seemed impossibly quiet. Lily was tempted to talk to herself for added courage.

She unlocked the door to her private office and went inside, closing it behind her. She was certain a camera must have been planted in her office, so she tried to be casual, donning her white jacket as she always did and going straight to her desk as if she had forgotten something important.

Lily began rifling through the drawers. She unlocked the lower drawers, dropping the key into the pocket of her jacket and palming the tape as she did so. It was very small, able to fit in the microrecorder. She put her hands on her hips as if frustrated, sliding the disk into the pocket of her slacks. With feigned irritation, Lily closed all the