Okay, I’ll just try something simple. From one side of the room to the other.
He visualized the pool of dark on the other side of the bureau, willing himself into it. His pulse beat slow and thick in his chest, and instinct demanded that he match his breath to the rhythm. In his mind, he pulled the tendrils of shadow around him like a cloak, wrapping himself from head to foot.
That’s it. That’s it. Now show me the pathway.
The darkness extended, a bridge at the edge of the light. He had only to walk across it…
Someone pounded on the door, shattering his concentration.
“Goddamn it Embry, I thought you took your key.” He stepped out of the shadow and toward the door, feeling suddenly exposed in the light as he yanked it open. The additional curses died on his tongue as he took in the punk-haired Asian kid holding the plastic bag of their food.
“Delivery?” he asked.
“Yeah,” said Gage, shoving a hand through his hair and trying to readjust his brain.
“Eighteen thirty seven,” the kid announced.
Gage dug in his wallet for a twenty and a few ones.
“Hey!”
Gage looked up at the excitement in the kid’s voice.
“You’re Cade Shepherd!”
He blinked at the kid. It wasn’t the first time he’d been recognized in public, probably wouldn’t be the last. But that life already felt so very far away as to belong to someone else. Still, he tried to muster up a smile. “Yeah.”
“Oh my God, dude, I just watched you take down Archer on TV last night! That was freaking awesome! And that whole season of Ultimate Fighter, I was totally pulling for you.”
Amusement made his lips curve. He could never get used to the idea of having fans. “Thanks.”
Embry came down the breezeway, a couple of cans in her hand.
“Can I have your autograph?” the kid asked.
Embry’s brows winged up.
“Got a pen?”
The kid produced one from some pocket of his oversized gangster jeans, and Gage signed his other name to the back of their dinner receipt. He handed it over.
“This is so freaking cool! Thanks!”
“No problem.”
Embry was propelled into motion again as he took the food and thanked the delivery guy. She slid in behind him and shut the door. “That happen often?”
He studied her face, noting humor rather than concern. “Not too often. Depends on where I am. It’s more likely at a gym than just random public. Mixed martial arts fighting is popular, and while there are a lot of fighters, it’s a fairly small community.” He paused, the tactical disadvantage occurring to him. “I’m not sure whether it’ll be a problem or not on this mission. Maybe it’s time you told me what your plan is for getting inside the facility.”
She moved over and began removing containers from the bag. “I don’t know yet.”
Gage blinked. “You don’t know yet,” he repeated.
“We’ll know more after we perform our own reconnaissance.” She flipped open a Styrofoam container of beef lo mien and adroitly lifted noodles to her mouth with chopsticks.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“We knew this wouldn’t be easy.”