Double Vision (Unknown Identities #2) (7 page)

"Agreed."
Even in the poor lighting of the alley she knew he was giving her that smile again. "Trust me?"

"How?"
She wanted to trust him but she couldn't. Not really. After the twists and turns of the last hours, she barely trusted herself. "You're not just a food vendor from Kansas are you?"

That gold-flecked hazel
gaze slid her way, he smoothed her bangs aside. "No, Selena," he replied, his deep, quiet voice raising the hair on the back of her neck. "But I'm your best hope of getting you and your cousin out of this."

"Y
eah. I'm starting to see that." She sighed. "Tell me what to do."

Adam watched
her carefully in the dim light, gauging her sincerity. In his standard vision she was all shadows with soft pale highlights. If circumstances were different, he might have made a move – she was that tempting.

It was nice to have a motive for her cooperation, but there'd been no mention of a kidnapping in the UI file. He wondered if
Messenger withheld that detail. More likely Galloway had effectively hidden it, or even faked it. Adam hoped for the latter.

He didn't want to lie to Selena about rescuing her cousin, but it had to come after he secured the data and destroyed Galloway. As soon as they were out of this alley, he'd send the information up the line and hope Messenger handled it quickly.

"We'll talk more about all of it when we're out of here."

She nodded.

He gave her bonus points for bravery
. The first flash-bang grenade would have reduced most people to quivering, useless lumps. She'd endured two, managed to get what he needed after all, and still tried to pull off the rescue of her cousin. And the way she'd gone after Galloway in that hallway, well that just made him admire her more.

"What's your plan?"

He covered her lips with his finger, to silence her this time, then wished he hadn't. An unmistakable sensual current arced between them as if their bodies were misinterpreting the root cause of their racing hearts.

He didn't know what enhanced skills – if any – the man with the gun had, only that
Adam's ability to accurately anticipate his opponent had saved his skin at the crux of the fight. In hand to hand combat, there had been only one question: how had Galloway managed to secure the assistance of a UI program Cleaner?

He hoped like hell the Cleaner was
pulling double duty as Player Three, a.k.a. the purse snatcher. They were screwed if Galloway, the sneaky bastard, had managed to recruit more people to help him achieve his goal.

With his thermal vision dialed in, it was clear Jeremy and the Cleaner were advancing unerringly on their position.

Adam leaned close so he wouldn't be overheard. That's what he told himself anyway. The stark reality was he wanted another whiff of the delicate floral perfume behind her ear.

"When I draw their attentio
n, you head for the subway. I'll meet you there." He cut off her automatic protest the easiest way he knew how. He pressed his mouth to hers.

A kiss used as a
shushing tactic shouldn't stir things inside him, but this one did. No matter that it had been the most brief and unromantic of kisses.

Her eyes
were wide, sparkling. He shrugged. "No time to argue. On three."

He held up his hand and silently counted with his fingers. Her gaze was mutinous, but she didn't stop him when he stepped out into the alley.

Through his thermal vision he watched Galloway and the Cleaner approach another few paces before he stepped out to intercept them.

"Would you look at this," Galloway said. "
Santa brought me a present."

"You should leave while you still have both legs working." Adam moved forward, giving Selena
more room to get away.

He couldn't shoot her a look without giving away her position, but he knew she hadn't moved
yet. Christ. What was she waiting for?

"Hand her over and I'll give you a pass, Carter."

Carter
? Adam did a double take at the sound of his former name. The UI program had given him the benefit of a clean slate. While other candidates had been frustrated giving up who they'd been, if Adam hadn't let go, he'd be serving time as Inmate Carter in a federal penitentiary now.

Messenger's invitation to join
UI had been a blessing – twisted as it turned out.

"You need to let this one go. It's a no-win situation." Because he was looking for it, Adam caught the unspoken signal as Galloway directed the Cleaner to cut off the escape route.

Times like this, Adam enjoyed the simplicity of predictable people. And Galloway hadn't changed a bit.

"Not an option," Galloway said. "The intel
she's holding is important."

"I'm sure. Just as I'm sure it will never be yours."
Adam kept his voice calm despite the urge to shout at Selena. She needed to move –
now
– or the Cleaner would definitely intercept her. "Why not make up something new and sell that to your buyer. You're good at that."

"
Aww. Poor little Carter is bitter."

Adam caught a shift in the shadows near the wall where
Selena was hiding. About time, he thought, taking another step toward Galloway.

"She's nothing to you," Galloway said. "
Or me. I just want my fucking watch."

Anticipation lit Adam's nerves. His nemesis, the man who'd ruined his career stood just beyond arm's reach. He scanned the area with his thermal vision, getting a clearer picture of his options, reworking the escape plan since Selena had not moved in time to reach the subway safely.

He couldn't take the Cleaner, but he could take the man's eyes off of Selena.

"I'm not letting you ruin another innocent life," he declared reaching into his jacket.

"Stop bitching about the past. You were never innocent."

Ignoring that, Adam moved as if pulling a weapon and shifted his stance to make it look like he was about to fire.

As expected, Galloway lunged behind the shelter of a dumpster to avoid the assault. Right where the double-crossing rat belonged, Adam thought.

T
he Cleaner had two choices, carry out Galloway's direction and go for Selena, or guard Galloway. He changed direction to protect Galloway.

Adam had pu
t odds that he'd go for Selena, but this was better. Filing away the reaction for later analysis, he advanced on Galloway's position. It didn't require thermal vision to know the Cleaner was gaining on him.

Every second he could give Selena would help them both. He heard her boot heel
s clacking against the asphalt.
Go
, he urged silently.
Go
!

When the
Cleaner turned toward the noise of her footsteps, Adam grabbed the man's overcoat, planning to use the leverage to toss the taller man on top of Galloway.

Instead a
nother thermal image appeared behind the Cleaner and leaped onto his back.

"Selena!"

Adam saw it play out all-too-clearly, in micro-second increments before it actually happened.

The assassin
pulled a one-eighty to slam Selena into the unyielding side of the dumpster.

Ribs would crack and the breath would be knocked clear of her lungs. Pinned and helpless, she'd panic which would only make it harder for her to breathe. Galloway would relieve her of the watch and have the Cleaner dispose of them, walking away once more with everything.

Adam wasn't about to settle for that bleak ending to his quest for payback. Not after waiting all these years. Not after sacrificing his identity as well as his normal vision.

He didn't want to think about the impact for Selena, an innocent bystander caught in the middle of a bigger
game, she'd be nothing more than another violent statistic.

Adam saw one chance to change
her fate. As the Cleaner started his turn, Adam caught him hard in the groin with a knee.

The Cleaner fell forward, instinctively releasing his hold on Selena's arms to protect
himself.

"Come on," Adam barked at Selena, tugging her free as the Cleaner crumpled. With another kick, he propelled the assassin into Galloway.

Holding tight to Selena's hand, he raced with her toward the safety of the subway, trying to make the most of their slim headstart.

"We'll be trapped down there," she said, skidding to a stop at the top of the stairs. "There isn't another train for fifteen minutes."

Shit. He glanced around, but there weren't any cabs in the area either. There was no real cover out here. Racing forward, he prayed for a miracle, but he knew they were screwed.

A chunk of brick turned bright orange with the heat of a bullet
before it crumbled to dust near Adam's elbow, making his point. He glanced over his shoulder as two thermal images, Galloway and the Cleaner, cleared the alley.

"He's
an idiot firing a gun out here," he said to Selena. There were cameras, sound detectors, all kinds of crap that made it a dumb idea. He knew Galloway was determined to get his hands on the nano technology, but he hadn't anticipated this kind of desperation. He should have.

Hell, maybe he would have if he'd known the man had resorted to kidnapping.

"This way," Selena said, pulling them right out into the open.

He blocked her body with his as they raced across the street. By some miracle the next bullet went astray as well, but the owner of the BMW wouldn't be happy with the blown out windshield.
Maybe the blows he'd landed managed to throw off the Cleaner's aim.

They rounded the next corner, reaching the relative safety of the building. "We'll be
dead if we stay out here much longer."

"Trust me," she said turnin
g to look him up and down. "You know, you could use some color. Black is too harsh for you."

Was she serious
? "This isn't the time for a fashion lecture," he muttered, risking a glance around the corner. He couldn't see any sign of them with either his normal or enhanced vision. "Where'd they go? They aren't on the street." Maybe Galloway called off his assassin in favor of a better attack later. He didn't voice the opinion, afraid it would jinx the unexpected good luck.

* * *

"Yay for us," Selena said, appreciating the extra moment to just enjoy the view of the man who'd saved her, repeatedly. He wasn't as tall as her cousins, but she liked that. It put his lips within easier reach. Which was an observation that should wait for a more appropriate time.

But he'd started it with that kiss.
Perfunctory, functional, and with quite a bit of promise underneath. She wanted better next time.

As much as she enjoyed
watching him, she knew they couldn't stay on the street much longer.

Sirens approached and she exchanged a look with Adam.

"Tell me you know someplace we can lay low."

With a nod, she straightened his jacket and mussed his hair, catching his hand when he tried to smooth it back.

"What? You can't return the favor?"

"Favor?"
He scowled at her.

"Trust," she clarified, turning her back to him. "Is my jacket clean?"

His hands brushed roughly across the leather. "Yes. Although why you care –"

"See that big line of people?" She tapped her foot against the sidewalk. "Can't you feel the heavy bass?"

"You want to go clubbing?"

"Did my mascara run?" She almost wished she hadn't asked as his eyes moved over her face, followed by his thumb.

"Just a smudge," he said smoothing whatever it was from her cheek.

She swallowed against her reaction, her urge to lean in and forget the danger.
With her hand in his, she urged them toward the queue. "'Want' is the wrong word. Need is more appropriate in this situation. We can hide more easily in the crowd."

As the noise spilling out of the club increased, she hoped maybe it would deter the questions she assumed he had for her. Unfortunately, it would make it harder to
ask the questions she had for him as well.

"Galloway doesn't know about my connection here," she said.

"Don't count on that," he replied darkly.

She decided she didn't want him to elaborate on that comment.
"You have a better idea?"

He shook his head. Satisfied he wouldn't interfere, she approached the door, applying every lesson her female cousins had ever shared on charming men.

"Selena Vaccaro!" The booming voice of the bouncer at the door had all heads turning her way. It was an inside joke that he treated her like a celebrity they thought they should know. She usually managed to play along, but tonight she hammed it up, needing the extra attention, hoping it would have Galloway thinking twice about attacking her here.

"Tell me Brevo is at the bar tonight."

"Like always." The bouncer rolled his eyes. "Two?"

"Please," she answered with another wide smile.

"I hope your friend here can dance," the bouncer said in a stage whisper as he let them pass, "because he sure can't dress."

Selena tossed him a wink over her shoulder. "That's why he's with me."

The deep laughter followed them just inside the doorway, until the pulsing bass and strobing lights blotted out any semblance of reality.