Page 97 of Shadow Undercover

“She has a couple of new bruises.” Jake set his mike bag by the door. “Bridget will be back to normal in a few days.”

Relief swept through him at the medic’s pronouncement. “I’ll be sure she takes pain meds before we go to Hugo’s tonight.”

“We’ll both take pain meds.” Bridget’s expression was set in mutinous lines.

“OTCs only. We have to be sharp.” A fuzzy head around the enemy was a great way to end up dead and he had plans for the future. The woman at his side featured prominently in those plans. Trace sat on the sofa with Bridget.

“Get a look at the driver?” Nico asked.

“Happened too fast and the windows were darkened.”

“When the vehicle hit a patch of sunlight, I saw the driver for a split second. A large, muscular man was behind the wheel. The driver reminded me of Fernando.”

Ben frowned. “Hugo’s right-hand man. Think Hugo changed his mind about hiring Trace, Nico?”

“I doubt it. Using a vehicle to kill someone is dicey. Using a gun or an explosive is more accurate. Besides, Trace is more than qualified for the job. Hugo would be hard pressed to find someone as prepared to take the job. If he’s serious about having a hitman available tonight to solve a problem, time is short to find a replacement.”

Trace snagged a blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over Bridget. She hadn’t slept well, if at all, overnight. He hoped his body heat would help her relax enough to drift off to sleep.

He listened to Nico, Ben, and Jake discuss the restaurant incident and the coming evening’s events, aware of Bridget’s breathing settling into a steady rhythm, her body going lax against his.

When a knock sounded on the door, she didn’t stir. Excellent. She needed to be at full strength for the dinner. Being on stage for several hours would tax her mentally and physically. Undercover work exacted a heavy toll.

Nico opened the door for Joe and Sam. Shadow’s medic turned to Trace. “Are you and Bridget all right?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Jake checked us. We have a few new bruises.” He summarized the parking lot incident. “I’m waiting for Z to get back with me. Hopefully, he’ll figure out who owns the SUV.”

“Maybe.” Joe sat across from Trace and Bridget. “We might discover the vehicle is part of Hugo’s fleet. One of his men could have driven the vehicle without his knowledge.”

Ben grunted. “And, of course, no one will know who took the vehicle because they all have a convenient case of amnesia.”

Trace’s cell phone signaled an incoming call. He eased the device from his pocket and tapped the screen. “It’s Trace. You’re on speaker with Shadow, Jake Davenport, and Bridget.”

“I ran the plates of the SUV,” Zane said. “It’s owned by Reuben Garza. Got any idea who that is?”

“Bridget figured out it’s an alias for Hugo Torino.”

“Nice.” Satisfaction filled the tech wizard’s voice. “What else did she uncover?”

Between Trace and his teammates, they filled Zane in on the information Bridget had pieced together that morning.”

“Excellent work. You need to free Ruth, wrap up Torino, and bring Bridget home, Trace. I’m looking forward to training her in earnest. She has the makings of a top-notch researcher.”

As far as Trace was concerned, Bridget was far better than anyone else Maddox employed except for Zane. No one was in Z’s class. “Any sign of Wallace?”

“Nothing. The feds are tapping every source they have with no result.”

Not good. He didn’t like having one of the major players in this chemical weapon deal off the grid. “Wallace must have known the feds were on to his plans.”

“No one would accuse the feds of subtlety.”

“A second possibility is Torino demanded the deal be completed in person,” Nico said. “He isn’t the trusting sort as evidenced by your skill test last night, Trace.”

No, he wasn’t. Trace tightened his hold on Bridget who sighed and snuggled closer. Was there a hidden motive behind the command appearance at the dinner tonight? His gut said trouble was waiting for them. Trace prayed his preparations would be enough to save both their lives.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Bridget looked in the mirror one last time to be sure her makeup was perfect. Closer inspection revealed nothing to indicate her face and eyes weren’t the shape and color she’d been born with. Veronica Walker was a genius at creating a perfect disguise.

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