Page 1 of Shadow Operative

chapter

one

Nia Anderson attemptedto open her eyes as a sense of urgency nagged at her subconscious.

A throbbing headache pounded at her temples, and something cold and hard pressed beneath her face and arms.

Not soft and warm like her bed.

Something was wrong.

She forced her eyes open as nausea swirled in her gut.

She was lying on a floor.

She blinked and glanced around.

Where was she? The room around her was unfamiliar.

Frigid.

Unwelcoming.

She lifted her hand to push a hair out of her eyes when she noticed the dried red liquid covering her fingers.

Wasthat . . . blood?

Her panic surged.

She swallowed a scream.

She did a mental inventory of herself. Other than her throbbing headache, nothing hurt.

The blood wasn’t hers . . . she didn’t think. Was it possible she was bleeding and didn’t know it?

Her gaze went to the white marble floor beneath her. A trail of blood formed a jagged line.

She followed the path with her gaze.

To a set of legs.

Attached to a man.

A man who was sprawled on the floor, probably eight feet away.

Nia forced herself to stand on shaky legs.

As she did, pain stabbed at her head so sharply she bent over double. She grasped her temples as everything blurred around her.

She had to pull herself together. Urgency superseded her confusion.

You can recover from your aches and pains later, she told herself.

Nia forced another step and staggered forward.

She reached the man and peered at his face.

A gasp escaped.

---