Page 42 of Shadow Operative

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As soon asGage opened the bathroom door, he froze.

The chair was no longer wedged underneath the handle of the door leading into the room. Instead, it had been tossed aside.

He reached for his gun and cautiously stepped out. He scanned the room.

No one was there—not even Nia.

Nor were there any signs of foul play.

If there had been an incident, he would have heard something. Even though the water from the sink could have concealed some sounds, his ears were attuned for signs of danger.

Nia had left on her own, hadn’t she?

Gage muttered beneath his breath.

He shouldn’t have left her alone. But he thought he’d earned her trust.

What had spooked her? What had caused her to goout on her own with a gunman out there trying to track them down?

His jaw tightened, and tension thrummed through his muscles.

Gage had to find her before too much time passed.

Before someone else found her first.

Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped toward the door.

He’d probably only been in the bathroom for seven or eight minutes. But that was long enough for Nia to get too far away for his comfort.

He took the elevator to the lobby, stepped out, and glanced around.

No Nia.

No gunman either. At leastthatwas good news.

A few minutes later, he paused on the sidewalk and scanned the city streets.

Still no Nia.

Where would she have gone?

That was what he needed to figure out.

Nia hadn’t known where to go. So she’d gone into work.

She’d gotten some curious looks from her co-workers when she rushed inside, but she largely ignored them and escaped into her office instead. Since she was the boss, no one had questioned her. She’d given instructions to Melissa, her assistant, that she didn’t want to see anyone or take any calls.

But now she was in her office, and she felt restless.

She kept glancing at the door, halfway expecting Gage to show up.

But he didn’t.

When she wasn’t glancing at the door, she was staring out her window.

But she didn’t see anyone suspicious or watching her from outside either.

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