Shadow and Shine (Book 2): Dark Divide Read online

  Until, he saw three words in the middle of a heart.

  Gregory Harts Reba.

  It meant nothing, he was sure, but there was no way he would be able to clear his mind after this. There was no use in attempting. The writing on the wall would be a good reminder to keep it simple, and check his spelling.

  Greg walked out to see the woman standing back behind the counter. Again, she smiled at him with a beautiful smile. Was there a possibility she saw his face on the news? It was unlikely, but there was the potential of the media showing all of the victims in Salt Lake City. She may have seen his picture already.

  Instead of allowing her dots to be connected, Greg tried to distract her by asking, “How late are you open?”

  Her narrow eyes gleamed as she pointed to the small sign sitting on the counter labeled Hours. Greg smiled and nodded. “Oh, silly me. I suppose I should open my eyes.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Greg,”

  The woman knew his name. Greg froze. He could feel her eyes. She knew his secret. Thoughts raced through his head of how to react.

  “What did you say?” He tried to sound curious, as if he was suspecting an innocent mistake, but his cracked voice betrayed false confidence. Moments ago, he anticipated never being Greg again.

  She blew a bubble and answered, “Greg…. I mean… Seth. Sorry, it will take me some time to get used to the new name.”

  Greg looked out to see Reyes coming inside. Panic came over him. He looked to the woman, her name tag said Reba. He smiled. “Greg Harts Reba.”

  “Oh, you’re so sweet.” She stood twirling her hair like an airhead as Reyes walked in. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” Her voice transformed into a soft lullaby.

  Reyes grinned. “Sorry, don’t mean to interrupt. Hey bud, I’m gonna use the john. Buy some snacks and water, okay?” He handed Greg a hundred dollar bill.

  “No rush.” Reba winked. “He’s making friends.”

  Greg looked to Reyes confused and enthralled. The feeling was riveting.

  Reyes made a motion as if to tip a cowboy hat and walked to the restroom. “Good luck,” he shouted as the door closed.

  “Who are you?” he whispered, looking around to see if anyone was within earshot.

  “Greg Harts Reba.” She bit into a piece of black licorice. “I’m Reba. A mutual friend wanted to remind you of your commitment.”

  “Who?”

  “Greg, Seth, honey, you’re smart. Don’t ask dumb questionsssssss.” She stroked her finger under his chin. Greg was captivated by her, unable to pull back.

  “Adam.”

  “Yeah, a mutual friend.”

  Greg shook his head, it was foolish for Adam to involve another human. If he was already doubting Greg’s loyalty, then he was sorely mistaken. “My commitment remains unchanged. I know what I’m supposed to do.”

  “Good to hear, why is he here then?” Reba asked, nodding towards the bathroom. “Is he your chauffeur?”

  “No, he found me. He’s going to protect me.”

  “The plan involves Conrad Greene, not his lackeys—”

  “And I’m working with Greene, we’re headed to meet him. Reyes is protecting me.” His voice was too loud, but he didn’t like the attitude from Reba. She wasn’t going to boss him around, if Adam found issue with Reyes, he would need to be clearer as to why.

  Reba stood in front of him, arms crossed, completely aware of her own beauty. She could probably boss any man around just by using her eyes, but Greg wasn’t going to be manipulated. He didn’t find her any more attractive than the psychotic super model who attacked him the night Salt Lake fell.

  “Okay, Greg. I’ll let him know you’re making the rules now.”

  “He never said Reyes wasn’t a part of the plan.”

  “Ssssseth, why do you think we’re having this conversation?”

  “So I should leave him here? Just go out to the car and drive to the coordinates he has on his phone?”

  “I’m not fourteen years old, don’t get an attitude with me.”

  “Sorry, but your idea is shortsighted. I don’t have time to listen to a foolish plan.”

  “Okay.” Her smile was perfect, and still ugly. Greg was beginning to hate her. “Have it your way.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Let him take you to where you’re going, honey. Let him protect you. The road to safety is dark and dangerous. It’s not like I’m asking you to fight him, we both know how that would end. But when the time comes, he has to die. Pawn sacrifice. Death brings proper chaos, and Adam has saved you because he wants you to spread proper chaos.”

  Greg was familiar with the term, and was surprised to hear it come out of the mouth of someone who otherwise looked like an imbecile. “And why are you here?” He was finished listening to her diatribe on proper chaos. He was ready to leave.

  “I’m like you. I’m his Shadow.”

  “I’m not a Shadow—”

  “Well, love birds, you two almost done?” Reyes said. His presence startled Greg, he didn’t hear the men’s room door open.

  “Awww, gimme more time. Your friend is a charmer.” Reba giggle. “But, Seth says you boys have important business back east. Traveling the whole way to New York City? I wish I could come.” She puckered her lips and pouted. Greg could see the delight of lying on her face. Reyes probably thought it was feminine vulnerability. This woman was anything but vulnerable.

  Reyes laughed and patted Greg on the back. “I believe it. He’s quite the lady killer.”

  “He sure is.” She held out her hand for Greg to shake. “I’ll be seeing you around, Sssseth. Stay in touch.”

  *******

  Jake

  Unsure, exactly

  Brigham City, UT

  It took over two hours for someone to finally see Jake. The line was long, but the understaffed soldiers in charge seemed to take their time between seeing each person. It was like they were trying to frustrate people into leaving.

  People don’t just leave when their loved ones are missing.

  Everyone had a similar story to tell; a sister or cousin or mom or boyfriend lived in South Brigham City and after they arrived at their homes this morning, there was only a broken door or a shattered window with a clear sign of struggle inside. Their loved ones had no enemies. It was Brigham City, after all. Unlike Jake, none of them had first hand experience.

  He decided it was better to keep his story to himself. If Karl and John showed up, or were already here, Jake would open up like a book. Otherwise, he would wait to see someone official before telling the truth.

  Jake couldn’t get the attackers out of his mind. So much blood mixed with the weird colors of their skin. The grey flesh with vein-trails looked like something you would read about in a Clive Barker novel. But it was their stares that made Jake shiver.

  Whoever they were, they needed to be put behind bars for the rest of their lives. And it sounded like John’s house wasn’t their only target.

  Jake sat across from a female soldier in a small office. She was a young Samoan woman with big brown eyes and her hair in a tight bun. Considering some of the other soldiers, Jake was relieved to be interviewed by a friendly face. She opened her notebook and made eye contact. “Mr. Overman, thank you for coming in, how can I help you?”

  Jake wasn’t going to correct her about his last name, there were more pressing matters. “I’m here to report a crime.”

  Her name tag said Afu. She nodded, prompting him to continue. “What is the crime?”

  “Murder,” Jake whispered. They were alone in the office, but saying the word out loud felt wrong. “I’m here to report a murder.”

  Her eyes perked up. “Who? Where?”

  Jake went on to tell her every detail starting with Chef John inviting him over for poker. Every few words, Soldier Afu would nod or gasp. She was unprofessional, but doing a great job at making Jake feel comfortable. Several times, she raised her finger to interrupt Jake fro
m continuing, but he couldn’t stop. Once the flood gates were opened, Jake couldn’t help but blurt it all out. By the end, his eyes were filled with tears and he was in a cold sweat.

  “Is that everything?”

  “I sure hope so.” Jake took a deep exhale.

  “I need to give this to my Commander, mind waiting here?”

  “Sure.”

  *******

  Asher Blake

  Early-Evening

  Location

  If Ben would have went into the military, been six inches taller, and been born twenty years earlier, he would have been exactly like Marshall. Asher noticed the military man’s absence of humanity the moment he broke into the bomb shelter and assaulted a child. Even Ben wouldn’t have stooped to this level.

  They were cut from the same cloth, though. Both men preferred aggression over reason, dominance over understanding. The difference came down to the training; Marshall was an old soldier with a barrel chest while Ben was an angry businessman with the Pulse.

  Killing Marshall wouldn’t take the same effort or pain as it had with Ben. Asher still couldn’t get over being the one who put hammered the nail in the coffin of his little brother’s grave. There was guilt in ruining his brother’s life, and then having to end it. This didn’t even begin to describe the regret Asher continued to feel over Lucy. At the time he may have believed it was Ben, but Asher was the villain in her life.

  Mona was the difference between how Asher felt compared to before and sitting in the van. Her presence instilled confidence and peace in anyone around her. There was no doubt in Asher’s mind, she changed everything. If she demanded obedience, it wasn’t because she was selfish or evil, it was because she knew what was best. Asher learned more from her than he either of his parents, or his thirty plus years of life. His loyalty wouldn’t be tested.

  Marshall wasn’t as dangerous as Ben, nor as powerful, but if Mona said to fight one and not the other, then he would obey.

  But it wasn’t easy.

  *******

  Acacia Gold

  6:56 p.m. (Western time)

  Las Vegas, NV

  The detective hated her, and she hated him back. He was good at his job, but he didn’t understand the streets. Acacia was born street smart. Even a little white girl from middle class Utah could be born with more street smarts than a tough guy detective. She didn’t need to carry a badge and weigh three hundred pounds to have talent. People might be afraid of him, but at the end of the day he was a white man with a unibrow walking around with a hooker. A hooker who could outrun him or make a few phone calls and make him disappear. Street smarts went deeper than slacks and a tie.

  They sat in his sedan watching a gang of working girls from a block away. One text made him think the people who kidnapped his partner were coming back. Acacia thought it sounded like a trap, but she was a dumb hooker.

  “But people like him, their power ends up killing them. Power leads to arrogance, and arrogance leads to an arrest.”

  “You here to arrest Peretti?”

  He laughed. Acacia knew what he was planning on doing. She knew she shouldn’t tag along either, but it was better to hide in plain sight and hope Roy actually killed him, instead of waiting at her apartment for a man in a black mask to show up.

  “Look there,” he said, “what about that guy? He looks suspicious.”

  “That’s Francis Lake, he runs an investing company in Henderson. This is his night of the week.”

  “So he’s a regular?”

  “Like I been telling you, any man out tonight is a regular john looking for his paid girlfriend.”

  “Not every man,” Roy wiped the steam off his window.

  “Says the guy spending his night with a hooker in his beat up hoopty.”

  “A what?”

  “Hoopty. You don’t know what a hoopty is?”

  “I don’t speak your whore language.”

  “Excuse me?” Acacia raised her hand. She wasn’t going to slap him, but she wanted to show him she wasn’t afraid.

  Roy didn’t flinch. “What about him?”

  “How many times will I rem… Oh, him… I don’t know him.”

  A thin man walked in the middle of the street towards the girls. Under the lights she could see his deep grey suit highlighted by a purple vest. Acacia couldn’t see his face through the steamy windshields, but she already thought he was hot. There was something about the way his pant legs fluttered during his long strides that made her lose self control. She wanted him to be her john.

  The other girls noticed him too. They flocked around him like pigeons on a loaf of bread. Polly Stacks and Charity Steel were already twirling their curls and blowing bubbles at him. Acacia wiped the window clear in time to see the man in the suit smile as he was entertaining all of them. Acacia was jealous. She never got jealous of another girl’s john, but no john moved like him. He was like warm butter on pancakes. He made her mouth water.

  “Maybe we should get a closer look,” she said.

  Hadley didn’t notice the drool slip out of her mouth, he was too focused on watching too. He wasn’t smitten like Acacia though, she could feel his doubts about the man in the suit. It made her hate Hadley even more. He was threatening to get in her way of meeting him. “Doors are locked, we stay here.”

  It would be easier to get up close and personal with the man in the suit, but Acacia didn’t bother trying to get out. She knew Hadley was right, at least for now. Soon, the case would be over and her path would cross with the man in the suit. Things always worked out this way.

  *******

  Harry

  Sundown

  Couple hours east of Utah

  “What are you looking at?” Nino’s booming voice caused Harry to jump out of his nap. “Answer me, sunshine.” Harry pulled himself up to see who Nino chose to be his next target.

  Asher and the punk with the Mohawk stared at each other with equal intensity. Harry wished Asher would break free of his chains and crush Nino’s chest. It wasn’t a fair fight, Asher could kill all three of them in seconds. Instead, he did nothing.

  Nino was offended by his silence. Even from the back of the van, Harry could make out the large veins along Nino’s neck throbbing. The bullhorn tattoo on his back danced like it was preparing for a fight. “Sergeant Major Marshall, sir. Could we stop so I can show the pretty boy who he is dealing with?” He placed his pistol on his lap and looked back to Asher.

  Asher laughed. “You need a gun?”

  “What’d you say?” Nino raised his gun and pointed it at Asher.

  “I said. Do. You. Need. A. Gun?”

  Mona interrupted, “That’s enough, Asher.”

  “Let him finish, little girl,” Marshall said. The van immediately took the exit off the interstate and turned down a dirt road. “I want to hear what he has to say.” Everyone in the car jerked from the turns, except Marshall and Asher.

  Asher continued, “You took seven hostages because we let you.”

  “Are you willing to bet your life on that, sunshine?”

  “Enough with the nicknames.”

  “Why does an Abercrombie model think he can get away with this? You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

  “I’m dealing with three men who are alive because I allow it. If it weren’t for—”

  “This little girl?” Nino pointed the gun at Mona. “She’s your leader, right? Oh, come on. Don’t look so surprised. Every one of you has the same stupid look on your face when you look at her.” He turned to her. “Thank you for saving my life, darling.”

  The feeling wasn’t new, Harry knew the hatred prepared to explode out of him when he realized Nino was threatening Mona. Harry tried so hard to remove his anger, but watching this punk point a gun at her was too much. He couldn’t stop himself, he yelled, “Don’t you dare point that gun at her! You little twit. I’ll come up there and rock your socks off, boy.” Harry wasn’t going to allow it any more. He might not be able to fight b
ack, but someone needed to fight back. Mona was innocent, if he was going to have a problem with someone, it needed to be Asher.

  “Boy?”

  “Alright… everyone out of the van. Fresh air will do us all some good,” Marshall said.

  *******

  Roy

  7:36 p.m. (Western time)

  Las Vegas, NV

  The man in the suit spent over an hour talking with the whores on the corner. No pimps came out to stop him. No other johns came by either. He arrived with no competition, but he left alone. As if he only wanted tell a few jokes to a desperate audience, and then go home.

  Detective Hadley recognized there was something different in him, so he followed the suit through the streets. The suspect’s long legs moved slow, but covered ground with each step. It wasn’t a good idea to tail a walking perp, but there was too high of a possibility for the man in the suit to have a car parked nearby. They weren’t in a residential area and there were no nearby bars, so it was unlikely he walked several miles to chat with a flock of hookers. Not to mention, it was rare for a skinny white guy to walk through the back streets of Vegas. Unless he was a serial killer.

  The man in the suit was Caucasian. Roy might not have got a clear view of his face, but he knew the difference between white and full-blood Italian. Roy felt the urge to turn around and go back to the address, this man wasn’t Peretti’s goon and following a white man in a suit was a waste of time. He denied the urge though, his gut overruled his reasoning. Anyone who tells jokes to a half dozen whores for over an hour and then walks back to an abandoned building with no electricity was dangerous.

  The streetlights shined against the suspect, creating an oversized shadow against the yellow brick wall in an abandoned industrial area. It looked like there were two men walking, one an average person while the other was a long-limbed giant.

  His shadow disappeared as he walked through the rusty steel door in a red brick building. Roy pulled over and parked. “You should wait here,” he said, and went out the door onto the empty street. He was following a man with no direct or even indirect connection with Markie’s abduction. This was a crazy guy on the street who probably was shacking up in an empty building, that’s all. Yet, the moment Roy went into building, both he and the suit would be in danger.