Shadows of Death: Soldier of Death Series Book 3

207 pages

Chapter 3

Gray stood beside his truck on the lowest level of a dimly lit underground parking lot. He shifted his jacket to make it easier to get to the gun tucked into his waistband at the small of his back and the silver daggers that hung in sheaths on his hips. He hoped he wouldn’t need them, but Juniper was right—this was sketchy as hell. So if he was going to have to fight this out, he would be ready for it.

Gray glanced at his watch. The guy he was meeting was ten minutes late. He was just starting to think about leaving when the sound of a car’s engine rumbled off the walls around him. The sound of tires on concrete echoed down to him, and the air was saturated with the pungent smell of gasoline and burned motor oil. It was drawing closer, so Gray resumed his position leaning against his truck. He looked casual, but his body was taut and ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

A black SUV rumbled to a stop and the engine shut off, plunging the garage around him into silence. Gray watched as a man climbed out from behind the wheel and looked around nervously. The man walked over to Gray and offered his hand. The man was a couple of inches shorter than Gray with neatly cut and styled blonde hair, cornflower blue eyes, a square jaw, and a patrician nose.

He was lean and fit with a tan that could have only come from an electric booth, and the sort of good looks that would probably take him far in the country’s political system.

“Phillip Morrison,” the man said. “Mayor Righetti’s Chief of Staff.”

“Gray Brooks.”

“I know. And let me say up front that I don’t buy into what it is you do. I’m not a believer in the paranormal—”

“Then why did you contact me?”

“Because there are other people in the administration who think your services are required,” he said.

“But you’re not one of them.”

“Frankly, it doesn’t matter what I believe,” he said. “But I will admit that Mayor Righetti hasn’t been… himself lately.”

“How so?”

Morrison sighed and ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair—which amazingly enough, remained perfect.

“He’s been erratic. His decision-making has been rash and reactionary—”

“And is that unusual? If I’m being honest, I’ve always thought the mayor’s decision-making was rash and reactionary.”

Morrison pursed his lips and stared at him for a moment. “That’s funny. They didn’t tell me you were such a funny guy.”

Gray chuckled. “All right. Go on. What makes you think the mayor is under the influence of something paranormal?”

“Well, aside from the decision-making issue, he’s been angry a lot. Moody,” Morrison replied. “His behavior has become erratic, and he’s been lashing out at people. Verbally assaulting them, and he’s never done that before.”

“We all have bad days. We sometimes let our tempers get away from us—”

“This has been going on for weeks.”

“All right—what else?”

Morrison looked around furtively. Gray thought it was like the man was afraid of being seen with him. Or just… afraid. For someone who seemed very self-assured and confident, this was unnatural. Like he was walking on eggshells or waiting for the mayor to jump out of nowhere and devour him.

“He’s been keeping odd hours. He’s usually one of the first ones in and the last to leave the office,” Morrison said. “These days, we’re lucky to see him before noon, and he’s usually gone by five. Getting him to fulfill his social obligations is like pulling teeth.”

Gray felt a surge of excitement flow through him. What the Chief of Staff was saying validated what Gray had seen. That the mayor wasn’t who—or what—everybody thought. Juniper and Melanie had told him it was exhaustion making him see things that weren’t there. Gray had never been convinced that was the case. He’d been sure something was going on with Mayor Righetti. He knew he’d seen something.

Morrison shuffled his feet and looked away, his expression darkening. Gray could see there was more to this story that the mayor’s Chief of Staff hadn’t shared yet.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Gray asked.

Morrison clenched his jaw and couldn’t meet Gray’s eyes for a long moment. He seemed to be debating with himself, possibly wondering how much to tell Gray.

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