I wish...Kris shut off the thought, not wanting to focus on her bleak life or on just how lonely she was. The only sign of her distress was the slow, tired walk to her car. It's going to be hard being around her all the time.

As Kris approached her destination, she checked again for any sign of a tail and found none. For some reason, whoever was following her seemed to think it was only necessary after work hours. She smirked. Really stupid move, guys. She ran the message she was leaving through her mind again:


Will be out of the net until further notice.



Any attempt to make contact could result in a security breach.



Contact will be resumed at a later date.



Much much later.

Kris seriously doubted they would honor her request, but she had to try. Her free time had just become non-existent, and even though Kris knew she could still escape scrutiny, her hope was that they didn't know that. They also seemed to have a lot of inside information, so her assignment as a bodyguard might not be news to them.

Suddenly suspicious, Kris thought about the odd shooting incident and wondered if this whole thing wasn't a part of someone's master plan. Shelby seemed to have unlimited access to all the Company's computerized information. What if they knew that? It was definitely something to think about.

She turned onto M Street and drove toward an emergency drop location in Georgetown. Kris figured that by leaving her information there, she would reinforce the seriousness of the message she had scribed. Her biggest problem was that she didn't really know the people she was dealing with. If her note didn't accomplish what she intended, it should at least provide her some insight on whether they had infiltrated the agency and the reliability of their sources. She sighed, anxious to at least temporarily rid herself of this new complication in her life.

It was likely that her tail would pick her up after work again, and it was going to be difficult shaking him without alerting Shelby to his presence. Kris realized she had forgotten to ask the analyst her address, and cursed the omission. She wanted to do a drive by and check out the neighborhood. Knowing that even her modified cell phone was not totally secure, she left Georgetown and turned into a Convenience store parking lot, steering her car toward a phone booth located at the far end of the structure.

Kris stood at the phone booth, waiting for Shelby to answer.

"Shelby Carson."

"Hi. What's your address?"

Shelby smiled at the sound of Kris' voice, as her mind pondered why the operative wanted her address now.

"The Fairfax Gardens, 3857 Armstrong Street. I live in building two, apartment 203. What are you going to do?"

Kris committed the address to memory. "I'm going to drive through the neighborhood and get a feel for it." And plan escape routes, just in case.

"Oh."

The operative was surprised that one word could convey so much meaning and projected confidence in her voice to help set Shelby at ease. "It's just a routine precaution. Nothing to worry about." Hopefully.

Somewhat reassured, Shelby searched for a way to extend the conversation. "Do you need directions?"

Kris knew exactly where that apartment complex was, but she had finished her errands ahead of schedule and was in no hurry to hang up. "Sure."

Her brow furrowed when it dawned on her that she was allowing her own personal interest in the analyst to dictate her actions. When Shelby finished relating the directions, she said, "Thanks," and immediately hung up the phone, angry for allowing herself to be drawn to the other woman.

Shelby looked at the phone. She did it again. We were having a perfectly normal conversation and she just withdrew. Why do you do that? The analyst knew she might never know the answer to that, but was determined to try and find out.

She looked at the computer on her desk speculatively. She could access Kris' personnel file if Kris was really her real name. One way to find out. But Shelby stopped, warring with her conscience. Her interest was strictly personal and had nothing to do with the case. She also knew Central Affairs monitored all computer activity, internal and external. That didn't really bother her, though, because Shelby figured she could find some way to justify the query.

Shelby silently argued with herself. What would she think of me if she thought I was nosing around in her personal file? How would she ever find out? True. How would you like it if she accessed your file? I'd love it, because she wouldn't do it unless she was interested in me beyond the case. You're just trying to justify it. Shelby sighed. Yes, I am. She shoved her curiosity to the back of her mind and dialed another telephone number on her list.

Kris drove through the Fairfax Garden apartment complex, noting nothing that distinguished it from the multitude of others she had seen previously. There were four sand-colored brick buildings, each three stories and accessible by outside steps. There was only a handful of cars in the parking lot that extended from the first building to the last. Security wise it would be a nightmare if there were a problem because there was no alternate escape route such as an elevator.

The operative drove around the bordering residential streets until she was completely familiar with the surrounding area. Glancing at her watch, she quickly accelerated toward the beltway, not wanting to be late and cause Shelby to vary her routine at all. Is that the only reason? Kris shoved down the anticipation she was feeling with a stern warning to herself. This is just a job. I can't afford to forget that.

Shelby looked at the clock for what seemed like the tenth time in the last five minutes and felt a pang of disappointment. It was 4:59 and Kris still hadn't returned. It seemed fairly obvious that her interest in having the tall woman stay with her certainly wasn't shared by her partner. Did you really expect it to be? Shelby shook her head. No. But it would've been nice...

Her thoughts were interrupted as Kris suddenly walked in and a warm smile covered her face. Finding herself tongue-tied, she simply said, "Hi." Oh, that was real original.

Kris was unable to stop an answering smile from appearing. Shelby was just so sweet. "Hi yourself. Ready?"

Shelby nodded and quickly retrieved her purse. "Am I ever! It's been a long day."

"What kind of car do you have?"

"A red Mercury Sable."

"What row are you in?"

"C, about halfway down."

"I'm driving a blue Buick Regal. I found a place in A. Wait until you see me in your rearview before heading for the parkway." Kris knew her tail would most likely be on the job. "One more thing. If you don't see me, don't worry about it. I'll be around."

"Okay." Shelby was just about to walk out the door when she stopped and turned to face Kris. "Do we have time to stop at the grocery store? What do you like to eat?"

Although her face remained impassive, Kris' was unaccountably pleased by Shelby's thoughtfulness. "It's not a good idea since we're not riding together. Whatever you have is fine."

Shelby wanted Kris to feel comfortable, and that included having things she liked too. "How about tomorrow?"

Grinning inwardly at Shelby's tenacity, Kris agreed. "Sure." She was rewarded with a sunny smile before they split up for different parking lanes.

Kris' muscles unobtrusively tensed and she walked outside in a full state of alertness, her senses fully extended and her demeanor predatory. She surveyed the parking lot in a deceptively casual manner, never taking her eyes off Shelby until the analyst was settled in her car and had begun to back out of her parking place. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she quickly moved to her own car and pulled into place behind the red Sable a couple of minutes later.

Just as Kris had suspected he would, her tail picked her up on the parkway. She smiled grimly. Soon, I'll either know who you are or you'll be dead. Kris turned off on the same exit she had the previous evening and drove back to the Sheraton. After parking her car in the underground garage, she quickly made her way to her room and changed into the jeans and pullover top she'd purposely left behind.

Kris took the metal fire escape to the second floor and, rather than lowering it to the cement below, she grasped the metal rungs with her hands and swung herself down until she could easily jump to the ground. She cut through an adjoining building, exiting the rear door and casually walking up the side street to a dark green Lexus. Ten minutes later, the operative arrived at Shelby's apartment complex minus one tail.

Shelby knew Kris had turned off back on the parkway, but had been surprised when she got to her apartment and the operative still hadn't reappeared. She gave up trying to guess what Kris was doing this time, glad to have the opportunity to make her bed and pick up the bathroom.

When she opened the door, the kitten came running and meowing. Shelby picked it up, smiling as she cuddled it. "Bet you're hungry." She carried her into the kitchen and set her down as she opened a small can of kitten food and poured it into the orphan's dish before quickly making her way to the bedroom. Shelby never had a chance to finish before a knock sounded at the door. "Just a minute."

She quickly threw her towels in the hamper before opening the door. And she froze, staring at the visage in her doorway, before retreating into the apartment.