Shadow Cadet: Rising Shadows

1 {Shadow Cadet}

Breathe. In and out. Don't screw this up.

Anastasiya kept repeating those words in her head as she stared at her reflection in the hotel bathroom. The lavender A-line dress she wore hugged her waist tightly as she applied the spiked lipstick to her lips. Red curls framed her face and hid the earpiece.

"This look fine?" Aleksandr popped his head into the doorway making Anastasiya glance at him through the mirror.

"Your tie isn't tied right and your hair is a little messy." Anastasiya sighed monotonously as she turned around to help him fix his mistakes.

"What would I do without you?" He smirked looking down at her as she undid the poorly done Windsor knot. With a shrug of her shoulders, she fixed his tie and made him sit on the ledge of the tub so she could fix his hair.

"What's our plan?" Aleksandr asked as she turned to wash her hands of the sticky gel she used to fix his hair.

"I'll seduce the senator, hopefully, get back to his hotel room, kiss him and knock him out. Hence the spiked lipstick. From there you and the guys will come get him, I'll cut the lights so we can get him out unnoticed and Squeaks will disable security so there won't be any cameras. Take him back to Adrielle for questioning" Anastasiya stated as though it were the simplest of tasks.

"And how will this go differently from last time?" Aleksandr quirked his eyebrow.

"This time I have a loaded .22 magnum and impeccable aim." Anastasiya explained lifting the skirt of her dress enough to reveal the thigh holster holding her gun as she placed the white masquerade mask on her face.

"Then shall we?" He asked standing up and offering his arm.

"We shall." Anastasiya smirked taking his arm and leaving the hotel room.

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The ballroom was bustling with activity, filled with classical music as faces covered by masks mingled. Aleksandr nodded in the direction of their target. A man with jet-black hair, a dark gray mask, and a three-piece suit. He was a senator, of what state Anastasiya hadn't a clue because it wasn't in the briefing packet... But he owed some money to Adrielle after he asked for help keeping an affair under wraps and making his mistress disappear. He never paid her back and now has a pretty penny by his name.

Aleksandr walked in the direction of the bar leaving Anastasiya to do her portion of the plan. After a deep breath, she walked over and put on her best American accent. She needed to play this cautiously, he was talking with a few colleagues one being the secretary of defense.

"Are you part of my security team for the night?" The senator's voice slurred indicating he was intoxicated. He was making this all too easy, she may not even need to seduce him at all. All Anastasiya did was smile and nod and he stood up. "Great. Would you mind taking me to my hotel room? I've done all I need to do here."

"Lead the way," Anastasiya smirked as he led her to the elevator. The second the doors shut she forced his lips to hers, as intoxicated as he was he reciprocated for a few seconds before realizing what was happening and pulling back.

"What the fuck was that?!" He growled and she smirked.

"Nothing." She mumbled, during that kiss, she managed to grab the key card to his room without him realizing. One would think after making a deal with the Queen of Shadows he would be a little more cautious.

By the time they made it to the door the sedative in the lipstick was working and before Anastasiya could even open the door he dropped to the ground. As she turned the knob and dragged the now unconscious senator into his hotel room his wife made her presence known.