The Shadow (Book 1)

Chapter 4

The woman in the cafe

''Could have done with having separate rooms,'' Shadow mumbled, waiting for Carlton to be finished in the bathroom. When the receptionist had said there was only one room booked with the name Williams', Shadow was ready to strangle her on the spot. Fortunately, she subdued her anger and politely asked if the room contained twin beds. Much to her relief, it had.

When Oliver Carlton was eventually finished in the bathroom, he opened the door to see the steel green eyes of the Shadow looking at him from her position perched on the edge of her bed. He sighed, trying his best to ignore her stare. Instead, he tightened his hold on his towel. It was tied loosely around his waist as he made his way over to his suitcase. It wasn't long before he heard shuffling and the click of the bathroom door close as Shadow finally got up, letting him get dressed.

Shadow stared at herself in the mirror for a good few seconds before plucking her toothbrush up from the holder. They had been in Germany for a day now. Oliver coupled with the voice of the Doctor was driving her slowly mad. Dragging the toothbrush roughly across her teeth, Shadow thought about what she'd do when the Doctor took over again. Would she be stuck in their mind, with no control, or would the Doctor let her out, let her breath. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted making the deal she had.

''Hey shad,'' Oliver's loud voice was followed by a run of constant knocking on the door, ''I found her. You might want to hurry up.''

⫸⫸⫸

''A public place. Really Carlton?'' Shadow seethed as she glanced over at the cafe from her position on the roof across the street. They'd tracked their target to a small cafe on the outskirts of the town their hotel was in.

''If it's any constellation, all the people inside work for her,'' came his reply over the comm system. Shadow just huffed in response, adjusting the belt hooked around her waist.

''Just let me know when she's vulnerable. I don't particularly feel like fighting a bunch of people today,'' Oliver didn't reply. He was preoccupied at his own lookout post. He scanned the inhabitants of the cafe, his eyes not leaving where their target was sat. Observing the movements of the guards around the women was easy. His heart rate leapt when he; noticed two of the bigger men; start to move towards the back.

''Hey Shad, I think this is our shot. Two men just went out the back probably to smoke. I'll cut them off at the back. You go through the front.''

''If this goes to shit, it's all your fault,'' Shadow grunted as she jumped from the roof and landed heavily on the road below. A few people on the surrounding streets gasped and pointed. Some even whispered about whether if she was the Shadow that had been on the news. Shadow smirked from under her mask as she passed through the door of the cafe. A bell that dangled above the door jingled when she went through.

The woman only noticed Shadows' presence when she was sat opposite her at the table. Calmly she laid the knife and fork she'd been holding down on the plate; a clink echoed through the room at the action. Shadow slowly pulled her hood back to reveal her staring green eyes, smudged eyeliner and the mask covering half her face.

''Am I really that important to your people?'' The woman asked, lifting a napkin to wipe the residue of the food from around her mouth. Shadow just tilted her head, watching as the napkin was dropped limply onto the empty plate.

''Why my people are interested in you doesn't concern me,'' Shadow responded, glancing to the right, expecting Carlton to join her at any moment.

''You mean, you've never asked why? Why am I killing this person? Why am I stealing that? You're honestly telling me you've never once questioned who you work for?'' The woman was beginning to ask questions that were making Shadow uncomfortable.

''I don't have to know,'' the reply came just as Oliver finally strolled through the back-way. A line of blood was dripping down his cheek. The fight seemingly harder than he had thought it would have been.

''You don't have to know, or you don't want to know?''

''I can't remember who...who...'' She didn't finish the sentence. The words fell flat on her tongue, the clicking of a gun breaking her thought. The woman had distracted Shadow enough to draw a gun from her blazer pocket, aiming it at her from across the table.

''I wouldn't do that if I were you,'' Oliver's voice carried itself smoothly across the silent cafe. He'd picked a napkin up from the table to wipe the blood off of his cheek, casually dropping it in between the two women who were locked in a staring match.

''Two of the worlds most deadly assassins tasked with bringing in little old me,'' the woman smirked before clicking the safety back into place. Placing the gun gently down on the table, she stood up slowly from her chair, turning round to face Oliver.

''You don't think we're here to kill you?'' Oliver questioned, raising an eyebrow at the woman.

''If you were. I'd be dead already,'' the woman commented, bringing her nails up to inspect them. Shadow snorted, causing the woman to turn to her, ''upset because you know I'm right?''

''No,'' Shadow replied bluntly, ''I'm amused at how stupid you are.''

The woman opened her mouth, but no words were formed. Instead, a slow gurgle ripped through her throat. A blade had pierced her straight through the heart. Shadow kept eye contact, watching as the light slowly ebbed away from the women. Oliver pulled the knife back, allowing the body to fall backwards on the hard floor with a thunk.

''That's going to leave a mark,'' the voice came from the corner of the cafe. A figure sat in one of the booths, their face masked by the minimal light that reached back there.

''Where did you come from?'' Carlton asked, a bemused look forming across his features. He was sure he hadn't seen them there before.

''Oh, I'm always around. I come, and I go. A lot like you two actually,'' the man slid slowly out of the booth and wandered into the light. Shadow took in his appearance, a plain grey suit, pieced with round black glasses, perched on the end of his nose. He was a professional. A professional Shadow found very familiar.

''Have we met before?'' She asked, her hand loitering over the handgun located on her hip.

''Yes, but I won't be offended if you don't remember. You did have quite an accident,'' he replied, taking a small step towards the couple, ''Agent Carlton if you'd be so kind.''

''What?'' Shadow whipped around to find Oliver lunging at her, restraining her with a pair of handcuffs.

''I'm sorry, but we'd really like to know what happened to you. We've been following you for a while, Doctor Williams."