Deadly Game

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  Teaser chapter

  Praise for

  NIGHT GAME

  "Suspenseful . . . captivating."

  --Publishers Weekly

  "Packed with adventure . . . Not only is this a thriller, the sensual scenes rival the steaming Bayou. A perfect 10."

  --Romance Reviews Today

  "Terrific . . . Christine Feehan is on her A-game with her latest paranormal thriller."

  --The Best Reviews

  "One of Feehan's best."

  --Romance Junkies

  MIND GAME

  "Sultry and suspenseful . . . as swift-moving and sexually charged as her best vampire romances. In short, it is an electrifying read, one that should satisfy her fans and cement her reputation as the reigning queen of the paranormal romance."

  --Publishers Weekly

  "Exciting . . . The nonstop action hooks the reader . . . romance with fabulous paranormal twists."

  --Midwest Book Review

  "Feehan continues to amaze readers. Once again, she makes the unbelievable seem possible."

  --The Eternal Night

  "Brilliant. The sexual energy . . . is electrifying. If you enjoy paranormal romances, this is a must-read."

  --Romance at Heart

  "In one word, Mind Game is explosive! The sexual chemistry is literally a scorcher. Mind Game is a definite pageturner and an absolute must-buy."

  --Fallen Angel Reviews

  "Exciting, sensuous, and hard to put down . . . With great characters, an intriguing plot, and enough heat to blow a thermometer, Mind Game is one you will have to read."

  --The Best Reviews

  SHADOW GAME

  "Having fast made a name for herself in the vampire romance realm, Feehan now turns her attention to other supernatural powers in this swift, sensational offering . . . The sultry, spine-tingling kind of read that [Feehan's] fans will adore."

  --Publishers Weekly

  "One of the best current voices in the darker paranormal romance subgenre, Feehan has begun another series that, while lacking the fantasy feel of her Carpathian romances, is equally intense, sensual, and mesmerizing and might appeal especially to fans of futuristic romances. Known for her vampire tales, Feehan is a rising star in paranormal romance."

  --Library Journal

  "Sizzling sex scenes both physical and telepathic pave the road to true love . . . Action, suspense, and smart characters make this erotically charged romance an entertaining read."

  --Booklist

  "Feehan packs such a punch . . . it will leave one gasping for breath . . . [She] wields the suspense blade with ease, keeping readers enthralled and teetering on the edge . . . Guaranteed not to disappoint, and will leave one begging for more. A must-read book, only cementing Ms. Feehan's position as a genre favorite for yet another round."

  --The Best Reviews

  "A very fast-paced, action-packed thriller/love story all wrapped up into one . . . I highly recommend this book and will be adding it to my keeper's shelf."

  --EscapeToRomance.com

  . . . and more praise for the novels of Christine Feehan

  "Just as I begin to think the romance genre has nowhere else to run, I get to read something that takes another giant leap down a totally unknown road. Romance, suspense, and intrigue, and the paranormal . . . combined to make one of the most delicious journeys I have had the pleasure of taking in a long, long time . . . Definitely something for everyone."

  --Romance and Friends

  "Feehan's newest is a skillful blend of supernatural thrills and romance that is sure to entice readers."

  --Publishers Weekly

  "If you are looking for something that is fun and different, pick up a copy of this book."

  --All About Romance

  "This one is a keeper . . . I had a hard time putting [it] down . . . Don't miss this book!"

  --New-Age Bookshelf

  "Vibrant characters, suspense-filled plot . . . and just the right touch of the supernatural . . . a must-read, especially on those dark rainy nights, when the wind howls its anger at the world. Kudos, Ms. Feehan, you have penned a pageturner--good to the last drop."

  --Romance Reviews Today

  "Christine Feehan is a magnificent storyteller."

  --Romantic Times

  Titles by Christine Feehan

  DEADLY GAME

  CONSPIRACY GAME

  NIGHT GAME

  MIND GAME

  SHADOW GAME

  DANGEROUS TIDES

  OCEANS OF FIRE

  WILD RAIN

  DARK CELEBRATION

  DARK DEMON

  DARK SECRET

  DARK DESTINY

  DARK MELODY

  DARK SYMPHONY

  DARK GUARDIAN

  DARK LEGEND

  DARK FIRE

  DARK CHALLENGE

  DARK MAGIC

  DARK GOLD

  DARK DESIRE

  DARK PRINCE

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada

  (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia

  (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

  Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi--110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 1311, New Zealand

  (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,

  South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  DEADLY GAME

  A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Jove mass-market edition / March 2007

  Copyright (c) 2007 by Christine Feehan.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014.

  eISBN : 978-1-10114697-2

  JOVE(r)

  Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  JOVE is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  The "J" design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  https://us.penguingroup.com

  For Val Philips, a treasured friend

  who doesn't like alligator ponds with alligators in them

  (who would have known?)

  or terribly alpha males,

  this one's for you.

  For My Readers

  Be sure to write to Christine at Christine@christine feehan.com to get a FREE exclusive screen saver and join the PRIVATE e-mail list to receive an announcement when Christine's books are released.

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank Domini Stottsberry for her help in the tremendous amount of research necessary to make this book possible. Brian Feehan and J&L deserve much gratitude for talking about rescues and action, and answering endless questions! As always, Cheryl, you are incredible!

  The GhostWalker Symbol Details

  SIGNIFIES shadow

  SIGNIFIES protection against evil forces

  SIGNIFIES the Greek letter psi, which is used by parapsychology researchers to signify ESP or other psychic abilities

  SIGNIFIES qualities of a knight--loyalty, generosity, courage, and honor

  SIGNIFIES shadow knights who protect against evil forces using psychic powers, courage, and honor

  The GhostWalker Creed

  We are the GhostWalkers, we live in the shadows

  The sea, the earth, and the air are our domain

  No fallen comrade will be left behind

  We are loyalty and honor bound

  We are invisible to our enemies

  and we destroy them where we find them

  We believe in justice and we protect our country

  and those unable to protect themselves

  What goes unseen, unheard, and unknown

  are GhostWalkers

  There is honor in the shadows and it is us

  We move in complete silence whether

  in jungle or desert

  We walk among our enemy unseen and unheard

  Striking without sound and scatter to the winds

  before they have knowledge of our existence

  We gather information and wait with endless patience

  for that perfect moment to deliver swift justice

  We are both merciful and merciless

  We are relentless and implacable in our resolve

  We are the GhostWalkers and the night is ours

  CHAPTER 1

  Ken Norton glanced up at the swirling dark clouds obscuring the stars and casting an ominous charcoal veil across the moon. He noted the shadows of the trees, closer to the hulking building, checking them constantly for any alteration, any sign of someone slipping through the darkness out of sight of the cameras, but his gaze kept straying back to the large hunting cabin and two carcasses swaying from meat hooks on the porch. The smell of blood and death assailed his nostrils and he wanted to gag, a stupid reaction to the two skinned deer hanging from hooks on the porch when he was a sniper and had done more than his share of killing.

  His skin color changed to better blend with his surroundings, and his specially designed clothes reflected the colors around him, allowing him the effect of disappearing completely into the surrounding foliage, hidden from prying eyes. For the thousandth time he looked away from the swaying carcasses still dripping blood.

  "So who the hell orders a hit on a senator of the United States?" he asked, his steel gray eyes turning to turbulent mercury. "And not just any senator, a senator being considered as a vice-presidential candidate. I don't like this. I haven't liked it from the moment they told us who the target was."

  "Hell, Ken. This is no innocent man," his twin, Jack, replied, easing forward to get into a better position to cover the cabin. "You know that better than anyone else. I don't know why the hell we're protecting the son of a bitch. I want to kill him myself. This is the bastard who was the bait to lure you into the Congo. He got out and you were left there to be cut into little pieces and skinned alive." The words were bitter, but Jack's voice was utterly calm. "Don't tell me you don't think he was in on it. Any number of people might have ordered it. The senator set you up, Ken, handed you over to the rebel leader and Ekabela nearly killed you. I could whack him a hundred times and never lose sleep over it--or stand by and let him get whacked."

  "Exactly." Ken rolled over, using care to keep the bushes surrounding him still. He hoped the darkness had hidden his slight wince when his twin brought up the past. He didn't think about the torture much--being cut into tiny pieces, his back skinned--or how the knife felt slicing through his skin. But he had nightmares every time he closed his eyes. He remembered it all then. Every cut. Every slice. The agony that never stopped. He woke choking, covered in sweat, his own screams echoing deep inside where no one could ever hear. The deer hanging from meat hooks brought it all back in sharp, vivid detail. He couldn't help but wonder if that was all part of a much larger plan.

  He held out his hand, checking for tremors. The scars were rigid and tight, but his hand was rock steady. "Why do you think we were chosen to protect him? We have a grudge against this man. We know he's more than everyone thinks, so who better to take him out without questions? Who better to blame it on? Something's not right."

  "What's not right is protecting this bastard. Let them kill him."

  Ken glanced at his twin. "Do you hear yourself? We aren't the only ones who know Senator Freeman isn't squeaky clean like the public has been led to believe. We were all debriefed when we came back from the Congo, both teams, and both teams came to the same conclusion--that the senator was dirty--yet he was never questioned, never reprimanded or exposed. And now we've been ordered to protect him from an assassination threat."

  Jack was silent for a moment. "And you think we're being set up to take the fall if they get to him."

  "Hell yeah I think that. Did the order come down directly from the admiral? Did the admiral actually tell Logan himself? Because, if they have dirt on this guy, why didn't they arrest him? And we just turned down a job to get rid of General Ekabela, another old enemy of ours--one connected to the senator here. It's looking a bit like a pattern to me."

  "Ekabela was taken out anyway. They just brought in another shooter and I didn't get the pleasure of putting the guy in the ground."

  Ken frowned at his twin. "You're making it personal."

  "The senator made it personal when he delivered you to Ekabela so that sadist could torture you. I'm not going to pretend. I want the senator dead, Ken. I don't mind looking the other way if someone wants to slit his throat. If he lives and continues the way he is, he's bound to become president, or at least vice president, and then where are we going to be? He knows we know he's dirty. The first thing he'll do is send us on a suicide mission."

  "Like when they wanted to send us back to the Congo to kill Ekabela?" He had to stop looking at those carcasses. He was going to get sick, his stomach churning in protest. He could almost hear the steady drip of blood even though he was yards away. It ran like a small stream down through the boards and collected in a dark, shiny pool. He tried to shut off the sound of his own screaming in his head, but his skin was crawling and each scar throbbed as if every nerve remembered the steady slice of the relentless knife.

  "Ekabela deserved to die," Jack said. "He more than deserved it and you know it. He leveled villages, committed genocide, ran the drug industry, and stole from the UN when they tried to get food and medicine to the area."

  "That's right, but look who stepped into his shoes. General Armine, more feared and hated than Ekabela, and how strange that the transition of power went so smoothly."
>
  "What the hell are you trying to say, Ken?"

  Ken looked up at the clouds obscuring the sliver of moon, watching them spin slowly and lazily, a dark veil with nowhere to go. He remembered the pattern of the clouds in the jungle, the sway of the canopy and the smell of his own sweat and blood. "I'm saying we never make things personal, but someone has been doing just that for us. I don't like it and I like this job even less. I think we're being set up again. I just don't believe in coincidences, and this is a huge one."

  Jack swore under his breath and fit his eye to the scope, carefully surveying the mountain cabin several hundred yards away. "He's in there with his wife. I could take him out and we could just walk away clean; no one would be the wiser."

  "Just our entire team."

  Jack flashed a small, humorless grin at his brother. "They'd help me and you know it. They detest the man nearly as much as I do."

  "Someone wanted Armine in a position of power. Someone here, in the United States. I've thought a lot about this, Jack. Every assignment we've been sent on in the past year has created a void, a hole for some other lowlife to step into. From Colombian drug lords to General Ekabela in the Congo, we're creating a vacancy in those positions of power and someone is manipulating that. I just don't happen to think it's the president of the United States." He cast his brother a quick glance. "Do you?"

  Jack swore again. "No. I think we're screwed."

  "I can't ask Logan if the admiral gave him the order face-to-face, because Jesse Calhoun contacted him, said it was urgent, and Logan went to see him. Jesse's been conducting an investigation into the Ekabela-Senator tie. That's why Kadan Montague took his place on the team."

  "I thought Jesse was still in a wheelchair," Jack said. "The last I heard he was inactive and doing physical therapy."

  "Well, apparently he's working again. He's one of the more powerful psychics on our team and he's got brains. The admiral wasn't about to give him up. It was a hell of a thing what they did to him. Between enhancement and the psychic experiments and Jesse's legs, he got the short end of the stick."