INVISIBLE FATE BOOK THREE: ALEX NOZIAK (INVISIBLE RECRUITS) Read Online Free Page A

her seventies she’d probably look the same way. If he didn’t know better, he’d have guessed he was the only one controlling deep emotions. With Ling Mai, you had to look closely to see she battled her own demons, metaphorically, not physically.
    “Define prepared, Mister Stone.” Her voice sounded as calm as a lake . One teeming with ghost sharks and giant squid just beneath the surface.
    He paced across the room. L arge by hotel standards, with an obstacle course of satin-striped couches, velvet chairs, and coffee tables as well as a white grand piano. His hands curled, wanting to toss all the crap through the nearest window. To destroy something, anything. One team member dead. One near enough. Wasn’t going to happen again.
    His back to the director , he stilled his voice until he matched Ling Mai’s, word for word. “Sending humans against preternaturals is a recipe for disaster. The fact these women are barely trained as agents compounds the problem.”
    “A challenge, Mister Stone, not a problem.”
    It was tempting to release a crude snort. He wasn’t here to play semantics games. He was here to save his remaining team members. Turning to face the director, he made sure to keep the length of the room between them. “We’ve already lost one. Two are on the injured list.” He didn’t have to spell out Mandy and Vaughn’s names. Ling Mai knew he’d just returned from the Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière , where Vaughn was receiving the best care possible. Not that it was enough. He added, “And that’s not counting what occurred to Alex.”
    “I too am mourning Miss Noziak’s unfortunate death,” Ling Mai murmured.
    There were undertones beneath her words but Stone couldn’t pin them down. Alex and Ling Mai had butted heads more than once, but the death, or technically the disappearance and presumed death of their only op with proven preternatural abilities, was a tactical disaster. Without her skills, they’d have to rethink their whole approach to fighting preternaturals.
    Ling Mai’s voice broke through to him. “I have taken several steps that will address your concerns.”
    She’d surprised him. Ling Mai wasn’t a dense woman. Far from it, she could be cold, calculating, and ruthless. Every move she made was layered with strategic awareness. What Stone hadn’t expected, though, was her easy acquiesce to the problem at hand. Finding, training and equipping more recruits would take time and money, a lot of both. Up until now, Ling Mai’d had the agency operating on a short-term mentality. Preternaturals threatening to expose their existence to humans had forced her, and through her, the Invisible Recruit  Agency, into several immediate crises. A jump-first, learn how to swim later approach.
    So why the sudden about face?
    “What steps are you taking?” he asked, knowing he sounded wary. Screw it, he was wary.
    “I’m bringing on board an additional recruit whose skills should compliment the team.”
    He crossed his arms. “Meaning?”
    “ You’ll see when you meet her.” Ling Mai’s brow arched, as effective a communication as shouting is-that-enough?
    “A start.” Maybe. “A recruit strong enough to go up against the strongest preternaturals is the minimum I’d expect.” Having at least one agent capable of fighting preternaturals was a step. But only a small step.
    Ling Mai offered a sharp smile that would have had most people stepping back. Stone wasn’t most people. “It’ll be your responsibility to see that she can.”
    He nodded, but held his thoughts. The new woman might know how to fight, but in any animal kingdom there were stronger animals and lesser animals. Give him someone with some fighting skills or preternatural talents, a fae, one of the lesser demons, even a Nondi pixie, and he could work with her.
    “What about equipment for the existing team members ? You send David up against Goliath enough times and Goliath will win.”
    Ling Mai turned in her chair