On the Prowl Read Online Free

they’d shook hands, the way he looked her over and held her hand much too long had totally creeped her out.
    Delaine had always been a fair, “innocent until proven guilty” agent, no matter what. But something about this Baker character made her want him to be guilty of what he was suspected of.
    She pressed her identification badge against the card reader and the doors to the elevator slid open. She pushed the button for the basement and scanned the hallways as they closed, thankful Sarah Ann hadn’t popped out from around the corner. Removing a small silver tag from the hidden pocket on the inside of her waistband, she held it against the digital lock on the control panel. In seconds the little device deciphered the encryption and the elevator began to drop rapidly.
    The labs were much deeper than she’d thought. When the elevator reached the floor indicated by the last button on the panel, it just kept going. There were no buttons on the panel for these floors and she had no idea how far down she’d traveled. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for whatever and whoever might be down in the subterranean labs. The doors slid open with a quiet hiss.
    ‘Okay, Sapa, we’re on high alert now,’ Delaine thought.
    * I am one step ahead of you, Suta .*
    She poked her head out and looked around before stepping out. The doors swished silently closed. Delaine stood in the near darkness and allowed her eyes to adjust. She stood in what looked like a maintenance area. Little pathways led through and between what looked liked large water or sewage pipes.
    Walking softly on the outside edges of her feet, her high-heeled boots made no sound. Halfway down the path she’d chosen, the lioness’ ears pricked up. Someone was watching.
    * Shall I see who watches? *
    ‘No worries. As long as they stay hidden, we’re all right,’ Delaine replied. She kept walking, not wanting to alert whoever watched that she was aware of their presence. She flipped through a small stack of quality reports in her hands and busily reviewed them. She painted on an intent expression and confident body language that said something was important on the papers she rifled through. Anyone looking should believe she had every right to be down here. The lioness remained alert, but no one appeared.
    The dimness of the little pathway gave way to a large room lit by blue lamps mounted high on the walls. The room led to a series of tunnels that ran off in all directions. Which way should she go? If she picked the wrong tunnel, she could end up at a dead end, or worse, at the entrance to one of the labs where Baker was reported to spend most of his time. He wasn’t supposed to be down here this early in the morning but she couldn’t be sure.
    ‘Come to me, Sapa. I need your guidance.’ She silently called the great cat onto this plane, and the large body of the black mountain lion shimmered into existence.
    Delaine would never get used to how big Sapa was. The top of her muscular back was higher than Delaine’s waist when she reached out to ruffle the soft, wiry hair between the lioness’ ears, glad no one else could hear or see the big cat, even in her physical form.
    ‘Sapa, I don’t know which way to go,’ Delaine said softly into her mind. Immediately the hunter rose up, calm and sure of her power, ready to aid her charge.
    * Take what I offer ,* Sapa spoke along the bond.
    The black cat lent Delaine her keen sense of sight, smell and hearing then shimmered away. The aura of the lioness prowled ahead and explored each passageway. Within moments, her thoughts flashed through the bond, telling Delaine which way was clear before fading away.
    Delaine took off at a silent clip down the tunnel farthest to her right.
    * * * * *
    What the hell is she doing down here? Justin wondered as he watched Delaine make her way through the maze of pipes and pathways. She had to be lost. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single female on the list of those allowed