Ghostwalker 05 - Deadly Game

DEADLY GAME

    GhostWalkers 05

    By
    CHRISTINE FEEHAN

    JOVE BOOKS, NEW YORK

    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

    Copyright © 2007 by Christine Feehan.

    Cover design by Marc Cohen.

    ISBN: 1-4295-0325-4

    JOVE®

    Jove Books are published by
    The Berkley Publishing Group
    a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
    375 Hudson Street

    New York, New York 10014.

    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