GhostWalkers 10 - Samurai Game

of there alive.”

C HAPTER 17

    S heila Benet smiled at the maître d’ and murmured her name, resisting the urge to glance around the popular restaurant. She was dressed impeccably, as always. Her red power suit had always given her confidence and she needed it more than ever tonight. She clutched her Gucci bag tightly as she followed him to the small table in a very private corner, just as she’d requested. Melanie Freesha waited with that amused superior look on her face she’d worn since they’d first met in kindergarten. Sheila always enjoyed watching her when Melanie wasn’t aware she was being observed.
    The moment Melanie spotted Sheila, her face lit up. “There you are.” She leaned in and brushed a kiss on Sheila’s cheek. “It’s been far too long. We need to find a way to get together more often.”
    Melanie was one of the few people Sheila really enjoyed. They’d been friends for a long time, long before Sheila had become Sheila Benet, back when she was merely hungry and afraid all the time. Melanie knew everything there was to know about her.
    “I wish we could too,” Sheila said, genuinely meaning it. “I miss you, but Dr. Whitney thinks spending too much time together is risky.”
    Melanie rolled her eyes and poured Sheila her favorite red wine. Melanie always remembered small details. “He likes to dictate to everyone. How are you?” She frowned, observing her friend in the flickering candlelight. “You look tired, Sheila. Is he running you ragged?”
    Some of the terrible tension eased. It was nice to have a real friend. Melanie had “saved” her so many years ago, introducing her to Whitney and giving her a purpose and essentially a life. She’d been smart but had no chances, not with her drunken prostitute mother who was willing to sell her to any man for a drink. Melanie always left her window open at night, giving Sheila a place to hide when things got too bad. It was Melanie who came up with her new name and Whitney who provided her identity.
    “It’s a difficult time right now,” Sheila admitted. She allowed herself a slow sweep of the restaurant. She recognized the look of three of Whitney’s private soldiers scattered throughout the room. She knew there were more. Her heart began to pound and her mouth went dry. She took another sip of wine. “We’re losing people and Whitney thinks someone may come after you.”
    Melanie blinked. Very slowly she put down her wineglass. “That’s impossible. No one can connect me to Whitney. We took pains to make certain there was no link back to him. I’ve worked my way up to a great position to help him, and my reputation is spotless.”
    “Still, this is a bad idea, meeting like this. I tried to tell you, but you were so insistent.”
    Melanie nodded and lowered her voice, glancing warily around. “General Ranier was furious over the orders and he flew out to the GhostWalker compound to talk with them personally. He only brought his pilot with him. I’ve made it my business to be very close friends with his pilot, and Hanktold me the general ordered him to stay with the helicopter. He went in alone and was gone for some time. He didn’t say a word to Hank and was obviously upset. I think he believes the orders are a setup of some kind.”
    Her eyes met Sheila’s directly. Sheila tried hard not to flinch. Her nod was nearly imperceptible.
    Melanie frowned at her, took another slow sip of wine before putting the glass down. Her fingers toyed restlessly with the wine stem. “Who is the sacrifice?”
    Sheila shook her head. “Sam Johnson, the general’s foster son.”
    Melanie choked. “Are you kidding me? The general will go ballistic. That’s crazy. Did you try to talk Whitney out of it?”
    “There’s no talking to him right now. He’s got an entire agenda and he’s determined to carry it out. He’s in tight with Violet Freeman again, and they’ve got some new plan that he hasn’t discussed with me. He’s very focused and driven right now.” Sheila took another look around the room.
    This was Melanie’s favorite restaurant. The lights were low, the food exquisite, and the waiters handsome. Sheila couldn’t fault it, but she couldn’t quite relax as she normally did when she managed the rare outing with her best and only true friend. These were dangerous times, whether Melanie recognized it or not.
    “I wish he hadn’t chosen the general’s foster son. General Ranier is a good man, a patriot, and