Page 54 of Shadow Lies

In it, Alexis sounded fine. Flirty even. She’d given him her hotel and room number and then hinted that if he could get away, she would be waiting there for him.

That had been over half an hour ago yet she didn’t answer when he called. At first he’d thought she might be in the shower. Then he’d reasoned maybe her ringer was turned off and she didn’t see the calls.

Three texts and two voicemails later, he was done guessing and waiting.

There were all sorts of protocols about leaving the Olympic bubble once admitted, but he didn’t care. He was leaving. He needed to check on Alexis at the hotel.

The performance was done. They were all just killing time waiting for the bus back to Henan the following morning. His brothers were enjoying their final hours in Beijing, trying to catch what Olympic events they could.

As long as he was back in time to catch the bus, no one would miss him. Lamenting that he didn’t have something else to wear, he tossed his meager belongings into a canvas sack and headed out, staunchly ignoring the warning signs at the exit about re-admittance.

The hotel was close enough he wouldn’t mind the walk. Although as agitated as he was to make sure Alexis was all right, he set a brisk pace and covered the mile fast.

He got a few sideways glances in the upscale hotel lobby and saw one tourist raise a cell phone to take his picture as he headed directly for the bank of elevators. He ignored everyone in his single-minded focus to get to Alexis.

Her accommodations were on an upper floor where the doors were set so far apart the rooms—or more likely suites—must be huge inside.

Alexis was going to be spoiled after all these posh places she’d stayed. He hoped she was ready for a rude awakening when she returned to New York because rooms there equivalent to where she’d been staying here cost a month’s salary.

He located the room number she’d texted and knocked hard on the door. When she didn’t answer right away, he pounded with one fist and called, “Alexis, it’s me.”

Seconds and then a minute ticked by. He heard no sound from inside. What he did hear was his pulse pounding in his ear as he began to really worry.

He glanced at the locking mechanism. A keyhole he could pick. He’d had enough experience and training he would have had no trouble getting inside. But the lock was electronic. Set up for a keycard with a chip to be tapped against the pad.

Without the good tech toys he’d had in the SEALs, he couldn’t get in.

He’d have to work the problem another way. He spun and evaluated the situation.

There were no security cameras in the hallway that he could see. That was good. He wouldn’t be observed but he was still too conspicuously dressed as he was.

There was a bag hanging on the doorknob of one of the rooms a few doors down. Kane took a chance and grabbed it. It looked like clothes put out for the laundry service. Apparently clothes that had been worn, but men’s clothes at least.

Beggars could not be choosers. He carried the bag to the stairwell, checked again to make sure there wasn’t a camera in view, and then pawed through the offering.

A white button-down shirt. That would work. He pulled off his tunic top, stuffed it into his canvas bag and pulled on the plain shirt he’d stolen.

The sleeves were a bit short, so he rolled them to hide that fact. He pulled out the pants and found them short too.

That was okay. His Wushu pants were plain enough that with the white shirt untucked, no one would look twice at him.

Looking less like a monk and less likely an object of tourists’ photos, he slipped the bag of remaining laundry back onto the doorknob and headed down the hallway.

This time of day there should be housekeeping actively cleaning rooms. Taking the stairs, he stopped at each floor and looked down the hall for a cart.

Finally, he saw one, parked outside an open doorway. He walked by and glanced inside, seeing the housekeeper busy changing the sheets on the bed.

A closer glance at the cart showed she’d left her master keycard hanging from a lanyard attached to the cart. He grabbed it and padded as silently and as quickly as he could back to the stairway.

He was back outside Alexis’s door a minute later, his heart pounding as much from the sprint up the stairs as from anticipation and fear the card might not work.

When the light turned green and he heard the locks disengage, he let out a breath of relief and pushed inside.

An initial visual sweep showed the computers were there. So was what remained of what looked like room service breakfast. But Alexis was nowhere.

Not finding her in the bedroom or bathroom, he moved back to the living area and looked more closely. Taking in every tiny detail in hopes something would provide a clue as to where she was.

He had an idea and pulled out his cell phone. He tapped to call her cell and a few seconds later heard the ringtone.

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