Street Game (Game/Ghostwalker) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Acknowledgments

  For My Readers

  The GhostWalker Symbol Details

  The GhostWalker Creed

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  Preview of WILD FIRE

  “CHRISTINE FEEHAN CONTINUES TO AMAZE READERS.”

  —The Eternal Night

  MURDER GAME

  “A no-holds-barred adventure . . . you won’t be able to put this page-turner down . . . Gripping and well written, Murder Game is all you’ve come to expect in a GhostWalker tale. Well-done!” —Fresh Fiction

  “Refreshing . . . fans will enjoy this strong thriller.” —Midwest Book Review

  PREDATORY GAME

  “Boy, did it deliver! . . . This book keeps you rockin’ from the get-go. Come along for an intense, sensuous ride with the GhostWalkers, and hold on.” —Fresh Fiction

  “One of the best in Christine Feehan’s . . . romantic suspense saga.” —Midwest Book Review

  “Feehan’s at the top of her game with this explosive, scintillating novel.” —Romantic Times

  DEADLY GAME

  “I loved this one and I’ll bet you will too.”— Fresh Fiction

  “The fastest-paced, most action-packed, gut-wrenching, adrenaline-driven ride I’ve ever experienced.” —Romance Junkies

  “Wow! . . . Made me hungry for more.” —The Best Reviews

  NIGHT GAME

  “Suspenseful . . . captivating.” —Publishers Weekly

  “Packed with adventure . . . Not only is this a thriller, the sensual scenes rival the steaming Bayou. A perfect 10.” —Romance Reviews Today

  MIND GAME

  “Sultry and suspenseful . . . as swift-moving and sexually charged as her best vampire romances. In short, it is an electrifying read.” —Publishers Weekly

  “Fabulous paranormal twists.” —Midwest Book Review

  “Brilliant. The sexual energy . . . is electrifying. If you enjoy paranormal romances, this is a must-read.” —Romance at Heart Magazine

  “In one word, Mind Game is explosive! The sexual chemistry is literally a scorcher.” —Fallen Angel Reviews

  SHADOW GAME

  “Sensational . . . The sultry, spine-tingling kind of read that [Feehan’s] fans will adore.” —Publishers Weekly

  “One of the best current voices in the darker paranormal romance subgenre . . . intense, sensual, and mesmerizing.” —Library Journal

  “Feehan packs such a punch . . . it will leave one gasping for breath . . . A must-read book.” —The Best Reviews

  “A very fast-paced action-packed thriller/love story all wrapped up into one.” — Escape to Romance

  More praise for the novels of

  Christine Feehan

  “Just as I begin to think the romance genre has nowhere else to run, I get to read something that takes another giant leap down a totally unknown road. Romance, suspense, and intrigue, and the paranormal . . . combined to make one of the most delicious journeys I have had the pleasure of taking in a long, long time . . . Definitely something for everyone.” —Romance and Friends

  “Feehan’s newest is a skillful blend of supernatural thrills and romance that is sure to entice readers.” —Publishers Weekly

  “If you are looking for something that is fun and different, pick up a copy of this book.” —All About Romance

  “This one is a keeper . . . I had a hard time putting [it] down . . . Don’t miss this book!” —New-Age Bookshelf

  “Vibrant characters, suspense-filled plot . . . and just the right touch of the supernatural . . . a must-read, especially on those dark, rainy nights, when the wind howls its anger at the world. Kudos, Ms. Feehan, you have penned a page-turner—good to the last drop.” —Romance Reviews Today

  “Christine Feehan is a magnificent storyteller.” —Romantic Times

  Titles by Christine Feehan

  STREET GAME

  MURDER GAME

  PREDATORY GAME

  DEADLY GAME

  CONSPIRACY GAME

  NIGHT GAME

  MIND GAME

  SHADOW GAME

  HIDDEN CURRENTS

  TURBULENT SEA

  SAFE HARBOR

  DANGEROUS TIDES

  OCEANS OF FIRE

  BURNING WILD

  WILD RAIN

  DARK SLAYER

  DARK CURSE

  DARK HUNGER

  DARK POSSESSION

  DARK CELEBRATION

  DARK DEMON

  DARK SECRET

  DARK DESTINY

  DARK MELODY

  DARK SYMPHONY

  DARK GUARDIAN

  DARK LEGEND

  DARK FIRE

  DARK CHALLENGE

  DARK MAGIC

  DARK GOLD

  DARK DESIRE

  DARK PRINCE

  Anthologies

  HOT BLOODED

  (with Maggie Shayne, Emma Holly, and Angela Knight)

  LOVER BEWARE

  (with Fiona Brand, Katherine Sutcliffe, and Eileen Wilks)

  FANTASY

  (with Emma Holly, Sabrina Jeffries, and Elda Minger)

  FEVER

  (includes THE AWAKENING and WILD RAIN )

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

  Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  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.

  STREET GAME

  A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Jove mass-market edition / January 2010

  Copyright © 2010 by Christine Feehan.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form with out permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-16291-0

  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.

  JOVE® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  The “J” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  For Mary Scriven,

  a woman who brings joy into my life each time I see her.

  Always keep your childlike joy of living.

  For My Readers

  Be sure to go to http://www.christinefeehan.com/members/ to sign up for my PRIVATE book announcement list and download the FREE e-book of Dark Desserts, a book of delicious desserts compiled by my wonderful readers. While at the website, join the community and all the book discussions! Please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

  I would love to hear from you.

  Acknowledgments

  As with any book, many people helped to get it right. First and foremost, I have to thank Master Sergeant Retired Lloyd Stottsberry, a man who has dedicated his life to the service of his country. He would probably shoot me for calling him heroic, so I won’t, but you get the picture. His help was invaluable. Any mistakes are entirely mine.

  Many thanks to Brian Feehan, who has that mathematical and fiendish mind and always answers the call for murder-and-mayhem discussions. Domini, you know I’d never get a book out without you, and of course Kathi Firzlaff, who catches all the little things for me. Mason, thank you for the tips on skateboarding.

  And of course the book would not be complete w
ithout a special thanks to Dr. Christopher Tong, coeditor of the “state of the art” series Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Design (volumes I, II, and III). He is currently developing The World Meeting Place, a Web 3.0 AI-based site aimed at enabling the world’s people to collaborate on solving the world’s problems. He has been a manager, consultant, teacher, and researcher at many well-known institutions including Rutgers, MIT, the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, and Siemens Research. He lent me his assistance in learning how artificial intelligence works, and also spent many hours figuring out an AI encryption program. His help on this book was absolutely invaluable to me.

  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

  Black night. No moon, no stars. Just the way he liked it. Master Gunnery Sergeant Mack McKinley crouched in the alley, close to the tall, dirty building, allowing his senses to become tuned to the familiar sounds. A cat raked through a garbage can, a drunk moaned and shivered in the cold. Waves pounded the beach and sloshed against the pier just behind the building. Three stories up, lights went out, leaving the long row of windows like giant, gaping black mouths. McKinley smiled at the image, smiled up at the windows. His smile was not pleasant.

  This was the all-important tip. Tracking the explosives through Lebanon, Beirut, the South American freighter. And then to San Francisco. Always one step behind. He had moved fast to check out the information, praying it was correct. They had less than twenty-four hours to find the guns and the five-man unit of Doomsday. He sneered at the name of the terrorist unit, but he had to give them kudos for scaring the crap out of every country they had visited. They left behind wreckage and carnage and death. More—they left behind fear.

  Urban warfare was an art any way one looked at it. His team had knowledge of the streets, were the best there was, but it was dangerous work, and required a cool head. Too many civilians, too many potential hostages, too damn many things to go wrong. But his men were good at it, more than good—he counted them among the best, and Sergeant Major Theodore Griffen wanted Doomsday taken out. And when the sergeant major gave an order, it was carried out immediately and to the letter. The warehouse was wired. He knew it, could feel it. But something . . . His men were in position, waiting for him. As always, First Sergeant Kane Cannon was at his back. They’d started on the streets together, two kids trying to stay alive, eventually pulling in six other boys and two girls, all with different abilities to make up their ragtag family.

  From the streets Kane and Mack and one of the girls—Mack didn’t want to think about her—had gone on to college. The others had gone into the Marine Corps. All had a gift for languages as well as many other things, such as what he was doing now. They were recruited right out of school and trained as operatives until the psychic testing. That had been a huge mistake, and all of his family had followed him—as they always did.

  Force Recon—Special Forces. Psychic testing where they’d all come back together, just like on the street. More specialized training. SEAL training. Urban war games. Even more specialized training until they were pretty much killing machines. They had stuck together and knew one another’s every move. They trusted one another and no one else, not in the business they were in. Well . . . with the exception of the new kid, but that was a whole other story. It was no good thinking about that right now, not when he was surrounded with the ones he loved, leading them into a situation that was explosive at the very least.

  Mack signaled for the others to pull down their night goggles, making it easy to see in the blackness of the night. He and Kane didn’t need them. They could both see in the dark as easily as during the day. A result of the experiments they’d lent themselves to. Stupid, but they’d done it for the good of the country and their need for a home. Yeah, he knew the psychological bullshit everyone spouted. It was probably all true too, but he didn’t much care. It was also one hell of an adrenaline rush. Still, he waited, hesitating before signaling his team forward. His men were coiled and ready. He had a bad feeling, deep in his gut, and he never discounted his instincts. Something wasn’t quite right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. What is it, Top? Kane questioned, using the telepathic communication they had perfected as children, and which the military had enhanced when they volunteered for the psychic GhostWalker program.

  Something’s wrong? Not wrong, maybe. Just not right. How the hell could he explain that strange kick in his belly?

  I feel it too, but I’m not sure what’s out of sync here. There was another long moment of silence. Abort? Kane asked.

  Mack took a breath. Let it out. No, but let’s all be very cautious. Of the group of them, only the new kid the sergeant major had insisted they add to their team couldn’t communicate telepathically. Telepathy had been the common denominator that had drawn them together on the streets. They were all different and they’d all recognized the psychic gift in one another. Mack had been the acknowledged leader and Kane had always, always had his back. He glanced at the man and saw that Kane was doing what he did best, searching the huge warehouse with his strange eyes. He could, if he wanted, see right through the wood and metal to the heat inside, a gift from Whitney and his experiments. Unfortunately, if he used that special gift, he paid for it with blindness for several minutes after, rendering it an extremely dangerous talent to use in the field. There were several new abilities in all of them. Animal DNA. A new genetic code. They hadn’t signed on for that kind of experiment, but when they’d woken up, they had been changed for all time. Kane kept from trying to look through the walls and used his enhanced sight to detect movement only.

  Mack signaled his men forward. It took minutes to bypass the alarm on the side entrance door, far longer than it should have. The alarm was too complicated for a wharf warehouse. Who put together a sophisticated triple-alarm system so complex it took Javier, his best tech, precious time to unravel it?