Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and make some cash.
    Damn them.
    She knew what she’d have to do. And she hated it. Hated that she’d been reduced to this. A twenty-three–year-old woman who had to scrape by just to survive. She knew the alley she was on dead-ended into Pierce Street. And Pierce was well-known for its underground paranormal, illegal activities. She’d made it a point to learn all she could about the area before heading to it.
    Entering unfamiliar territory while men who wanted to do heavens-only-knew-what were fast on your heels wasn’t smart, and she may be a lot of things but she wasn’t stupid. She nearly laughed. It was that or cry, and she’d shed too many tears already. She wouldn’t gift them anymore.
    She leaned out, glancing down the length of the alley in both directions. Her long, dark hair fell forward as rain began to fall upon her head once more. She hated the rain anymore. When she was very little, she’d loved it. Having to live on the streets and be subjected to the elements, often without shelter, changed her views on a lot of things. Snow was no longer pretty. It meant cold and cold could mean death.
    Possibly death.
    She’d survived some crazy things and had wondered what, if anything, could actually kill her. She didn’t want to find out.
    Night always brought a new set of challenges. It wasn’t bad enough she was hunted during the day, she had to be hunted even more so at night.
    The vamps mixes—that was what came for her in the dark. They were the worst. The cold empty eyes, the lightning-fast speed and the smell. It was unlike anything she’d ever smelled before. That was what normally gave the evil ones away.
    Their stench.
    Had anyone told her ten years ago she’d be on the run from all sorts of supernaturals, she’d have laughed in their faces. The things that came for her were relentless. She’d been lucky so far, always getting away even if just barely.
    A sinking feeling came over. Her luck was running out. She knew it. Felt it in her bones.
    Reaching into her jeans pocket, she shivered slightly as she withdrew a crumpled, damp piece of paper. Despair sank to the pit of her stomach. The address was close. She looked to the warehouse at the end of the alley.
    She’d get in and get out as fast as she could. These types of underground fight clubs lasted at most a week in one area. If she didn’t get in there tonight, she’d miss her chance and would have to hunt down information on the next one. A red X on the side of the door with a dot on both sides meant she was in the right place. She just needed to grab some money and possibly some food. Stealing from scumbags didn’t bother her. It’s why she dared to come here. Nothing but the bad element was here. She’d have no guilt later and she needed food and a roof over her head. She couldn’t stay in one place long enough to do anything even close to honest work. It was this or go hungry.
    She rounded the corner, knowing a back exit would be used for the event. A big guy wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses was there. She pursed her lips at the sight of him. Really? Sunglasses at night?
    “You have got to be kidding me,” she mouthed as she approached him. He gave her a quick look over as if to dare her to try to gain entrance through him. She lifted her chin to him but kept on going.
    She wasn’t strong enough to deal with him right now. Under better circumstances she could handle a guy like him. Right now, she could barely keep herself upright. Picking a fight with a big shifter wasn’t smart. Maybe later, after she had some food.
    Or I could just let someone bigger and better pick a fight with the guy. And there was always someone bigger and better. She’d learned that along the way. Jimmy was proof of that. In her mind he’d been invincible. That hadn’t been the reality.
    They’d gotten him. And they most certainly would have killed him. He was simply too powerful to allow to live. She understood the way of it. Well, most of