Page 61 of Shadow Undercover

“You’ll be safer with someone to watch your back. I want to be that person. Please, let me.”

“You don’t understand what you’ll face.” The ugliness, depravity, degradation, and evil. None of those things should touch a woman like her.

“Prepare me.”

Brent pushed back from the conference table and refilled his coffee mug. “If you go as Trace’s girlfriend, you’ll be in that role from the minute you exit the jet until you’re back on board.” After a sip, he returned to his seat and set the mug on the table. “That includes the sleeping arrangements. If Hugo insists you stay at his house for the interview process, he’ll expect you to sleep in the same room.”

Her chin lifted, defiance in her gaze. “We’ll handle it.” High color in her cheekbones betrayed her uneasiness at the idea.

The thought made Trace uncomfortable, too. She was a temptation on every level, one he’d have a hard time resisting.

On the flip side, if she was that close, he could protect her better. He still thought this was a bad idea, but it appeared he was outvoted on every front.

“Memorize your background story and Trace’s.” Brent tilted his head. “You may not like the cover we give him.”

“That’s a given considering the job he’s applying for. Hugo is concerned with his skill and will appreciate a man with a colorful background. Besides protecting Trace, what do you want me to do?”

“Find out if Ruth is in Hugo’s house. If she is, make contact with her and prepare her for extraction. Trace will have his hands full with Hugo. Until we know where the meet is and where Hugo’s been hiding, we can’t plan a rescue. Coordination will be critical. Ruth must be ready to go with whichever team member frees her from her room. Can you convince her to cooperate?”

“I’ll take care of it. She’ll be ready.”

The mission was slipping out of Trace’s control before they’d even started. Although he appreciated Bridget’s loyalty, he hated that she endangered herself over the misguided notion that he needed help to complete the mission. More than anything, he needed her safe.

“Trace, see that Bridget has what she needs to assist you.”

He snorted. “I don’t think she can fit an Uzi in her purse.” When Brent raised an eyebrow, Trace sighed. “Yes, sir.”

“Z will set up your backgrounds and prepare a fake ID for Bridget. Once you tell Z which ID to use, he’ll contact Hugo in the chat room.”

“How do you know Tango Man is Hugo?” Bridget asked.

“Zane is magic with computers. He can hack into anything, including anonymous chat room conversations. We’re sure. What we don’t know is Hugo’s location. Someone in his organization has decent computer skills because Z’s trace is bouncing all over the globe. Tracking the message to the point of origin will take too long.” Brent’s phone chirped with an incoming text. He glanced at the screen and scowled. “I have another meeting in two minutes.” He rose with his coffee mug in hand. “Have Nico keep me posted on the plans. Whatever you need, you’ll have, Trace.”

“Thanks.” What he wanted was body armor for Bridget. That wouldn’t happen. Body armor would tip off the bad guys about their true purpose and was a signal he didn’t trust his new boss. Only a fool would trust Hugo Torino. Trace was many things, but a fool wasn’t one of them.

With a nod, the Fortress CEO left, leaving Bridget and Trace alone.

She laid her hand on his arm again. “Are you angry with me?”

“I’m working through it.”

“Any tips for me? I want to help, not hinder you or Shadow.”

“The key to staying alive on undercover assignments is becoming the person you claim to be. Z will create a background close enough to the truth to be believable. The rest is up to us. From the minute we step off the jet, we’ll be on stage. We have to assume we’re being watched because we will be. All our reactions must be in line with our new identities. If you go as my girlfriend, we have to act like we have an established relationship. We can’t slip up, Bridget, or we’re dead and so is your sister.”

“I understand. Help me be a successful partner for you.”

Trace sighed. She didn’t get it, but she would. He prayed he could keep her alive. Standing, Trace held out his hand. “Let’s go see Zane.”

They returned to the comm center where the tech wizard was in a fast-paced conversation with another team. Once the call ended, Zane spun to face them. “Did you give in to the inevitable?” he asked Trace.

Trace growled. Somehow, the boss had anticipated this solution to their problem. “The lady is persuasive.”

“Determined,” Bridget corrected.

“Stubborn,” Trace countered.

Zane grinned. “You will fit in well around here, Bridget. This place is full of women like you, and we have many operatives either married or dating strong-willed women.” He turned back to Trace. “Which ID?”

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