Page 12 of Shadowed Hearts: Frost
Kade moves into the room with that silent grace that defies his size. For a man built like a tank, he navigates space like a ghost—hence the callsign. He stops beside me, his reflection appearing on the glossy black console surface.
"And the employee files?" He gestures toward Vanessa's profile, still open on the side display.
"Background checks on all personnel with access to the location." The lie tastes bitter. I never lie to Kade. Not since we served together in Task Force Green, not in the five years since forming this team.
He doesn't call me on it. Doesn't need to. He just leans against the console, arms folded across his chest. "You spent two hours doing background checks on coffee shop employees."
It's not a question. His blue eyes miss nothing—never have.
I shift tactics. "The intrusion originated from that sector. Probability analysis places the café as a potential access point."
Kade studies the heat map, his expression unreadable. "That's a ten-block radius, Frost."
Using my callsign in private sets off warning bells. He uses my real name when it's just us; a brotherhood established in blood and bullets.
"The signal strength shows—"
"You don't chase signals." He cuts me off. "You establish position and wait for targets to expose themselves."
My jaw tightens. He's right. It's my methodology, honed through hundreds of operations. I'm acting out of character, and we both know it.
"The barista noticed details she shouldn't have." I finally meet his gaze. "Military posture. Tactical assessment. She served exactly what I would have ordered without asking."
A hint of surprise crosses his features. "Coincidence?"
"You know better."
Kade straightens, taking the conversation from friendly interrogation to operational planning with a subtle shift in posture.
"Run another scan on her background. Deeper this time. I'll allow additional resources." His voice turns professional. "If she has connections to Echo or any known security threats, I want to know."
I dip my chin in a quick acknowledgment, grateful that we're back to discussing strategy rather than why I'm acting out of character.
"Set up remote surveillance on the café." He continues. "Standard protocol. Three-day rotation."
"I should maintain position." The words leave my mouth before I fully process the implications.
Kade's eyebrow rises slightly. "You? Volunteering for a stakeout instead of overwatch?"
I backpedal. "Tactical advantage. I've already established a presence. Change in personnel could trigger awareness."
He studies me for a long moment. I meet his gaze without flinching, maintaining the professional mask I've perfected over years of combat operations.
But this is Kade—the man who's seen me at my worst, who pulled me back from the edge more than once.
"Approved. Three days. Report any unusual activity." He pushes away from the console. "I'll have Cole run a deep background check while you maintain surveillance. This Echo seems to be one step ahead of us. Maybe you'll catch something the rest of us missed."
I turn back to the displays, recalibrating my focus. This is about security. About Echo. Nothing else.
"Just remember," Kade says at the doorway, his back to me, "we can't afford personal distractions right now. Not with the stakes this high."
The warning hangs in the air after he leaves, a clear sign that my interest in the café barista is more transparent than I'd care to admit, even to myself.
"Like how that worked for you with Alina?" I mutter to the empty room.
four
Vanessa
