Page 53 of Undercover Hearts

It was clear: they remained under scrutiny. Whatever Kendall suspected, she hadn't shared her concerns with the full group, but their position remained precarious.

"Michelle and Jenna have demonstrated excellent adaptation," Sienna observed. "Their business expertise will be valuable as we expand operations."

"Which is why verification matters," Kendall countered. "Expansion requires absolute security."

The meeting dispersed into task-oriented groups, separating Michelle and Jenna. Mina led Michelle toward the operationscenter while Kendall escorted Jenna in the opposite direction. The separation triggered an instinctive concern that Michelle struggled to suppress.

Throughout her orientation in the operations center, Michelle maintained peripheral awareness of Jenna's location, tracking her between rooms through glimpses in hallways and reflections in windows. This hypervigilance had never characterized her previous operations, even those involving significant danger.

Midway through reviewing warehouse protocols, Michelle witnessed Kendall isolating Jenna in a side hallway, her posture suggesting confrontation rather than professional discussion. Though Jenna appeared outwardly calm, her stance signaled alert.

Michelle continued her conversation with Mina while calculating the shortest path to Jenna's position. Her muscles tensed, prepared to move at the first sign of escalation. The instinct to protect Jenna overwhelmed tactical considerations—a dangerous compromise of professional judgment she recognized even as she prioritized it.

But Jenna defused the situation. Her smile remained steady, her gestures open as she responded to whatever questions Kendall posed. After a tense minute, Kendall nodded curtly and moved away.

Relief flooded Michelle, followed by disturbing clarity: she'd been prepared to abandon carefully laid operational plans—to potentially sacrifice justice for three victims—based on a perceived threat to Jenna.

When they regrouped near reception hours later, Michelle found Jenna in conversation with Nicole, their heads bent over a tablet displaying distribution routes. Jenna looked up as Michelle approached, their eyes meeting in silent communication.

"Productive morning?" Michelle asked, hand settling naturally at the small of Jenna's back.

"Nicole's been explaining the documentation center's role," Jenna replied. "Quite comprehensive."

Kendall appeared silently beside them, her penetrating gaze unconcealed in its suspicion. "Almost too perfect how your skills align with our needs," she observed. "Coincidental."

Sienna interrupted before Michelle could respond. "Final notes before departure. The beach house maintains strict arrival protocols. No personal electronics, no unauthorized materials. Security screening at entry." She focused specifically on Michelle and Jenna. "As our newest members, you'll undergo enhanced verification upon arrival. Standard procedure for first operations."

"Of course," Michelle replied. "We appreciate the thoroughness."

Once safely in their vehicle, Michelle asked, "What happened with Kendall?"

"Direct questioning about our GreenTech connection," Jenna explained. "She found discrepancies in the timeline we provided. I credited the inconsistency to corporate politics making precise dates unclear. She seems skeptical but not convinced."

"Enhanced verification suggests she's shared her suspicions with Sienna," Michelle observed. "They're testing us while separating us during critical phases."

"We should update Marten," Michelle added. "Adjust the tactical approach."

Jenna nodded, her expression concerned. "They're watching us closely, Michelle. Especially Kendall."

"We maintain cover and follow extraction protocols if necessary," Michelle replied, forcing certainty into her voicedespite growing apprehension. "Forty-eight hours from now, this ends."

The statement hung between them, carrying dual meanings neither acknowledged. Forty-eight hours until the operation concluded. Forty-eight hours until Michelle Rodriguez and Jenna Wolfe ceased to exist.

And Michelle wasn't certain which ending concerned her more.

12

JENNA

Morning light filtered through the half-drawn curtains of the safe house. Jenna sat at the dining table, a cold cup of coffee in front of her, the tablet displaying technical specifications for tonight's surveillance equipment left untouched. Outside, Phoenix Ridge continued its ordinary Thursday rhythm—traffic increasing as the workday began, sunlight glinting off distant windows, a jogger passing by with a cheerful wave to a neighbor.

Such normalcy felt almost surreal in contrast to what waited for them tonight. After twelve days undercover, they were hours away from the culmination of their operation: the shipment arrival, the evidence gathering, the simultaneous police raids that would dismantle the PWC's criminal network.

Jenna glanced toward the bedroom where Michelle had retreated after their tense early breakfast. Since yesterday's briefing at police headquarters, something had shifted dramatically. The warmth and connection they'd established—the intimacy that had felt genuine rather than performed—had been replaced by Michelle's careful professionalism, as if steelshutters had descended, sealing away the woman Jenna had glimpsed beneath the captain's exterior.

The disappointment felt sharper than it should have for an undercover operation. Professional detachment was standard procedure. Expected, even. But after what they'd shared, the withdrawal felt like rejection.

Michelle emerged from the bedroom, tablet in hand, her movements precise and contained as she approached the table.