Page 9 of Undercover Shadow

Tag refilled our teacups, and we sat at the scarred wooden table. “What happened after you left Syria?” he blurted.

The question stunned me. Where did I even start? I wrapped my hands around the warm china, grateful for something to hold.

“It makes more sense to tell you why I was there in the first place. What I was investigating.”

His eyes scrunched, but he nodded.

“When Idris died, I received a letter from him.” I turned away, not wanting to see his reaction. “It contained information about what he was working on.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I’d never admitted this aloud to anyone, and it was harder than I’d anticipated. Especially to Tag. “Project Labyrinth.”

I heard his sharp intake of breath, but didn’t pause long enough for him to speak.

“I also received an access code for encrypted files he left for me. They mentioned code names—Chimera, Janus, and someone called the Architect. There’s more, but I’ve not been able to decipher the majority of it.”

“Leila?”

My eyes met his.

“Are you saying this is why Idris died?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have—” He stopped himself, and I didn’t interrupt. “I wish you would’ve trusted me,” he added so quietly I almost couldn’t hear him.

“For a long time, I didn’t know who to trust, but it was more than that. What he was involved in, the information he left in mycare, got him killed. It was one thing to risk my own life. Another thing to put other people in danger.”

“But, why…?” He shook his head as though he figured out the answer before he asked the question. His eyes bored into mine. “This was the reason you were so determined to join Unit 23.”

“Yes.”

“Does Typhon know about the letter?”

“He does not.” I couldn’t gauge his reaction well enough to determine whether that bothered or relieved him.

“Since then, I’ve followed every lead, every clue. It’s why I spent so much time in Damascus and how I figured out Eric Weber was an alias Fallon Wallace used, then eventually, that she was Chimera.”

“You said there’s more?”

“Yes, but beyond anything I can break.”

“I sense there’s a lot you’re not saying.”

He was right, but even now, I couldn’t confess that Idris had never intended for me to take on the investigation. His letter had been very clear.Take all of this to Niall MacTaggert. You can trust him.

I’d chosen not to for reasons I couldn’t explain. That revelation would have to wait until I was ready for his reaction—which might be never.

“Do you think this is why you’re being followed?” he asked when I didn’t respond.

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But why after all this time?”

“It could have something to do with Fallon Wallace’s death. That you connected her to Weber and Chimera.”

“It’s one theory.”

“What about the Architect? Any theories about that?” he asked.

“It could be McLaren. Or Orlov.”

He nodded. “Neither of which can confirm or deny it at this point. One is dead, and one might as well be.” He sipped his tea. “What really happened in Syria?”