"Sienna's been unusually welcoming," Jenna said, redirecting the conversation. "But Kendall remains suspicious. Her military background makes her harder to convince."
Michelle nodded. "We need everything you have on Kendall. Her military service record, discharge details, any connections to South America. Something feels off about her level of vigilance."
"I'll have Morgan run a deep background," Julia promised, making a mental note. "What about your cover? Still holding solid?"
"Solid enough to earn restricted access and invitation to their retreat," Michelle replied.
"We've been undergoing intensive scrutiny," Jenna added. "Kendall attempted to poke holes in our GreenTech backstory today, but we navigated it."
Julia's gaze moved between them, something knowing entering her expression. "Your dynamic must be convincing. These women aren't easily fooled."
Michelle felt a flush of heat rise in her cheeks, unsure if Julia's observation was purely professional or hinted at awareness. She maintained her composed expression through sheer force of will.
"We're professionals," she said, the words coming out more defensively than intended.
Julia raised an eyebrow but didn't press. "Chief Marten asked me to brief you on parallel operations. Phoenix Ridge isn't the only target. Similar women's advocacy groups in Seattle, San Diego, and Vancouver have been infiltrated by the same smuggling network. All with the same MO: legitimate front, female leadership, educational materials shipments concealing designer drugs."
"Coordination across international boundaries suggests higher-level organization than we initially suspected," Michelle noted.
"The Vancouver operation was compromised last month," Julia continued, her expression growing serious. "Their undercover officer barely made it out. The network doesn't hesitate to eliminate threats."
Michelle felt her stomach tighten, gaze instinctively shifting to Jenna. She forced her attention back to Julia, but not before the veteran detective caught the glance.
"The timing of the shipment is accelerating our timeline," Julia said, mercifully ignoring Michelle's momentary lapse."Chief Marten wants to move on this shipment rather than waiting for the next. We'll have one chance to get this right."
"Which means deepening our access before the retreat," Michelle concluded. "Jenna's interviews with leadership-track members will be crucial."
"And increasingly dangerous," Julia noted. "These interviews put you directly in contact with women who likely have knowledge of criminal activities. One wrong question..."
She left the implication hanging. Michelle felt that protective instinct flare again, stronger this time.
"I've done this before," Jenna said with quiet confidence. "I know where the boundaries are."
Julia nodded. "The port surveillance is being handled by Lieutenant Maria Vasquez's tactical team. Your focus remains gathering intelligence on the organization's structure and shipping routes."
A silence fell between them, filled only by the distant crash of waves and the call of seagulls overhead. Michelle knew they'd reached the end of their secure communication window; any meeting that lasted too long increased exposure risk.
"Same protocols for the next contact?" she asked.
Julia nodded. "Three days, unless emergency protocols are activated. Detective Rivers remains your primary communication channel."
As they prepared to separate, Julia placed a hand briefly on Michelle's arm, her voice dropping so only Michelle could hear. "You two have impressive chemistry. Just remember where the operation ends and reality begins."
The comment hit Michelle like a physical blow. She maintained her neutral expression with effort, offering only a curt nod before turning away. Julia's observation was too close to the thoughts she'd been struggling to suppress—theincreasingly blurred line between their cover relationship and whatever was developing beneath it.
They left the park separately, reuniting at the car only after confirming once more they hadn't been followed. The drive back to the safe house passed in thoughtful silence. Only when they were safely inside did Michelle allow herself to acknowledge what Julia's warning had stirred in her—not just concern for the operation's success, but a growing fear for Jenna's safety that felt fundamentally different from her usual professional detachment.
Something had shifted between them, evolving beyond the physical attraction she'd initially tried to deny. A connection taking root that complicated everything about the mission ahead—and one that Michelle wasn't at all certain she could simply leave behind when the operation concluded.
Michelle retreated to the dining table and immediately opened her laptop, creating a physical barrier between herself and Jenna. The warning in Julia's parting words echoed in her mind: "Just remember where the operation ends and reality begins." Professional advice she'd once given to younger officers herself, now returning as an uncomfortable reminder of her own compromised objectivity.
"We should document everything while it's fresh," Michelle said, her voice cool and controlled. She pulled up their secure reporting template, focusing intently on the screen rather than meeting Jenna's questioning gaze.
"I'll prepare notes on the newsletter committee access points," Jenna replied, settling across from her.
They worked in tense silence, the easy rhythm they'd developed in recent days replaced by Michelle's deliberate distance. She knew she was overcompensating—her tone too formal, her posture too rigid—but couldn't seem to moderate her response. Julia's observation had scraped against a growingfear that anyone looking closely enough could see the genuine feelings developing beneath their cover.
"The shipping manifests confirm our intelligence about route and timing," Michelle noted, keeping her focus on operational details. "We should catalog PWC leadership profiles and threat assessments."
