We shot each other a look and then both nodded. “I can’t hear you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” we both said in unison.
“See that, you’re working as one already. I’ll introduce Summer to the rest of the team and brief her on the plan and what has already happened. I saw in the proposal that you’re supposed to be at the Louvre. Head out. Summer will find you at some point during the day to start shadowing you. You’ll finally have the protection you need, Agent Hadden. I’ll see both of you tonight for your report. Oh, and Hadden, I want every bit of intel you’ve collected over the past few days.”
I nodded, hating the fact that I’d have to give her the file that had the contents of Kamal’s computer on it, and after opening the door, I left the room. I couldn’t believe Summer would be watching my every move. My nose wrinkled and my throat burned with disgust. Not fun. If only Jeremy were here, this would not be happening. A desperate ache filled my gut thinking about his absence. I said a little prayer for him as I walked through the office. He had to be safe. He had to continue to be safe. Memories of my past with Summer flooded my mind. We did have a history together. A history I wanted to forget.
We’d met on a school trip, became witnesses to a murder, and ended up in witness protection at a spy school in Belgium. Summer had made it clear that she thought I was the cause of her having to leave her perfect life and family and on top of that, blamed me for the death of her boyfriend, Josh.
I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I was going to have to make it work. From the look on Summer’s face when I’d entered the office, she was going to have just as hard a time as I was. It had been over three years, it should all be forgotten, but I knew it wasn’t. I was supposed to trust my shadow. I didn’t trust Summer.
I went straight to Ace to see what new tech he had for me. I hoped he had something good enough to help me out of the gloom Summer’s presence had brought.
Ace was in the sprawling lab with ten others working on various projects at different stations around the room. I walked to the very back corner where Ace liked to hide out. He’d even made the area his own by hanging paintings of colorful and dynamic superheroes.
“Looking for a lost team member?”
He turned, grinning like a mad scientist. “Not any more. I’m shocked at how quickly Siron took to our plan.”
“No kidding. But I could do without my shadow.”
“Is he already here?”
“Yes, but he’s a she.”
“Seriously? And you don’t sound impressed.”
“Let’s just say I have a history with this girl and don’t trust her as far as I could throw her. Siron said she’s going to introduce her to you guys. Just don’t fall in love with her, okay?”
“No worries there, my beautiful thief. I only have eyes for you.”
“Seriously, though, be careful with her.”
“I’ll keep my electronic eye on her for you.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Check this out, Christy.” He held up a thin piece of plastic dangling from tweezers, his face tight with excitement.
“Playing with plastic, eh?”
“Tracking plastic, actually.” His eyes gleamed as he stared at it.
“Tracking plastic that’s somehow not detectable?” My voice cracked as I spoke, I really wanted it to work.
“I think so.”
I didn’t like hearing the think part. “I’m really amazed that skin of plastic somehow tracks, but it’s no good to me if it can be detected.”
He nodded. “Theoretically, this will work, but it hasn’t been tried and tested. You will be doing this. I’m assuming the pickpockets are using a program to identify the RFID trackers that the previous drives had attached to them. They were constantly transmitting, albeit in completely different ways. We’re going to use trackers that we activate from our end. It will only transmit once activated, and this plastic-like coating protects the drive from activation by anyone else and detection of the device itself.”
I thought about the tracking device Division had put in my arm to help me catch a kidnapper. I was the one who had had to activate it. That seemed like forever ago.
“So we’ll be able to activate it whenever we want to?”
“Yes. In theory. If they have any jammers, however, we will not be able to activate from a great distance.”
“How would we know when to activate it?”
“Seems to me the best time would be at night when people sleep, but there is no good answer to this.”
“Kamal told me he tests the trackers right after he acquires them. So night sounds good. Is it ready, then?” I thought about Kamal’s hesitancy in taking drives and decided that I would not be the one giving this drive to him. I would have to get that drive into one of the other pickpockets’ hands.
“Give me five minutes, and I’ll have it for you.”
The sparkle in his eye made me happy. “You know, we still need to get our eight-euro sodas at a café to feel the amazing ambience of Paris.” I winked.
“Yes, we do. Yes, we do.”
As I turned to leave, he grabbed my arm. “I’m really glad you’re back. Now, let’s go kick some pickpocket butt.” He handed me a bag of chocolate smarties.
I smiled and chuckled before slipping into the evening air, humming. Things were looking up for me.
***
I headed to the Louvre—I had three new tracked drives to plant, and the thought of it made me nervous. The fact that Summer would be following me everywhere I went made me
