With two confirmed informants removed and the compound on high alert, Ronan made the call to consolidate security, which meant tighter patrols, fewer members allowed off site alone, and, much to my mixed feelings about the arrangement, my own quarters moved from the back office to a room directly adjacent to his.
For your safety, he said, not quite meeting my eyes when he explained it, which told me the reasoning was not purely tactical even if neither of us said so out loud.
The new arrangement meant we crossed paths constantly, morning coffee in the small shared kitchen, evening debriefs that ran later than they needed to, a proximity that made the strange warm pull between us impossible to ignore even when we were both determined to keep things professional.
It was on the fourth nigh
