UNDERCOVER TO MY HEART

UNLAWFUL ALLIANCE

A badge on your chest does not stop a bullet when your own people turn against you.

The harsh fluorescent light of the interrogation room buzzed overhead, casting long shadows across the small metal table. Agent Miller from Internal Affairs slammed a thick blue file down on the table, his face twisted into a scowl.

You broke primary protocol three times tonight, Agent Bella, Miller barked, leaning over the table. You fired unsanctioned rounds in the courtyard, you shielded a known outlaw from federal officers, and you let a primary suspect move without a team.

I saved forty lives and stopped a bomb, Bella said, her voice icy cold as she met his glare. Jack was not the target. Xavier Knight was.

Jack is a wanted criminal, Miller spat, tapping his finger hard on her badge. You are two steps away from losing your badge and sitting in a cell right next to him. Director Vance wants your written statement on his desk in ten minutes, or you are suspended without pay.

Miller turned and walked out of the room, letting the heavy steel door slam shut behind him.

Bella did not hesitate. The second the lock clicked, she pulled her radio out, switching to the private emergency tactical frequency. Static crackled in her ear before a faint, intercepted transmission broke through the speaker line.

Target is locked in sector four cell block, a muffled voice said over the frequency. Hit squad is moving in five minutes. Leave no witnesses.

Her heart dropped straight into her stomach. Xavier's cartel network reached deep inside the local holding facility. If she waited for Director Vance to sign a protection order, Jack would be dead before morning.

Bella stepped out into the quiet hallway, moving quickly toward the main security station. The night guard was looking down at his phone, his key card sitting casually on the desk edge. Bella reached over the divider, snatching the black security badge with practiced speed before slipping down the rear stairwell toward the holding cells.

She swiped the stolen card through the electronic reader of sector four, stepping into the dark concrete hallway. She moved past three empty holding rooms until she reached the heavy steel door at the end.

Jack, Bella whispered, unlocking the viewing grate.

Jack sat on the narrow metal bench inside, his head lifting in total shock as he recognized her voice.

Bella? Jack asked, rising quickly to his feet. What are you doing here? You need to leave before Vance sees you.

A cartel hit squad just bypassed the front gate, Bella said, turning the master override key in the lock. They are coming to kill you right now.

The heavy steel door swung open with a soft click. Jack stepped out into the corridor, looking down at the stolen security badge in her trembling hand.

You are throwing your entire life away for me, Jack said softly, his dark eyes searching her face.

I am keeping you alive, Bella replied, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the rear utility exit. Now move before they hit this hallway.

They burst out the back fire door into the rainy alley behind the federal building. Bella clicked the remote unlock on an unmarked gray sedan parked in the shadow of the brick wall. They dove into the front seats just as heavy footsteps echoed from the upper loading dock.

Where are we going? Jack asked as Bella slammed the car into drive and stomped on the gas pedal.

You tell me, Bella said, weaving the sedan through the quiet city streets to avoid the main highway cameras. We are both wanted by the law and hunted by the cartel now.

Blackwood Forest, Jack said, leaning back against the headrest and watching the rear view mirror. The cabin I told you about at the pier. Nobody knows it exists except me.

An hour later, the gray sedan turned off the main state route, rolling down a dark, unpaved dirt trail deep inside the coastal pine forest. High trees blocked out the moon, wrapping the car in complete blackness until the headlights caught the wooden porch of a secluded log cabin hidden in a dense clearing.

Jack stepped out of the vehicle, reaching under the flat stone near the front step to pull out a rusted iron key. He unlocked the heavy oak front door, pushing it open into the quiet, dusty living room. The air inside smelled faintly of dry pine wood, old leather, and rain.

Is it safe here? Bella asked, closing the door behind them and securing the deadbolt.

For tonight it is, Jack said, walking over to a wooden cabinet to pour two glasses of water. The cartel tracker in the truck is dead, and Vance does not have this location in his database.

Bella walked deeper into the dark cabin, her tactical instincts prompting her to check every corner of the house. She moved past the stone fireplace toward a long wooden bookshelf lining the back wall. She noticed a thin gap in the wood paneling right behind the top shelf.

What is this? Bella asked, resting her fingers on the edge of the wooden board.

Jack froze, turning around slowly with the water glasses still in his hands. Bella, wait, he called out.

Bella pulled the hidden wooden panel sideways, revealing a secret door that swung open into a small, windowless back room.

She stepped inside, pulling out her small pocket light and clicking the power switch. The bright beam illuminated the far wall, and her breath caught completely in her throat.

The entire back wall was covered in dozens of black-and-white surveillance photos.

Every single picture was of her.

There were photos of her walking to her car seven years ago, photos of her sitting in her federal academy classroom, photos of her getting coffee near her old apartment, and photos of her training at the shooting range. Dates, locations, and handwritten notes were scratched in black ink beside every single frame.

He had not just faked his death and disappeared into the shadows. He had been watching over her every single day of her life for seven years.

Bella turned around slowly, her voice trembling as she met Jack's intense gaze standing in the doorway.

You never left me, she whispered.