“Exactly,” I say.
I pull my slate out and flick through my comm channels.
“Patch me to Ghostline,” I tell Sable.
She taps her own device. “Ghostline open.”
Ghostline is what we call the internal back-channel that doesn’t touch Kaijen’s main network. Old hardware, hardwired relays, physical encryption keys. The kind of system you can’t hack from a distance unless you’re in the wall with a screwdriver.
I trust it more than I trust my own blood some days.
“Get me eyes in Suite Twelve,” I say. “No alarms. No flicker. I want them comfortable.”
Sable nods. “We can piggyback off the room’s climate sensor and install a micro-lens in the vent.”
“Do it,” I say. “And I want audio.”
Rook says, “Quiet shooters?”
I glance down the corridor—two adjacent service hallways, one maintenance closet with an access grate, and a ceiling panel that opens into a crawlspace.
“Two,” I say. “No theatrics. If something goes sideways, I want them stopped before they touch Jordan.”
Rook nods and slips away, already moving.
I key another channel, the one Jordan is on.
Her voice comes through instantly, sharp. “Tell me you’re not doing something stupid.”
I exhale. Even through comms, she sounds like she’s braced for impact.
“I’m doing something smart,” I say.
“That’s subjective,” she shoots back.
“Suite Twelve,” I tell her. “A Coalition liaison is meeting Captain Jasker.”
A beat of silence. Then: “Jasker. Tribute guy.”
“Yes.”
Jordan’s breath hitches slightly, like she just mentally lined up a dozen ugly dots. “So the ‘protection’ offer is… bait.”
“Bait with teeth,” I say.
“What’s your play?” she asks.
I keep my voice calm. “You watch. You stay hidden. I want you seeing this on a secure feed, not in person.”
“Lonari—” Her tone tightens. “I’m not going to sit here like a?—”
“Jordan,” I cut in, and my voice goes lower. Not harsh. Just immovable. “You told me you’re done wearing leashes. Good. Then don’t walk into one they’re holding open.”
Another pause. I can almost hear her grinding her teeth.
“Fine,” she says finally. “But if you get yourself killed, I’m going to be so pissed I’ll resurrect you just to yell at you.”
A rough laugh escapes me before I can stop it. “Noted.”
