Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84

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Colonel Edwards leaned back in his metal chair, regarding me with calculated suspicion. His office smelled of stale coffee and military–grade disinfectant. The walls were bare except for framed commendations and a large American flag. A row of challenge coins lined his desk – silent testaments to his various postings and achievements.

“Jade Morgan,‘ he said, flipping through a manila folder. “Eighteen years old. Cloud City High School. Perfect SAT scores except for an incomplete essay portion. Accepted to Princeton on a full scholarship to study computer science.” He closed the folder and fixed his steely gaze on me. “That’s what the paperwork says.”

I kept my expression neutral, taking in the security camera in the corner and the position of the two armed guards outside the frosted glass door. “That’s correct.”

“What the paperwork doesn’t explain,” he continued, ‘is how you outran Sergeant Ford, a former Marine with fifteen years of service. Or how you broke the camp record for the obstacle course by twenty–seven seconds. Or how you displayed professional–level sniper accuracy with no prior training – twenty–three perfect shots from variable distances in changing wind conditions.”

I remained silent, watching him. The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the quiet room. My mind calculated fourteen different responses and discarded them all.

“Miss Morgan, we need you to remain here for additional questioning. Your behavior suggests specialized training inconsistent with your background.” His tone hardened. “We need to determine if you’re an operative for a foreign intelligence service.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m some kind of spy?”

“That’s what we’re trying to determine. Your performance metrics align with special forces training protocols. No civilian achieves that level of proficiency without professional instruction.”

I glanced at my watch – Max’s gift. “Two hours. That’s how long you’ve had to investigate me, and all you’ve found is my basic information?” I couldn’t help the contempt that crept into my voice. “Not very impressive for military intelligence. May I make a phone call?”

Colonel Edwards’s jaw tightened. He nodded to someone behind me, and I heard the soft click of computer keys. They were setting up to monitor communications.

“Go ahead,” Edwards said, sliding a landline phone across the desk. “The line is secure.

I almost laughed at his confidence. Instead, I picked up the receiver and dialed a number from memory.

A technician in the corner whispered urgently to Edwards, “Sir, we can’t trace the call. The signal’s being rerouted through multiple nodes.

I pretended not to hear as the call connected.

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12:20 Mon, Sep 22

Chapter 84

62

“Mr. Haxton? It’s Jade Morgan.” I kept my voice casual. “I’m at Camp Harrison for the Princeton Freshman Challenge. There seems to be some confusion about my background. Colonel Edwards is concerned about my performance during training exercises. Something about running too fast and shooting too well.” I paused. “Yes, that’s right.”

The technician’s frantic typing grew louder. “Sir, we’ve lost the signal completely. Someone’s blocking our intercept. This is military–grade encryption.”

Colonel Edwards’s phone rang. He answered it, his expression shifting from confidence to surprise, then to something approaching fear.

“Yes, sir. I understand. Yes, she’s right here.” He hung up and looked at me differently. “Miss Morgan, I apologize for

the misunderstanding. It seems you have… connections I wasn’t aware of.”

I handed him back the receiver. “Are we done here?”

“Yes. Sergeant Ford will escort you back to your barracks.”

After I left, Colonel Edwards turned to Sergeant Ford. “Did you hear that call?”

Ford nodded grimly. “Haxton. As in the Haxton family?”

“As in Ethan Haxton himself. The same Haxton who just donated two million dollars‘ worth of tactical training equipment to this facility.” Edwards ran a hand through his thinning hair. “No wonder she’s so well–trained. She’s one of his people.”

Back at the barracks, whispers followed me as I entered. The girls who’d been discussing me fell silent, watching as I crossed to my bunk. Their expressions ranged from curiosity to outright fear.

“Did you get kicked out?” Jennifer finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

I ignored her, lying down on my bunk and closing my eyes. I could hear their hushed voices speculating about what had happened.

Ten minutes later, Sergeant Ford appeared at the door. “Morgan, you’re needed again.”

The room erupted in whispers as I followed him out.

“Is she in trouble?”

“Maybe they’re recruiting her!”

“Don’t be stupid. They don’t recruit freshmen.”

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12:20 Mon, Sep 22

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