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“It looks like there might’ve been something you forgot to lob our way. What went south? Why were you running from Conver today?”  
    “I don’t know.” The admission made heat rise in her face. “I mean, I must’ve stumbled across the wrong thing. Obviously.”  
    “Obviously.” He edged backward, offering her more room to maneuver out of the corner she’d somehow gotten backed into. “Maybe we should rewind a bit. What exactly is involved in this stumbling you do?”  
    “I’m a technopath.”  
    He stilled. “Come again.”  
    “Technopath. I can root around in anything with a cord or electronic components.”  
    He eased into a perch on the cot. “So that’s why you suggested someone tracing you like that. You can do that?”  
    “Yes.” She swallowed through the nerves rattling her resolve for full disclosure. “But I’m not sure how they found me. At least, I’m not certain whoever may be involved is like me. I’ve run across lower levels who can do what I do before. They leave trails I feel like a scrape along my skin. I’d know they were there.”  
    “Unless they were a higher level. Conver wouldn’t mess around with a grade below five. Most of his crew is a high grade six, the max possible. Maybe they don’t leave a trace.”  
    She studied him for a moment. Full disclosure didn’t mean acting stupid. Information was power, and she’d hoarded anything that would compromise her team’s safety. Today’s meltdown with the team proved she had trust issues to begin with. Should she trust the SEO with the truth where she was concerned?  
    “What I say you’ll share with all SEO operatives.”  
    “We don’t keep secrets.” He studied her a moment and cursed. “You’re a level six, high gradient. You a Shadow?”  
    “No.” She shook her head vehemently. “I was never a Shadow. Technopathy wasn’t an ability they tested for, and I wasn’t stupid enough to share.”  
    “I’ve never heard of the ability before.”  
    “I’m sure there are many skillsets out there.”  
    “So, what went down to cause today?”  
    “I’ve been on a personal mission, one I hadn’t shared with my team or you all. I know there are other research facilities like the one I was held in. Doctor Lang always boasted about how widespread her reach was, how she traveled far and wide to study her subjects herself.”  
    “You’ve been looking for them.”  
    “Wouldn’t you? If you could?”  
    “You should’ve read us in on this. We have the bandwidth and skillset to help.”  
    “Whatever I discovered would’ve gotten turned over to you, as soon as I knew for sure. I wanted to gather security protocols and monitor daily activities long enough to have the patterns. Sending you into a trap wasn’t an option.” She powered the computer on behind her. “I’ve located the storage location for all Conver’s intel.”  
    “Wait. You found locations? When?” Anger punctuated his questions. “If you’re on his radar, any psychics there are dead. You get that, right?”  
    “I’m well aware of the risk. I may not be a Shadow, but I’m damn good at what I do. I never leave a trace.”  
    “Fair enough.”  
    The implicit trust in her judgment knocked the indignation straight out of her. “You run hot and cold. One minute you’re crawling down my throat with accusations. The next you trust what I say and act all respectful. I don’t like that.”  
    “That’s what we do. Censuring our thoughts only pisses the empaths among us off. We speak from our gut and sort shit in our heads after. That means back-pedaling at times, but we keep all cards on the table. Everyone knows everything.”  
    “Fair enough.” Devyn had run Indigo Order much the same way, thus the reason for the daily campfires. It was why Dare and Rider had taken her covert work so hard.  
    Mia and Cadence hadn’t said much, aside from lodging their frustration and disappointment. Mia would get