The Man Beyond The Map

CHAPTER 6 - JEALOUSY

The first sign that something had changed was the silence.

Not between Elena and me.

Between everyone else.

I noticed it the following morning.

I was halfway through weapons training when Captain Reeves stopped beside me and said, “You've got a visitor.”

I lowered the rifle.

“Who?”

He shrugged.

“Didn't give a name.”

I looked toward the observation area.

Nobody stood there.

“Where?”

“Outside.”

I handed the rifle to the instructor and walked out.

Nobody was waiting.

Only an empty corridor.

I frowned.

Reeves had been there less than thirty seconds earlier.

“Cross.”

I turned.

Commander Victor Kane stood at the far end of the hallway.

I hadn't seen him in weeks.

He was one of those officers who never needed to raise his voice to make a room uncomfortable.

His uniform was immaculate.

His expression wasn't.

“Commander.”

He approached slowly.

“You've been busy.”

“That's usually how the military works.”

His mouth twitched.

“Still sarcastic.”

“Still alive.”

He stopped in front of me.

“I heard you're doing well.”

“I've been doing my job.”

“That isn't what I heard.”

I studied him.

“What did you hear?”

“That General Vale trusts you.”

I said nothing.

Kane glanced toward the training grounds.

“That's a valuable thing.”

“It is.”

“Don't waste it.”

Something in his tone bothered me.

“What exactly are you saying?”

“Nothing.”

He walked past me.

Then stopped.

“Oh, and Cross?”

I turned.

“Be careful where you put your loyalty.”

He left before I could answer.

I watched him disappear.

Then I looked through the window.

General Vale was standing across the courtyard.

Watching me.

For a second, our eyes met.

He turned away.

My instincts tightened.

Something was wrong.

I just didn't know what.

---

That evening, Elena sent me a message.

Are you free?

I stared at it.

I should have ignored it.

Instead, I typed:

For you? Apparently.

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

Meet me at the garden. Ten minutes.

I looked around my quarters.

The sensible part of me said no.

The rest of me was already putting on my jacket.

---

The garden behind the officers' residence was almost empty.

The sun had gone down.

Small lights illuminated the walking path.

Elena stood beside a stone fountain.

When she saw me, she smiled.

“You came.”

“You asked.”

“I wasn't sure you would.”

“Neither was I.”

She laughed.

Then she noticed my expression.

“What happened?”

“Commander Kane.”

Her smile faded.

“What about him?”

“He warned me.”

“About what?”

“Loyalty.”

She looked away.

For a moment, I thought she knew more than she was saying.

“Do you trust him?” I asked.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I've never liked the way he looks at people.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“That's a very scientific assessment.”

“I don't need science.”

She turned toward me.

“I've watched him.”

“How?”

“He's been around Marcus for years.”

“So?”

“He doesn't respect people.”

I considered that.

“Neither do you.”

She smiled.

“Maybe that's why I noticed.”

We walked slowly along the path.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Then Elena said, “I saw you today.”

“Where?”

“At the training grounds.”

“You shouldn't have been there.”

“I know.”

“You're going to get us both in trouble.”

“I wasn't watching you.”

“You were.”

She smiled.

“Maybe.”

I stopped walking.

She stopped too.

“Why?”

She looked at me.

“Because a woman was talking to you.”

I blinked.

“What woman?”

“The one in the blue uniform.”

I realized who she meant.

“Lieutenant Harper?”

“Yes.”

“What about her?”

“You were smiling.”

I stared at Elena.

Then I laughed.

She frowned.

“What?”

“You're jealous.”

“I'm not.”

“You are.”

“I am not.”

“You followed me to the training grounds to watch me talk to another woman.”

“I happened to be there.”

“Of course.”

She crossed her arms.

“You looked happy.”

“She was telling me I have terrible shooting form.”

“You were laughing.”

“Because she nearly fell over trying to demonstrate it.”

Elena looked away.

I stepped closer.

“You're jealous.”

“Maybe.”

The word came quietly.

I smiled.

She looked back at me.

“Don't.”

“Don't what?”

“Look so pleased with yourself.”

“I can't help it.”

“You're impossible.”

“So I've been told.”

She shook her head.

Then I noticed something.

Her eyes weren't playful anymore.

“Why does it bother you?”

She looked down.

“Because I know I'm not supposed to care.”

I stopped smiling.

She continued.

“And I do.”

The honesty took the air out of the moment.

I stepped closer.

“Elena.”

She looked up.

“I don't want to feel this way.”

“Neither do I.”

“Then why does it feel so good when you're near me?”

I had no answer.

She moved closer until there was barely any space between us.

Her voice dropped.

“I hate that I wait for your messages.”

“I know.”

“I hate that I notice when you're gone.”

“I know.”

“I hate that I look for you whenever I enter a room.”

I swallowed.

“I do the same.”

Her eyes met mine.

For a moment, we forgot everything.

The base.

Marcus.

Our ranks.

The consequences.

Her hand touched my arm.

I looked down at it.

Then back at her.

“We shouldn't,” I whispered.

“I know.”

Neither of us moved.

A branch cracked somewhere behind us.

We separated immediately.

I turned.

Nothing.

Only darkness between the trees.

My hand instinctively moved toward my sidearm.

Elena noticed.

“What is it?”

“Someone's there.”

I moved toward the trees.

“Ethan.”

I raised one hand.

She stopped.

I searched the shadows.

Nothing.

I walked deeper into the garden.

Footprints.

Fresh.

Someone had been standing there.

Watching.

I crouched.

The soil was damp from the previous night's rain.

The prints led toward the rear gate.

Then disappeared.

I returned to Elena.

“Someone was watching us.”

Her face changed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“I don't know.”

She looked toward the gate.

“We should go.”

“Together?”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“You first.”

“Elena—”

“If someone saw us, we can't leave together.”

I hated that she was right.

I nodded.

“You wait ten minutes.”

She nodded.

I started walking.

After a few steps, she called my name.

I turned.

She stood beneath the garden lights.

“Ethan?”

“Yes?”

“I'm not jealous anymore.”

I almost smiled.

“Good.”

She looked at me.

“I'm terrified.”

Then she walked away.

---

Ten minutes later, I left the garden.

I didn't see anyone.

But I felt watched.

That feeling followed me back to my quarters.

I locked the door.

Checked the windows.

Then checked them again.

My instincts had saved my life too many times to ignore them.

Something was changing.

And I knew exactly what had triggered it.

Elena.

I sat at my desk.

My phone vibrated.

A message.

Not from Elena.

An unknown number.

You should have listened to Kane.

I stared at the screen.

Another message appeared.

Walk away from her.

I stood.

My chair scraped against the floor.

I checked the window.

Nothing.

Another message.

Before General Vale finds out.

My stomach dropped.

I looked at the security camera mounted outside my quarters.

The red indicator was blinking.

Recording.

Someone had access to the footage.

Someone had been watching us.

I grabbed my phone.

I typed:

Who are you?

The reply came almost instantly.

Someone trying to keep you alive.

I stared at the words.

Then the screen went dark.

---

The next morning, General Vale summoned me.

I walked into his office at exactly 0800.

He was standing beside the window.

“Close the door.”

I did.

He didn't turn around.

“You've served under me for six years, Cross.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I've trusted you with classified information.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I've trusted you with my life.”

“Yes, sir.”

He turned.

His expression was different.

Not angry.

Worse.

Disappointed.

“Have I ever given you reason to doubt that trust?”

“No, sir.”

“Then why are you giving me reason to doubt yours?”

My heartbeat slowed.

“What are you referring to?”

He placed a folder on the desk.

“Sit.”

I sat.

He remained standing.

“I've been receiving reports.”

“About what?”

“You.”

I stared at him.

“What kind of reports?”

He opened the folder.

Photographs.

Not many.

But enough.

One showed me leaving Elena's house.

Another showed us standing together in the garden.

A third showed us at the officers' function.

None showed anything intimate.

But they didn't need to.

The implication was enough.

I looked at Marcus.

He looked back at me.

“Tell me it's nothing.”

I couldn't speak.

“Cross.”

His voice cracked through the room.

“Tell me.”

I looked down at the photographs.

Then at the man who had trusted me.

And for the first time since I met Elena, I felt something colder than desire.

Fear.

Not for myself.

For what I had done to the man sitting across from me.

“Sir…”

He raised his hand.

“Don't lie to me.”

Silence.

He closed his eyes briefly.

Then whispered,

“Please don't make me regret trusting you.”

I looked at him.

I wanted to tell him everything.

I wanted to tell him nothing had happened.

I wanted to erase every message, every conversation, every moment.

But some things couldn't be erased.

Not once they existed.

Marcus picked up the photographs.

“You're dismissed.”

I stood.

I reached the door.

“Cross.”

I turned.

His eyes were red.

“I hope I'm wrong.”

I couldn't answer.

I walked out.

The moment the door closed behind me, my phone vibrated.

Another unknown message.

He knows.

I stared at the screen.

Then another message appeared.

And this is only the beginning.