Private directly below shelter
I believe the answer is:
undercover
'private' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'below shelter' is the wordplay.
'below' becomes 'under' ('under' can be a synonym of 'below').
'shelter' becomes 'cover' (I've seen this before**).
'under'+'cover'='UNDERCOVER'
'directly' is the link.
This may not be right. It may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for undercover that I've seen before include "Clandestine" , "Like incognito spy" , "What spy may be" , "How a book may be found" , "Hidden" .)