Page 50 of The Fixer

The SUV behind them roared closer, and a burst of gunfire shattered the rear window. Lyndsey let out a gasp, ducking as shards of glass sprayed across the seat. Jake swerved hard to the left, narrowly avoiding another round of bullets.

“Hold on!” he barked, slamming the accelerator. The SUV surged forward, but their pursuers matched their speed.

Reyna rolled down her window, leaning out with her rifle. “Keep it steady!” she called.

Jake’s grip tightened on the wheel as Reyna fired off a series of shots. The pursuing vehicle swerved, its windshield spiderwebbing from the impact, but it kept coming.

“They’re armored,” Reyna said through gritted teeth. “I’ll aim for the tires.”

Another round of gunfire erupted, this time from a second vehicle pulling alongside them. Jake cursed under his breath, yanking the wheel to the right to block their path. The SUVs collided, the screech of metal on metal filling the air.

“Reyna, take the lead car!” Jake ordered, his voice sharp.

Reyna didn’t hesitate, shifting her aim and firing at the second SUV. The front tire exploded, sending the vehicle careening into a lamppost. It crumpled on impact, but there was no time to celebrate.

The first SUV was still on their tail, its driver relentless. Jake took a hard turn down a side street, the tires screeching as he maneuvered through the narrow lane. Lyndsey clung to the door handle, her breath coming in quick gasps.

“Almost there,” Jake said, though his focus was entirely on the road.

Reyna fired again, this time hitting the engine block. Smoke billowed from the hood of the pursuing SUV, and it began toslow, but not before one final round of bullets pinged off their rear bumper.

“Damn,” Reyna muttered, sitting back down. “That was close.”

Jake didn’t ease up until they were within sight of Cerberus headquarters. The building’s fortified garage and parking area was a welcome sight, and the gate opened swiftly as they approached. He pulled in, his hands finally relaxing on the wheel.

As the vehicle came to a stop, Jake turned to Lyndsey. “You okay?”

She nodded, though her face was pale. “I’m fine. Just… shaken.”

Reyna snorted as she climbed out of the SUV. “You handled it better than most would, Doc. But I’ll admit, that was a little too close for comfort.”

Inside Cerberus, Jake didn’t waste any time. He marched straight to the conference room where King was waiting, his expression unreadable.

“We need to talk,” Jake said, his voice firm.

King gestured for him to sit, but Jake remained standing. “Lang’s stepping up his game. That ambush wasn’t random—it was coordinated. From this point on, Lyndsey doesn’t leave the building.”

Lyndsey bristled, her gaze snapping to him. “Jake...”

“No,” he cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument. “This isn’t negotiable. You saw what just happened. Lang wants you out of the picture, and I’m not giving him another chance.”

King leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes assessing the situation. “I’ll set up one of our secure offices for her,” he said. “She’ll have access to our cloud systems and anything else she needs. Lyndsey, we’ll also assign one of our cyber specialists tohelp you dig into the networks your colleagues used. If there’s a connection to Lang, we’ll find it.”

Lyndsey’s jaw tightened, but she nodded. “Fine. But I’m not stopping. If Lang wants to silence me, I’ll give him something worth fearing.”

Jake smiled with admiration. She was fearless, even when she had every right to crumble. And that terrified him more than anything Lang could throw their way.

Later, as Lyndsey settled into the secure office, Jake lingered in the doorway, watching as she arranged her workstation. The adrenaline from the ambush still lingered, a constant buzz in the back of his mind.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, his voice low.

Lyndsey looked up, her eyes meeting his. “I’m sure. We’re close, Jake. I can feel it. Lang’s network isn’t impenetrable. If we keep pushing, we’ll find the weak spot.”

Jake nodded, but the worry didn’t leave his face. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

She smiled faintly, a hint of warmth breaking through the strain. “I will. And I trust you and your team to keep me safe.”

Her words were heavy and grounding. Jake stepped closer, his hand brushing hers briefly. “We’ll end this, Lyndsey. I swear.”

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