Page 28 of The Fixer

Reyna disappeared into the shadows to scout the perimeter, leaving Lyndsey and Jake alone by the van. Lyndsey turned to him, her smile widening. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this… alive.”

Jake studied her, his dark eyes unreadable. “Adrenaline will do that.”

“It’s more than adrenaline,” Lyndsey said, stepping closer. “I mean, I actually helped. I wasn’t just a bystander. I was part of something bigger.”

“You were,” Jake said, his voice low. “But don’t let the high cloud your judgment. We’re not out of danger yet.”

Lyndsey’s smile faltered, but she recovered quickly. “I know. I just… it feels good to know I can do more than just sit on the sidelines.”

Jake’s gaze softened, and the feeling between them shifted into something warmer, more intimate. “You did more than I expected,” he admitted. “And you kept your head under pressure. Not everyone can do that.”

Lyndsey’s heart swelled at the compliment. “Coming from you, that almost sounds like high praise.”

Jake’s lips quirked into the faintest hint of a smile. “Don’t get used to it. I think you could probably do with more discipline than praise. I suspect you get enough of the latter in your professional life. I think you would probably do better with apartner to balance that with the right kind of discipline and pleasure.”

Lyndsey was shocked. She was pretty sure that was the most words she’d heard from Jake in a single exchange. Before she could respond, a sharp whistle cut through the night. Reyna reappeared from the shadows, her expression serious. “All clear. But we need to move. I don’t like sitting out in the open.”

Jake nodded, motioning for them to head toward the cabin. Lyndsey followed, her earlier excitement tempered by the reminder of the danger still lurking in the shadows.

As they reached the cabin, Lyndsey paused on the porch, glancing back at the dark forest surrounding them. The thrill of their escape lingered, but so did the burden of everything they were up against. She turned to Jake, who stood close by, his eyes scanning the tree line.

“We’ll get through this, right?” she asked softly.

Jake’s gaze met hers, steady and unflinching. “We will.”

The certainty in his voice settled something inside her, grounding her in a way she hadn’t expected. As they stepped inside, Lyndsey couldn’t help but feel that no matter what came next, they were stronger together.

As the door closed behind them, cutting off the outside world, a low, almost imperceptible hum filled the air. Jake froze, his hand going to his weapon as his eyes darted to the far corner of the room.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered, his voice a sharp whisper.

“What is it?” Lyndsey asked, her pulse spiking.

Jake didn’t answer, his focus locked on the faint red light blinking from a device tucked into the corner. He stepped closer, crouching to examine it. When he straightened, his expression was grim.

“Someone’s been here,” he said, holding up a small black transmitter.

Lyndsey’s blood ran cold. “What does that mean?”

Jake’s jaw tightened. “It means they know where we are.”

CHAPTER TEN

LYNDSEY

Lyndsey waited while Jake and Reyna first cleared the cabin and then the surrounding area.

“I saw tracks on the other side of the woods,” said Jake. “They either left to get help, or they think we’ve abandoned the cabin. Either way, I’ve set additional perimeter alarms. We can bug out if we need to. I’ll take first watch.”

“Sounds good,” said Reyna. “I need to eat something while we go over what we got so you can send our notes along with the raw data to Cerberus. Then if you’re still up for first watch, I’ll hit the sack.”

Lyndsey sat at the cabin’s small wooden table, her laptop open and glowing faintly in the dim light of the room. Jake and Reyna hovered nearby, Reyna munching on a sandwich. Both she and Jake’s expressions were grim as the three of them sifted through the data gathered during the infiltration.

“Tell me you’ve got something useful,” Reyna said, leaning over Lyndsey’s shoulder. Her tone was lighter than the mood demanded, but it didn’t mask the urgency in her eyes.

Lyndsey nodded, her fingers flying over the keyboard. “There’s a lot here. Meeting transcripts, financial transactions, blueprints… it’s going to take time to comb through it all, butthis...” she pointed to a highlighted section on the screen, “...this is big.”

Jake stepped closer, his presence grounding her as he scanned the screen. “Lang’s name,” he muttered, his tone laced with disdain. “No surprise there.”

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