Page 104 of Jenna's Protector

But it’s not over—not by a long shot. Whoever is behind this is still out there. The fight isn’t over. It’s only just begun.

THIRTY-SIX

Carter

The clockon the dash flips to 0500 hours when we pull into Guardian HRS headquarters. My eyes burn with exhaustion, but there’s no time for rest. Not with what we’ve uncovered.

“Let’s move.” Ethan’s voice is gruff as he kills the engine.

We pile out, our footsteps echoing in the empty parking lot. The weight of the waterproof bags feels heavier than it should, laden with secrets we’ve yet to uncover.

Inside, the command center hums with activity. Screens flicker with data streams; the air is thick with tension and the acrid scent of stale coffee.

Mitzy, Stitch, and Jeb huddle around a central console while CJ and Sam confer in low voices nearby. Forest Summers stands at the helm, his presence commanding even in the early hours.

“What have you got for us?” Forest’s eyes lock onto the bags we’re carrying.

I upend the first bag onto a nearby table. Documents spill out, along with several hard drives. “Everything we could grab from the yacht.”

Mitzy rifles through the papers, her brow furrowed inconcentration. “This is going to take some time to sort through. I’m sure it’s heavily encrypted.”

“Start cataloging everything.” Forest’s expression is grim. “We need to know exactly what we’re dealing with.”

For the next few hours, we meticulously document each item. The team works in near silence, the gravity of what we uncovered weighing on us all.

“Look at this.” Mitzy holds up a document, her finger tracing a series of symbols. “These keep repeating. Nine distinct markers.”

Forest leans in, studying the page. “Interesting. Could be some kind of organizational structure.”

More silence follows.

As noon draws near, CJ steps forward. “Alright, people. You’ve done good work. Get some rest. We’ll pick this up again later.”

Blake catches my eye. “You should see Jenna. She’s probably waiting in medical.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” My bones ache with exhaustion, but the thought of seeing Jenna adds a spring to my step.

When we arrive, the medical wing is quiet. Jenna and Sophia sit together on a bed. Jenna has her arm around Sophia, who looks pale and vulnerable. The sight of them together, survivors supporting each other, tugs at something in my chest. When we enter, Jenna’s eyes light up. She disentangles herself from Sophia and rushes into my arms.

“Carter.” Her voice cracks with relief and exhaustion.

I wrap her in my arms, holding her as tightly as I dare. She buries her face in my chest, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. I stroke her hair, murmuring soothing words into her ear, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside of me.

“How are you holding up?” My voice thickens with emotion.

“Better now that you’re here.” She clings to me like a lifeline, her fingers digging into my back and her tears soaking my shirt. I don’t mind. It means this is real, and she’s no longer in danger.

Sophia pushes back on the bed, drawing her knees up to her chest, curling into a tight ball. Blake hovers near the door, his gazefixed on Sophia. His hand twitches at his side as if he wants to reach out, but he holds himself back.

“How are youreallyfeeling?” I pull back just enough to examine the bruises marring her face.

“Like I’ve been hit by a truck.” She manages a weak smile through her tears. “But I’ll live. How’s Max?”

“He’s stable.” Fortunately, Malia called me with an update a few hours ago. I brush a stray lock of hair from Jenna’s forehead. “Lost a lot of blood, and the surgery was successful. He’ll need time to recover, but he’s going to be okay.”

“Thank God. I want to see him.” Relief washes over Jenna’s face.

“We’ll arrange that soon. We found a lot of stuff on the yacht, but most of it’s encrypted. They haven’t figured anything out yet, but I’m hopeful something will lead to Sentinel.”

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