Page 90 of Rescuing Sophia

“We need to move,” I say, my voice low and dangerous, barely recognizable to my own ears. “Now.”

Ethan’s hand lands on my shoulder, a steadying presence. “We will, but we do this smart. We do this right.”

I force air into my lungs. Ethan’s right. We can’t let emotion cloud our judgment. Not when the stakes are this high.

“Stitch,” Sam’s authoritative voice cuts through the thick silence. “What else did the drone send us?”

Stitch tears her eyes away from the screen, visibly shaken. “Coordinates. And a rough map of the compound’s interior. The drone’s been gathering data this whole time.”

“Good.” Ethan nods, his jaw set. “That’s our starting point. Mitzy, I want a full analysis of that compound. Brady and Max start working on infiltration scenarios. We need options.”

As the room springs into action around me, I force myself to focus.

We have a location.

We have intel.

Now, we plan.

And then, we move.

Hang on, Sophia. We’re coming for you.

As for Malfor? He’ll pay for every second of pain he’s caused. That’s a promise I intend to keep.

The initial shock of the footage fades, replaced by a tense silence.

Gabe is the first to break it, his voice tight with skepticism. “How do we know this isn’t some elaborate setup? Malfor could beforcing Sophia to lead us into a trap. He knows we’ll come for her.”

Walt nods, his brow furrowed. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s used a hostage as bait.”

My jaw clenches, a retort on the tip of my tongue, but Ethan beats me to it.

“Valid concerns.” Ethan scans the room. “But let’s think this through. What are the chances Malfor could have hijacked one of our drones?”

Mitzy shakes her head, her multi-colored hair swaying. “Next to impossible. The encryption on those things is state-of-the-art. Plus, the data signature matches our protocols perfectly.”

“Could be a perfect forgery,” Brady suggests, arms crossed over his chest.

Jeb clears his throat. “Unlikely. The drone’s been sending sporadic bursts of data for days now. We’d have spotted inconsistencies by now if it were a forgery.”

Sam steps forward, his presence commanding attention. “Let’s not forget, Sophia left us messages before she disappeared. She warned us about a potential trap. This could be her way of giving us the information we need while maintaining that warning.”

The room falls silent as we all consider this.

Forest’s gravelly voice cuts through the tension. “In my experience, the most effective traps often contain elements of truth. If this is a setup, it’s a damned good one, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t act on it.”

CJ nods, his expression resolute. “Forest is right. Trap or not, we can’t afford to ignore this opportunity.” He straightens, his posture shifting into what we all recognize ascommand mode.“Alright, people. We’re moving forward with this, but we’re doing it smart. Here’s how we’re breaking this down.”

Sam turns to Mitzy and her team. “I want every scrap of data from that drone analyzed. Location, layout, security measures—anything that could give us an edge. Stitch, see if you can establish two-way communication with the drone. If Sophia’s controlling it somehow, we need to know.”

“She can’t.” Stitch shakes her head. “It’s operating in full-autonomous mode. I doubt she’s been in contact with it for days.” She doesn’t wait for a response, turning back to her computer as if that conversation’s over.

“Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie teams, I want working infiltration scenarios. That compound looks like a fortress—I want options for every possible entry point.” Sam turns to CJ and Mitzy. “I need the two of you to coordinate with our contacts in Montenegro. We’ll need local support and potentially a cover story for why a team of American operatives is suddenly very interested in a private villa.”

“On it,” CJ confirms, already pulling out his phone.

Sam’s gaze sweeps the room one last time. “Remember, people—Malfor threatens everything we stand for. Taking him down is a priority. Let’s move.”

---