Page 41 of Rescuing Rebel

The shrill ringof my phone shatters the calm of the night, spiraling through the quiet like a warning siren. The first thought that goes through my brain is always the same.

They found Rebel.

A quick glance at the screen reveals it’s Mitzy. Her number lights up the display, and a jolt of adrenaline races through my veins.

Not one for idle chatter, her call carries weight. She found something. I answer, and her voice crackles through the speaker, urgent and tinged with the unique excitement only a breakthrough can elicit.

“Ethan, you need to hear this.”Her voice comes through in a rush.“I was combing through the phone you confiscated, and there’s something here. Something big. I’m calling a meeting. Grab your team and meet in the Guardian briefing room in an hour.”

“Copy that. Can you tell me the highlights?”

“Not a kidnapping. Never a plan for ransom. This is brutal, cold revenge.”

She spills the details, and each revelation forges a sickening picture in my mind. A connection between Ally’s security detail and a man with a grudge against her father.

Not just any grudge—an ancient, festering wound begging to be avenged.

This is personal.

Vengeance served cold.

This complicates things because our enemy’s motivations make him unpredictable and far more dangerous.

Ally’s straightforward search and recovery is now a tangle of personal agendas, shadowed by a feud older and bitterer than the coldest winters.

The debriefing comes all too soon. Charlie team gathers around a large conference table that dominates the room. Sam, CJ, and Mitzy stand at the front of the room. Even Forest Summers is present.

An elemental power, he commands our attention without uttering a word. Just shy of a seven-foot titan, his Nordic features are an imposing blend of ice-blue eyes, winter-blond hair, and a face etched out of stone. He inspires awe and a deep-rooted desire to surpass our limitations, meet our challenges head-on, and win.

There’s a godliness about him.

The man is a living testament to survival, as is his foster sister, Skye, aka Doc Summers. Her imposing brother may overshadow her diminutive height, but her gaze speaks to a quiet strength and unbending determination to survive and persevere. Yet the gentle tilt of her smile reveals a river of compassion miles wide.

Mitzy holds court at the end of the conference table. Behind her is a digital stage of a score of monitors mounted on the wall. Her vibrant, psychedelic hair sticks out in all directions, a halo of rebellion against authority. Her gaze never wavers from the screen as she scrolls through an endless stream of information.

Her voice, rushed with an urgent and methodical rhythm, lifts and rises over the clicking of her mouse and the steady tap-tap-tapping of keys. She’s a maestro conducting an orchestra of data streams, bringing coherence to the madness.

Sam is a seasoned veteran and an impeccable leader. Exuding an aura of quiet authority, he commands the room without the need to raise his voice. There’s an air of serenity forged in the fires of combat and polished in the aftermath of countless missions that define him. His demeanor might seem tranquil, but the undercurrent of razor-sharp focus reminds us of the soldier he once was and the powerful leader he has become.

Beside him, CJ carries a different brand of command. His broad shoulders, tempered by the rigors of special operations, bear the weight of responsibility with a warrior’s grace. The battlefield may have honed his skills, but the heart beneath the hardened exterior gives him the courage to lead us into unknown territory.

“Collins and DuBois…” Mitzy begins the briefing and spits the names out as if their taste is repugnant. “I’ve been digging into Collins’s past, exploring old connections, forgotten rivalries. The name DuBois kept coming up. A feud between them stretches back decades to a time when they were both climbing the corporate ladder. Collins allegedly stole patents from DuBois, siphoning off his success.”

Forest’s features harden. He’s a warrior and businessman who understands the ramifications of corporate betrayals. “That’s a significant motive for a grudge, but to kidnap Collins’s daughter?”

“The corporate espionage is merely the beginning. Collins is no angel.” Mitzy’s lips press into a thin line, a signal she’s about to drop a bombshell. “Dubois was married to a woman named Eleanor. Eleanor became Mrs. Eleanor Collins. She married Collins the day her divorce from Dubois was finalized, and her daughter, Ally, was delivered five months later.”

“No shit.” Hank runs his hand down his face. “That’s cold. Affair aside, to marry Collins the same day her divorce was finalized? That’s brutal.”

“Yes, like a major kick in the ass.” Gabe shares a look with Hank, and they both shake their heads.”

“Kick in the ass. Slap to the face. She definitely sent a message.” They say passion runs hot, but this is as cold as it gets. I shift in my seat, waiting for Mitzy to drop the real bombshell.

“I don’t thinkshewas sending any message. Collins did that.” Mitzy purses her lips. “I dug a bit further into Dubois and Collins. They went to the same university, were in the same fraternity, and get this…” Mitzy glances around the room, letting the suspense build. We all lean forward, hanging on her every word.

“She dated Dubois during his freshman year. Collins took her from DuBois. She and Collins dated right up until graduation.” Mitzy pops up pictures of college-aged Collins, Dubois, and Eleanor. The photos switch back and forth regarding which man’s arm is draped across Eleanor’s shoulders.

Hank's chair creaks as he leans back, a corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "I can see why they wanted her." His gaze flickers to the ceiling, a finger tracing the line of his jaw. "She's very attractive."

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