Page 45 of Rescuing Rebel

Which is what we want. If there’s a flaw, we want to discover it before our mission launches, not while Charlie team is in the trenches. But still, it’s demoralizing. Each day we wait is another day another woman suffers a fate worse than death.

Restless energy fills the room during our weekly update. Mitzy outlines our next move, her image flickering on the screen as she dials in from her lab.

“Their digital fortress is a beast.” Her tone conveys intense frustration. “Every angle we’ve tried has been shut down. They’re cautious, meticulous... Paranoid.”

“Keep at it, Mitz.” Forest Summers provides what encouragement he can. “You’ll figure it out.”

“Easier said than done. If you think it’s so damn easy, why don’t you come in and help?”

“You don’t need my help. You’ve got this.” Forest’s features remain stoic and firm. He’s still in recovery following a life-threatening cancer scare he barely survived and is taking time off to heal. One look at the man and it’s clear he’s regaining his strength, but he remains a shell of his former self.

“Whatever,” she scoffs. “It’s back to the drawing board. I don’t have much more to report.”

CJ wrangles back control of the meeting. “Do what you can, and we’ll meet in a week for updates.”

“I’m doing my best.” Mitzy rolls her eyes and shakes her head in frustration.

“No one’s saying you aren’t. If it were easy, we wouldn’t have a job.”

In the long, tense weeks that follow, I find myself thrown back into the heart of what being a Guardian means—sleepless nights, meticulous planning, constant training, and fierce determination coursing through my veins.

It’s a welcome distraction because—inevitably—when I’m not buried under work, thoughts of Rebel fill my mind. My body aches to hold, punish, and make love to her. The void she left behind is unending.

Honestly, I don’t understand the hold this woman has over me. It doesn’t make sense. However, with each passing day, week, and month, the hope of finding her grows fainter until it’s no longer there.

Nothing but an echo.

As Charlie team rallies around this mission, and Mitzy’s team immerses themselves in the world of Haven, the search for Rebel is no longer a priority. Eventually, Guardian HRS stops looking for her. This emptiness inside of me is something I resign myself to carry forever. A silent ghost that never leaves my side.

* * *

A week passes,and I find myself again summoned to a briefing. The tension in the room is palpable as I take a seat across from CJ and Mitzy.

“Mitzy, brief Ethan on where we are,” CJ gets right to it.

“Sure thing.” Mitzy taps rapidly on her keyboard, face illuminated by the glow of a dozen monitors. “Their deepest layers of encryption prevent outside access, but I can spoof an origin point from inside, make it look like there’s a mole.”

Mitzy straightens, her rainbow hair catching the light. “I built out backgrounds for each of your team members. Their aliases have thorough digital footprints as security professionals specializing in network encryption. Your team is now positioned as cutting-edge IT and security experts. All that’s left is to make some noise and let Haven come calling.”

Anticipation tingles through me. I flick through the dossiers on my tablet, marveling at the level of detail Mitzy put into each profile. We’ll all need to be familiar with it, especially if Haven personnel start asking questions.

“That will get us in the front door.” I set the tablet down and make a note to memorize the details later. “But, it’s not much use going in if all we’re going to do is hang out where they keep their servers. Gaining access to the entirety of the facility is going to require a more finessed approach.”

CJ grunts in agreement. “Mitzy had a thought about that.”

Mitzy continues, fingers still flying rapidly over the keys. “In addition to the system breach, I’m inserting strategically placed breadcrumbs.”

“Breadcrumbs?” I ask, sipping my coffee.

“You mentioned you were concerned about bringing Charlie team to Haven. I’m giving you a reason to bring muscle.” Mitzy’s eyes remain glued to the screen. “Hints and whispers that there’s a mole inside Haven passing information to outsiders.”

“You think that will convince them to give us more access?” I like how her mind works.

“It should provide leverage. They’ll want someone searching for the mole if they suspect information is leaking out of their facility.” Mitzy flashes a grin. “I’m laying the groundwork across the digital sphere. Vague mentions in closed forums. Anonymous tips left on the dark web. Just enough to spark paranoia.”

Her hands move adeptly over the keyboards, orchestrating her digital campaign. She spins in her chair, cracking her knuckles with a grin. “I’ll monitor the chatter and make sure they’re taking the bait. If needed, I can up the ante, stir more suspicions of a turncoat in their midst.”

My respect for her deviousness grows. She thought of everything. I watch over her shoulder as she inserts carefully crafted misinformation across the web. Her ghost is everywhere yet nowhere, stoking paranoia inside Haven’s ranks.

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